For now A Taste of Things to Come is operating solely out of the bottom floor as a casual, well-priced and well-executed cafe-bistro hybrid that looks like a classroom at an art school.

The menu is by Brian Villahermosa, last seen at Kingston Public Bar & Kitchen. On the menu is a colossal lamb neck and mushroom pie; steak with smoked mash and crispy fried fennel rings; and the arroz caldoso nero is a rich and slightly soupy squid-ink risotto with a log of salmon, cuttlefish segments and some remarkably savoury lettuce. The chicken-liver parfait is blended with port and brandy and glazed brûlée style, topped with pickled grapes and elk cress.

Villahermosa is determined to do everything in-house. Most impressive is the homemade morcilla (Spanish blood sausage), which comes on top of an unusual poutine. It has an Indian slant to it – a play on an English chips and curry sauce, with a 63-degree egg on top. It’s the most experimental dish on a playful but familiar brunch menu.

Cheung is working with Create or Die founder Deb Morgan to produce a rooftop bar that hosts local artists and bands. One idea Villahermosa has is for a music-food pairing event where audience members chase songs from local bands with Villahermosa’s kitchen creations.