Hawker Bar

Ugh. Hawker Bar was so disappointing. I left feeling ripped off and deceived.
It’s called Hawker Bar. For the amount of time it took the food to arrive, if it was a actually a hawker place and not just a rip off of the food culture, I would have left before the food came.
The Singapore Noodles should not be called that. It didn’t taste or look anything like Singapore Noodles. The flavouring was some strong tangy weirdness. The noodles were undercooked! I’m shocked that our waiter said it was one of the most popular dishes. At $ 16, it is astonishingly overpriced for a completely under executed dish.
The chicken laksa was marginally better. The soup itself was spicy and a bit thin. There wasn’t any depth to the flavour. I’m almost certain that the rice noodle is an inexpensive dry noodle. The chicken bits were dry and unappealing.
There were 2 good things. The service in general was attentive. The chili soy chicken wings were decent.
I would not come here again. The high prices combined with poor execution left a weird tangy taste in my mouth. After our disappointing visit, I went on Unilocal to check what my fellow Unilocalers thought and then realized maybe I should have checked the reviews first…

My friends and I went back to try their laksa and rendang but they don’t have rendang on the menu anymore.
My friend ordered chicken laksa and I ordered shrimp laksa. Laksa was watered down, not as creamy as it should’ve been.
We also ordered nasi goreng aka fried rice each. It was alright and dark, just like how a nasi goreng should be but again, too salty.
Another friend of mine ordered some white food — pork something and it was good. So my advice? Stick to white food and not Asian.
Had we not tried the pork, the rating would have been a 2. The laksa and fried rice were disappointing. So the pork dish has its redeeming quality.

Hawker Bar — A quick review.
This place is not a Singapore/​Malaysian restaurant, and those coming here in hopes of finding authentic hawker stall food (not to mention at authentic hawker stall prices) will be very disappointed.
The food is far from horrible. In fact, some of it is quite tasty. Here’s what I had:
Appetizer: Crispy white shrimp with some kind of sweet and sour chili sauce
Appetizer: Asian style chicken wings — Hoisin glaze and Soya sauce dressing
Main: Singapore Laksa
Main: Rendang Beef, Coconut Rice…
The shrimps were done — Well fried, soft-​shell shrimp, so no need to peel. The sauce was tangy and spicy. Chicken wings were also great. Crispy, and a good zest to the hoisin based sauce.
It went a bit down hill from here…
Singapore Laksa — It wasn’t Singapore laksa. It wasn’t even close to Singapore laksa. Someone told me that this was the best laksa in town. It might have been, if they bothered to serve laksa. See, the only resemblance to Singapore style laksa that Hawker Bar’s version of Singapore Laksa has is the look. It looked like a bowl of noodles in soup, and it had the right toppings. The only way I could see this dish tasting the way it does is the following scenario:
Someone put a picture of Singapore Laksa in front of the cook. They don’t tell him how to make it, what’s in it or what it tastes like; only that it is called Singapore Laksa, but they ask him to replicate it using just the picture and the name of the dish. Not having been to Singapore before, he does a quick search on Google Maps, and discovers that it’s in Southeast Asia. Sweet! What else is in Southeast Asia? Thaliand! He’s eaten Thai food before… Close enough! What you get is an obtuse interpretation of what type of noodle soup you might get if you took all the countries in Southeast Asia and mixed them together.
The soup is full of lemongrass and is relentlessly and overpoweringly tangy. It resembles tom ka gai or a creamy tom yum more than that you would find coming out of Singapore or Malaysia.
The rendang beef was again, decent, but not exactly rendang beef. At all. The beef was cooked to perfection; the rendang part of the equation was unfortunately absent. There was some kind of sauce on there that consisted of, guest what? Lemongrass… Again… A ridiculous amount of it. On top of that, the coconut rice was cooked with sweetened coconut milk, which made the rice taste like rice pudding. I was initially really put off by it, but was eventually able eat more after I just tricked myself into thinking I was eating dessert. Beef dessert.
Anyhow, I’ll concede that it may be my own expectations that have caused my negative reaction to the food here. It was somehow instilled upon me that a place called «Hawker Bar» would serve hawker stall style food at presumably hawker stall prices. Neither of these were the case. If they somehow changed their name to «Generic Asian-​y restaurant where everything we serve looks really good but tastes like thai food… whatever you order», I would not have been so disappointed. I suppose that’s a bit long winded though.
BTW, whomever told me that this place has the best laksa in town, please stand up. I will fight you.

