Origin North

I went here for Winterlicious dinner. To start, I asked our server about the saffron rice cake and his reply was «It’s a cake of rice and the shrimps go on top». I had no further questions for him afterwards. I gave him the benefit of the doubt and assumed he was new.
The charred octopus was decent. A nice light starter with a hint of mint that added very well to the dish. The braised beef was terribly bland. It was very easy to pull apart. I didn’t use my knife at all. But it had absolutely no flavour. Dessert was apple pie spring roll, which had potential, but was so poorly executed. Soggy and topped with… You guessed it. Cotton candy. Wait, what? I love cotton candy, but it added absolutely no value and was probably used to make the tiny, two bite dessert look less plain.
They’re very small portions. We went to eat ramen for dinner afterwards.
TL;DR — I would have been more content with $ 45 worth of McDonalds.

Worst service experience ever!! Will never go back anymore!

Do not come for Winterlicious! Overpriced mediocre food with the smallest portion sizes ever! I left hungry and truly disappointed. Upon complaining to the manager she offered to bring us an appetizer to sample from the actual menu to fill our tummies. Nice effort but we won’t be back.

Went for Winterlicious with 4 of my pals.
One of us had to send back 2 things — the drink had a bug in it. And the dessert cup was filthy.
The mushroom artichoke soup for appetizer was very good. And I heard that the mushroom agnolotti was good too — but could have used a piece of bread on the side to sop up the sauce at the end.
My beef au jus was cold. It was probably sitting out for a while while they prepared the other entrees. Plus it didn’t come with any fries which was a letdown. And didn’t have enough horseradish sauce.
We waited a loooong time for our entrees to come. And eventually had to ask a server about it. Might have been due to the large group that was there for a retirement party. Still, there are other customers to serve!
The desserts were nothing to rave about either.
Ambiance is really nice. Modern, interesting décor. The washrooms are pretty cool.
The servers were friendly enough, but overall, it could have been a much better experience.

Came here on a Saturday with reservations for brunch. Had been here on one other occasion for dinner and was disappointed with the service but a friend recommends it highly for brunch so we decided to give it a second chance. Out brunch started off on a bad note as I found out they charge for hot water, but improved slightly after we got our food. The smoked salmon Benedict was really good and the bacon Mac and cheese was warm and hearty. After we finished the food it went downhill again as we stayed a little bit to chat and the waiter ended up coming over three times to ask if we wanted the bill… We had been there for only one hour at the time and the restaurant was only ¹⁄₃ full. Although the food is not bad, this is a place I would never return to as there are places with much better service and similar quality.

It was really good the first time I was there but the next time was just «ok». Even when I ordered the dishes I liked, it just wasn’t the same.
I did like the bufala, pine nuts, pears drizzled with honey and rosemary oil. Beet salad was delicious too.

Let me start by saying this is one of my favorite restaurants. Normally it is perfect from the food to the service to the ambience. Despite Saturday night, we will return again because everyone can have an off night, and the Manager knew it was off and comped a couple of things on our bill due to «problems in the kitchen»
First off, egg pasta for my child who I had mentioned has an egg allergy. Thankfully I noticed. Instead she got a hamburger patty with cheese on a plate with fries — she couldn’t have the bun and they forgot to bring the promised bread to go with it. That said, child declared it the best party ever.
Beet salad to die for — my favorite dish there. The tostones with guacamole my husband had were also delicious.
At some point we realized they forgot to cook the entrees for my husband and I. When we finally got them the salmon in coconut broth was so good. His burger was delicious, but he was a bit disappointed they had changed it up and we’re now serving it with guacamole instead of the mayo.
We gave up waiting for dessert menus and after a few attempts I flagged the Manager and indicated that we were not having a typical experience, had given up on dessert, and would like the bill. A few minutes later our server wandered by and apologized and we asked again for the bill.
I’m putting this up here as I plan to check reviews before we go again in future. I hope this was a one off, but the fact that the restaurant was ¹⁄₃ full on a Saturday night of Mothers Day weekend wasn’t good. It’s normally hard to get a reservation.

Nice décor but no music playing which affected the atmosphere. Service was painfully slow, meals came out at different times and were mediocre when they did arrive, cold $ 5 lattes. Really disappointed because it was expensive and looked great. Take your money somewhere else (like the Oliver and Bonacini across the street).

The scones with jam and yogurt are delicious. Although watch out if you eat them all, and you will want to, you might be too full for the main. The two times i have been there i have eaten the glazed banana and the Spanish fries. The glazed banana was awesome and highly recommended. The Spanish fries were not to my liking because i an a pescatarian who avoids meat.

