karine's fresh

this cute all-day breakfast really is a hidden gem located in the village on the grange cafeteria. the tuna melt was enormous and messy and just what i needed. i was also especially impressed with just howfreshthe vegetable and fruit selection was!

following the sl10k run, stella and i headed for brunch at karine’s (109 mccaul street #32), the place to go for healthy vegan and gluten-free meal options. this cute all-day breakfast really is a hidden gem located in the village on the grange cafeteria.

the staff here are incredibly sweet and friendly! the cashier congratulated my friend and myself on running the sl10k and recounted her lively story about having to find parking so far away due to the road closures with such infectious good spirit.pretty much starving, i ordered an option that had meat. this was so good~ the tuna melt was enormous and messy and just what i needed. i was also especially impressed with just howfreshthe vegetable and fruit selection was! usually there are a few pieces of fruit for me that aren’t ripe/overripe, but everything was perfect. i usually find dragonfruit incredibly bland, but the dragonfruit i had here actually had a nice sweet and tangy flavour.

i also ordered tea – there’s a hot water container and you serve yourself with unlimited tea refills. there are also a nice variety of different teas to choose from!it also happened to be mother’s day, and karine’s was offering vegan and gluten-free cupcakes with a different edible flower ornamenting the top. i chose the one with orchid to take home in a container for my mommy. :) it was banana chocolate chip!

overall, i’m pretty swept up with the charm and great food of karine’s. the food is delicious, healthy, and very affordable. this place only accepts cash, so be mindful of that when coming for a visit. can’t wait for my next meal here!

loved! loved! loved! i really was interested in finding out why there was such a great line up at karine's! the breakfast/ brunch plates are really unique there and their menu really caters to everyones taste buds!

i love how karine's adds a lot offreshfruit to their plates. i saw a couple of people order theirfreshsmoothies and it looked great! on my to try list next time that's for sure! i wanted to try everything on the menu so i chose a brunch plate that incorporated many items!😄i had their garlic fries and let me tell you it was the very first time i actually hadfreshgarlic over my fries! i love garlic so i thought it was to die for. their fries are warm and crispy. i also loved the home sausage. had such flavor and bite to them. everything is madefreshat karine's and i suppose that's why patrons are constantly returning. i also thought it was extremely cute they had a couple of tables around the store front with dressed with table cloths and a small vase withfreshflowers. it was the first time i saw a food court eatery with dressed tables and flowers! adorable!❤ a small detail but it shows the love of the place. karine herself is a delight! she was very sweet and made me right at home which is exceptional in a food court eatery!

i will definitely return back to karine's for some more yummy brunch! i highly recommend if you are in the area! heck, i would even go out of my way for their brunch food! 👍🍴☕🍳🍉🍞🍹

food - 4.5

creativity -4.5

ambience -4.5

service - 4.5

value -4.5

overall grade - 22.5/25 =90%(a)

i've been to karine's twice (once a million years ago and again recently) the menu is a little overwhelming with all of the options as well as the tiny print and strewn about order of it all. i ordered the grilled cheese sandwich both times and it was honestly just not my taste. it was a double decker though so that was a plus but it just didn't have that buttery goodness i was looking for, a little dry. at $8 or so it seemed steep but it came with heaps offreshfruit and you can tell they care about the quality. although what i ordered wasn't to my liking i have no doubt that karine's is a great spot and i'll be back to try other things off the menu in the future.

awesome $5 all day combos. everything is madefreshand the $5 combos come with a lot of food! not crappy salad either, but instead, mixed greens with strawberries, pineapple and watermelon. the girls are really friendly too!

quality far exceeds location. unbelivable find! karine's is surrounded by food court staples, but cooks to order and usesfreshingredients. seems like it doesn't belong- but i am not complaining. this place is a breath offreshair. well worth seeking out. in a more upscale location, the same meal would be reasonably priced at 50% above what they charge now. outstanding omelets. salad is soaked in dressing, but both greens and dressing are exceedingly fresh.