Even the most jaded city dweller isn’t prepared for the twinkly vistas of AP Restaurant. Set on the 51st floor of Yorkville’s Manulife Centre, this place has the sort of film-maker views (north and south) that stop tourists in their tracks and have locals squinting to see if they can pinpoint their house below.
A south-facing view from AP Restaurant’s 51st-floor.
Good news – the sparkly metropolitan backdrop is just the start. AP Chef and partner Antonio Park has created a menu of beautifully composed Japanese- and Pan-Asian-inspired plates that delight in their simplicity. More important, they are the kind of dishes you’ll want to return for again and again.
A cold-starter tuna taco elevates the hand-held classic with a gyoza shell that cradles Ahi tuna dressed with cucumber, avocado, chili yuzu and pickled daikon (an A5 Wagyu taco, served warm with bibimbap glaze, offers a rich counterpoint to the sashimi option).
AP’s Ahi tuna tacos.
The best-selling signature “Park Slaw,” a colourful pyramid of ribboned carrot, daikon, onion, mango, tomato, cucumber, coriander and roasted nuts drizzled with Japanese carrot dressing, is a conversation starter. And AP nails tempura with rock shrimp that’s just-right light and crispy (a side of spicy cilantro aioli adds a nice kick of heat).
A sampling of AP’s colourful bounty.
There are six mains, everything from miso black cod and teriyaki chicken to Canadian prime rib, as well as a full sushi and sashimi menu (including a daily omakase nigiri) but the ultimate indulgence here has to be Chef Park’s Egg on Egg on Egg, a decadent offering of uni, ikura, uzura and oscietra caviar laid out in rainbow-coloured orderly rows (or is that roes?). It is a skilled combination of flavours that are utterly fresh and deeply rich at the same time.
Chef Park’s signature Egg on Egg on Egg dish.
Save room for some lemon yuzu blueberry cake, enjoyed with a digestive Sauternes or Shizuoka green tea, while you reflect on the views and dishes that make you think, “I will be back.”