Loved the décor and atmosphere — it wasn’t too loud.
The food was great. It definitely isn’t somewhere you go if you’re starving and want a lot of bang for your buck in a quantity sense. We tried the pierogies and the Spanish fries from the snacks/​appetizers section and both were quite small in size. There were only 3 pierogies though they were served with a really well-​paired sauerkraut and sour cream. The Spanish fries had some spicy chorizo chunks on top along with aioli, both of which went really well together. Fries tasted fresh and both dishes were served piping hot.
We also tried the beet salad, which, although simple, was quite delicious. The beets were roasted well and paired with a sour cream as well as goat cheese and beet leaves. There was enough flavour for it to not taste bland though it was best shared rather than consumed alone as it’s a lot of beet content for one person to eat alone.
The main that we tried was the salmon. The seasoning on the fish was a bit on the saltier side and it was served along with capers and olives, both of which were also quite spicy. The side veggies and pesto sauce were a nice touch, although a bit oily.
For dessert we shared the mango coconut tapioca pudding, which was incredible. It was served with mango shaved ice and two caramelized bananas. Both were just the right mix of flavour and complexity — definitely one of my favourite dishes in its entirety.
Overall, the food erred on the expensive side. I would say that your dollar goes far in that the ingredients are fresh and the plating is incredible. Definitely go for the experience and the ambiance, not necessarily to fill yourself up on food.

It was a beautiful environment. Honestly, the washroom made me think back to highschool. (LOL) The food was great, especially the bufala mozzarella. Dessert was another story, very nostalgic. Entertaining to say the least. Making our ice cream at our table with liquid nitrogen. I would definitely come back again.

We expected much more. Origin is a restaurant that is priced at the same level as many Yorkville restaurants. At first glance it looks quite nice but up close you see the poor design and quality. Very cookie cutter trying to be upscale. Uncomfortable seating — every move made by your adjoining neighbour shakes your seat to the point where it’s difficult to eat. The ladies room was another room fraught with unfortunate choices, example no counter in the washroom by the sink meant I had to put my expensive purse on the floor while hand washing.
When it came to dining I must admit the food was quite tasty. The appetizer came reasonable quick «white bean hummus» however being served with one naan made sharing difficult. The mains served were the chicken dish and the salmon overall 3.5 for the food. Our server was pretty good but they must be low on staff in general since in the period of time we were seated there were at least three occasions where customers were walking around looking for the washroom without anyone helping them.
I think when I’m spending in the $$$$ plus category the food, the service and the ambience/​décor should be equally excellent. Comfort should never be an issue.

The rating is based on my Summerlicious experience in July 2015.
The restaurant is in the parking lot outside the upscale Bayview Village. The interior was huge; a perfect spot for a corporate venue and large parties. I could imagine the space being transformed into a lounge in the evening. I sat on the large patio to make use of the beautiful weather.
For my pre-​fix lunch at $ 23, I ordered the smoked heirloom tomato gazpacho, the saffron aranchini with sweet pea and zucchini crudo, and the salted caramel cone.
My fav was the cone and soft serve ice cream served in a bowl with peanut brittle. The berry sauce was refreshing and this ended the meal well.
All 3 items were tasty and the presentation of the dishes were beautiful, but the aranchini was more like an appetizer, so I left hungry. I need to come back to check out their regular menu to feel for the consistency of the food.

We went as a group of 8 plus a baby on the last night of summerlicious. Some of us ordered from the regular menu but I ordered from the summerlicious menu. I got the aranchini, mushroom agnolotti and the brownie sundae. All 3 were just ok. It was enjoyable but nothing special.
The restaurant was not full but service was slow. The server was cold and abrupt. It took especially long for us to pay.

