Fry Me

On a blustery Saturday morning, with a last gasp of winter gripping Toronto, I went to the Hogtown Vegan for some brunch. I wanted to try the new Northwood near Christie Pits park, but they no longer offer their prix fixe brunch.

Hogtown Vegan tries to replicate the greasy diner experience, so you know everything will be deep-fried though nothing will be animal-based, not even the eggs. We ordered tofu rancheros ($12) with homefries, an omelet ($12) with an upgrade to collard greens ($1.50), and peanut-butter and banana french toast. Everything was as greasy as can be expected, perhaps a little too much so as even the tortillas and toast were deep-fried. The collard greens were fresh but a bit tough and could use more cooking time.

My favourite was the pb and banana french toast: sweet, nutty, and smokey from the tofu bacon. It was a nice balance of flavours. I wasn't enamoured of the omelette. Fake egg? I'd rather have a thing stand for itself (tofu) instead of being an ersatz imitation. Also, saute onions are not necessarily caramelized ones. Generally, I'm more partial to vegetarian cuisine that explores its own space.