There are energy lunches—after which there’s Enigma.
At Enigma, the MICHELIN-starred restaurant tucked into Yorkville, Chef Quinton Bennett is doing one thing quietly radical: making tremendous eating really feel easy at midday. Hailing from South Africa, the place he started cooking at 16, Bennett refined his craft in famend kitchens throughout the UK and Denmark earlier than bringing his signature fashion to Toronto. With the launch of their newly launched five-course Lunch Tasting Menu ($165), Enigma takes the precision of its celebrated night service and adapts it for daylight, with out sacrificing an oz. of finesse.
We visited Enigma to expertise the brand new Lunch Tasting Menu firsthand and have the total breakdown on every course and the general expertise.
The Menu: 5 Considerate Chapters
The tasting kicks off with tea—however not the type you sip at your desk. This can be a exact mix of chamomile, yuzu, peach, elderflower, and honey. Aromatic, targeted, and quietly assured, it units the tone with refined aptitude. A silent flex from the chef: we all know precisely what we’re doing.
Then the meal unfolds, paced intentionally and plated with museum-level element.
Course one brings brassica, elderflower, and basil. It’s the sort of plate that appears like a stroll by means of a greenhouse—crisp, vivid, and botanical.
Course two shifts gears. Yellowtail, trout roe, squid ink crouton, and mint—that is the standout. Recent yellowtail, kissed with salinity from the roe and anchored by a whisper of mint. The squid ink crouton provides texture and distinction. It’s contemporary, elegant, and unpretentious. And it lingers—that is the plate you’ll keep in mind later within the elevator, questioning in the event you can come again subsequent week.
Course three arrives as a halibut fillet, swimming in courgette fondue and lobster dashi crème. It’s richer, however not aggressive. Comforting, however clear. It’s the sort of dish that desires to be eaten slowly.
Course 4 turns darker: Ontario lamb shoulder paired with sweetbreads, charred lettuce, and onion. It’s savory, earthy, and a bit primal. The fats is rendered superbly, the meat fork-soft. If the sooner dishes had been sonatas, that is the percussion.
Course 5 performs us out with kiwi, vanilla, and apple—visually gorgeous, virtually sculptural. It seemed like one thing between a flower and a dessert artwork set up. Minimal. Refined. A excessive be aware that doesn’t beg for applause.
We completed the expertise with a house-made chilly brew which was shockingly easy, contemporary, and precisely what you want to step again into the true world with out shedding the reminiscence of the place you simply had been. (Notice: drinks, together with the chilly brew, aren’t included within the tasting menu value.)
The Drinks
Enigma presents a thoughtfully curated number of drinks, whether or not you’re within the temper for a basic cocktail, a glass from their rigorously chosen wine listing, or one thing extra adventurous. Visitors can go for a full wine pairing or discover a non-alcoholic flight that includes fresh-pressed juices and zero-proof cocktails. Throughout our go to, we loved a superbly balanced cocktail and a vibrant glass of crimson—each adequately subtle to let the meals shine, but refined sufficient to raise the expertise.
The Little Issues
The place Enigma actually excels isn’t simply within the kitchen; it’s within the rhythm, the restraint, and the sudden allure of your complete expertise. The service is remarkably considerate, and even the test—sometimes an earthly a part of the meal—arrives with a contact of caprice. Introduced inside a treasure chest atop a sculptural platform, Enigma has turned paying the invoice right into a second price savouring.
Name it hospitality with a wink.
Ultimate Verdict
Enigma has held a MICHELIN star three years working (2022, 2023, 2024), and its newly launched Lunch Tasting Menu is a refreshing evolution of that acclaim. It’s for individuals who respect tremendous eating however don’t wish to wait till dinner to indulge or for anybody who needs to gradual the day down and savour one thing distinctive.
At $165, it’s a rigorously thought-about funding in each meals and expertise. What you get in return is greater than only a meal. It’s an expertise—a style of artistry.
And in the event you’re not fairly prepared for the total tasting dedication, know this: Enigma just lately expanded its footprint with a renovation that merged the eating room and bar, now providing an à la carte Lounge Menu for walk-ins, in addition to personal eating experiences within the Hibiscus Room, and even catering. The model continues to evolve, however with out ever compromising its soul.
Would we go once more? With out hesitation. Would we advocate it? Completely.
It’s in all probability the easiest way to spend a day in Toronto proper now—and also you’ll be fascinated with that yellowtail lengthy after you’ve gone again to your inbox.
Guide your desk at present.
