#FOOD: ABURI HANA ENTERS NEW ERA REOPENING SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

Aburi Restaurants Canada announces the reopening of Aburi Hana at 102 Yorkville Avenue on September 17, 2026. Closed since fall 2025 for extensive renovations and a reimagining of the guest experience, the restaurant returns with a more expressive and inviting vision for contemporary Japanese dining.

Aburi Hana has been awarded One MICHELIN Star in every Toronto edition of the MICHELIN Guide since the Guide made its Canadian debut in 2022. This new chapter preserves the precision, seasonality and attention to detail behind that recognition while offering guests a more fluid and personalized dining experience.
Reimagined as an Edo-era inspired Japanese dining salon, Aburi Hana brings together seasonal cuisine, exceptional cocktails, premium sake and wine, art and immersive design. Refined à la carte offerings like Matcha Shoku Pan, Kinmedai Prosciutto ae, and Saffron Tosazu Hamachi now sit alongside a thoughtfully composed tasting menu, allowing guests to shape their evening. They may settle in for the culinary team’s complete seasonal progression, share several dishes or discover the restaurant through its bar and beverage program.

The renewed concept is led by Culinary Director Aiko Uchigoshi, Head Chef So Sakata and Beverage Director Troy Gilchrist, under the direction of Aburi Restaurants Canada President Noriaki Okubo and the CEO Seigo Nakamura.

A New Chapter for Aburi Hana
Aburi Hana takes its inspiration from the hanamachi of Edo-era Japan. Cultural districts where dining, art, entertainment and hospitality converge. The restaurant offers a contemporary interpretation of that tradition, creating a setting for conversation, discovery and a sense of occasion without the formality of a single prescribed dining format.

While the restaurant’s standards remain exacting, its new experience is intentionally more flexible and welcoming. Guests may explore the seasonal à la carte menu at their own pace, experience the culinary team’s complete vision through a tasting menu or spend an evening at the bar discovering cocktails, sake and wine.

Every element is guided by the spirit of omotenashi, a Japanese approach to hospitality rooted in sincerity, thoughtful anticipation and care. At Aburi Hana, that philosophy is expressed not through ceremony for its own sake, but through details that allow each guest to feel comfortable, understood and genuinely welcomed.

“We want Aburi Hana to be a place people return to for different reasons, whether for a celebratory dinner, a business meal, a few dishes with friends or a cocktail at the bar,” says Noriaki Okubo, President of Aburi Restaurants Canada. “Our ambition is to become part of our guests’ everyday lives as well as their special occasions.”

The Leadership Team
Aiko Uchigoshi has played a leadership role at Aburi Hana since its inception, contributing to the restaurant’s journey over the past six years. She was part of the leadership team behind its One MICHELIN Star in 2022, when the Guide arrived in Canada, and has helped maintain the distinction in every Toronto edition since.

With a new culinary team, Uchigoshi is shaping the vision and direction of the new Aburi Hana, building on the foundation and experience gained over the past six years.

Originally from Yamaguchi, Japan, Uchigoshi spent 10 years working in hotels and restaurants in Tokyo before moving to Canada, first settling in Vancouver and later relocating to Toronto. Throughout her career, she has focused on bringing out the unique qualities of Japanese ingredients, exploring new ways to use them and creating original expressions that introduce their potential to Canadian diners. Her approach is grounded in precision, seasonality, delicate textures and thoughtful presentation, using each dish as a way to showcase the possibilities of Japanese ingredients.

Together with the new team, Uchigoshi will honour Japanese culinary traditions while embracing creativity and contemporary expression, creating a new Aburi Hana that builds on its history while moving in a distinctly new direction.

Bringing the restaurant’s culinary vision to the plate is Head Chef So Sakata, whose career in kitchens across Japan and Canada spans nearly two decades. His cooking is rooted in precision, seasonality and refined simplicity, allowing the character of each ingredient to emerge through thoughtful technique and careful execution.

Before joining Aburi Hana, Sakata held leadership roles at Dopamina and Frilu. At Frilu, he played a critical role in the restaurant earning MICHELIN Stars in 2022 and 2023, as well as a MICHELIN Green Star recognizing its commitment to sustainability. Frilu was also recognized by Opinionated About Dining, while Frilu and Dopamina were each named among Toronto Life’s Best New Restaurants.

Under Sakata’s leadership, Aburi Hana’s kitchen presents Japanese culinary traditions through a contemporary and distinctly seasonal lens.
Bar Director Troy Gilchrist leads a cocktail, sake, and wine program designed as an integral part of the Aburi Hana experience.

One of Canada’s most respected bartenders, Gilchrist brings nearly three decades of hospitality experience and an award-winning career in cocktail innovation. His approach considers what is in the glass alongside what is on the plate, bringing cocktails, sake, wine and spirits into conversation with the restaurant’s seasonal cuisine.

Most recently, Gilchrist led the ground-up opening of No Vacancy as General Manager and Beverage Director, a project that earned the bar #82 on North America’s 50 Best Bars 2026 list, #14 on Canada’s 100 Best 2026 list, and the award for Best New Bar 2026 from Canada’s 100 Best. He previously served as General Manager at Overpressure Club, ranked #24 on Canada’s 100 Best Bars 2024 list.

