At first glance, Mhel seems modest. The space is small and casual, tucked on a residential street off a busy strip of Bloor West. From the unassuming, expect quiet surprises. Husband-and-wife team Hoon Ji (ex-Pompette) and Min Yi — two self-described “little anchovies” — assemble Korean-Japanese small plates from imported luxuries and seasonal ingredients that rotate at a steady beat. In winter, that means double-fried tofu with braised oxtail and its broth. In summer, wild-caught Japanese shima-aji is finished with an Espelette-yuzu ponzu. A particular skill with all manner of fish (mhel means “anchovy” in Korean) is revealed in dishes like kue shioyake. This is longtooth grouper — one of the rarest fish in the world, costing nearly as much as A5 Miyazakigyu (top-tier Japanese wagyu) — grilled over charcoal and served with soubise, anchovy-shungiku oil and karasumi (mullet roe salted, then dried). The sake list is strong.

Mhel is where I send every single person who asks me where to eat in Toronto.” Matthew Liang