Following an unfortunate fire that forced its closure three months ago, Greek restaurant Myth is reopening on King St. W. on June 11, debuting a new menu as well as a new look.
In the early hours of the morning on Feb. 28, fire officials were called to the restaurant for a two-alarm blaze. While no injuries were reported, the rear patio was fully engulfed in flames, and by the time the fire was under control, it had spread to the second level.
Still an ongoing investigation, a cause for the fire has yet to be determined, though fire officials initially deemed it “suspicious” in nature.
With the support of the community behind them, the Myth team is ready to unveil the restaurant’s new look, as well as an exciting array of authentic Greek dishes and cocktails to the public next week.
Led by executive chef Sergio Abrunho (formerly Chiado restaurant), some of the new dishes on the reimagined menu include the tsipoura (wild red sea bream carpaccio served with fennel, tomato, citrus zest and topped with fresh oregano), the astakomakaronada (long Greek pasta topped with a whole lobster, bisque, tomatoes and basil) and the moskari kebab (a skewered filet mignon kebab with florina peppers, broccolini, smoked salt and yogurt tahini).
“The menu is made up of nearly all new, fresh dishes, but we have kept some of our customer favourites including our signature paidakia lamb chops entree and popular mezzedes saganaki and Myth chips,” says Eileen Tsoumaris, Co-Owner, Myth Restaurant. “We have deepened our connection to our heritage and have reflected this by incorporating an expanded array of genuine, Greek dishes and ingredients.”
The raw bar section of the menu includes lighter bites like oysters, tuna tartare and Mediterranean beef tartare. For seafood lovers looking for something to share, the Myth Tower ($190) includes yellowtail sashimi, crab salad, tuna tartare, oysters, mussels and tiger shrimp. The larger version of this spread, the Myth Ultra Tower ($250), includes a whole Nova Scotia lobster. Plenty of mains from both the land and sea include lamb chops and sea bass, while the mezzedes plates include everything from traditional feta and spinach spanakopita to grilled prawns and octopus.
Just in time for summer, Myth has added 10 house cocktails that are a nod to Greek origin. Highlights include the negroni frappé and the Myth espresso martini olive tree ($200) which serves 10 guests.
According to Tsoumaris, Myth managed to retain 80 per cent of its staff, despite the three-month closure. “Throughout this process, we retained our management and culinary team, recognizing their invaluable contributions,” she says. “Additionally, we made efforts to find placements for as many team members as possible at our sister venues.”
Additionally, the support of the community was overwhelming, with both customers and suppliers uniting to create a GoFundMe page that raised $23,000 for the restaurant.
“Our heritage is renowned for its hospitable culture,” Tsoumaris says. “We are most looking forward to reviving Myth Restaurant’s essence as a venue for savouring food and experiencing laughter in the company of loved ones and friends.”
Myth Restaurant is located at 522 King St. W. and is open Sunday to Wednesday from 5 to 11 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday from 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.
