Light Cafe Toronto

Light Cafe

Light Cafe already has three locations in Taiwan. But Jennifer Wong, along with her partners Jenny Sun, William Tseng and Avan Feng have brought this Taipei-based cafe to Toronto.

In fact, its Toronto storefront is this mini chain's first North American outpost. It's located inside the former Baldwin Village laundromat I frequented as an OCAD student, but Wong and her team have transformed the space into a bright, contemporary cafe. A living wall, for instance, sprouts plant life and serves as backdrop for the tables upfront.

Light Cafe Toronto

Further back, a display case stocked with pastries serves as the partition to the open kitchen.

Light Cafe Toronto

The drinks menu is rife with unique offerings, many available for dine-in only. Cotton candy coffee ($4.95) is perhaps the most spectacular. Staff present carafes of hot black coffee and steamed milk alongside a cloud of spun sugar and a mini macaron on the side.

You're supposed to pour the coffee over the cotton candy, which sweetens the drink as it dissolves.

Light Cafe Toronto

Non-coffee drinks are just as decadent.

light cafe toronto

There are frosty matcha smoothies ($5.55), blood orange Italian sodas ($3.25) and peachy iced tea ($4.75) brewed from Pluck tea leaves and decorated with fresh fruit.

Light Cafe Toronto

Food-wise, there's a variety of baked treats including macarons, mini-tarts and cakes.

light cafe toronto

There's also light lunch fare such as soup, salad, sandwiches, mini pizzas (which seem more like open faced sandwiches) and Belgian waffles studded with mochi for a chewy effect.

Light Cafe Toronto

The ten sandwiches on offer include delicate takes on deli standards like egg salad ($8.75), smoked meat ($10.75) and a BLT ($8.75). More intriguing are options are the wasabi grilled chicken ($10.25) or the truffle mushroom croissant ($10.25).

Light Cafe Toronto

I try the latter, a buttery house baked croissant topped with sautĂŠed mushrooms, beefsteak tomato slices and ruffled lettuce dressed in truffle aioli. It tastes quite luxurious considering it's a rather light, vegetarian option.

Light Cafe Toronto

From the lineup of leafy greens, I opt for the smoked duck breasts salad ($10.75) served over a bed of greens with chunks of cucumber, butternut squash, orange supremes, tomatoes and radish. I have it with the creamy sesame dressing, though the yuzu vinaigrette and a mustard soy dressing are among the alternate options.

Light Cafe Toronto

Because it's a weekday, I wrap up this lunch hour with another coffee. This time, I try the iced drip coffee ($4.25) that's slowly cold-brewed over ice from Indonesian Mandheling beans. It's strong stuff and coffee ice cubes ensure it stays that way - just what I need before heading back to work.

Light Cafe Toronto

Photos by Hector Vasquez.


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