Hoyra is the culmination of years of work from the cook behind some of the best pierogies in Toronto, who is now bringing a wider array of classic and contemporary Ukrainian fare to the city's Junction Triangle.

Tanya Matkivska started serving up her delicious take on the beloved Eastern European dumplings out of a church banquet hall in Little Italy before COVID-19, growing her business from an underrated hidden gem to local legend status over six years, essentially by word of mouth alone.

But this past August, she finally decided to take her passion (and talent) for cooking to a new level by opening her first dedicated brick-and-mortar restaurant, showcasing the best of her home region's cuisine and culture beyond its renowned dumplings.

It was a leap that is every chef's ultimate dream — including Matkivska's, although she took a somewhat circuitous path to realizing it.

After arriving in Canada from Ukraine around two decades ago, the now-restaurateur had made a career in a field completely unrelated to cooking. But it's something she always found herself coming back to, first on a volunteer basis making pierogies, cabbage rolls and other dishes for her church community, and then for loved ones upon request.

"I was carrying this idea that I love cooking a lot, I was doing it a lot for my friends," she says of Heavenly Perogy's — and by extension, Hoyra's — beginnings. "They told me, 'Tanya, you should start a catering business.' And given that I was working other jobs and didn't have enough time with my daughter, I thought, 'Maybe I should start. I'll try.'"

What started as a few-hours-per week hobby quickly turned into a raved-about stop for those in the know.

"I decided to extend [Heavenly Perogy's] hours just before the pandemic, and then realized after expanding that I wanted to move to a storefront, that it would be nice to have a restaurant. I was thinking some time about it."

When Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, sending millions of Ukrainian refugees fleeing to countries around the globe — including hundreds of thousands to Canada — the need for Ukrainian community spaces in Toronto became stronger than ever.

And, the passion project of Hoyra is already, quite clearly, becoming such a space. During our visit, we saw fellow Ukrainian families stopping in, seemingly based on the recommendation of friends, to chat with Matkivska and order off her ample menu of staples from back home.

The food is hearty, flavourful, and unique for Toronto. Also, perfect for the season, and with very sizeable portions, to boot.

We had to try Hoyra's version of khachapuri, the Georgian bread boat popular on socials for its drool-worthy, melty cheese-and-egg-yolk filling that diners mix together before digging in.

Equally warm and filling comfort dishes include banosh (a savoury cornmeal porridge), chicken or pork schnitzel, shashlik (meat skewer and pita), pork hock, meaty kinkalli soup dumplings, and even an entire cornish hen dish, cardamom-crusted and skillet-fried under weight for a crisp exterior.

In addition, many of the usually meat-based plates can be vegetarian-friendly, like the beet-based borscht soup, the zakuski appetizer spread, and the cabbage rolls, which come in pork & beef or mushroom & millet varieties.

The ginourmous plate of plant-based deruny is to die for, comprising of a generous serving of hen of the woods mushrooms on top of potato pancakes, smothered in a rich mushroom sauce.

Hoyra has also become a go-to neighbourhood spot for brunch, with Western favs such as avocado toast and eggs benedict (but with a twist, served on potato pancakes) alongside Eastern European dishes like cottage cheese pancakes (called syrnyky), and that famous khachapuri.

For the early-morning sweet tooth, there's a fruity version of the syrnyky (served Carpathian-style, with lemon curd and blueberry compote), varenyky (pierogi-style dumplings, served either savoury or sweet, the latter with sour cherry and white chocolate) and nalysnyky (stuffed crepes).

Treats aren't reserved for the morning, either — if you have room after lunch or dinner, layered honey cake, Ukrainian cheesecake and other desserts that feel like something you'd get at grandma and grandpa's are all on offer.

Complementing it all is a superb drink list, from the assortment of coffees and teas to Ukrainian beers you can't get anywhere else in the city, and, of course, cocktails, including a spiced house hot toddy that went down far too easily after a trek in the cold weather.

"I want people to come, listen to nice music, feel cozy, and have great food and enjoy it," Matkivska says of her newest endeavour, which she hopes will bring even a tiny bit of much-needed love and kindness to today's world.

"I'm so happy when customers send me their little stories, saying 'it felt like home.' That's what I want to hear, because they are so far from home. This is for them; for all my predecessors, my ancestors, my family, my country."

Hoyra is located at 1566 Bloor St. W. — and don't forget to check them out for Winterlicious 2026!