From France to Toronto, meet Columbus Cafe

Hailing from Europe, how will this cafe chain resonate with Torontonians?

By Kristian Tofilovski

Exterior of Columbus Cafe, located on the corner of Adelaide St. W and John St.

Exterior shot of Columbus Cafe, located on the corner of Adelaide St. W and John St. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

Columbus Cafe, located at 283 Adelaide St. W., opened its first location in Toronto on Oct. 17 and is slowly working on establishing itself as part of the city's cafe scene.

Since becoming the first cafe chain in France, the chain has expanded to 250 locations worldwide, with its newest location in the heart of Toronto’s Entertainment District, making it a great place to visit when in the area.

With its warm overhead lighting and modern atmosphere, the cafe provides a comforting environment to work or socialize in. Its signature yellow accents and adorable mascot can be found throughout the cafe.

Ranging from pop to alternative, a wide variety of music plays throughout the cafe. However, some may not find it enjoyable. "I really enjoy the look of the cafe, but in all honesty, the music isn't exactly what you'd expect for a cafe, I find it slightly loud and distracting," said a customer.

"I'm not sure why they're playing Barbie Girl," said another.

However, the cafe's spaciousness makes up for it. There are a variety of seating options available, including standard wooden tables and chairs, as well as small booth areas accompanied by pillows and soft seats.

"I'm staying at a hotel right now," said the customer. "I've found that in Toronto, the cafes tend to be pretty small, so having one with a large amount of seating is nice."

The menu includes a variety of hot and cold drinks, desserts, pastries and sandwiches, making it suitable for any time of day or weather.

Its prices are also relatively similar to the average cafe in Toronto, with most drinks ranging from five dollars or less, excluding tax. A single espresso costs $2.75 and a double is $3.45.

The food can be more expensive, with the sandwiches and wraps ranging from $5 to $10. The pastries, however, were five dollars or less. The cheapest breakfast sandwich on the menu costs $5.50.

The menu at Columbus Cafe. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023 (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

The drinks come with mixed reviews. "I've tried both the cold and hot drinks here, and to be honest, I found both were slightly underwhelming. I think a fair critique would be to say that it tastes slightly watered down," said one customer.

"I don't have any issues with mine," said another customer. "I ordered a tea, which, as someone who doesn't drink it often, didn't leave a bad impression."

The food, on the other hand, received mostly positive reviews. "I had a ham and cheese sandwich yesterday and despite my feelings about my drink, I really enjoyed it," said a customer.

Hot drink from Columbus Cafe.

A hot drink from Columbus Cafe with its signature mascot decorating the cup. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

Cookie from Columbus Cafe.

A chocolate hazelnut cookie from Columbus Cafe. Taken on Nov. 5, 2023. (Kristian Tofilovski/CanCulture)

One thing is for certain, though: The cafe provides excellent customer service. As you enter, you are immediately welcomed with a friendly smile by the cafe employees. The employees demonstrate excellent patience, giving you space to carefully choose your order. The service is speedy too. "I got my drink probably a couple minutes after I ordered it," said a customer.

So, if you’re looking for a cozy spot to work, chat or simply enjoy a quick drink or meal, Columbus Cafe is definitely worth the try.

Korean pizza arrives to downtown Toronto

With 650 stores worldwide, Pizza maru has opened its doors to its third Toronto location, located in the downtown core of the city.

By Kayla Solway

Green lights light up the brick wall of pizza maru.

 K-pop plays over the speakers of Pizza maru as customers wait for their pizza. (Kayla Solway/CanCulture)

Located on 66 Gerrard St. E., Pizzamaru is a fusion of Korean flavours with a classic Italian tradition: pizza.

As visitors step inside, they are welcomed by the full Korean experience. The restaurant caters to both takeout and dine-in guests. If you choose to dine in, you'll be swaying to the K-pop songs playing over the speakers while using the typical stainless steel cups and plates that are commonly found in Korean dining establishments.

Featuring nine unique Korean-inspired pizzas and a variety of traditional pizza options, a staff member was more than eager to offer their recommendations:

“The Signature Schimbul is our most popular on the menu and comes with bulgogi, shrimp and potatoes. People also have been loving the Seafood Bay and AAA Steaky Smoked.”

The pizzas are topped with various ingredients such as corn, bulgogi, potatoes and mayonnaise. The blend of taste and texture sets it apart from more traditional options. With a wide variety of crusts, such as bread crumble and garlic, it is truly a customizable experience.

Two pizzas sit side by side. On the left is a larger one.

