I’ve tried to eat at this small Kensington Market restaurant a few times, but it is SO small and it’s SO busy, that we’ve never waited for a table…until now! And Hibiscus is worth a little wait – for a casual little lunch.
The menu is all gluten-free and vegetarian, and much is vegan. The waiter spent time telling us about their unique menu when we sat down, and let us know that all of their desserts are vegan (cool!!). You should really try their kombucha, which is made in house – my mom and sister loved it, but I’m partial to Rise Green Tea Lemongrass as far as kombucha goes. Being a self-declared crepe connoisseur, courtesy of weekly visits at the Brickworks (and Dufferin Grove in summer) with Tim Clement, I can say, the Hibiscus crepe wasn’t the same thing at all, but it was great – definitely enjoyable and hearty. I had a large buckwheat crepe stuffed with mushrooms, spinach and Daiya cheese (dairy-free, so not really cheese, but it melts and I like it!), and it even came with a half avocado sliced on top, which I gobbled up very quickly. I adore avocado – in all forms! Although my sister really enjoyed her tomato, spinach and daiya cheese buckwheat crepe, she remarked that, “Waiting for a crepe is much more fascinating when you get to watch it being made.” I have to agree. My mother had a salad bowl, which was far from your average salad! It was packed with every colour of the rainbow and so many different textures. Normally a salad at a restaurant isn’t packed with protein, but this one certainly was. I swiped much of her chopped tofu, and surprisingly, even enjoyed my forkful with shredded beet on it, and I’m not a fan of beets! If you’ve never tried kelp noodles, you’ll find some packed in the salad too. They have a unique texture and are almost tasteless, but are very good, and healthy for you, so I’m told! I also really appreciated that they had a vast organic tea selection, and I enjoyed a large mug of my favourite tea, peppermint.
It’s incredible that other restaurants haven’t figured out to offer vegetarian, vegan, organic and gluten-free dishes, maybe they should check out how packed this teeny little place is all day and take the hint!!
