This place is awesome, and definitely worth making a part of any trip to the Leaf. Actually, it's…read moreworth visiting even if you aren't planning on touring the Leaf.
While clearly a nice restaurant, the atmosphere isn't pretentious at all. It's chill, people are friendly, and I was really impressed by how calm everyone seemed in the open kitchen.
The menu I guess could be described as "New Canadian", and I'd say it's got something for everyone, but is focused enough not to overwhelm.
We got three of the small plates to start with and share: the focaccia, the chorizo spiced tacos, and the roasted squash gnocchi. The tacos are actually made with soy curls (a soy-based protein that actually has the texture of chicken) flavored with chorizo spices. Our meat-eating (and meat-loving) parents who usually dislike tofu and any meat alternatives actually really liked the tacos. I tried some of the mole and it was so good that I ended up pouring some of the extra on the focaccia! The focaccia itself was pillowy and perfect with a unique and delicious strawberry infused whipped butter.
The gnocchi was by far my favorite dish of the night. The contrast of the pillowy gnocchi to the pumpkin seed brittle, and the sweet squash to the savory mushroom xo, all make for delight and interest in every bite.
For mains, I got the coconut korma with soy curls, and my dinner buddies got the house salads (one with chicken and one with soy curls) and the linguine with spinach creme sauce. Props to the kitchen for very satisfying portions on the large plates. We were all stuffed by the end and I actually needed a bit of help at the end to finish mine. The korma was delicious, with fragrant fluffy rice and flavorful soy protein. Everyone really enjoyed their dishes, and the only downside was that we were too stuffed to try and of the desserts, which sounded amazing.
I'm not that particular about service in general, but when it's good, I can definitely notice, and the service here is really, really good. Our server, Karla (or Carla?) was so attentive, so helpful, kept us well hydrated, and paced everything out perfectly. Overall, our experience here was incredibly positive and would recommend!