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Cafe 668
Categories: Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Vietnamese Vegetarian, Vietnamese [Edit]
885 Dundas St WToronto, ON M6J 1V9
Neighbourhoods: Little Italy, Trinity Bellwoods
(416) 703-0668
- Hours:
Mon-Tue 5 pm - 10 pm
Wed-Sun 12:30 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
Matt A. said: "We've been to Tabule 6 times now for a reason. Love this place. Great service. Nice atmosphere. And they're generous too. Little touches like complimentary pita, a generous middle eastern olive and pickle plate and healthy portions…" read more »
19 reviews for Cafe 668
19 reviews in English
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Review from Malcolm M.
Toronto, ON
5/23/2012
We've been visiting cafe 668 for a few years now.
If you're looking for great Vegetarian soups, you've found the right place. Terrific, flavourful and generous portions.
Dying for Fresh, hot spring rolls - these are the real deal!
I've had fried banana all over the place. Too often some hack in the kitchen is hidding a bruised mushy blob under way too mutch soggy batter. Cafe 668 gets it right - ripe, but not over ripe banana, coated in a crisp batter, bathed in Tapioca topped with crushed peanuts. Fantastic!
Truthfullly these guys should forget about everything else and just serve soup, spring rolls and fried bananas.
Main dishes are freshly prepared, generous proportions and serveid hot. I'm not a big fan of faux meats so I won't comment on these dishes. If you're a tofu fan the Tofu focussed dishes are filling and satisfying.
As to the comment in another review about the dishes being bland, there is some truth to this. I'm sure if you're looking to turn up the spiciness a bit they'd be happy to oblidge.
Owner is a very friendly but focussed guy - don't mistake him being focussed for being "cool" as someone else here described the service. He likes to make sure customers are taken care of and the food is hot when it gets to your table.
Check out Cafe 668 and don't forget to have a look at the amazing salt water fish tank upstairs (for display only - no fish is on the menu). -
Review from Laz C.
Toronto, ON
12/23/2011
No, no, no. Cafe 668 you've got it all wrong. The place was freezing, the service was just as cold, and the food was remarkably bland. It saddens me to write this because I really wanted and expected to love this place but it quickly diminished from one-sided attraction to aversion.
I ordered from the large menu with anticipation, finally deciding on the spicy vermicelli soup while my companion opted for 'veggie duck'. We waited hungrily before the soup arrived five minutes before the duck. On first impression the enormous bowl of vermicelli looked beautiful with colourful vegetables and cascades of tofu on top. But appearances can be deceiving, once I plunged into the bowl I realized it was just a big pile of noodles without any discernible flavour; all I could taste was salt from the faux meat that had been added in (without mention on the menu). I added some sriracha to make up for the lack of spiciness, it was still pretty bland but I was grateful for the hot soup since I was still shivering even with my coat on inside. The duck portion was smaller and also required an additional purchase of rice. The texture of the gluten duck was interesting but the sauce was slimy and much too sweet; I was glad that I wasn't the one who had to finish it. Blah.
Even if the food had of been decent, the prices are too high and the restaurant too cold to sit back and enjoy your meal. -
Review from Emily M.
10/26/2011
I'm a fan (hence the 4 stars!) Minus 1 star because the place is FREEZING cold and we all had to wear our coats!
I have been here a few times and I'm usually impressed. They have a very large menu selection.
I went here last night with a group of 15 people and the service was great (separate bills - yesss!!!)
I've said before that I'm not a fan of fake meats but I ordered the curry delight and to my surprise it did come with tofu AND fake meat and to my surprise it wasn't that bad! As long as the fake meat isn't the star of the dish its actually quite nice. The whole group was happy with their food.
I am for sure going back! The decor is also date appropriate (if you know what I mean, because I'm not sure I do...) ha ha..ok this place has a modern clean look. How's that?Listed in: veg veg veg...!!!, Restaurants that will split…
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Review from Valentina A.
Toronto, ON
3/5/2012
The food was fine but I probably won't go back.
Good:
Fake duck - crispy and fatty like duck, but tofu!
Lots of vegetables with the dishes.
Tea pots to share.
Bad:
Some kind of bean paste in the wontons and the curry spring rools - it was mushy, not at all what I want in either of those dishes
Good service but I agree with the other reviewers that the restaurant was cold. -
Review from Talal A.
Toronto, ON
1/18/2012
Large portions, I was so hungry i thought it was amazing for the first 10 minutes..but honestly its just not worth the price tag considering the quality.. My dish was so sloppy and wet and barely any pieces of fake meat .. not that its $$ To use..
the deep fried mushrooms were horrible, i opened up the mushrooms and saw they used really old ones.. gross
yea wont be coming back -
Review from Val G.
5/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
I've eaten at Cafe 688 many times, but never before the move from 668 Dundas when I can only imagine it was one of the hippest veggie joints in town.
These days things are a bit more lacklustre but it's certainly not as bad as people are making it out to be.
