When it debuts in early 2010, Chef Claudio Aprile's new Toronto restaurant may well be the restaurant opening of the year. Origin is the solo project of the internationally-known chef, and occupies a prime location in one of Toronto's oldest buildings. Replacing what was previously a flower shop at the corner of King and Church, Aprile (of Colborne Lane fame) is in the late stages of crafting the upcoming restaurant. The corner space - with a wraparound patio for about 75 – is a very personal project for Aprile, and promises to further showcase his creative range. Origin will be completely different entity from Colborne Lane (expect no molecular wizardry here); the menu will have a distinctive Asian feel, reflecting Aprile's travels throughout Asia and Europe. While Colborne Lane is more experimental, Origin will be a lot more natural. Or to put it in Aprile's words "I want to redefine the raw bar concept with Origin."

"Colborne Lane is about the future," says Aprile. "Very avant garde. I didn't want to abandon my roots, so Origin is sort of like returning to those roots." The space itself comes with history; not only is the 107 King Street building one of Toronto's oldest buildings, but in the ‘60s the upper floors of the building were the studios of Canadian painter Tom Hodgson. And legend has it that back in the day, Andy Warhol would spend time at the studio, dubbed The Group of 11.

Any place that has its legends and history also has a whole whack of problems. Recently, Aprile ran into the "ugly side" of working in a heritage building when discovering that all the floor supports and beams were damaged in the great fire. On the upside, although Origin's, ahem, original structure might be putting delays on things, Chef Claudio is almost completely finished his menu plans.

One thing Aprile promises, is that the Toronto restaurant will be "very unapologetic, very loud, very forward." Oh, and when it opens in spring 2010, expect a soft ice cream machine and a micro-herb garden that invites diners to finish off their own dishes with herbs of their choice. So, Aprile's words hold true as Origin begins to unfurl itself upon Toronto's culinary landscape: "There will be no formula to Origin, but a collection of all my travels"…and perhaps his travails too. –D.E.

Origin opens early 2010