[Event] Kinza: Vegetarian Thai Curry With Sachin

Event: Kinza: Vegetarian Thai Curry with Sachin
Location: Sachin's Home (Near Sherbourne Station)
Date: April 22, 2018
Website: kinza.life
10% Discount Code: DIANA10

Kinza is a Toronto start-up that produces small-scale events for people to learn new things or share conversations over a private dinner at a host's home. I had the pleasure of checking out one of the events this past Sunday where I had a group dinner with one of Kinza's co-founders, Sachin.

The event consisted of six people, including the co-founders Sachin and Kate, along with the co-founders of a new foodie dating app called PB&J. It was a pleasant evening of food and conversation that started at 7 PM. This event included vegetarian thai curry with unlimited portions (though I was full after the initial dish since I ate and drank prior).

Kinza is geared towards people who are looking to make new friends but are unable to find a venue to do so or are new to the city. Kinza doesn't only do private dinners but other events, such as painting and silk-screening classes. It's similar to Meetup but much smaller, allowing attendees to get to know everyone at the event.

Does Kinza sound like it's up your alley? You can go onto their website for their calendar of events. If you use my personal discount code DIANA10, you get 10% off your purchase!

The Alternative Cafe

Cafe: The Alternative Cafe
Address: 439 Richmond St. W
Phone: 416-551-7716
Operating Hours: Mon-Fri 7:30 AM - 5:30 PM, Sat-Sun 9 AM - 4 PM
Website: www.thealternativecafe.com

Interior

Menu

Drinks - Soy/Almond/Lactose-Free Options?: Yes to all
- All milks are organic
- Japanese cold brew available
- Nitro cold brew available
- 7 new Frappe flavours to be released soon!
- Roasted coffee beans from Hale Coffee
- Tea from Genuine Tea 
- Station Cold Brew available for purchase
- Flow Water available for purchase


Food - Vegan/Vegetarian/Gluten-Free Options?: Yes to all
- Gluten-free baked goods available
- Most baked goods are made in-house
- Baked goods from Bunner's Bakeshop available

Review

My Order: Pineapple Empanada, $4, and Tumeric Frappe, Price TBD

I always enjoy going back to my roots and reviewing cafes. Salem, the owner of The Alternative Cafe, invited me to check out his Richmond and Spadina cafe. Lined up against other places like Freshii, Yogatree, and Kupfert & Kim, The Alternative Cafe adds to the selection of health-conscious shops along Richmond Street. Almost a year old, this cafe proudly source all of their products locally. For the working nomad, there is WiFi and a limited number of outlets available in the shop for use.

I got a chance to try one of their upcoming Frappes. The Alternative Cafe will be coming out with 7 types of Frappes, flavours including: Natural Chai, Cream of Earl, and Beetroot. I had the Tumeric Frappe since I was recovering from a cold and I loved it. It was a sweet drink that hit the spot for me. I highly recommend trying out a Frappe once they launch at the end of the month. This is perfect for anyone who already enjoy sweet drinks like Starbucks' Frappuccino (minus all the overwhelming amount of sugar). I quite enjoyed the Pineapple Empanada as well, so I do recommend it if you prefer savoury treats. Their cookies are also delightful and generous in size.

Their menu is always changing as they come up with new drinks and food items to serve. The Alternative Cafe is one of the few cafes (potentially the only one in Toronto??) to serve Japanese cold brew, an ancient style of producing cold brew coffee. It can take anywhere from 11 to 17 hours to make! The owner had to piece together multiple sources in order to perfect the process. They also have Nitro cold brew if you are fan of that process too.

If you are near Chinatown/Queen West area and would like a pick-me-up or a new cafe to get your work done, I definitely recommend The Alternative Cafe as your new go-to spot!

Hoja Luwei

Restaurant: Hoja Luwei
Address: 615 Bloor St. W
Phone: 416-536-0615
Operating Hours: Mon-Sun 11:30 AM - 11 PM
Website: N/A

Interior

Review

My Order: Lamb Combo, $9.50

Hoja Luwei specializes in Taiwanese street-style cuisine, located in Koreatown. You're given a checklist menu to customize your own noodle bowl with sauce or broth. If you are indecisive like me, you can simply check off one of their combos with pre-selected ingredients. If you are a picky eater or want everything piled onto your bowl, you have the option to select as little or as many ingredients as you like.

I was actually confused with the menu at first, so I was checking off the combo along with a bunch of other things. Once I realized my mistake, I immediately selected the lamb combo just to keep it simple. I went for the broth but I probably should have gone for the sauce instead because I prefer my food more dry. Nonetheless, it made a hearty meal that was perfect for the cold weather.

The shop is set up to have a "street-style" vibe, similar to the food shops that could be found on the streets of Asia. They have one long communal table with high seats and very limited tables that seated two people. Which makes for great lunches but not somewhere you'd host an event/dinner.

Hoja Luwei is an affordable restaurant that allows people to get a taste of Taiwanese street food. It's an ideal spot to drop by for a filling lunch or to have something to warm you up on a cold night.