Restaurant Reco: This restaurant has the best onion rings in Mississauga

Onion rings, as delicious as they are, don’t usually come to mind when one thinks of healthy foods. So what is a healthy restaurant doing with the best onion rings in Mississauga?

I don’t know, I’m just glad they have them.

I’m talking about Fresh Restaurants, a trendy vegan chain with locations in Toronto, Hamilton, and one in Mississauga in the area of Hurontario and Eglinton.

Fresh locations are known for their menus of healthy plant-based food, and their mission to prove that “a plant-based diet can be satisfying, energizing and crave-able.”

Dishes include plant-based toasts and flatbreads, pizza, tacos, bowls, burgers, wraps, salads, desserts, cold-pressed juice, power shakes and smoothies. The restaurant also boasts brand staples such as buffalo cauliflower and quinoa onion rings, as well as a line of plant-based pizzas.

THE DISHES:

For this Restaurant Reco I tried the “Essential” fresh bowl: Soba noodles with steamed baby bok choy, swiss chard, kale, broccoli, tofu steaks, and hemp hearts. I also had a side of the quinoa onion rings.

I’ll start with the side first, because these super crispy onion rings absolutely stole the show. Fresh coats their onion rings with breadcrumbs and puffed quinoa, and they taste way better than I expected, to the point that these are almost certainly the best onion rings I’ve had in Mississauga. Of course, onion rings are onion rings, so don’t expect too much nutritional value – but puffed quinoa is high in protein and fibre, so these are at least more healthy than regular onion rings while still tasting amazing.

Speaking of nutritious and tasting amazing, the main course doesn’t disappoint in that regard either. The Essential fresh bowl comes loaded with a generous amount of tasty and nutritious greens: Steamed baby bok choy, swiss chard, kale, broccoli, and hemp hearts. And while I don’t have tofu regularly, the tofu steak was great and definitely added a nice amount of protein to this vegan dish.

While the bowl is served with brown basmati rice by default, you can upgrade to soba noodles, which is what I did. The thin Japanese noodles were perfectly soft and flavourful, and in my opinion are the best kind of base for a veggie bowl like this.

THE UNIQUE:

Not only does Fresh’s menu cater to vegan foodies and health-conscious diner, the store also sells a wide range of retail products that can be taken home as well as vegan pantry items, coffee, and Fresh’s line of cold-pressed juices, cookbooks, meal kits, and sauces/dressings.

THE VERDICT:

I’m no vegan myself but you don’t need to be one to appreciate a delicious plant-based meal, and Fresh definitely delivers. Everything on the menu looks good, and from my experience I’d highly recommend the Essential fresh bowl and the quinoa onion rings.

1. Fresh Restaurants