Drawing inspiration from Japanese ingredients and culture, Gilchrist introduces a contemporary point of view, championing shochu and Japanese whisky as the foundation of a modern Japanese bar program.

Gilchrist’s accolades include winning the Ontario title in the 2013 Bombay Sapphire and GQ Most Imaginative Bartender Competition and the 2016 Grey Goose Pour Masters competition. He remains an active voice in Canada’s bartending community as a mentor and competition judge.

The Culinary Program

Inspired by the rhythm of Japan’s four seasons, Aburi Hana’s culinary program features refined à la carte offerings alongside a thoughtfully curated selection of cocktails, sake and wine, with plans for a prix fixe menu to come. The menu evolves throughout the year to showcase ingredients at their peak and express the subtle changes in flavour, texture and presentation that distinguish seasonal Japanese cuisine.
Traditional Japanese ingredients and techniques meet premium Canadian products and contemporary influences across dishes including the Premium Bluefin Tuna Roll, Saffron Tosazu Hamachi, Kombu-Cured Wagyu Tartare and Wasanbon ice cream.

Dishes are presented on a considered collection of Arita porcelain. Produced in Japan for more than 400 years, Arita ware is celebrated for bringing together technical precision, artistic expression and enduring artistry.

At Aburi Hana, each piece is selected to complement the colour, form and seasonality of the food. The plateware becomes part of the culinary storytelling, connecting centuries of Japanese artistry with the restaurant’s contemporary approach.

The Beverage Program Gilchrist’s cocktail program draws inspiration from Japanese ingredients and culture while introducing a distinctly contemporary perspective. Each cocktail is created to complement the restaurant’s cuisine and atmosphere, giving the bar an identity closely connected to the kitchen.

The beverage selection also includes premium sakes, carefully chosen wines, and a refined collection of spirits. Each selection is considered in relation to the food, allowing guests to explore harmony between every dish and pour.

The expanded focus on cocktails gives guests another way to experience Aburi Hana. Some highlights like Bullet Train, Moshi Moshi, The End Has No End, hit the right spot, along with many more creative concoctions to choose from. The wine list follows the same thoughtful approach, with a curated selection chosen to complement the menu while offering plenty to explore on its own. The bar can serve as the beginning of dinner, the setting for an entire evening, or a reason to return on its own.

Edo-Era Inspired Design, Contemporary Energy
Designed by K.O.S. Design Inc., Aburi Hana’s renewed interiors reinterpret the elegance and theatricality of Edo-era hanamachi through a modern, luxurious lens.

Guests move through the restaurant as though travelling through various seasons over the course of a single evening. Traditional Japanese motifs, controlled lighting and a carefully considered colour palette connect each space while giving every room its own atmosphere. Starting with the entrance, deep black and gold tones create a calm and dignified arrival, illuminated by the warm glow of bamboo lanterns. The vivid red of nandina quietly commands attention. Known in Japan as nanten, nandina is traditionally associated with protection, prosperity, and turning misfortune into good fortune. Its presence marks the beginning of the restaurant’s seasonal journey and welcomes guests into a world shaped by Edo elegance.

At the bar, red umbrellas, delicate cherry blossoms and soft lighting evoke the allure of hanamachi culture. A clear counter lends an understated elegance, while a vermilion marble column forms a striking focal point. An illuminated bottle wall adds depth and warmth, bringing together the rich colours and theatrical details that define Aburi Hana’s renewed interiors.

The main dining room captures the social energy and warmth of an Edo summer evening. Deep indigo walls recall the colour of a nighttime sky, while soft lantern light brings movement and life to the space.

The private dining room evokes the quiet elegance of an autumn night. Deep crimson tones, gold accents and soft shadows create warmth and intimacy. The atmosphere is calm and contemplative, offering guests a sense of stillness within the restaurant. Rich colour and carefully controlled lighting create an immersive setting for private dinners and special occasions.

Together, the spaces bring architecture, cuisine, beverages, art and omotenashi into one cohesive experience inspired by the elegance and theatricality of Edo-era Japan. The result is vibrant and inviting, setting the scene for lively conversation, another round and evenings that linger.

Reservations and Hours
Address: 102 Yorkville Avenue, Unit 4 Lower Level, Toronto, Ontario M5R 1B9
Reopening: September 17, 2026
Reservations can be made HERE
Phone: (647) 343-8887
Website: aburihana.com
Instagram: @hanayorkville


About Aburi Hana
Originally conceived as a kaiseki restaurant and formerly helmed by Chef Ryusuke Nakagawa, Aburi Hana earned and retained a MICHELIN Star for its refined approach to Japanese cuisine. Following Chef Nakagawa’s departure, the restaurant now enters its next chapter as an Edo-era inspired Japanese dining experience, carrying its foundation of precision, seasonality and omotenashi into a more contemporary and expressive format.

About Aburi Restaurants Canada
Aburi Restaurants Canada is an award-winning hospitality group dedicated to redefining Japanese cuisine through innovation, precision and exceptional hospitality. Best known for pioneering ABURI-style sushi in Canada, the group combines traditional Japanese techniques with premium Canadian ingredients to create distinctive dining experiences across its portfolio, including Miku, Minami, Aburi TORA, Aburi Sushi and Aburi Hana.