Vegan Mofo Day #8: Eating Out Vegan In Toronto Part II

Queen of Sheba, an Ethiopian restaurant that recently closed, was my exact feeling as I soared down the streets on a cloud covered March, sightseeing and eating my way through.

International Week continues onward.
Vegan Mofo's prompt today is Far Away. Toronto is far away. Far, far away sadly.
My memories have stayed a constant fluttering reminder. I can recall infinite pleasantries in the cold, frigid country above. I have enjoyed the subways, the streets, the art, the little messages that certain buildings seemed to speak to me, and the level of trust bestowed by a good friend.
Toronto has a spirit unlike any other place-- almost magical. Certain nooks and crannies have an independent, bohemian vibe. Hip, upbeat areas are ripened with vibrant, sleepless entertainment. Yet beneath city's fairy dust and glitter, is a cultural landmark where one can find truest self.

A famous children's book author took me to lunch at Fresh on the Spadina. They cater to both vegetarians and vegans with a full menu of plant based foods and eclectic pressed juices, smoothies, elixirs, and more.

Incredible quinoa breaded onion rings-- ultra crispy and the onions don't stay attached to the mouth as though it were spaghetti to slurp.

The Chipotle Bacon Burger with chipotle mayo, grilled tempeh bacon strips, mild vegan cheese sauce, tomato, lettuce, and jicama inside of a whole wheat bun.

One of the largest burgers I've ever consumed in one single sitting. It was magnificent!

It being March-- we both got the Shamrock Shake special (matcha green tea, peppermint, banana, agave and almond milk). Perfect end to a very satisfying meal.

From there, we caught a trolley car to Kensington Market. One of the best stops next to COurage My Love (found a cute red dress for $5 Canadian bucks) Blue Banana Market. I did buy the funky glamorous Diva Sponge for my mom. She loves it too much to use it as a dish washing tool.

Who needs a Polaroid when there's Polaroll for your tissue dispensing needs!

Next to octopus and celebration sprinkled mugs, you'll find Mr. Men.

The cat lady pillow for all your cat slumbering needs.

Lego "Frozen" pillow.

Lioness dressed rather masculine.

Various African drums including a head to beat on.

Lion and leopard head tops all over pillows.

Twosome became a trio as we met our friend (whose humble home I was staying over at) for Asian cuisine at King's Cafe. We pleaded a bit with staff due to coming in thirty minutes before closing time.  They kindly allowed us to stay and eat. Among our delicious buffet of deliciously savory food-- terrific soy drumsticks with sweet plum sauce!

Veggie fried rice with extra broccoli.

Delectable faux meat wrapped in nori wrappers.

For a taste of Far Away, my friends have a nice array of fancy vegan items and vegan cookbooks from all around the globe. So in this wonderful second home before I went outdoors to have grand adventures in merry chill, I cherished browsing their unique goods. Often it was difficult to pick what to create. Mestemacher's organic three grain oat sprinkled bread were beautiful squared shapes with textured crusts. For cheese, they use Daiya (a huge Canadian vegan staple) and keep plentiful supply of Sheese-- a Scottish vegan brand by Bute Island Foods. Sheese is good. It's creamy with the right amount of herbs and spices. They make an amazing cream cheese spread that would make burnt toast scream with happiness.

For a late breakfast (or lunch), I made grilled cheese sandwiches with Sheese's Cheddar Style with Chives and some olive tapenade (funny for someone who hates olives). The bread was toasted with olive oil and covered so cheese could melt in between.

Yummy grilled cheese that had a salted meet sweetened bite.

Future hair salon? Maybe. Roaring just in case.

In my walking around the block spotted several Africa related signs-- a foreboding premonition perhaps.

Ethiopian food-- which will be the highlight of the last part of the Toronto trilogy coming soon. We didn't dine here at African Palace, but our chosen establishment was well worth the delicious wait.

Gotta love a good neighborhood library. Bloor and Gladstone was a charming brick and mortar location with a lot of history. Perfect place to chill out, read literature, and surf the web. I spent a lot of quiet, solitary time among the stacks. 

I close this off with Hub Coffee. It is near my friend's place. During my stay, I often walked down to the small cafe, enjoying the hot chocolate and vegan raspberry lemon bar. Downright scrumptious, the bar is a sweet burst of tart raspberry and citric lemon. To end a day of adventure at Hub always felt special. After all, it was close to second home. And my friend and her sweet, bicycle bound housemates were there often, greeting with affable smiles and curiosity of the Philly vegan woman's dash around their fair city.