Veghed Bar is a small space at 1199 Dundas Street West that offers counter service and takeout with a few stools at a great table along the front window. It is a vegetarian, and mostly vegan food concept that offers a very small, but colourful menu and tons of dips, sauces, spreads and soups to take home. If you ask, they will let you sample their housemade sweet and savoury goods, which will just make you want to buy them all, I left with a Black Bean spread, but I’m going to return to get their Truffled Bean spread, which was sold out since it’s so popular.
Veghed prides themselves on serving real plant-based food made from chemical-free, non-GMO, organic ingredients, and I learned that although their space is small and casual, the co-owner, Ren is a prominent chef in Toronto and they also offer catering, especially busy in the summer.
They have an open kitchen, which is always a great sign since that means nothing is being hidden. I asked a few questions about their ingredients, and Ruth, one of the owners, returned positive answers with great confidence, which made me super happy, and in turn, seemed to make her very happy. Good energy is contagious especially when it’s over good food.
When we walked in, we were offered a turmeric, lemon, ginger and honey hot elixir in real glasses to warm up while we decided what to have. It was so excellent that my mother ordered a full glass, it was perfect on a winter day, but they also serve the same formula cold if you want something refreshing. Their menu consisted of only a few things, written on a board, including their daily soup, a salad with 20+ veggies and a grilled cheese sandwich plus many cold juices, hot drinks and smoothies. I ordered their combo meal, which was basically everything they were serving! The grilled cheese was made with organic ingredients and was finished with a truffled honey which added a perfect burst of sweet flavour. The soup, which today was a hearty and vegan wild mushroom was awesmazing (one of the best soups that I have ever had), you will see a picture below of how it was served complete with seeds and greens. I also enjoyed the salad, as did my mother, who ate a lot of it. They used many different cuts for each different vegetable, like spiralized and shaved, which adds layers of textures to the dish. For dessert, Ruth offered us a pair of their signature double fudge, gluten-free and vegan brownies which were a perfect way to finish off this great meal.
I definitely recommend Veghed Bar for all of you. The food was better than many fancy restaurants, which goes to show that you can’t judge food by how the space looks. Clean, organic food served by people who are really happy and really care would be a great trend everywhere. We are lucky to have this new place in Toronto! Thanks, Veghed, see you soon!
