Hudson Kitchen

My experience at Hudson was rather flat. The food is good — but it’s not exceptional. It’s just kind of in that category of knowing what modern good cuisine is, but nothing is original.
Service wise, they’re doing a bad job in my opinion. For the price point, they need to have an elevated level of service. But the servers walk around with a smile, offering the mediocre service they’ve been trained to offer. Nothing wrong with that, except they don’t get the details that are clearly missing here. An overhaul is needed at this place to bring it to it’s full potential.

My ex and I ended up coming here 3 weeks after it opened because he drove past one night and was so impressed by the front bar that he pulled over the car to check it out. A+ for eye-​catching décor!
He made a 6pm reservation for Saturday and when we showed up the restaurant was nearly empty. However, within a half an hour all the tables around us had filled up. The patrons were generally older, but to be fair, we were dining at senior’s hour.
Everything turned out to be fantastic. We started off with a bottle of the Old Zin Vineyards Zinfandel for $ 45, which ranked high on the list of wine’s I’ve had recently. They then brought us a complementary play on chips and dip, an amuse bouche of potato chips and house-​made ranch. We then ordered the $ 4 bread basket which came with house-​bake brioche rolls (yum). I unfortunately didn’t write down what we had after that and it was long enough ago that I don’t remember, but I walked away full and satisfied. I would certainly recommend
Hudson to anyone looking for a nice, delicious meal!

So far I’ve only been here for brunch but both times have been super great. The décor is lightly rustic with comfortable seating. The music is 80’s and the volume is not too loud– just right. I had the same server both times. She’s genuinely lovely. But it seems all the staff have a good vibe.
I’m not a coffee drinker but my friends said it was ver good. They are from Europe and picky about their coffee.
Now for the food. OMG. My friends ordered the chorizo and the steak tartar. Both times I ordered the eggs Benny without the sausage (vegetarian). Everything was beautifully plated and we all were very satisfied with our choices.
When I was here with my friends the first time, they ordered the caramelized torrija.
It was so decadent and lemony good I suggested this time we split one between us for «dessert».
I think this will become my Sunday ritual.

A tapas menu with Philipino influences.
Started with anchovies toast — 2 tiny toasts for $ 6! But it was good, very flavorful anchovies & red pepper spread on a too-​crispy toast.
Albacore Tuna — a ceviche in coconut mik, served with cassava chips. Surprised that the tuna chunks were quite big enough for a good bite, and worked well with the coconut milk — a different take than the usual lime juice.
Broccoli Salad — blanched and fried broccoli (couldn’t see or taste the fried part?), with serrano ham (my fav) and crispy fried shallots in a mustard seed dressing. Very refreshing take on broccoli.
Brussels Sprouts — a warm dish, I like how it was cooked so that you couldn’t taste the usual bitterness from brussels sprouts.
Adobo Chicken — my least favorite; the fried chicken, while juicy, wasn’t crispy as i expected and it was served as 3 mini burgers in a lunch box. Brioche bun was a bit dry.
Dessert — poached pear. Great ginger icecream with a dry cake. Thank you Hudson Kitchen for this complementary dessert for my boyfriend’s birthday!

I just love when unexpected surprises work out! While checking an art gallery me and my friend starting getting the hunger panes. So we walked up and down Dundas looking for somewhere to eat. This place looks a little unassuming from the outside, however we peeked through the window and decided it looked interesting for us to try. Actually we were pretty starving at that point and just wanted to eat.
It’s small, maybe about 30 people could fit but it has such a nice and relaxed atmosphere to it. Honestly this is a GREAT DATE PLACE (are you listening men?!) Small and cosy, but with a relaxed vibe.
Their menu is share plates so we ordered a few things — the roasted brussell sprouts were divine. I could eat a whole plate of them. We had the fried chicken burgers. These weren’t the greatest, but they brought them out in a Betty Boop lunch box. How friggen awesome is that?! That just upped the the reason to order these! You get 3 mini burgers. We also had their lamb koftas with a yogurt sauce, pomegranate seeds in a lettuce wrap. A little mouth explosion going on — dee-​to-​the-​licious people!
The servers are really friendly, there is a small bar area for drinks if you just want to chill. They have really cool cocktails looking at their menu.
I will definitely run back to this place when I am in the area, it definitely is a hidden gem

This restaurant is a nice little spot near College and Bathurst. The décor is welcoming and at the back there’s more comfortable seating.
My wife and I came here for brunch and we ordered the buttermilk pancakes with peach compote and the chorizo with duck fat potatoes, poached and glazed apples. The pancakes were fresh and fluffy and the peach provided a light twist on each one. The chorizo came with potatoes that were made with duck fat and had deep lemon and herb infused flavour. The apples also provided a nice contrast to the spicy sausage.
The quality of the food was top notch, albeit not your typical brunch fares, but with a more sophisticated take on flavours. Not likely to be something I’m ever craving, but it’s worth a try if you’re looking for something different than the usual eggs benny.
Service was great and price was comparable to other brunch places in Toronto ($ 12 – 15).

