Plant Based Sustainable Cuisine - Hawker, Toronto

I visited Hawker for the first time for their Winterlicious menu to give it a try. I’ve been intending to go the restaurant, located in Kensington Market, for quite a while but it just hadn’t worked out.  I’m so glad I finally paid them a visit because the meal was phenomenal. I’ll be going back to try out their lunch menu, and to enjoy their six-course Chef’s table tasting menu at some point in the future.

Hawker plates Source: Instagram

Hawker's Origin Story

Apparently, Hawker started out as a food truck in 2016 and experienced some challenges during the pandemic.  They came back in 2022 with a vision to provide “artfully composed, plant-based, small plate naturalist cuisine”.  Everything on the menu is vegan, based on seasonal ingredients and beautifully plated.

The restaurant is run by Head Chef Leah Steduto and Executive Chef Jeff Merkel. The menu features a variety of foraged and local ingredients uniquely combined and artfully plated. The restaurant is quite small with only a few tables and an open kitchen, so the dining experience is intimate.

Winterlicious Menu

I happened to test out several of Hawker’s dishes by going for a Winterlicious dinner.  They provided a three-course prix fixe allowing me to try a variety of small plates from their menu.  My daughter and I ordered different items so we could try two appetizers, two mains and two desserts.  The standard dinner menu offers a variety of “small plates” and the dishes we enjoyed are usually found on this part of the regular menu.

Small Plates

Hawker offers a sampling of small plates that can be mixed and matched to create a delicious meal. They can also be shared so you can taste a variety of items.

Hawker Small Plates Menu March 2025. Source: Hawker website

Sunset

This was my first dish - with cubed butternut squash surrounded by mushroom broth.

Hawker's squash with broth

Earth

Oyster mushrooms with herbs – a delicious appetizer that my daughter selected.

Hawker's oyster mushrooms

Bushfire

I selected the eggplant, rosemary smoke and roti dish which had a curry sauce. The roti was homemade, grilled and soft on the inside.

Hawker's eggplant curry with roti

Sunrise

Our final small plate was comprised of cedar roasted grapes, fermented cashew, crispy brussels sprout leaves and homemade flatbread.

Hawker's roasted grapes with cashew sauce

Desserts

Hawker has four desserts on menu, two of which are ice cream. 

Hawker Dessert Menu March 2025. Source: Hawker website

Orchard

The first sweet dessert we tasted was a sticky date cake, with fermented pear slices and a spruce tahini caramel.  The cake was very sticky and dense, resembling a raw dessert (but I can’t confirm that!).

Date cake with thinly sliced pear

Winter

Our second dessert was an ice cream dish with thyme on a hazelnut granola base and caramel sauce.  I would definitely recommend trying their homemade vegan ice cream!

Hawker's ice cream with granola and caramel sauce

Wala Lunch Menu

I haven’t tried the lunch menu at Hawker yet, but I plan to because it is very reasonably priced.  The waiter told us that the sandwiches at lunch are quite a large portion size as well.

Hawker's lunch sandwich. Source: Instagram

Hawker makes sourdough bread and Bahn mi sandwiches for $10, and with a drink and homemade root vegetable chips it’s only $15.  They have different sandwich mains like oyster mushrooms, eggplant, radicchio, green beans, smoked cabbage, and parsnips combined with other vegetables and sauce flavourings.

Hawker Lunch Menu March 2025. Source: Hawker website

Foraged Flavours: A Canadian Brunch

Hawker also has a new 3-course brunch menu with a focus on Canadian cuisine. This menu is a thoughtful way to highlight some of the hidden gems of Canada such as birch syrup, sumac, spruce tips, and more. Every dish is rooted in sustainability and celebrating Canada’s natural bounty. I am looking forward to trying the brunch to experience these unique Canadian flavours with a focus on sustainability.

Hawker's Canadian Brunch. Source: Instagram

I have only positive things to say about Hawker. The menu is unique with special attention given to the quality of the ingredients, how they are combined and presented in a lovely way.  The service was on-point with a level of attentiveness, so we enjoyed our meal but weren't rushed. If you want to try a fully plant-based meal that is made with care, this is THE place to go!

Where to find Hawker

Hawker is in downtown Toronto in the vibrant and eclectic Kensington Market area.  The dining is casual but it’s a great spot for a date night.

You can find Hawker at 291 Augusta Avenue

Restaurant Hours

Be sure to check the hours on their website in case there are any changes. I would recommend making a reservation because seating is limited.

Lunch:

Tuesday to Sunday 11:00am to 3:00pm

Dinner:

Wednesday to Thursday 5:00pm - 10:00pm

Friday 5:00pm - 11:00pm

Saturday 5:00pm - 11:00pm

Sunday 5:00pm - 9:00pm

Brunch:

Saturday 11:00am - 3:00pm

Sunday 11:00am - 3:00pm

 

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