Origin

Great service at Sunday brunch. We had the tostada, fried rice, berry French toast, and smashed Yukon gold potatoes. All were delicious.
Great atmosphere and very cool décor. Will definitely be back to try more of the delicious items on the menu!

I am a huge fan of Origin. I generally am a fan of Tapas restaurants but I must admit, Origin is one of my favorite ones in the Toronto area. Service is friendly and quite impeccable. Getting a reservation is easier than most other Toronto restaurants on weekend. I absolutely love the «open kitchen» concept and the dishes are creative and truly unique. I would suggest trying any of their mozzarella creations. The tuna salad is delicious as well. Great overall experience, will be going back

My girlfriend took me here for my birthday and we both thoroughly enjoyed all courses!
Here’s what we had:
–Shiitake arancini + Fontina + truffle
–Tuna hand roll + apple + shiso + miso mayonnaise
–Bufala mozzarella + pear + rosemary oil + pinenuts + honey
–Seared tuna with lemon and fingerling potatos (no longer on the menu from what I can see)
–Dulce de leche + lemon sponge + raspberries + yoghurt
Service was excellent. They found out it was my birthday and surprised me with a candle when dessert was brought out. It was a nice touch.
Definitely would go back!

A nice place in terms of the décor and vibe, but beyond that it is very mediocre. The portions are VERY small. I ordered the burger and it was $ 17 with no side. The burger basically was a glorified slider. The appetizers weren’t much better. We had the squash, tostates and guacamole and they were barely enough to share for two people. I will say everything was quite tasty, so that gets it two stars.
Would not go back.

Fantastic brunch. Eggs Benny with bacon side were amazing. Staff very attentive. Very cool, hip ambiance. Good coffee.

I was visiting Toronto for the first time and this was extremely mediocre.
First of all, this is not really small plates (–1 star). I asked the server to explain the menu concept and all he said was «It’s small plates but it gets bigger as you go down the menu». He didn’t really mention that most of the hot food is portioned for only one person (I ordered the arctic char from the hot menu and sure, the bowl was big but the portions were tiny). Also, some of the «small plates» like the fish tacos were 2 tacos only meant for 2 people. We were a group of 6 people and the small plates weren’t really shareable! As a server, you should recommend dishes that work well with our group size.
Second, the food was either poorly seasoned or overly seasoned (–1 star). We ordered the chinois duck and it was way way way too salty for duck. Then the branzino ceviche was super bland and had popcorn in it, which was strange. I felt like the popcorn was too big and the popcorn to fish ratio was too much for the little amount of fish in the ceviche. It would make sense to chop up the popcorn a little bit so it blends better.
Third, the service was so slow and the attitude from the server was so apparent (–1 star). The server seemed out of it like he was stoned. Every time I asked him a question starting with «Can I…» such as «Can I have a glass of water?» he would reply with «Yes, you CAN.» Is this a grammar lesson? Should I have started my questions with «May I…» for better service?
Lastly, don’t bother ordering drinks here (–1 star). I got a Phuket About It and it was pink syrup in a bowl. It was so disgustingly sweet and there was very little alcohol in it. I ended up asking for a Grey goose vodka and soda drink with less ice and the server said to me «You’re still going to get the same amount of alcohol». That’s fine. I still want less ice!
I would NOT recommend coming here.

This place is fantastic, they are open pretty late and the food and drinks are great. This place is more tapas style, but I managed to try their Spanish fries with Chorizo and they were fantastic and the Pierogi are just like my grandma used to make, absolutely on point. I was extremely pleased with the food, drinks and service. I did notice that some people coming in weren’t quite attended to as fast as I think they would’ve liked, but other than that they seem to be fantastic at everything. The menu is extremely diverse and unique and I suspect you’ll find at least something someone will like somewhere on the menu.