Restaurant is a small venue located in Ossington area — the décor is quaint and cozy. I felt welcomed into a familiar environment, although greeted by unfamiliar faces.
It was my first time here and seeing all the mediocre reviews I didn’t have high expectations for the place. People commonly seem to compare traditional Chinese food to Hawker Bar… but I’m not sure that’s a fair comparison considering this place serves Asian fusion dishes. Admittedly the laksa wasn’t their best however the chicken wings definitely knocked my socks off! You’ll also have to try the delicious coconut rice which tastes amazing even on it’s own. Imagine the coconut sticky rice from the thai dessert mango + sticky rice, but with the rice on it’s own. Yum!
Although the place was a little far west, the food was yummy and service was great. I enjoy cozy and familiar environments as such, and felt like it was a great place to get together with a large group of friends.

Hawker Bar, you and me have a good thing going. If you’re looking for twist on the standard pub fare, Hawker Bar is your place. HB serves up fresh, flavourful Malaysian food inside a warm, cozy-​cool pub on Ossington. This is one of those pubs that you don’t need to be drunk at to enjoy the food (i.e., the food is not nastoid and totes is yummy on its own).
My personal fave is the vegan laksa. The broth is so delicious, with strong flavours of lemongrass, spice, and coconut tickling your throat with each bite. The puffed tofu is super yummy and I absolutely LOVE the healthy does of veggies in the laksa. SUPER yum.
Also big ups on the brussel sprouts and the good beer selection. Service here could be better and more attentive but hey, it is a pub on Ossington afterall.

We’ve lived in the neighborhood for a few years, and always meant to try Hawker Bar. We went last weekend for a casual dinner, and were seriously disappointed. The lamb potstickers were dry, lukewarm and gamey. The two vegetable dishes that we ordered, the hoisin brussel sprouts (best thing we had, and that’s not saying much) and the yellow soy broccoli (tasteless), were served on their own, and not with the meat we ordered. The singapore noodles were dry, bound together and again, tasteless. But the worst thing of all was the pork shoulder with mango (or was it papaya?). When I order pork shoulder, I generally expect a slow cooked, pulled meat where the fat has melted away to reveal tender chunks of melt-​in-​your-​mouth pork goodness. What we got instead was a slice of pork shoulder, chunks of fat and all, seared to a crisp. It was so blackened in fact that we couldn’t really tell whether we were cutting up a piece of meat or fat until we popped it in our mouths. Gross. We left most of it on the plate, along with the boring noodles. The waitress didn’t even ask how we liked the food.
We left, and the place was packed. I just do not understand.

My friends and I were looking forward to this Ossington restaurant because one of them is from Singapore, the cuisine that inspired Hawker Bar to open. She was regaling us with mouthwatering description of her native dishes and we were all very excited to try.
Upon stepping in the restaurant, we really like the hip vibes and quaint atmosphere which seemed like a great place to grab drinks and dinner with friends.
We ordered the son in law eggs and since I’ve never tried it I really like the flavour profile of sweet and sour spiciness; I think it’ll make a good snack! Another dish I tried is laksa which is also a spicy sour dish but I found it quite similar to Tom Yum Gong a Thai soup which was somewhat disappointing. A staple of Singaporean cuisine and a must try is the Hainanese chicken rice which was poorly prepared — with overcooked chicken rendering its texture dry and stringy, and the rice was bland without the hallmark flavour of rich chicken fat cooked with it.
To accompany our dishes, we ordered satay which as grilled meat skewers in the Southeast Asian region. For four skewers that were overcooked, dry, almost tasteless and drenched in superfluous and unnecessary sauce, it was quite a sad platter for price. Overall, we felt Hawker Bar didn’t live up to its expectations of serving authentic food and found it extremely diluted and lacking in body and richness.

