Ahi Watermelon Nigiri
The signature. Sounds absurd, works completely.
Vegan · Yorkville
Planta Yorkville
Plant-based cooking that convinced Yorkville, which is not an easy room
VeganYorkville, Toronto$$$Details being confirmed
The review
Planta's achievement is that nobody at the table has to be a vegan for it to work. The room is a Yorkville room, the service matches, and the menu simply never mentions what it is not serving.
The ahi watermelon nigiri is the signature and it is the dish that does the persuading — the texture is closer than it has any right to be. Cauliflower tots get ordered twice by every table. Queso fundido, built on cashews, is convincing enough to be annoying.
Honest notes: it is expensive for vegetables and the portions are small, which is a fair criticism rather than a snobbish one. It gets loud once the bar fills. Go for lunch and it is calm and considerably better value.
What to order
Cauliflower Tots
The dish that gets ordered twice at every table.
Queso Fundido
Cashew-based and genuinely convincing.
What works
- Converts sceptics without lecturing them
- Room and service match the postcode
- Cocktail list is properly built
What doesn’t
- Expensive for vegetables
- Portions are small
- Loud once the bar fills
Verdict
Watermelon nigiri, cauliflower tots twice, at lunch rather than dinner.