Meh. Friend and I walked in late on a Saturday evening, with out a reservation and the over courteous host offered us a seat at the «dinner bar «because they were booked for the night. That was fine was us because, we did not have reservations and it surrounded the kitchen so you are able to watch them prepare all the food. I love the open kitchen concept.
While sitting at the dinner bar the service seamed kind of slow, and I was not really sure if the server was taking care of us or if it was a join effort with the host but it was slow and sparse thankfully we were not really rushing.
We both had the Origin Burger combo which came with a burger, Spanish fries and an ice cream float for desert. I was not really a fan of the toppings on the fries, but the actual fries were really good. The ordered my burger medium, it was defiantly rare, but I have to say it was very good. The seasoning and flavor was on point. I loved the float at the end and it is monstrous!
All in all it was a good meal, service was lacking a bit but that could have been because of where we were sitting. The host was very friendly and took our jackets upon entering, which is not something you see in buffalo but it fairly common in Toronto. I’d say its worth a try though!

Review is for brunch. Food wasn’t great and is definitely nothing special. I wouldn’t come back. Duck french toast sounded amazing, but disappointed. The spanish fries were okay, but the fries weren’t as crispy as i liked.

Got the weekend brunch burger. Priced at about $ 19, I was surprised to find it came a la carte. The lonely burger was nothing to write home about and wasn’t filling as a brunch item. I would have been much happier going down the street to The Works for a better burger and better value.
Partner got the egg white fritata. Again, came a la carte and portion was on the small side. It was closer to an omelete than a fritata. Was disappointed with this dish in terms of food quality and value as well.
Would not come back for brunch.

I came here on a Tuesday evening for a work dinner with 6 others. Overall Origin had very unique menu options — it is not only Asian fusion but offered some Mexican, Indian and some other cuisine twists, which I loved.
Atmosphere: One thing to note is that this place has great ambience — we were seated in a semi-​private area in the back of the restaurant. The area was nicely decorated with a baby blue long glass table, a unique hanging light fixture and a lot of art on the side. I highly recommend reserving and asking for the semi-​private area if you are planning a birthday party or group gathering as the area is very nice.
Appetizers: Since we had a bigger group, we had the luxury of ordering many different appetizers to try. Some stand-​outs included the steak tartare (served with a raw egg with rice chips) and the Spanish fries with chorizo. My favourite was actually from the Mozzarella Bar — we ordered the Bufala mozzarella with pear, pine nuts and honey. There is a large chunk of mozzarella served atop the pear and a baguette — perfect for cheese lovers. I would also recommend trying the ceviche, but it was a smaller portion size for sharing.
Entrée: I would have to say that my entrée was slightly disappointing given the price of it. I ordered the Roast halibut in olive crust in tomato broth ($ 34). Although the dish included a large piece of halibut, I thought that the broth was incredibly salty, which did not complement the already salty olive crust.
Service: The service was standard. Although very professional, we found that sometimes it was hard to track down our server to place additional appetizer orders, perhaps because we were seated away from the main dining area.
I highly recommend trying Origin for its appetizers, snacks and mozzarella bar with friends, but be weary of the pricy entrees.

Came here for a team dinner (party of 7) on a Tuesday night. We were seated in a neat, almost secluded, spot in the back of the restaurant. It was very good for a team dinner, as it was quieter and allowed for better conversation. The décor was noteworthy — I liked the wall backdrop and the glass-​top table. The light fixture was quite interesting.
The menu is meant to be a family-​style one where things are ordered to share. We ordered a few appetizers — a seafood ceviche (creative and flavourful — with shaved coconut and popcorn), Spanish fries (topped with chorizo — which the whole group enjoyed), steak tartare (with parmesan and egg yolk — so good we had to order 2), and a beef and glass noodle salad (the beef was good but overall the dish was average). We also ordered from the mozzarella bar — a giant block of bufala mozzarella topped with pear, pine nuts and honey. This was probably my favourite starter.
Each person then ordered their own main from the hot menu — the chinois duck (essentially Peking duck at Chinese restaurants), the miso-​glazed black cod (came out sizzling), the cornish hen (with ricotta gnocchi), and 3 orders of the olive crust halibut (quite salty, but saved a bit by the tomato saffron broth). We also had 2 bottles of wine, some beer, and bar rail drinks. Everyone was stuffed and no one had room for dessert.
Overall I had a great dining experience. For some reason I didn’t go with very high expectations, and maybe that’s why I was fairly impressed by the food. The items tend to be on the pricier side, but the place is great for a nicer dinner out. The patio also looked nice, though not sure how loud it’d be so sit there given all the construction nearby.

