Food wizardry at it's finest at King's Café!
Back in my meat-eating days, Chinese food was my favourite and it still is. However, in those days it was duck to be precise; plum, orange, peking, you name it I loved it. I'm happy to say those days are long gone but my love of eating 'duck' isn't. I've discovered the Holy Grail at King's CafĂ©, located in Kensington Market, Toronto.Â
                          This gluten faux duck or 'phuck' as my better half likes to call it, is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I strongly recommend the Crispy Veggie Duck with BBQ sauce, it's our favourite item on the menu. I'm not too fussed about it resembling meat as I simply appreciate the chewy texture and homemade BBQ sauce goodness but meat-eaters will appreciate how meat-like it is. I had one sat opposite me and he couldn't believe how duckesque it was; smell, texture, appearance, it's truly difficult to tell the difference. I love how it's even got a crispy skin! Just like the real thing. I also tried the Veggie Duck with Plum Sauce, it came on a bed of...well I'm not too sure what it was. It's white with purple freckles, looks like a fruit but kind of has the texture of a potato, if anyone can help me out with this I'd love to know as it rocked! This 'duck' was in a sliced breast style while the BBQ 'duck' was more wing-like. The breast was also pretty convincing, especially visually, the sauce was sweet (although not as sweet as I'm used to in the UK) gingery and just downright lovely, the orange slice was a tasty touch too! But, the BBQ 'duck' wins unanimously.
Additionally, we had the Veggie Shrimp Dumpling Dim Sum which were chewy balls of goodness (I don't care how that sounds) filled with finely chopped veggies, including mushrooms and baby sweet corn and spices which nodded towards shrimp flavour. Also, the Soy Drumsticks which were juicy, had a subtle smokey, BBQ flavour and a very fine crispy coating. I adored how cute they looked, they were presented on a dinky wooden stick so you actually held them like the traditional chicken drumstick! The accompanying ginger dipping sauce was less cute though, the ginger was too harsh and overpowered the flavour of the drumstick. However, their online menu states they come with plum sauce so perhaps the ginger was a mistake. Personally, I think their BBQ sauce would be downright righteous with these drumsticks. I honestly believe I'm addicted to this place, I already know what I'm ordering next weekend:
                         Sweet 'N' Sour Bites with Rice and Barbeque Seitan with Rice, yeah buddy! And some of that divine Crispy BBQ Veggie Duck of course (I don't need it I just really really want it!)Â
The value of this joint is excellent as is the laid back atmosphere. It's truly chilled out and the service is fantastic. We were immediately greeted with a glass of cold water complete with a slice of lime which was kept topped-up throughout our stay without the need to ask. It's worth mentioning for those of you who enjoy a few brewskies with your meal, King's Café doesn't serve alcohol. I respect and like this as it makes a nice change and there are plenty of bars in Toronto to enjoy after your meal if you're that way inclined. Instead, they offer a variety of Teas which are always fun to try and soy shakes. Also, nearly everything is vegan! The only items I've spotted that aren't vegan are a couple of desserts and this is stated using symbols on their menu. The only thing I don't like about King's Café is that they don't deliver, d'oh!
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