We had our rehearsal dinner here with our wedding party last week. Our group of 20 had their $ 60 tasting menu and our experience was fantastic.
Firstly, the service was very friendly and welcoming. Some of our guests arrived late and delayed our first course, but the staff was completely understanding. Everyone was attentive and unpretentious.
Secondly, the food! The dishes were interesting, delicious, and appealed to everyone. We ate family style and there was a huge amount of food, so no one left hungry. Overall it was a very unique and fun meal.
Here’s is their tasting menu as of last week:
Housemade Bread
Brioche, Lavash, Sunflower Oil
Broccoli salad
Manchego, Serrano Ham, Mustard
Deviled eggs
Salmon Roe, Nori, Togarashi
Albacore
Coconut Milk, Lime, Chili, Shallot, Cilantro
Lamb Kofta Lettuce Wrap
Caramelized Yogurt, Cucumber, Pomegranate
Squid A La Plancha
Jerusalem Artichokes, Squid Ink Sauce
Corned Veal Brisket
Succotash, Grits, Smoked BBQ Sauce
Brussels Sprouts
Lemon, Anchovy, Chili
Hazelnut Anglaise
Coronation Grapes, Milk Chocolate
Pear & Ginger
Gingerbread, Caramel Meringue

Hudson Kitchen is a very cool place to have brunch — I haven’t been here for dinner, yet but that will change. It’s got a very cool rustic, laid-​back vibe but the menu and ingredients is definitely nothing to scoff at. It makes an awesome venue for a first date.
They’ve got a wonderful patio outside their signless exterior. The interior is charmant and downright sexy in an unpretentious manner. They have tons of seats — stools at the bar, tables with benches, single tables and a whole private dining area in the basement.
The brunch menu is creative. There is a strong Filipino influence in each item with care and focus on blending the sweet and savoury. The presentation is simple and rustic — it may not be for everyone but I prefer the modern to the traditional. On my first visit last November, I ordered a mimosa and a french toast with pineapple and cured pork and it was all glorious. Service was impeccable and we all had a great time (this was at my UYE). This time around, the menu is different — I ordered the Spanish omelette, aioli, tomato soffrito on a baguette. It was delicious but I am anti salt on eggs. We ordered the bread basket which comes fresh from Thuet with apple preserve. Quite delicious. They have some interesting themed cocktails and there was one today called the Selena Gomez #insertjokehere.
I would return for dinner in a heartbeat.

Came for dinner in August 2014, and fell in love! The décor is simple, yet the details so intricate. The staff are friendly, knowledgeable and helpful guiding guests through the menu. The food… Just amazing. We loved that the dishes were sharing-​style — it meant we could try and taste so many more things!!!
We ended up choosing 5 dishes, had 2 cocktails and 2 glasses of wine, and 1 dessert, and our bill was about $ 130 CAD. A great price for the quality of food and service. We’ll certainly be back!

This is an undiscovered foodie heaven. They pay careful attention to every detail in terms of taste and texture and produce some wonderful results.
We had a cold cucumber soup to die for, an olive cake with wonderful fixings, the grilled broccoli salad with Serrano and Manchego was great, a stinging nettle pappadelle, braised rabbit dish that was completely unique.
Wine list good. The Sancerre was excellent.
They are not your normal up market snotty locale, but they produce food that exceeds such locations and the service is more informal.
Highly recommended.

Came here off of a recommendation from the Harbord Room, and I was not disappointed. Had the broccoli salad (serrano, manchego, mustard) and it was wonderful. The tanginess of the mustard cut some of the richness of the ham/​deep fried parts of the broccoli (the flowers were tempura-​esque), although they didn’t always blend together (i.e. there were some tangy/​some rich patches). I also got a beer cocktail — not sure what was in it, but I would have gladly gotten another if not for my time constraint. Service was pretty great, and there was an amuse bouche of a «classified» potato chip and ranch dip sandwich, though wasn’t a huge fan of it – hoping to try brunch there next time!

