Mother Tongue, a modern Asian restaurant and cocktail bar by the Turner Stevens Group, is new to Toronto’s dining scene and can be found inside the Templar Hotel on Adelaide Street West. From the outside, the former home of Monk Kitchen and Parcae doesn’t look like much has changed except for one thing — there’s a clear sign with the restaurant’s name so you don’t have to find the proverbial “hidden door” to get in.
In the kitchen is Bar Buca veteran, Francis Bermejo who has created a menu of shared plates that pull from Chinese, Filipino, Japanese and American cuisines that pair perfectly with the handcrafted cocktails. Focusing on simplicity and using fresh and local ingredients is a philosophy that was instilled in Bermejo from his Bar Buca days that has carried over to the menu at Mother Tongue.
