New Toronto cafe that invented its own bread is the talk of the town right now
Cafes in Toronto are a dime a dozen, so anyone on a mission to start one that stands out has their work cut out for them, but one new venture that has the city talking may have cracked the code.
Making a splash these days takes something seriously attention-grabbing. Something, perhaps, like an entirely new type of bread invented specifically as a base for hefty, hardy sandwiches.
That's exactly what happened with Heval Cafe, a new Iranian cafe that named itself the home of "FocaBari," a bread that's halfway between Italian focaccia and Iranian barbari. I won't contest them on their claim as long as they promise to wield their FocaBari powers for good — which they evidently are — offering a food menu bursting with droolworthy signature sandwiches.
There's the bold Midnight Roast, with slow-roasted beef, truffle sauce, provolone and arugula, the humble Asal, which features creamy sarshir, honey, walnut and fig, and the Silk Road, a deft blend of Italian and Middle Eastern flavours. And that's barely scratching the surface.
Of course, with the word "cafe" in the name, you can expect to find more than just sandwiches at Heval.
The beverage menu is stocked with a selection of espresso and matcha-based drinks that run the gamut from classic to show-stopping. The Komorebi, for example, is a real standout. A riff on the strawberry matcha, this matcha-based drink expands far outside the generally expected bounds of the drink with the addition of barberry and pomagranite.
You can still get your go-to matcha latte or cold brew, too.
The menu is crowned off with a selection of savoury and sweet pastries, which includes the likes of intricately assembled croissant sandwiches and delicate danishes.
"Heval," the word from which the cafe gets its name, is Kurdish for "friend," and should you hungrily stumble upon the cafe on your next adventure into Chinatown, you'll indeed find your new best friend.
Heval Cafe is located at 393 Spadina Ave.
Heval Cafe
