This vegan restaurant is a food nerd's dream-come-true

Hawker: What's the vibe?

I’ve visited Hawker, a humble, hole-in-the-wall vegan restaurant in Kensington Market, a few times since it opened in 2022. Though the cooking was always strong, the restaurant’s ambitious concepts didn’t always land for me at the time. Four years on, with new management and executive chef leadership, Hawker has hit its stride with quiet confidence.

Stomping snow off my boots after one of January's blizzards, I trudge into the restaurant off Augusta Avenue. Inside, it's a complete left turn from the dreary winter scene behind me; Hawker feels like dining in a quaint forest clearing, complete with a mossy wall, wood benches, dried flowers and tapestries that remind me of tree bark.

I'm half-expecting to hear tweets of birds fluttering above my head, but faint jazzy tunes trickling from hidden speakers, and sprightly conversations are the backdrop instead.

Hawker seats up to 19 guests inside, and an additional 20 on the back patio. It's petite (make sure you make a reservation!) and feels even smaller when I take my seat at the chef's table, a bar-style counter with an open view of executive chef and co-owner Leah Steduto's kitchen. It's such an intimate and private peek behind the curtain, my first instinct is to avert my eyes as Steduto works — but that fades quickly as I'm mesmerized by her calm precision, speed and technical mastery.

Hawker: What's on the menu?

Hawker offers brunch, lunch (with appetite-conquering chickpea tofu sandwiches on a Spent Goods sourdough loaf), a Winterlicious menu and à la carte dinner, but I recommend the six-course chef's tasting table for the best bang for your buck. This is where Steduto shines — not just with her adventurous and experimental plates, but also with a thoughtful and curated approach to service.

She moves seamlessly between chatting with guests, asking thoughtful questions; presenting intricate, Michelin-grade dishes; and directing her kitchen staff with calm assertiveness — all while making it look effortless. The entire service feels harmonious; frankly, it’s pretty badass.

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Locally grown, Canadian ingredients aren't just buzzwords here — they're the driving force behind the menu. Steduto, who is undoubtedly a chef to watch, cut her teeth at Planta Yorkville before working as head chef at Hawker for three years. Now, as executive chef, she's steering the restaurant towards highly focused, eclectic small plates, with exceptional results. No other vegan restaurant in Toronto hits the same highs as Hawker.

The menu changes with the seasons, highlighting foraged and house-fermented produce. It's ambitious, and as I slide into my seat for the chef's tasting menu, I'm curious how this will all translate to what lands on the plate.

First, I slurp down a bright fermented tomato and a bowl of fermented collard greens. They're quirky little amuse-bouches with surprising complexities, and gently open my palate.

Next up is a papadam. Reminiscent of Hawker's initial Indian culinary direction, this nutty lentil cracker bears slices of eggplant with fermented chickpeas and fennel. It wallops me with tang and umami, with a satisfying crunch to boot. I'll take 20 more, please.

The pioppino mushroom cavatelli is where things really take off. It's made with a fermented dandelion sauce (which has a mild anchovy flavour) and topped with shavings of salt-cured black radish. It's creamy, comforting and a cure for winter blues. As Steduto presents this dish, she tells me it's the first time Hawker has had pasta on the menu. This recipe, she shares, is special because it reminds her of her nonna's cooking. It's accompanied by an ultra-buttery chardonnay from The Grange of Prince Edward, which sings beautifully against the pasta's brininess.

I'm transfixed as Steduto whips out a blowtorch to scorch a delicata squash, stuffed with a rich mushroom pâté (à la foie gras). She draws it a bath of clear soy sauce dipping broth; it's admittedly a tricky dish to eat with a spoon, but I've soon mopped up every drop of the broth with zeal.

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Then comes a showstopping cluster of braised grapes, nestled into fermented, four-year-aged cashew yogurt and a generous pile of extra-crispy brussels sprouts. The sweet and savoury notes do a line dance on my taste buds; this dish has me simultaneously scratching my head and exclaiming in delight. I mop up the yogurt with fresh vegan flatbread before Steduto presents a perilla leaf with pickled mushrooms, chilli cream and smoked cabbage. Eaten like a taco, it's a fireworks show of pleasing textures and complementary flavours.

Dessert is Steduto's coup de grace — a gorgeous chestnut puck with carrot purée and fermented seabuckthorn, and a slab of sticky date cake sporting a thin slice of pear and soaked in spruce tahini caramel. I struggle to stop myself from abandoning all decorum and licking both plates clean.

Hawker: What's on the drink menu?

For special occasions, the wine pairing is absolutely worth the extra cost ($45 for three courses, $75 for six courses). Passionate sommelier Abi is a vino nerd through and through, and his enthusiasm as he explains each pour is infectious. His wine list ranges from funky international finds (everything from a peppery Bordeaux gamay noir to a bright, orange Alsace gewurztraminer) to Ontario gems (like a Revel sweet vermouth).

The lean cocktail list stays consistent with Hawker's culinary experimentation and occasional penchant for flair. The focus on fermentation shows up in Hawker's tipples, too — notably in the ferment-ini, which rotates based on seasonal ingredients. I try the tomato-tini: a vegetal, briney vodka and aquavit number, infused with a hint of basil. On the mocktail front, the clarified coca highball is silk-smooth, sweet and indulgent.

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Do yourself a favour and ask — nay, politely demand — for the carrot cake cocktail. It's an actual vegan carrot cake (from Bampot House on Harbord Street) that's been cooked via sous vide and mixed into a cocktail, topped generously with a cream-cheese-icing cold foam. TLDR: It's heaven on earth.

Under new management, with a refreshed culinary direction and with a talented executive chef at the helm, Hawker is poised for greatness and firmly cements itself as one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto.

Six-course chef's tasting menu for two, with wine three-course pairing: $250 plus tax and tip