Service was okay and the food was about the same. Its too bad when the menu description sets and expectation that the food and visuals don’t live up to, and that was the case for me here. Ordered the huevos rancheros for brunch and although the flavours were good, the portion seemed a little small for the price point. The devilled eggs were delicious, again a bit overpriced. The scones and Devonshire cream were a hit for our table too.

I’ve been here a few times with the wifey for dinner and loved it. We decided to give their brunch a shot and we were not disappointed. First, they take reservations for brunch which is rare and awesome. We arrived and were seated on the patio right away.
We shared the sweet potato and kale salad to start — amazing. We then shared the egg white frittata. It tasted fine but honestly way too basic for the palette I’ve come to expect at Origin. I wouldn’t order it again for that reason. Then we shared the duck confit french toast — full redemption after the frittata. It was the best french toast I’d ever had.
I’d give this brunch experience 4 stars normally but the server was stand-​out better than I expect at this level of dining. He was super attentive and thorough without interrupting our convo.
We’ll definitely be back.

I will keep my review brief.
TV hyped by Chef Claudio (love the show Masterchef)
Food is mediocre
Price is high
Service is worst than going through security at Pearson airport
Chance of revisit = zero

It’s been a helluva while since I was dining regularly on the east end, but today I had the pleasure of returning to Origin for a patio lunch. I soaked up the sun and enjoyed their burger (cooked to order), truffle fries and cream soda shake. What a delicious indulgence! I shall return.

I went here for my birthday with four friends, and had a blast.
The appetizers are pretty filling, so I actually filled up on the chorizo croquettes and the truffle fries with the truffled aioli (amazing by the way). And the best, most interesting dessert I ever had: it’s the «dulche de leche raspberry lemon sponge yogurt» dessert, and it’s exactly as described, with an amazing combination of flavours (tart and sweet and rich and refreshing), kind of like a parfait. They’ve also got some interesting cocktails, a little pricey, but good.

I booked a reservation at Origin because we were a group of 6 and it was the only restaurant nearby that could accommodate us on short notice and for which the reviews looked pretty good.
In terms of ambiance, I like places like this that have a desperate eating area should you wish for something a bit more quiet, and a prominent bar area with surrounding seating if you happen to be in with a group and want things to be livelier.
Before eating, we had drinks. Even though it was not on their cocktail list, I ordered a Last Word. The friendly and knowledgeable bartender put one together with me and it was excellent!
For food, because this is a tapas place, we ordered a variety of dishes and shared them. Amongst the ones that I enjoyed were the Duck Tortillas, the Crispy Calamari, and the pork dumplings. Other dishes that were ordered which I did not try, were nicely presented and included the Deviled Eggs and smoked bacon, and the Bufala.

I have been going to Origin off and on, and didn’t realize until recently that it is part of a chain of restaurants by Chef Claudio Aprile. Origin’s performance is fairly polarized – some of the dishes are superb, others avoidable; on some days the service is responsive, on other days it seems non-​existent.
Origin’s menu is quite diverse. It is tapas style, and has a number of sections – Snacks & Sides, Raw Bar, Mozzarella Bar, Chilled, and Hot, and Sweet. The tostones with guacamole is a perfect 10. The fried plantain goes well with the chunky guacamole. On the other hand, the roasted cauliflower soup with Indian spices is quite mediocre. Not the right consistency, and the flavors don’t seem well integrated. The sweet potato and kale salad was hard to finish. But on the other hand, the beet dish with goat cheese and walnuts is just right. The setting at Origin is contemporary and especially well suited for business meals. The service is friendly but often inefficient – for example, we had to wait an extra hour for the entrees to arrive last time we had dinner at Origin, due in part to a changing of the guard in the service department.
Given its proximity to where I spend time in Toronto, I will be going back to Origin. And will continue to pick and refine my selections carefully.

Update: I came back to try their brunch and my experience was definetly a lot better than last time. My boyfriend and I ordered the French toast with mixed berry compote and the pork fried rice.
French toast: three pieces of bread was plenty. It was sweet and warm and most of all, crispy on the outside, melt in your mouth inside.
Pork fried rice: probably best dish between the two. It came with two fried balls on top which turned out to be two eggs! The crunch from the fried eggs with the pork and the not too salty fried rice was a great combination. I highly recommend this!
Our waitress was quick and attentive. Service was fast as always and it was nice brunch experience for under $ 40.00.