Wow… I cannot believe it’s been over 3 years since I visited Hawker Bar for the first time… probably even more surprised that this place hasn’t shut down because there are much better establishments that have closed their doors for good. Or maybe it’s the Ossington strip and people get sucked into «Fusion food» because the prices are still lower than a few of the more upscale restaurants. When you think about it… the food is rather unauthentic and you still end up paying a premium, and your $ 17 plate of food is considered a good deal, regardless of how large or small your portion actually is.
… well enough about the speculations… let’s get to this 1-​star meal I had.
I’m better with Fusion food now… some places better than others, but nonetheless I still have certain standards… I know others have said good things about Hawker so I was willing to give it another chance after my 3 star review, 3 years ago (I’m surprise I even gave it that!). Lucky for Hawker, they were opened later than Phở down the street and I was craving Asian-​like food. The menu is no longer written on the backs of cardboard which loses some «cool points», but maybe it meant that they got their sh! t together (not really. keep reading). Some of the menus items had changed, but the good ol’ Haianese Chicken was still there. For those who do not know, Haianese Chicken is hard to master, and not easy to find in downtown Toronto, so when my dining partner tells me it’s good here… then I’m down for trying.
We were hungry… and looking forward to this meal… so when a plate comes with little rolls that looked like deep fried chicken skewers (without the stick), we were confused… very confused. **Just a note — if you look at the Unilocal photos from 2013 — THAT is what Haianese chicken looks like*** Our plate was quite the opposite. The portion size was half the size of the chicken previously served. We actually deconstructed a piece of this chicken… thing. It was a piece of fried chicken skin, wrapped around really mushy chicken meat like it is ground chicken, with a piece of basil leaf stuck in the middle. It looked like cat food. no joke. The 3 sauces that use to accompany this dish was trimmed down to 1. the standard hoisin sauce, and there was a little shredded asian-​style salad on the plate. For $ 17, it was a complete rip off. When we talked to our server about this, she said that it’s the way they do it and she didn’t know what to say… probably because she didn’t know what Haianese chicken was herself. She was awfully rude and didn’t really care what we thought, to be honest. Before we left the restaurant, we overheard her in the kitchen telling the chef our comments… if she wanted to talk about us, she could’ve waited until we left… but that made us voice our concerns one step further.
It is just misleading… advice to HAWKER: If you’ve change the way something is cooked, you should REname of the menu item… it’s a let down to people who expect to eat a certain dish, but is served something completely off track… and no offense… Haianese chicken should never be made into a Fusion dish… it ruins the authenticity of the actual meat.
On a side note — the tofu might have been tasty, but for $ 7, I can tell you that each little piece of tofu you’re eating is costing approx $ 1… just think about it and try making it yourself at home.
If I didn’t say this already — don’t expect Haianese Chicken from this place… you are getting deep fried cat food.

This place makes amazing laksa. If you like phở, but have never had laksa, try it! I was hooked on laksa while living in Australia and had a hard time finding good regular spots in Toronto. The owner/​chef is apparently Australian himself and he has a great menu for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I also enjoy the chili tofu appetizer.

Food: 6.5÷10
Atmosphere: ⁷⁄₁₀
Service: ⁷⁄₁₀
Overall experience: 6.5÷10
Sometimes choosing a restaurant on the Ossington strip is like those problems you faced in the probability section of your math class in high school. What is the likelihood that it will be hipster? What is the chance that the food will be good? What is the probability that it will be hipster or have good food, but not both?
Hawker bar fits the last combination — it is definitely hipster, with it’s tree stump-​like bar stools and dim lighting, but the food is sub par. The only saving grace for me was the laksa. Other than that, the chili salt tofu and Singaporean noodles we got were average at best.
I wouldn’t say no if somebody suggested in the future, but it is not on my repeat list.
THE BOTTOM LINE: usual hipster Ossington joint with good laksa but sub-​par other dishes.

I’ve been a few times now with small groups and on dates and it’s always intimate and tasty! Would definitely recommend the Laska soup and even though I don’t eat chicken wings I’ve heard they are by far the best! Fried banana is the best way to finish ;)

Good Asian food should punch you in the face with strong, fresh flavors. Hawker Bar was more like a love tap.
I came here with a few friends who had all been to South East Asia and we were really excited to see a place like this open up. We ordered a bunch of different things including the laksa, satay, eggs, prawns and a few of the specials. I was especially disappointed by the laksa which had a very basic broth, the wings which were just sweet with no other flavor and the very bland satay with passable peanut sauce.
They best thing about the evening was the service and the bottles of wine. Would come back for a drink but probably not to eat.

Laksar soup was too salty. The son inlaw eggs and wings were delicious. However I wish you guys had a small selection of Malay hot sauces, or grades of spice (hot, medium, etc.). When I asked for hot sauce with my food it never came.

Hawker Bar just opened its second floor which means more room for gluttony. I went with a group of 5 (including myself) and while the place is small we were seated quickly and were not tight on space.
Char Siu Ribs were to die for. We didn’t end up finishing it so we got it packed. The next day my boyfriend at the left overs and screamed with excitement through his mouthful of pork in disbelief that there should be any leftovers of such a divine delicious dish (Triple D as we call it).
I enjoyed the Laksa there while my Singaporean comrades were quick to point out that it was not authentic (likely chiming in from reviews we read from many netizens before hand) I absolutely loved it!!! The only down side was that I had ordered the shirmp but my order got mixed up and got the chicken instead. I confirmed whether is was shrimp and was told yes until I bit into a chicken piece. Not to worry, I didn’t mind.
I also got the vegetarian renDANG curry which I devoured faster than I could say dang. Definitely my favorite and yes I ordered 2 mains. I mean why the hell not — it is tapa style right? I guess 2 mains wouldn’t really mean tapa would it?
Okay lets talk tapas — I ordered the Brussels sprouts and before you ! with your face it was to die for. I mean, how can Brussels sprouts be this delicious; I just can’t even imagine what wondrous goodies it is cooked in. We also got the cucumber salad which was finely sliced. The presentation made me not want to disturb how beautifully each layer of cucumber was stacked but alas I gave in and chowed down. Chilli Salt Tofu was also a favourite. I couldn’t get over how simple these dishes were in theory yet the blast of flavour made me giddy with excitement.
The staff is wickedly friendly, the place is dim lit and there is a lot of chitter chatter between patrons which I loved. Great place for date night as its not too serious yet strangely has great potential for romance which one would not expect to find at a ‘bar’.
BRB as I make my way there now. This post made me miss the food!!!