I love the location, I love the interior decoration, I have no problem with the food and drinks but the service here is just suck! I guess 2 stars for this restaurant sums up my past 3 visits to this place.
I came here since it first opened. I was impressed with the interior decoration. The food was ok. All I remember was the dessert I ordered. It tasted ok but the very creative presentation made my day. Service was really so-​so for a newly opened restaurant. I thought it could be more welcoming and attentive.
The second time here was just a drink and dessert experience with the fellow Unilocalers after a UYE dinner. The cocktail I ordered was citrus flavor but very bland. My bf ordered a manhattan drink and the comment was don’t order it. He wasn’t satisfied with his first drink and so ordered a beer but a taking-​forever second round. He had to wait and asked the waitress twice before his beer came when the place was pretty empty at the time. I ordered a lemon curd as my after-​dinner dessert. Like the first time, I was impressed with the presentation. Besides, it tasted fresh and just the right amount of sweet. At least, I was totally satisfied with my dessert.
The last time was the Summerlicious lunch ($ 23) just a week ago. I found the menu looked good. The hostess at the front door was busy with another customer, so I had to wait for a moment but she was nice enough to lead me to my table. My friend and I was happy with the Smoked Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho and Tempura Haddock with Japanese noodle salad + scallion aioli we had. Everything seemed right until our waiter started to be very preoccupied with his other tables or just laid back? So far, he came to our table once to check on us. He wasn’t even the one who served us with the dessert. Mentioning about the dessert, we both had a lemon curd. Since I was so impressed with the lemon curd on my last visit, I suggested we could both have it. I was very disappointed when it came. It was only one-​third portion of the one I ordered last time. The presentation was not lovely at all and it tasted too sweet this time too. Ok, I understand it was Summerlicious, so be prepared lol.
However, the most disappointed part was that the waiter, all of a sudden, brought us the bill without us asking for it when we were just having our dessert and our tea/​coffee. He was mumbling while he put the bill at the corner on our table. Could you please speak up? Well, we were not supposed to order anything more, right? Should he check with us first or he just wanted to make sure we pay? I thought he might have just finished his shift. Ended up, it was not the case. We paid cash, he returned the change to us but he, sort of, slightly threw the bill folder back to us at the far end corner of our table. I had to lean on the table to grab the folder myself. Seriously? What did we do to make him, all of a sudden, provide us such a service attitude? All right, I assume he didn’t do it on purpose, but serious restaurant training for him please.
In general, what a waste! This place can do better than this. I believe I gave it enough try.

Although this has been open for a while, it wasn’t until my husband came here with friends and came back with rave reviews, that we made a rare decision to have brunch just the 2 (+1) of us.
I love the high ceilings and spacious dining area. There is also a semi private area for large groups. Seemed like this Sunday morning our side was full of mommies and mommy to be’s. It had lots of space for our stroller. It’s trendy without being too pretentious.
The price point is not cheap but affordable. Perfect for this neighbourhood I think, and MUCH better food quality than O&B. The menu for brunch is diverse with Eggs Benny and French Toasts with a twist. It was the Duck Confit French Toast that my hb couldn’t stop talking about.
I decided to start with scones. It was really good and I recommend it. Warm and soft but it was really crumbly everywhere. We weren’t given any plates for this and we just made a mess of the table.
I got the Peanut Brittle + Banana French Toast. It was one of those dishes that look better on paper than in real life. The caramelized banana was nice, but the french toast itself was a little dense, and didn’t seemed soaked enough with batter. I’m sure it was there, but I’m not sure where the peanut brittle was.
Hubby got the brisket benny. It was tasty, but not mind blowing. Needed more hollandaise. It was a little dry but very filling.
I still would want to go again, and try the duck confit french toast I’ve heard so much about.
It was Sunday afternoon. Lots of space, although most people sat outside in the patio.

You’ll be under the impression you’re going to a 5-​star restaurant when you come to Origin North — the modern, free-​standing building looks fantastic, and there are Porshes and Lamborginis in the parking lot. The interior is equally nice — lots of high quality stone, metal, wood and glass, with suitably modern ‘retro’ lighting (looks great at night!). This is how you make a good impression.
However, food and service were not up to par with the ambiance. Our waitress was brusque and sullen, and did nothing to improve our meal. Appetizers were very good all around — the sushi pizza was very tasty and the beet salad had an excellent presentation.
Then there was an hour wait for the mains. Much too long. None came out particularly well either, and were not high-​quality food or presentation. Fish tacos were bland with tastless fries. Lo-​mein was oily. Chicken was good, but vegetables underneath were not.
We saw some amazing looking desserts go past, but didn’t stay. The liquid nitrogen ice cream looked very cool.
We’ll probably try it once more, as the location is great for shopping at Bayview, but overall it was a disappointing experience.

4.5 stars
I came here with a girl friend for dinner. The restaurant is massive — and good for groups or a romantic dinner with your sweetheart.
We had:
BUFALA MOZZARELLA + grilled bread + poached pear + pine nuts + honey
SWEET POTATO & KALE SALAD + pumpkin seeds + apple + sweet soy
MISO GLAZED COD + bok choy + sesame + yuzu + scallion
SECOND RUSH (DESSERT TOUR): Truffle + cotton candy + chocolate pot de crème + cookie
There was also a lamb burger that we ordered that doesn’t appear to be on the menu any more. The cod didn’t have much bok choy, but they gladly grilled us some more when we asked. Everything tasted delicious — absolutely no complaints. Even the portion sizes were perfect.
We saw the Northern Storm being made a number of times. It looked great, but we were so full after our meal that we wanted a smaller dessert to share.
The service was great; friendly, attentive — but didn’t make us feel pressured when we wanted to just catch up and not order anything else
The meal was absolutely delicious with many flavour combinations. It wasn’t too expensive, though I thought it was kind of strange that we had to pay $ 2 each for tap water.

