Fresh

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Toronto was my dinner at Fresh on Bloor Street West. Located at the corner of Bloor and Spadina, this narrow little restaurant is known for its vegetarian and vegan food and generous portions. I found it warm and inviting, and despite the fact that it was very busy on the night of my visit, I was seated quickly at a cozy table along the wall and received friendly, attentive service.

Having already downloaded the menu the week before my visit, I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted. Taking a peek at what my fellow diners were having confirmed my choice – the $21 prix fixe was the way to go. I had my choice of a juice (all green), appetizer (white bean and avocado dosas), entrée (green goddess bowl) and dessert (vegan cashew chunk cookie). I was going to treat myself to a glass of organic wine, too, but ran out of room.

I started off with a big glass of the “all green” juice was a blend of cucumber, parsley, kale, ginger, lemon and celery. It was tart and…zingy?...and very refreshing. And, yes, you could really taste the kale. Next up were the dosas – a pair of small, spiced Indian pancakes filled with an avocado and white bean mixture. The creamy filling was spiced up with a hint of hot chipotle and fresh cilantro. Not traditional Indian, by any means, but a great example of vegan fusion cuisine.

Looking around the restaurant, it seemed that the bowls were the big attraction. (Well, that and the yam fries, which I was able to resist!) With a choice of 10 varieties on either brown rice or soba noodles, it was hard to make a decision. After agonizing over the choices for several minutes, I finally went with the “green goddess”; partly because it sounded good and partly because it’s named after me. My bowl was a delicious combination of steamed broccoli, swiss chard, kale, bok choi, etc nestled on top of a bed of brown rice with tahini, nori, ginger and sunflower seeds. As if that wasn’t enough, it was also topped with slices of grilled tempeh. Whew! It’s amazing that I made it through my bowl, but even more amazing that I still had room for my cashew cookie and Americano.

I left happy and FULL. (And entertained – the couple next to me were the biggest whiners ever and argued throughout their meal. It took everything I had not to giggle, but bless them for finding each other.) My next trip to the Big Smoke will definitely include a return visit to Fresh.

x-posted to Natch!