h2 Toronto

Free poke bowls draw huge lineup in Toronto

Who says it costs a lot of money to buy lunch in downtown Toronto every day?

Everyone, that's who – which is probably why office workers go absolutely nuts when new restaurants open in the core and offer us all free food.

H2 Kitchen at 204 Queen Street West, right between McCaul and St. Patrick, is one of the latest fast-casual spots to open up near the Financial District with a massive line on its first day of business.

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The super health conscious eat-in or take-out restaurant, spearheaded by chef Paul Huang, celebrated its grand opening today by giving away free bowls between noon and 3 p.m.

Customers could order signature poke, salad, noodle and smoothie bowls from a pre-selected menu and walk away with a fresh, healthy and highly creative lunch for free.

But first they had to wait in line. 

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Now that it's open, hungry Queen Westers can order such cool-sounding creations as "Eggroll in a bowl," "Strawberry feta cheese toast," and "the Hokkaido Dive" – a signature poke bowl made with Sea Urchin and Ahi Tuna.

"A healthy community is a happy one," reads the new restaurant's website. Based on how well behaved and patient everyone was in line, perhaps this is true. 

Lead photo by

Lauren O'Neil


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