Overview
- The Niseko Chalet takeover will open at Evangeline on the Ace Hotel rooftop beginning Nov. 26 and run daily through Feb. 14, with reservations available on OpenTable.
- Organizers recreated Bar Gyu’s cabin atmosphere in Toronto, including a painted replica of the bar’s iconic red Coca‑Cola door plus vintage skis, Japanese textiles and hand-painted menus.
- Ace bar manager Aaron Hatchell worked with the Bar Gyu team to design a cocktail program centered on Japanese whiskies, roasted teas and signature drinks like the Hojicha Alexander and Paper Crane, plus whisky flights, Japanese‑style beers and zero‑proof options.
- Executive chef Moto Nishimura created a Japanese twist on chalet food, led by a white miso and whisky cheese fondue served with chashu pork, shiitake and lotus root chips, alongside items such as katsu sandos and sushi pizza.
- Bar Gyu is Niseko’s longest-running cocktail lounge and co-founder Ioanna Morelli, who is Toronto-born, helped bring the concept to the city as part of a wider trend of reservation-based winter pop-ups that aim to blend authenticity with local collaborators and programming.