Aburi Hana Reopens in Yorkville With a More Flexible Take on Japanese Dining
Aburi Hana is opening a new chapter in Toronto’s Yorkville this fall.
After closing in fall 2025 for extensive renovations, the MICHELIN-starred Japanese restaurant will reopen at 102 Yorkville Avenue on September 17, 2026 (Thursday), with a fresh approach to dining, drinks, and design.
The new concept keeps the care and precision that have shaped Aburi Hana while giving guests more freedom in how they experience the restaurant.
Visitors can choose from à la carte dishes, a tasting menu, or an evening focused on cocktails, sake, and wine.
A Different Way to Experience Aburi Hana
Aburi Hana has earned One MICHELIN Star in every Toronto edition of the MICHELIN Guide since the guide arrived in Canada in 2022. Its next chapter builds on that record while creating a more relaxed and personal experience.
The restaurant now takes inspiration from the hanamachi of Edo-era Japan, cultural districts where food, art, entertainment, and hospitality came together.
Guests can expect the following:
- Refined à la carte dishes such as Matcha Shoku Pan, Kinmedai Prosciutto ae, and Saffron Tosazu Hamachi
- A seasonal tasting menu for those who want the full culinary progression
- Premium sake, wine, and spirits
- Japanese-inspired cocktails
- A new interior inspired by Edo-era hanamachi culture
- A future prix fixe menu
“We want Aburi Hana to be a place people return to for different reasons,” says Noriaki Okubo, President of Aburi Restaurants Canada. He shares that the goal is for the restaurant to become part of guests’ everyday lives as well as their special occasions.
A New Team Behind the Kitchen and Bar
The renewed restaurant is led by Culinary Director Aiko Uchigoshi, Head Chef So Sakata, and Beverage Director Troy Gilchrist, under Okubo and CEO Seigo Nakamura.
Uchigoshi has been part of Aburi Hana since its beginning six years ago and helped guide the restaurant to its first MICHELIN Star in 2022. Originally from Yamaguchi, Japan, she spent 10 years working in Tokyo before moving to Canada. Her cooking focuses on Japanese ingredients, precise techniques, delicate textures, and seasonal expression.
Sakata brings nearly two decades of experience in Japan and Canada. Before joining Aburi Hana, he held leadership roles at Dopamina and Frilu. At Frilu, he helped the restaurant earn MICHELIN Stars in 2022 and 2023, along with a MICHELIN Green Star.
Behind the bar, Gilchrist brings nearly 30 years of hospitality experience. His career includes award-winning cocktail work and leadership at No Vacancy, which earned several 2026 industry honours. His new program puts shochu and Japanese whisky at the centre of a contemporary Japanese bar.
Seasonal Plates and Japanese-Inspired Drinks
The food menu follows Japan’s four seasons, pairing traditional ingredients and techniques with premium Canadian products. Highlights include Premium Bluefin Tuna Roll, Kombu-Cured Wagyu Tartare, and Wasanbon ice cream.
The dishes arrive on Arita porcelain, Japanese tableware produced for more than 400 years. Each piece was selected to match the food’s colour, shape, and seasonal character.
The drink menu follows the same idea. Cocktails such as Bullet Train, Moshi Moshi, and The End Has No End add another way to explore the restaurant, whether before dinner, throughout a meal, or on their own.
A Dramatic New Interior
K.O.S. Design Inc. created the renewed interiors, with each area representing a different seasonal mood.
The entrance uses deep black and gold, bamboo lanterns, and vivid nandina, known in Japan as nanten and associated with protection, prosperity, and good fortune.
The bar features red umbrellas, cherry blossoms, a vermilion marble column, and an illuminated bottle wall.
The main dining room draws from an Edo summer night with deep indigo walls and soft lantern light. Meanwhile, the private dining room takes on an autumn mood through crimson tones, gold accents, and gentle shadows.
For reservations and updates, guests can visit here or follow @hanayorkville on Instagram. The restaurant can also be reached at (647) 343-8887.
Would you be excited to experience Aburi Hana’s new à la carte menu, tasting experience, or Japanese-inspired cocktail bar? Let us know in the comments what you’d try first.
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