Hudson kitchen… Mi amore… How I love you so! Oh… And how I love Unilocal for letting me stumble across this gem!
I can’t voucher for the dinner selection, although I’ve heard it’s fabulous– but I can say this was the best brunch I ever had in Toronto!
Was out on a beautiful Saturday morning and feeling a little hung over from the night before, and wanted a quaint joint to have a patio meal. Was greeted immediately by the pleasant hostess who informed me there was a bit of a wait for outdoors, but was gracious enough to seat us at the bar and start us off with mimosas. Awesomeness. After only having to wait a mere 15 – 20 minutes they sat us.
After glancing over the menu, I couldn’t make up my mind! I’m a hugeeeee eggs Benedict fan, and I’ve heard theirs with the veal and sauerkraut is to die for… But I wanted to try something different. Something outside of my comfort zone. I usually hate steak tartare but really wanted to give it another shot. Let me tell you, Hudson kitchen hit it spot on. The different flavors popped in my mouth, and the crostini was a nice addition. My partner in crime got the chorizo sausage with eggs and apples, which was probably some
Of the best chorizo I’ve had. Ever.
Thanks Hudson kitchen for such an epic meal!

Our server was great and the space is much bigger than we thought. The kitchen is quite big and the BOH staff gets a lot of natural light, kinda the dream for some of us: P We came for a girl’s brunch.
I think our server was new but she was picking up the ropes very fast! I enjoyed my order of eggs benedict. Anytime I can eat a pickle, especially for brunch, it’s a good day. The eggs are cooked sous vide and for some that result in an off putting texture and visual. I loved it!
Our bill was reasonable but I wish the dishes came with some sort of side. A light salad, or fruit… something.

I recently stopped by Hudson Kitchen for a night cap. When I walked in, I saw the most beautiful bar I have ever seen in my life. A classic wooden mid-​century style perfectly round semi-​circle with a glass backdrop of fine liquors. I vowed to come back for a meal.
The bartender was extremely warm and had great knowledge of the unique wines being served. Even though closing is at midnight, we were not asked to leave when we overstayed our welcome. Instead, we were offered a sample of homemade chocolate toffee to snack on with our wine. What a delight!
The décor is lovely: semi-​rustic mixed with candle-​lit classic. I look forward to returning and reporting on the food… menu looks fantastic.

Hudson Kitchen — I don’t think there’s an urban Torontonian who doesn’t know that name. Having gained much buzz during TIFF because Hollywood’s infamous ex-​couple Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston graced the restaurant with their presence (on different occasions of course), phones rang off the hook and it was near impossible to get a reservation that wasn’t didn’t have you eating dinner like a senior or late into the night where you’d probably tear into your food like a prisoner who just got let out of jail and is having his first meal.
I hate hype so while I was late to check it out, I’d like to think I got to enjoy and savor my meal without having to counter the masses. While Aniston + Pitt will be the talk of the town for sometime, I think that fad will end and chef Robert Hojilla’s names will be blaring on neon signs because his food is truly delicious.
IMG_​2633 (480×640)There’s no doubt that Hudson Kitchen takes its drinks seriously seeing as 2 of the 3 pages of their menu is dedicated to libations. We opt for the cocktails which are okay, but doesn’t wow as much as the food. But I do love the esthetics of the bar.
The restaurant itself is quite small (which doesn’t make getting a reservation any easier); but I like the quaint and coziness of it all. My favorite bit of interior design is definitely the wall that is plastered with food-​related art. Simple, but cute.
I hope the menu will expand as time goes by as the selection is rather limited. I also don’t quite understand why you need three choices for salads on an appetizer menu of six items. It’s taking up prime real estate on the page if you ask me.
With that said, we opt for the much-​talked-​about Broccoli Salad ($ 13) which is topped with Manchego cheese, Serrano ham and Kozlik’s mustard. The duo of textures of both hot and charred broccoli made this salad much more interesting on the tongue. I’m not sure, however, that the Serrano really enhances the dish. For me, it was almost a separate component that didn’t mesh with the rest of it.
We also hesitantly opt for the Albacore Tuna Crudo which is under-​marketed on paper, but a winner on the plate. It was served on a stark black plate which really allowed the colors from the watermelon radish and to pop. This was my favorite dish of the night as I haven’t ever had a tuna crudo that melted on the tongue like this. It was very delicate and the brown butter aioli’s creaminess went great with the melt-​in-​your-​mouth crudo.
For our mains we indulge in a Seared Pork Loin with cider glazed pork belly, charred scallion, cippolini onions + parsnip. While my Asian taste buds are biased towards roast pork belly, this melt-​in-​your-​mouth, tender take was a nice departure from my usual. The parsnip crisps added a nice bit of crunch to contrast the soft textures of all the other components of the dish and the glaze was just right — neither too tart nor too sweet.
We opt for both a dessert special (a deconstructed lemon meringue pie with calamansi curd, brûléed marshmallow and graham cracker ice cream); as well as the Pear, Gingerbread & Caramel at the suggestion of the server. Of the two, we definitely enjoyed the dessert special (which our server informs us will soon earn a permanent spot on the dessert menu). The curd was just the right level of tartness and everything just came together to create an epiphany of flavors and textures that would be worthy of a standing ovation.
The pear on the other hand saw a rather stale gingerbread with a red wine poached pear and graham cracker ice cream. While the ginger ice cream was a great choice as an accompaniment; it didn’t save the overall dish. The red wine drowned out the simple, yet natural flavors of the pear and outshone the key ingredient. I liked thin slices of Asian pear that were layered between the gingerbread — reminds me of this pear-​ginger-​longan concoction that the women in my family would cook up as a sort of «beauty drink» in the summer months.
I am quite a fan of Hojilla’s cooking and am also impressed by the attentiveness and knowledge of the staff. Our server knew the menu inside-​out and was able to speak about the dishes in depth. Hojilla knows how to both excite the palate and create beautiful dishes with palettes of color that pop. I am looking forward to returning and look forward to an expanded menu as the testing phase continues.
Definitely make a reservation!

