The black-clad avós of Little Portugal have been casting suspicious eyes at the hipster invasion of their quaint environs for years now, but only recently has the demographic shift begun to make its commercial mark. The best of the new places have made a genuine effort to blend into the neighbourhood, which is just one of the things that makes us happy about the terrific new bistro, Karuchie.

Right on the burgeoning strip of College near Ossington, the mid-sized Karuchie isn't a recent resto reno that you'll see in a design mag anytime soon. “Basic” is a polite word to describe it, albeit some fun Kozyndan originals do adorn the front walls. But clearly, the decor was never intended to seduce – the food is.

Chef-owner Chris Thorn knows the value of a buck. His plated artistry is not just pretty darned astounding, it's unbelievably priced. A mystery starter platter ($12) promises never to present the same combination twice. Expecting the typical, we're instead presented with an imaginative smorgasbord: half a pound of plump mussels in a tomato-Pernod sauce; properly grilled and sliced hanger steak topped with crisp daikon slaw; mildly tangy house-marinated artichokes and a medley of mushrooms, alongside thin slices of prosciutto and sweet little arugula sprouts, not to mention a quartered fresh fig accompanied by a wedge of beautifully stinky rosemary-encrusted Piacere from neighbouring La Fromagerie. For $12? And for the same price, you can go with a bowl of pillowy house-made gnocchi swimming in cream and topped with superbly tender braised venison that could easily satisfy as a main if you're a light eater.

In choosing the setting for his first solo venture, Thorn set himself some lofty goals: appeal to young sophisticates, blend into the existing 'hood's vibe and make a mark for his individual spin on continental cuisine. So while he eats his chicken sandwiches at the churrasqueira next door and chooses his fish from Peixaria Portugal, his kitchen does much to modernize the old-school.

Duck ravioli ($16) sees shreds of meaty fowl combined with local fruta di mostarda, an Italian chutney of long-simmered fruit and mustard powder, between round Asian dumpling wrappers; the broth beneath absorbs the sweet, spicy flavours, to which is added the earthiness of red-veined Swiss chard. A sizeable portion of beautifully braised beef short ribs ($17) is a fanciful Gehry-esque construction when plated next to a mound of chestnut mash. The meat shreds softly into the nutty pillow, completed with pieces of still-crisp rapini.

The bounty at the Dufferin Grove farmer's market is sure to provide endless inspiration for Karuchie's daily pasta, like a gorgeously thin and delicate homemade arugula linguine ($16), the gossamer noodles tossed gently with more mussels and a bit of tomato and leek in a briny shrimp broth.

Sous-chef Shelby Brown aims to have at least five house-made ice creams ($7) on hand at any time: delicate fig, laden with wee crunchy seeds is our favourite, but the generously studded rum-raisin, pistachio and bright strawberry weren't far behind. A triple-layer bread pudding ($7) is rife with moist apple slices and creamy custard, while a glazed lemon tart ($7) has a pucker that miraculously passes Rahier.

Finally foodies have a reason to park their Vespas a bit beyond Little Italy for some mighty fine dining.