I am one very happy man!
For the longest time, whenever I wanted to enjoy owner-chef John Situ’s wonderfully executed, no-fuss cuisine at Fish & Loaf, it meant enduring an over 45-minute drive from upper Richmond Hill down to midtown Toronto — usually while battling the nightmare known as the Don Valley Parkway. Painful? Absolutely. Worth it? Without question!
Now, with the restaurant’s long-awaited relocation finally becoming reality, getting there took me barely 10 minutes from home. Honestly, with today’s outrageous gas prices, that alone already feels like a victory.
Still operating somewhat under a “soft opening” mode, my wife and I decided to revisit this hidden neighbourhood gem and reconnect with an old favourite.
Since it was a busy weekend evening and my reservation was made a little too late, we ended up at a fairly small table inside the cozy yet beautifully modern dining room. The new space feels stylish and contemporary, but thankfully still warm and welcoming.
Most importantly, Chef Situ has retained many of the signature dishes from the original Fish & Loaf menu — including several items that made me fall in love with the restaurant in the first place. The menu still showcases a parade of premium ingredients, from beautifully marbled Iberico pork to Australian and Japanese Wagyu beef, all expertly charbroiled with confidence and restraint.
One dish I was especially relieved to see remain was their incredibly satisfying claypot rice, loaded with house-cured Chinese preserved meats and sausages. Rich, fragrant, comforting and dangerously addictive — still one of the menu’s biggest highlights for me.
Sadly though, one heartbreaking omission stood out immediately: my beloved fried monkfish nuggets were nowhere to be found! Those crispy little bites were honestly one of the restaurant’s most memorable dishes from before. Hopefully they make a triumphant return someday, because I already miss them dearly.
For this first “soft opening” visit to Chef Situ’s reborn gastronomic gem, my wife and I decided to play things somewhat safely and ordered from a menu that felt comfortingly familiar:
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Fried Soft Shell Crab with house-made aioli
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Chargrilled aged Spanish Iberico Pork Chop with sautéed seasonal vegetables
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Chargrilled aged Spanish Galician Striploin Steak (10 oz) with mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables
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Warabi Mochi with soybean powder and syrup
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Matcha Red Bean Parfait with chestnut cream
Overall, the meal was a tremendously enjoyable success, especially considering this was still technically a newly assembled kitchen finding its footing.
The undisputed stars of the evening were the expertly executed protein dishes.
In particular, the Iberico pork chop was absolutely superb — thick, succulent and beautifully juicy, cooked exactly the way pork should be cooked, with just the slightest blush of pink in the centre. European style! In my humble opinion, this gorgeous piece of pork can almost stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the legendary Berkshire Pork Chop served at Boulevard, the celebrated Michelin-starred restaurant by famed chef Nancy Oakes in San Francisco.
The aged Galician striploin was certainly no slouch either. Cooked to a perfect medium rare, the beef was deeply flavourful with a lovely smoky char and excellent beefiness throughout. Considering both the quality and generous portion size, it represented exceptional value. That said, since Galician beef tends to be leaner and grass-fed, next time I may be tempted to splurge a little more on the better-marbled rib eye for additional tenderness.
Another pleasant surprise was the quality of the accompanying vegetables — clearly not an afterthought here. Thick in-season asparagus, plump oyster mushrooms, sweet yellow zucchini and crispy fried julienned shallots added freshness, texture and colour to the meal.
Dessert also ended the evening on a strong note. Both mochi-based sweets were wonderfully unique and dangerously addictive. The Warabi Mochi in particular was outstanding — soft, chewy and almost heavenly in texture, with a delicate sweetness that made it impossible to stop at one bite.
Despite the dining room being completely packed by around 6:00 pm, service remained impressively smooth throughout the evening. A team of friendly, attentive and efficient female servers kept things moving seamlessly while maintaining a warm and welcoming atmosphere.
Based on this near-flawless first impression, I honestly have little doubt that Chef Situ and his reborn culinary baby will thrive in Richmond Hill and quickly establish itself as a major and very welcome addition to the local dining scene.