The food is pretty decent and the menu is extensive. You can get everything from noodles to curry to soups. I'm a fan of the veggie pho, which is served in a huge bowl, with lots of fresh vegetables, noodles and mock meats. It makes 2 meals for me.
I'll admit that this location lacks warmth but it's larger and can accommodate big groups. The decor is very nice looking from the outside but it has a lot of cold elements like floor to ceiling glass windows, a grey stone wall and a watery depressing fish tank. Plus, I'm pretty sure the A/C is just on year round for some ridiculous reason.
I'm always cold when I eat there and need to keep my coat on, but even that hasn't deterred me from eating here. The food is hot, the dishes I've tried have always been somewhere between tasty and okay. I've always had good service and I've never had to wait very long either. The prices are reasonable too.
So, I'd say don't dismiss 688 just because the hype was left behind at the old location.
3.5*Listed in: Vegenomics
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Review from Nicole H.
Toronto, ON
Considering the other reviews, I guess i've been lucky with the couple of visits i've had to Cafe 668. Both my visits (to their new location further west on Dundas) have been weekday evenings when the restaurant's been quiet, so service has been quick & unobtrusive, and the meals are served promptly - steaming hot!
There's a decent range of apps (and not all fried if you want something light) - the taro dumplings are especially tasty, and the deep-fried veg dumplings were great too.
I've had a regular main, and also a noodle main - both were packed with a nice and fresh range of veg, and the sauces were tasty. My only complaint is the small portions of protein. The size of my dishes was extremely satisfying.
The restaurant itself is clean and the decor is nice without being too much. When it's quiet, it is a great place to go and catch up over dinner - but can get a little chilly in the winter thanks to the big glass windows.
A solid 3.5, I think. Prices could be a little lower, and while the food is nice I think I would head to Loving Hut or Vegetarian Haven on a more regular basis. But if i'm out that way, I will drop in.Listed in: Toronto Veg Eats!
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Review from angela k.
Toronto, ON
4/17/2009
The service was horrible and the food was absolutely boring and not very tasty.
I went to the new location with my partner about a month ago and was treated quite rudely by the server. When I asked how spicy the spicy food was, he volunteered "Oh, we can make it mild if you want!" At which point, I asked to make two spicy dishes less spicy (my partner and I were going to share two dishes, we also ordered two appetizers and wine).
When he brought the first entrée out, I tasted it and my mouth was on fire. I quickly called him over and simply asked if I could cancel the other dish since this one was too spicy and order a less spicy one since making the dish mild obviously didn't work. Even my partner who LOVES spicy food said it was INCREDIBLY hot but also not very tasty aside from that. He simply told me it was too late to cancel. Then he told me that if I didn't like spicy food I shouldn't have ordered it! Well, that's what I was going to do until he told me they could be made less spicy.
After he brought the other dish (which was still very spicy but not nearly as spicy as the other dish), he didn't come back to our table once (we had finished our wine and wanted more, but couldn't order any because he didn't come over - lost profits for the restaurant!). He finally brought the bill after I went to the washroom without offering us coffee or dessert. Again, lost profits to the restaurant.
I highly discourage going to this place. My partner who LIKES spicy food was totally unsatisfied by both dishes and we were both horrified by the service and the waiter's attitude.
I highly recommend going elsewhere. Buddha's or Full Moon have much better food and the people there treat you like a human being for the same or less cost. -
Review from Rachel L.
Toronto, ON
10/4/2009
As an enthusiastic vegetarian, I can pretty much name any veggie and vegan place in town, but going to eat at them is another story. After two years of hearing about Cafe 668, I decided to drag my mom along for a nice meal.
We were impressed by the decor. We were impressed by how the place was absolutely freezing. We were impressed by the menu (which is only Asian food, unbeknown to me at the time, not that it matters).
We were impressed that our food was disappointing. How could that be?
We both had an appetite to satisfy and found that our meals lacked a single item to give it umph.
I felt like my tofu was too soft and too doused in coconut sauce, the way your fingers start to get wrinkly and annoying to touch when you've been in the tub for too long.
My mom basically got a plate with some beautiful looking crispy noodles that was basically the equivalent of ordering ramen noodles' super attractive older, classier-looking sibling. In the end it was just served on a prettier plate.
All in all, for $40 (cash only!), totally not worth the hype.
PS It's not even at 668 anymore! -
Review from Robert H.
Richmond Hill, ON
6/15/2009
This place is really disappointing. I've been there twice and each time I was not impressed at all. My friends and I ordered 3 different dishes and shared them finding that they are more or less the same ingredients with a slight variation on the sauce. The sauces are way to sweet for my liking. The service was on the slow side but the food came out pretty quickly. The decor was nice but it doesn't make up for the bad food.
Save your money and appetite, there are way better vegetarian restaurants in the city. -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
9/29/2008
Cafe 668 is the absolute best vegetarian joint in town.
There is so much flavor in every bite, it's outrageous!
I have never tried anything on the menu that wasn't absolutely over the top wonderful.
My favourite is the hot and sour soup an the crunchy noodles.