I came here recently for brunch and I think I will add it to my list of favourite places for a slow weekend brunch:)
— Takes online reservations — so key to avoid lineups!
— Small menu but plenty of options from your classic eggs benny to more unusual (and healthy) options like socca crepes (a gluten free chickpea based grain) with hummus and chickpea salad. I went for the latter and it was light, tasty, and just the right size portion-​wise. My DC had the chorizo and it looked great, especially the egg — perfectly soft with a gooey yolk.
— Friendly servers
— Interesting cocktails (I didn’t try any, but they sounded great!)
— Good espresso
I would be back for brunch and I’d also check out their dinner menu. There is also a sweet private dining room in the basement that looks like it would be fantastic for a small party (seats ~15 for dinner and more for cocktails/​appetizers).

The menu and service here make it worth a repeat visit. They don’t provide many choices but they’re more than happy to modify your order to make you feel special. Small portions are deceptive — the rich ingredients will keep you satisfied until dinner.
Clean bathrooms downstairs are well heated in winter. Consider eating a silent meal if your voice is strained from the night before; the noise in here is considerable and you’ll find it difficult to speak over the din.

Brunch is awesome on so many levels. I find it awesome because it combines two of my favourite things; breakfast food (without the early wake up) and alcohol (without the crowded bars and drunken fools). At Hudson Kitchen they are doing brunch right, justifying this newcomers stellar reputation.
The menu is short, but sweet, containing a handful of brunch classics with a twist. While the sugary pancakes tempted me I find it hard to turn down a runny egg, so I opted for the eggs benny. This particular benny seems to be inspired by a traditional reuban sandwich, containing corned veal, saurkraut, and Russian dressing served up on rye. I enjoyed all elements of my meal, the veal was delicious, the hollandaise had a creamy consistency that served to balance the sourness from the other elements on the dish. My only complaint would be that my eggs were slightly overcooked, but this was only a minor setback.
I also managed to snag a bite of the french toast which sadly put my benny to shame; beautifully made french toast layered with fillipino style cured pork created a salty-​sweet symphony that was to die for.
An assortment of breads with butter and marmalade were also provided for the table, these too were delicious.
The place itself is quite cozy, and modern. The service was exceptional, despite the fact that they had a dozen rowdy Unilocalers to deal with. Split bills were accomodated for our large group. 5 stars for service! I will definitely be returning here!

