You would think that for all the Drake-inspired, 905-attracting hoopla that has made Queen West of Dovercourt T.O.’s biggest nightlife destination, you’d be tripping all over upscale cuisine on the strip. Not so. Other than some good plates from a couple chefs at the Drake, the street has so far been a foodie-deficient zone. Hanif Harji plans to change that.  

He built Kultura and Blowfish in unproven parts, so we expect nothing but success for Queen West West’s Nyood (pronounced “nude,” but more like New York ’tude).

It’s only been weeks since they broke bubbly (signage is yet to be installed — not that it’ll matter since the logotype is impossible to read); and way past the cocktail hour, the cavernous space is wall-to-wall with martini-blooded zombies who’ve replaced the beleaguered artists at this former art gallery.

Its popularity this early is easy to explain with the design by Toronto’s talented Commute Home Inc.Custom chandeliers and massive amounts of marble and moulding all add to an opulently futuristic foodie environment in which to knock back $14 cocktails and gleefully forget the hollow core of existence.

But Harji made another smart move. He partnered with chef Roger Mooking of Kultura to run the open kitchen, which is worthy of a theatre review. Chef’s tightly portioned, tapas-style cuisine is tailor-made for the concept. The king of the small plates has gone Mediterranean here, with a carte featuring dishes that cleverly mix cuisine from Calabria with that of North Africa — graced with the young former rocker’s trademark élan.

Grazers can enjoy a wide array of crispy, paper-thin flatbreads ($12 to $14). Topped with various exotic ingredients, from white bean with garlic confit to mackerel and olives, these witty takes on the commonplace pizza pack a lot of punch, minus the belt-loosening side effects. Antipasti aficionados will have a field day with items such as the artisanal charcuterie board ($18), loaded with the chef’s selection of locally sourced cured meats and XO-drenched San Danielle ham. Mooking’s salad with octopus ($13) is impossibly tender, combining the juicy sweetness of blood orange with the saline pucker of delicate Spanish Arbequina olives and the crunchy goodness of sunchoke chips.

Those preferring more substance won’t be disappointed either. Perfectly portioned meat dishes such as the lamb tajine ($18) will certainly sate. A generous bowl, brimming with juicy morsels of braised lamb chunks, date and purple potato in an earthy gravy, comes crusted with a golden-brown lid of perfect puff pastry that Martha would drown kittens for. Ditto the cherry pork roulade, which at $14 has got to be one of the best values in town. “Pigs in a blanket” takes on new meaning with a trio of meaty pork medallions, wrapped in razor-thin prosciutto and stuffed with a stunning sour-cherry compote, topped with whole basil leaves and mounded with lush honey eggplant.

The awe continues with sweets that drill down into Mooking’s mettle. Simple crème brûlée ($6) is reinterpreted sans ramekin, its velvety custard supported by a pile of chopped nuts and finely sliced strawberries. A mandarin-orange “cannoli” ($6) has an abracadabra quality that leaves us wondering how a pair of superbly warm and sugary tuilles are filled with an ice cream that doesn’t melt — a brain freeze worth all the pain.

Nyood is just ramping up; plans for a second-floor lounge are in the making. And there’s even talk about another restaurant. If you aren’t seen on this scene soon, count yourself out as a player on the party circuit.

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