They serve fake duck, beer, chicken and fish and it doesn't taste like rubber. This is the kind of vegetarian restaurant that I would bring a meat eater too, because even without the meat, it's still all taste.
It's owned by a couple. He works the restaurant floor, and she cooks.
they don't take credit cards or reservations and they don't serve booze, and it's still the best vegetarian in the city. -
Review from Polls E.
Toronto, ON
12/28/2008
I'm very happy to find a veggie restaurant with a good selection of choices that are rice and noodle based. As a vegetarian you get a little sick of only being offered sandwiches and soups at restaurants. So this was a refreshing change.
After that being said, I was a bit dis-appointed in Cafe 668. For a restaurant that is quite pricey, I found all the dishes order to be quite saucy, all with the same ingredients and covered in different sauces. When you charge $16 for a small dish, I kinda expect a little more love put into it. I probebly will go back though and give it another chance. -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
11/25/2008 1 photo
This is another one of those places that uses their "we're a fully vegetarian restaurant" claim to pull weight in the city. Again, like my review for Fresh, these places are definitely needed, and it is a decent place to down some typical Asian chow. Great for vegetarians who like their Asian food.
I had the "House Special". The vegetables are crunchy and the made me feel super healthy. Patrons, prepare to feel good about yourself. However, I think this is stuff that I could've made at home by myself, and to pay these prices to go out and have "meh" service doesn't excite me.
Maybe my mind would change if I sampled the different protein options, but for the simple purposes of flavour, I really have to pass. Because the cook time is minimal, the sauces don't really infuse themselves into the actual veggies.
Again, can someone open an all-veggie restaurant that's actually tasty? You know, the home-cooked comfort food sort of thing? I've had some great chow in other cities; Toronto is falling behind. -
Review from Melissa J.
Toronto, ON
1/19/2009
Booooorrrrring. I know vegetarian and vegan food can be delicious. I have had amazing food without a drop of meat in it, and I've gotten it for cheaper, and FASTER than Cafe 668.
Coconut Curry = good, but kinda hard to screw up. Every other dish was decent, but not worth $13 each. Small portions of food, but big glasses of water. They charge $2.50 for a pot of tea, which you would NEVER have to pay for in Chinatown.
Service-wise, they were so slow. Luckily I was there with a group and we could entertain each other while we waited for the food. Everything seemed to take forever -- I understand it's a husband & wife team who work the kitchen and the restaurant, but come on. Hire someone else, because you're moving way too slowly for a full house.
If you still decide to come here, ask to sit as far back as possible, or wear extra layers -- the place is FREEZING. -
Review from Catherine M.
ON
12/4/2008
With a big crowd of vegetarians, you almost can't walk past Cafe 668 without being dragged on inside. This restaurant has the distinct advantage of having turned me back on to veggie cuisine after a long stint as a recovering vegetarian.
Order something, anything, that involves spicy sauces or fried tofu, they really won't disappoint you. That is, of course, unless you are an avowed carnivore with a hatred for soy or vegetable based matter. In which case, go ahead and take a pass.
I was a little concerned during the Dundas streetcar line renovations, as it seemed like this sweet little place was going to be run into the ground. But as all good things do, it has managed to thrive and continue on as one of the few affordable vegetarian spots in town. Without the need for an upmarket designator, they have certainly cornered the market on what most vegetarians in the city will agree is a sorely lacking type of restaurant. -
Review from Meng J.
Etobicoke, Toronto, ON
7/5/2011
We tried out this place for the first time today for my bf's b-day. It is on a quieter section of Dundas, so we sat on the patio and it was a very nice environment to dine in. We ordered fresh salad rolls and spring rolls as appetizers, and I ordered singapore vermicelli (I was craving curry flavoured some type of noodles, so this was perfect) and he ordered spicy fried tofu (simply b/c he loves black bean sauce). Everything was very delicious, and the waiter (owner maybe?) was friendly as well. The food was homey unlike some other vegetarian/vegan places which try too hard to be trendy, and it had just enough flavour to satisfy your taste buds, on top of that, the amount of food was so generous that I had to take the other half to go. I will definitely go back there, next time I want to try their pho.
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Review from Downtown D.
Toronto, ON
4/19/2010
The food was okay but Chinatown is cheaper. You're paying for the fancy decor/ambiance and presentation.
My friend had vegetables & tofu on top of vermicelli and I had it on top of rice noodles.
A place you can take a date or to impress your out of town guests. -
Review from Kat F.
2/9/2009
Like other reviewers, I found the food a bit disappointing considering the price. Mediocre. For food that's just as good but more affordable for bigger portions, I'd just go to Salad King!
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Review from Chris A.
Toronto, ON
10/27/2008
I was totally disappointed with Cafe 668. The food is tasteless, service is equally bad.
The worst thing was to order something in the menu with carrots and peppers, and receive a plate with brocoli and cauliflower instead. I told the guy it wasn't like that in the menu, he said:
"Those things usually change. We use the vegetables that are already chopped in the kitchen at the moment. It's not always like in the menu."
Unbelievable. I hope I don't have to go back there anytime soon.
