MasterChef Canada winner opens Toronto’s newest destination for Asian-fusion fine dining – NOW Toronto

MasterChef Canada winner Eric Chong is one of the visionaries behind a new restaurant in Toronto, which aims to bring a unique Asian-fusion dining experience to the diverse city. 

Fine dining restaurant aKin opened its doors in the heart of Toronto in November, a passion project born out of the ambitious minds of both Chong and Michelin-starred celebrity chef Alvin Leung. High-quality cuisine and innovation intertwine at aKin to bring diners on a complex culinary journey of Asian flavours, a mesmerizing experience Chong says is rare in the city. 

“I think we’re filling a void in Toronto’s dining scene,” Chong said in an interview with Now Toronto on Wednesday. 

“There is definitely a demand for fine dining, but there isn’t a single Asian-inspired tasting menu-only restaurant in Toronto that’s doing what we’re doing… something that’s approachable, something where people recognize these flavours, but then in a more higher-end capacity.”

aKin is Chong’s second acquisition with Leung after Chinatown eatery R&D Spadina, which is operated by renowned hospitality group Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants. From being crowned as the season one winner of MasterChef Canada to regularly cooking alongside some of the biggest names in the culinary industry, Chong says he’s fulfilling his lifelong dream. 

“To be able to partner with culinary juggernauts at such an early age, I was very fortunate to learn from some of the best,” he said. 

Guests won’t be able to view the menu before dining, as aKin offers a chef-selected blind-tasting menu that is unavailable to find online. However, Chong says his decision in not posting the menu is intentional, to ensure diners have a completely immersive experience with no pre-conceived expectations. 

“We want people to be surprised. Because when people are surprised, the dining experience is much more memorable,” Chong said. 

The 10-course dining experience, which features premium ingredients like caviar, is up to three hours long and is set at $275 per person, but beginning on Dec. 10, aKin will also offer a seven-course menu for $195, a more approachable and valuable option for diners ahead of the holiday season. 

Chong remained tight-lipped about the extensive details of the menu, but he said one thing diners can expect to see on their tables is a lobster course – his personal favourite dish. 

“Lobster is my favourite ingredient. I won MasterChef with lobster. I wear a lobster claw on my neck. Every restaurant always has a signature lobster dish, and the one that we serve is very special to me,” Chong said. 

“It’s even served on a custom DNA-inspired patterned plate, because lobster has become part of my own brand at this point.” 

Presentation of the sophisticated dishes are also carefully curated, Chong says, with exquisite plates custom made to reflect the ingredients that it’s served with. Handmade sea urchin bowls and laser-cut fish skeleton-shaped dinnerware are some exclusive examples of what diners can expect to see, but perhaps what sets aKin apart from other Toronto restaurants is its dedication to incorporating authentic Asian elements into its cuisine. 

“There is definitely a demand for Asian flavour,” Chong said. 

“You see other restaurants… are just sprinkling in Asian elements throughout the cooking, but there isn’t one that’s doing it 100 per cent, featuring these flavours that people have desire for. We use a lot of Malaysian, Singaporean, and Thai influence, but done in a nice, very unique and comfortable setting.”

Chong encourages future customers to come by and embark on a truly unparalleled experience, and insists that diners will leave aKin pleasantly surprised.  

“I know people may get shocked by the $275, but everybody who has dined at aKin thus far has left extremely satisfied – full is something that I can guarantee,” Chong emphasized.  

“The only complaint we get is that there’s too much food. And that’s a complaint that I’m very happy with!”