Mosaic has Southern Ontario and global influences

MISSISSAUGA — The public areas of the Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites are practically unrecognizable, thanks to a $5 million renovation that includes the remarkable new Mosaic Kitchen, Bar and Lounge.

The Toronto Airport Hilton is the longest serving Hilton in Canada, dating back to 1972, and despite having “Toronto” in its name, it is actually located in Mississauga.

Hilton Toronto Airport Hotel & Suites recently opened its new restaurant – Mosaic Kitchen, Bar and Lounge, which is part of the hotel’s extensive renovation set to be finalized in early 2020. Located across from Pearson International Airport (YYZ) inside the 419-room hotel, the new restaurant is a culinary expression of rustic, comforting dishes with a Southern Ontario and global influence led by the property’s director of food and beverage and executive chef Yogi Rana.

Celebrating Canada and Toronto’s native fauna and flora, the completely redesigned restaurant features a calm and casually elegant dining space with warm, muted earth tones inspired by the city’s natural surroundings with a contemporary twist. Perfect for recharging, unwinding and meeting – Mosaic has seating available for 167 guests, a bar for 50 guests and a separate private dining room which can accommodate up to 46 guests.

The vibrant and lively interactive restaurant experience is centered around an open-kitchen and open-flame oven, oval-shaped bar, artisanal pizza station and charcuterie bar featuring an assortment of locally and globally-sourced cheeses, seasonal fruit, house-made pickles and cured meats. Chef Yogi and his team proudly showcase rustic menu items from around the globe, all inspired by old traditional family recipes direct from the hotel’s talented food and beverage team.

“The diversity of the team members is the epitome of what Toronto is all about,” said Dominique Lavery, the hotel's director of sales and marketing. “We have 56 nationalities among our team members. Why look outside for inspiration? We contacted all the team members and got different recipes from our staff. We have even created a cookbook with those recipes. We are definitely different from the average airport hotel.”

Incorporating seasonal and local ingredients from Southern Ontario and worldwide, menu highlights include Bombay Butter Chicken with saffron pilaf and freshly-baked naan; Nonna’s Meatballs in house-made marinara served with creamy ricotta; The Great Canadian Burger, featuring Canadian maple-glazed bacon, aged Ontario cheddar cheese and caramelized onions served on a brioche bun; and a fresh Quinoa and Vegetable Burger with oats, pecans, brown rice, mushrooms, roasted peppers and vegan mayonnaise on a potato chive bun. For those looking to satisfy a sweet tooth, the menu offers an array of desserts, including a Molten Chocolate Cake, Salted Caramel Apple Tart and a Passion Fruit Crème Brulee.

Cocktail enthusiasts can look forward to craft classics and signature cocktails, including a Mosaic Manhattan, Smoked Maple Old Fashioned, Harvest Martini and a Mosaic Sun mocktail. Bar bite highlights include Tandoori Chicken Tikka with a mint chutney, Soft pretzels with beer cheese fondue and honey mustard and Buffalo Wings.

“This property is a collection of all our lives' experiences and travels rolled into one,” said Lavery. “We treat our guests like family, and in a lot of cases, we can speak their language.”