This is probably one of my favourite spots on the Ossington strip. I like that this place it’s a bit more intimate than the others and you can actually have a conversation.
I love their Hawker sling I could drink this all night if I had my way.
Their Singapore chicken wings are nice and spicy and the Chili Salt tofu is quite tasty.

Stopped by this place because it was near my friends coffee shop (actually it is right next door). The menu has a lot of amazing items on it and their special menu is amazing too. I went the Thai red curry with duck. The duck was great and they had some parts that were really juicy and others that were tougher and crispy. The Thai red curry sauce was sweet and tasty, but wasn’t spicy at all. I guess you can ask for some hot sauce if you want it. Overall it was a great meal and I would for sure have it again.

With a new second floor comes new food items and double the amount of seating.
The char siu ribs is an absolutely must have — it’s sweet, sticky and savoury all in one bite. So good you might want to get your own even though this is a tapas style restaurant. I get the Hawker laksa lemak every time because of its creamy curry seafood spicy richness. It is a great dish to satisfy any eater since you can get it with seafood, meat, vegan or vegetarian. I recommend the shrimp broth with chicken. Its also better than others in the city since it also comes with other toppings like tofu, eggs and veggies. The Singapore noodles is another dish that I enjoy. Since it is made with vermicelli noodle, it doesn’t feel heavy in your stomach even after eating the entire plate, which is easy to do since it is so delicious. The brussel sprouts are cooked perfectly with an asian twist to them — nice touch.
The cocktail or «hawktail» menu as they call it is interesting and goes well with the food. The Hawker sling and first flight are delicious and light so be careful since you will want one after another after another.
This place is cute for date night or catching up with friends. I like a place that has a warm atmosphere with nice décor that I can still dress casually to. The second floor has a lot more seating so coming with a group is no longer an issue.
The staff is super friendly and I like how they will check up on how you are doing but do not constantly disturb or disappear once the food arrives. The best part is that they will split bills without a fuss. Super accommodating group of people.
I miss the hainese chicken — please bring it back!

Bartender took care of us on Saturday around 11, suggesting the cocktail he invented (the First Flight) because I stipulated that I enjoy grapefruit. However, they ran out of fresh grapefruit juice and subbed it in with orange juice. It was still nice (had gin, chartreuse, St. Germain) but I’d be interested in trying it with grapefruit juice next time. Also had the Hawkerita (limey and Tequila) and that’s my favourite, hands down. Servers were pleasant and attentive. Vibe was romantic and great for a date. Will return to try the food. Beware of you’re taller than 5’4″, you might hit your head on the ceiling when you enter the restrooms!

This place is a little treasure — so cool, casual and hip. I really like the ambience and the setting. It was chill and it felt very intimate even though you’re only a few feet away from the next customers.
We started off with the Son in law eggs. I heard a lot about this appetizer and wanted to try them. The server explained that we had to eat it in one bite, and when I took a bite, a burst of flavour exploded in my mouth. It was interesting and strangely delicious.
The sauce completed it and made it so tasty.
Then I had the chicken Laksa soup. It was a good size portion and the soup was very rich and flavourful. It had the perfect amount of spice. Very comforting.
I think it was a great experience to come here. Service was great, ambience cool and food were great. I wouldn’t say authentic Singaporean/​Malaysian food with a homey feel to it, but it’s still a great place for food. Definitely worth a try.

You know what’s killing this place? The sign out front. The sign is killing it. It makes it sound like a trying-​too-​hard bar. It’s a really good Asian fusion restaurant with some decent cocktails, why the heck does it have that «next round’s on you» or whatever it says sign?
Chicken wings, spicy tofu and noodles were all delicious… and shockingly hard to explain. Just trust. $ 40 for a good bottle of cava? Also excellent. Drinking the cava before eating? Never the best idea…