Is Hudson Kitchen worth the hype?
After the soft opening during TIFF, the Hudson was popular before it was open to the public. I was excited to eat here and see what made it A-​Lister worthy.
I arrived early for another fantastic brunch UYE hosted by Roma (yay)!
I didn’t even know that the Hudson served brunch.
Brunch. with reservations!
Greeted with smiles from the staff, I was taken to our reserved table in the back area.
Even though this restaurant is considered buzzy, I found it very friendly and warm (in ambiance, not temperature).
I sat down and our table and noticed that the room was very cold.
They had just opened for the day and the restaurant was still warming up.
I was offered an Americano while I waited for other Unilocalers to arrive.
A shout-​out to our server because he was out of this world great!
He was welcoming, attentive, and accommodating!
Unilocalers can be a tough crowd, but he went out of his way to take care of our group.
He actually offered me his own personal sweatshirt because he was worried that I was too cold. That was a very kind gesture!
The décor was simple but a lot of attention was paid to the details.
My coffee cream was served out of a little porcelain cow spouting milk.
Too cute!
As for the food, definitely one of the best eggs benny I have had in a long time!
The rich hollandaise was just perfect. Heavy, smooth, and creamy.
The eggs were topped with sauerkraut served with a corned veal brisket ($ 13).
The tart and crispy sauerkraut with the salty and tender veal was a magical combination of flavours that worked wonderfully.
Even though we had a large group, the service was great and the food left you wanting more. I was actually stuffed after my dish, but wanting more for next time!
So is Hudson worth the hype? Yes.
Worth a revisit. YES! :)

EPIC!!!
That is how I would describe my dining experience here. We made resos for a party of 4 last week for dinner at 8pm. This place was completely packed last night which says a lot considering it was a Tuesday night and located on a relatively quiet strip of Dundas St. W.
The service here is excellent!!! I would describe the overall vibe as casual fine dining. What I mean by this is that the servers are all knowledgeable, passionate about the food and friendly. You get an upscale dining experience minus all the pretentiousness. Try leaving your napkin crumpled up on your seat or the table while you step away to the bathroom. When you return you’ll find your napkin folded neatly into a little triangle. I don’t know why but I got a complete kick out of this!
Now on to the food!
Appetizers:
Homemade bread with artisanal dip $ 4
This came with soft little buns and homemade flatbread served with 2 different dips. The eggplant dip was intense and crazy flavourful.
Broccoli salad with Serrano ham, manchego and mustard $ 14 (sorry my pic of the menu is a bit blurry and I think it says $ 14 but not positive)
MMMMMM Serrano ham!!! Everything complemented eachother well and I really enjoyed the different textures and especially the grainy mustard.
Wild mushroom salad with rye berries and watercress $ 14
Great presentation. This dish was served on a rustic looking block of wood, or more like a tree trunk. Delicious combination of flavours and textures with an earthy feel.
Albacore tuna crudo with radish, hazelnuts and aioli $ 15
This was my absolute favourite app!!! I will be dreaming of this for days. **This dish is raw tuna** that melts in your mouth! Combined with the aioli, it is very soft and buttery with the right amount of crunch from the radish and an unbelievable flavour combination with the hazelnuts. Completely unexpected. YOU MUST ORDER THIS!
Seared pork terrine with celery, lettuce, chilli, egg, tofu and lime vinaigrette $ 14
The sear on this terrine is a nice touch, it’s also not too salty and is balanced nicely with the accompanying veggies and vinaigrette.
**Amuse bouche was like a sour cream potato chip sandwich. Yummy!!!**
Mains:
Risotto with buffalo mozzarella and beef pepperoni $ 22
This was so comforting and reminiscent of pizza, but in risotto form!
Seared pork loin and cider glazed belly with onions and parsnips $ 27
I’m a sucker for a good pork belly and this pork belly was to die for! The loin was nicely cooked as well, tender and moist.
Chicken adobo with eggplant, garlic, brussel sprouts and quinoa $ 26
For all you Filipinos — this is not the traditional adobo you grew up on but you definitely get the adobo flavours. This dish was served with white and dark meat (both very tender and moist) and a nice piece of crispy chicken skin.
Hanger steak with barley, sunchoke and chimichurri $ 28
One of our party found the steak to be a little tough but remember, this cut of meat is not going to be as soft as a tenderloin. Great flavour and perfectly paired with the chimichurri.
Desserts:
Since I didn’t manage to take a photo of the dessert menu I can’t tell you what each dessert was or the price.
My favourite was a gingerbread pear dessert, comforting and familiar flavours.
The chocolate beet cake was different and paired with a beet ice cream. Warning: if you do not like beets do not order this. The ice cream was earthy and definitely tasted like beets!
We also tried an almond gelatin type dessert with almond butter and jelly. This was interesting and reminded me of a Filipino dessert I had growing up.
Cocktails:
Tried a bunch and they were all good! My fave was the innocence lost ($ 15).
Overall with the superb service and really flavourful food I had an amazing experience. The prices are decent for the value that you’re getting and I wouldn’t hesitate to return.