R&D (restaurant)
Asian fusion restaurant in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
R&D is an Asian Fusion restaurant located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| R&D | |
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 The restaurant in 2024 | |
 Interactive map of R&D | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | April 7, 2015[1] |
| Owners | Alvin Leung[1] Eric Chong[1] |
| Head chef | Eric Chong |
| Food type | Asian Fusion Chinese |
| Rating | Bib Gourmand (Michelin Guide) |
| Location | 241 Spadina Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
| Website | www |
The restaurant is co-owned by Alvin Leung, known for his 3 Michelin-starred Hong Kong restaurant Bo Innovation, and Eric Chong, the inaugural winner of culinary reality competition show MasterChef Canada.[1]
History
The restaurant opened in 2015 in Toronto's Chinatown neighbourhood, in collaboration between Leung and Chong, who met on MasterChef Canada. Chong was a competitor on the show's first season, while Leung was one of three judges on the show.[2] After winning the competition, Chong received an offer from Leung to train with him in Hong Kong and eventually open a restaurant together.[3]
The business's name, R&D, stands for Rebel & Demon - a moniker created to reflect the personalities of both chefs.[1] Chong is labeled the "Rebel" for pursuing a career in cooking despite his family's initial wishes for him to remain in engineering, while Leung is known as the "Demon Chef".[4] R&D's meaning is two-fold, also reflecting both chefs' engineering backgrounds, where 'r&d' (research and development) is an important aspect of the field.[1]
Chong initially started as the sous-chef for the restaurant, while the title of executive chef was given to Nelson Tsai.[1] Chong took over the reins as executive chef a year following the restaurant's opening.
Cuisine and notable dishes
The restaurant primarily serves Asian fusion dishes, anchored by Chinese cuisine and Canadian ingredients.[5] It also draws upon French and Korean cooking techniques.[6] A core part of the restaurant's menu is its 'Canadian take on traditional Chinese dim sum', serving items such as char siu bao in icing sugar-topped "Mexico buns" and fun guo filled with chicken and black truffle.[7]
Chef Eric Chong, and the restaurant's, signature dish is the wok lobster (stylized: @WOK_LOBSTER) - a butter-poached lobster chow mein[6] based on the same dish which Chong served in the final round of his MasterChef win.[8]
Recognition
The business was named a Bib Gourmand restaurant by the Michelin Guide at Toronto's 2022 Michelin Guide ceremony,[9] and retained this recognition each year following.[5] A Bib Gourmand recognition is awarded to restaurants who offer "exceptionally good food at moderate prices".[5]
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