Toronto, Queen WestKupfert and Kim, wheatless and meatless in Ontario

By Caly, AKA Vegan Feels Good @veganfeelsgood
8 March '19

After a seven-hour flight, I landed in Toronto and knew exactly where to head first. I took the Express train from the airport to the city centre and walked through the snow (without tripping which is miraculous) to Kupfert & Kim.

Kupfert & Kim is a plant-based restaurant that I discovered through friends from Toronto. It’s a gluten-free deli serving only minimally processed plant-based food and it’s all sourced locally to minimise their carbon footprint. Their delicious, nourishing food and warm matcha latte were exactly what I needed to combat my impending jet lag.

The setting

Kupfert & Kim has several locations in Toronto, but I decided to review the one on Spadina, one of Toronto’s main arteries. On the day I visited, it was snowing heavily and I was happy to find warmth and comfort inside this cosy deli. It’s a quick walk from the shops, especially the vintage boutiques and record stores on Queen St West.

Located on the corner of a main street, it is perfect for people-watching and watching the snow fall.

The space

The deli has a warm, light atmosphere, large windows, a lush plant wall and a large, open counter. Seating options range from bar-style stools to large and single tables. There is also a cute little corner decorated with plants which sells cookbooks, vegan supplements and their in-house coffee mix.

The crowd

This branch is not too far from the University of Toronto, so you will mostly find students taking a lunch break with a latte and their laptop. A lot of business people also come in to pick up their lunch order as it’s a grab ‘n’ go. The café has a buzzing environment, but it was calm enough to picture myself spending afternoons studying here.

What we ate

I usually know within a minute or two what I want to order, but given Kupfert & Kim’s large selection of plant-based food, it was hard to choose.

They offer thirteen different kind of nourishing bowls and serve breakfast all day.

After hesitating between the Oaxaca bowl, the chilli bowl and the Indian bowl, I chose the healthy and filling Cauliflower Tahini Bowl. It was served in a beautiful ceramic bowl with organic quinoa, a generous spoonful of hummus, roasted cauliflower, organic greens, za’atar salsa, carrots, cabbage, beets, mint, pomegranate, radish, sesame seeds, pickled onions, seed and oat crackers and a lemon tahini dressing on the side! I enjoyed the bowl with its different textures (creamy, roasted, crunchy).  It was warming and fresh at the same time if that makes sense!

For dessert, I ordered a colourful smoothie bowl. The Blue bowl with blueberries, avocado, cashew butter, lemon, dates and vanilla. It was topped with berries, apple slices, hemp, chia and their house made granola. The bowl had a nice thick consistency and was the perfect serving size.  I also ordered a nice foamy matcha latte on the side. All the portions were large and great value.

What we’d go back for…

The staff were super nice and helped me decide what to order. One thing that is very important to me is that Kupfert & Kim promote eating fresh, wholesome, healthy and organic food with fresh products and they pledge to prepare almost everything in-house.

They also reuse and compost. All of their takeout materials are made from compostable plastic and they even offer discounts if you bring your own reusable container.

The bill

Cauliflower and tahini bowl  $12.25
Blue smoothie bowl  $9.75
Matcha latte  $4.50

 

 

 

Kupfert and Kim

140 Spadina Avenue
Toronto
Ontatrio
M5V 2L4

416.504.2206
visit website
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