Toronto Life - The 100 Best Toronto Restaurants

If you’re dining solo at Patois or with one other companion, you may be invited to sit at the bar and “join the party.” It does feel like a celebration here, with the music cranked and tropical cocktails in things like inflatable flamingos and flaming pineapples—the scent of extinguished sparklers mingles with jerk spice. This is the second incarnation of Craig Wong’s Asian-Caribbean kitchen, one of the city’s most unique spots. The original closed after the store next door caught fire, only to rise from the ashes like a charcoal-grilled phoenix—or, in this case, a chicken, fried and served with pickled watermelon and sweet sriracha. And the Dirty Fried Rice—a pile of rice chock full of egg, veggies, sweet lap cheong and Hong Kong–style red sausages—is a must. A recent visit involved a free shot—a mouthful of gin, chased with Ting. Join the party indeed.