Tobbi is the only place in Toronto where you can find lattes and Labubus under one roof.

Opened in February of 2025, Tobbi is the city's first and only blind box cafe. For those out of loop, blind boxes are exactly what they sound like: a type of collectible contained within a sealed box.

Though blind boxes have been popular in Asia for many years, they've only just started to appear in Canada, as companies like Pop Mart and Kidrobot expanded into the North American market.

Consequently, the cafe's name is a portmanteau of "Toronto" and "hobby", emphasizing its connection to the city's growing collector culture.

Owner Hannah Trinh is a huge fan of blind boxes, citing brands such as Labubu, Skull Panda and Cry Baby as some of her favourites.

Hannah tells us that most of these brands were created by independent artists, with the specific intent to evoke a world or tell a story. These stories are what drew Hannah to the hobby and ultimately convinced her to open the cafe.Tobbi's main dining room is warm and welcoming, with a soft, creamy colour palette and comfortable seating. Kewpie dolls and plushies peer out from behind jars and drink dispensers. Some can even be seen inside the refrigerated display case.More collectibles can be found in the basement, though unlike the toys on the top floor, these ones are available for purchase. In addition to the aforementioned brands, Tobbi stocks products from creators such as Disney, Peanuts and Peach Riot.

Each blind box is slightly cheaper than its usual retail price, making the hobby more accessible for newcomers. Tobbi also offers a blind box exchange program, allowing customers to trade their unwanted purchases for a display figure of their choice.

For example, I could have traded the toy that I picked out — a pastel pink fairy from the Chaka Light Sprite series — for the bright blue one on the shelf, but I chose to keep it, since it matched my outfit.

Tobbi's menu takes inspiration from both North American and East Asian cafe staples.

The Tiramisu Matcha Latte ($6.55) is a new addition to its lineup. True its name, this drink combines rich, velvety tiramisu with Ceremonial Grade matcha, creating a bittersweet drink that pairs perfectly with pastries.Vietnamese Coffee, also known as phin, comes in four different flavours: black ($4.25), brown ($4.95), white ($4.95) and coco ($7.25).

Aside from the black phin, all of these drinks are made with sweetened condensed milk. The brown phin pairs it with fresh milk, the white with whole milk and the coco with almond milk and shaved coconut.

Of the four variations, the creamy coco flavour was by far my favourite.Though the Lemon Margarita Cold Brew ($5.25) is entirely non-alcoholic, the drink does its best to evoke the tangy, refreshing flavour of a lemon margarita.

It also provides drinkers with their daily dose of caffeine, keeping them energetic for hours to come.Garlic Cream Cheese Buns ($5.75) are a popular South Korean street food, stuffed with silky cream cheese and coated with rich garlic butter. Each bun is cut into six pieces, allowing them to be shared with a group or eaten slowly by a single person. Cinnamon Rolls ($5.75) are topped with cream cheese icing and cinnamon powder, enhancing the flavour of the pastry underneath.The Whole Grain Turkey Sandwich ($11.75) is a healthy, nourishing meal, made with sliced turkey, tomatoes, cucumbers, lettuce and cheese.

Though not as flashy as many of the other items on the menu, this sandwich will still satisfy your taste buds, especially when paired with something sweet.Speaking of sweet, the Strawberry Shortcake ($12.95) is a light, fluffy sponge cake, topped with strawberry icing and fresh berries. Its soft texture makes it all too easy to consume in a single sitting.
Tobbi is located at 678 Bloor Street West.