Categorically disappointed.
For a restaurant whose owner’s name — Claudio Aprile — is supposedly synonymous with high quality, Origin North really let me down like the Toronto Maple Leafs.
High credit goes to the décor and ambience of the restaurant, but that’s where credit due stops. For good reason too — allow me to explain.
I came to Origin North on one windy, cold Valentine’s Day evening. My partner and I are big fans of the show MasterChef Canada, where the owner and creator of Origin North is a celebrated judge.
Well, between dishing out harsh criticism and as well as encouraging home cooks, Claudio perhaps should revisit this restaurant and be judged for what was a disappointing meal for myself and my date.
For the evening, we settled on the risotto with mushrooms, reggiano and truffle, and their combo number 1, also known as the Origin burger, with a side of their Spanish fries (chorizo and manchego, which is like a spicy mayo) and a float drink that I substituted for an iced tea instead. I was given the option to order the burger medium rare, an option which I gladly took.
My order of draft beer and my partner’s iced tea took far too long to arrive, given the restaurant was not at full capacity as well it being a past 9pm dinner, ordered drinks should have arrived far faster than 10 minutes I feel.
We were also told that their 12oz steaks for the night was sold out. It being a long weekend (Family Day), and a marquee evening (Valentine’s Day), I found this most surprising. Surely there must have been a mix up by the supplier because how can you be out of steaks on a weekend, much less on a Saturday like today?
During our interim chatter while waiting for our food, the exposed kitchen and its Expediter had what could be called a slight meltdown. One of the cooks had made a mistake in not properly seasoning a salad or something rather, and the Expediter who was very vocal, called him out on it. Perhaps far too vocal because I witnessed half the restaurant stopped mid conversation to glance over at what was unfolding before their eyes. Their faces said it all, they were exasperated and felt terrible for the cook that was being chewed out.
Minutes later after the spectacle in the kitchen, our food arrived.
While elegantly prepared, the taste of the food did not match the level of presentation.
My burger was very dry, and far from medium rare border lining on hard like cardboard. Furthermore, it was under seasoned, where’s the salt, or flavor? Buns were overly toasted, there were burnt marks all along the edges, obvious grill marks that the toaster was set far too high. The Spanish fries were under cooked. Fries were not crispy at all and had a very starchy taste the more you ate it.
The risotto did not fare any better. The rice was chewy and also under cooked, mushrooms were perfect though however. It too could have used additional seasoning, as it was on the edge of being very bland. Overall, a dry dish that could have used more sauce, as well as being cooked a little longer. Risotto should not taste like sticky rice, chewy and hard. We did not finish both meals.
During the whole time, not once did our waitress check up on us to see if we were doing OK. A rule of thumb at most restaurants I’ve been to is that you want to check in with your diners about 5 minutes after they have received their food.
I wanted to bring to their attention the dry tasteless risotto and overcooked burger, but alas, she did not come by at all except to refill the water near the end, but by then it was far too late. Overall service was satisfactory.
For the price point and the celebrity name attached, we expected far better. For about roughly the same price point, one can venture into a Moxies’, Joeys or Earls’ for a better culinary experience.
The misses at Origin North far outweighed the hits. Claudio Aprile perhaps needs to focus less on MasterChef and give more attention to Origin North. If the cook that made our entrees tonight was on the show, they would no doubt be sent home.
Too bad. I wanted to like Origin North.

3.5, super close to a 4. Went here for brunch on a Sunday. We had reservations and it didn’t seem too busy. We were seated immediately.
Our waiter was nice but imho, was def more concerned and preoccupied w/​the larger party (birthday group) than his other tables.
I had the Smoked Salmon Benedict w/​english muffin + poached eggs + hollandaise sauce + kale salad $ 18. So pricy imho. But it was definitely one of the BEST egg benes I’ve had. The salmon was very yummy and fresh too. I was pretty stuffed for almost the entire day!
We also had the Crushed potato + sour cream + scallion + maple bacon. That was just average. Honestly you can make this yourself at home :)
The décor is nice but from the outside, I honestly thought it was just another place to overcharge yuppies and rich folks. A great restaurant for brunch once in a while. Lots of parking.