A spicy Crazy Chicken Shrimp is placed on the left and the Holy Honey Sweet Potato sits on the right, ready to be devoured. (Kayla Solway/CanCulture)

The Crazy Chicken Shrimp was a spice lover's dream. As the hottest pizza on the menu, it did not disappoint. There was a generous layer of cheese, topped with shrimp and chicken breast on the classic thin crust.

The Holy Honey Sweet Potato was a thin crust pizza, topped with a thick layer of cheese. The sweet potato was soft and paired perfectly with the other ingredients. Topped with the honey, there was a slight sweetness to the pizza, and the corn gave it a Korean touch.

If you aren't in the mood for pizza, their menu extends to a variety of both fried and oven-baked chicken with distinct Korean flavours such as sweet corn, Korean soy, and Korean BBQ. Not to mention, they offer sides such as Chili Topokki and Meat Cheese Spaghetti.

Although Pizza Maru may seem expensive, with small sizes starting at $15 and larger sizes ranging from $24 to $35, it is worth a visit for those who are looking for a new and unique pizza experience. Pizza Maru offers a range of delicious and innovative pizzas that are worth trying out.

For the month of November, students can also take advantage of the 20% discount available on weekdays.

Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters: Unique coffee in a unique environment

A great place to study, read or relax in Waterloo, with an exquisite interior and delicious coffee and desserts.

By: Kaden Nanji

(Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

This article is part of CanCulture’s food review series, where our writers explore some of the best food finds across the nation.

I discovered Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters by chance when stuck in an unfortunate predicament on my trip to Waterloo, Ont. My train home was scheduled for 3 p.m.; however, at 5 p.m., I was stranded at the train station in the freezing cold. Then from across the station, I spotted it, a small rustic-looking coffee shop. 

I hurried inside to find that the interior of the coffee shop is beautiful. Abstract art is framed on the walls; modern geometric chandeliers hang on the ceiling; wooden couches and tables spaced out on the floor of the cafe. The use of exposed pipes throughout the cafe added to the intended rustic look as well. The peaceful atmosphere allowed for various customers to study, read or write at the tables, as well as chat amongst each other. This overall ambience of Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters is enough to make me go back.

The rustic Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters features wooden furniture and warm lighting in industrial style. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Then comes the food. As it was a cold, rainy day and I had a few hours to spare, I decided to order two drinks and a small dessert. The first drink I ordered was the peppermint mocha, which has the perfect ratio of peppermint to chocolate and coffee. A lot of the time when making peppermint drinks, the peppermint taste can be overpowering; however, at Smile Tiger, you can distinctly taste their world-renowned coffee. As well, the foam at the top of the mocha helped to texturize the drink. 

The second drink I ordered was hot chocolate with oat milk, because I have lactose intolerance. I ordered a large size; however, the serving was smaller than I had anticipated. I also felt that the drink lacked a bit of chocolate after tasting. I am personally a fan of more decadent hot chocolate, and this particular type had a much lower concentration. The taste reminded me of the nighttime drink Ovaltine or warm hot milk. Although the drink was refreshing, I wouldn’t call it hot chocolate. 

To accompany my drinks, I purchased a salted caramel brownie, recommended by the waitress. At first glance, the brownie looked fairly large, with nice colouring and visible pieces of salt. Then when I went to cut the brownie, my fork almost broke! The brownie was extremely hard! However, after a bit of a struggle, I got a nice bite of brownie and it was delicious. It reminded me of a brownie I had once had at a French restaurant — quite thick, but so flavourful it makes you salivate. The bit of saltiness helped balance the sweetness of the caramel as well, without overpowering the chocolate undertones. If I were to go back, I would ask for the brownie to be heated up a little so that it wouldn’t be such a hassle to cut through.

Smile Tiger’s salted caramel brownie, hot chocolate with oat milk and peppermint mocha. (Kaden Nanji/CanCulture)

Overall, I had a great time at Smile Tiger Coffee Roasters. The tasty food and beautiful demeanour paired together make a great experience. I would definitely recommend the peppermint mocha and brownie, which are around $4 and $6 respectively, so they make for a nice $10 snack combo. 

I like to end all my articles with my restaurant rating scale, which contains six different categories: taste, presentation, service, ambience, price and creativity. Each of these categories are ranked from 1 to 10 on the scale. For more details on the restaurant rating scale, check out the end of my first article, a review of Hong Shing.

  1. Taste: 7.8/10

  2. Presentation: 8/10

  3. Service: 8.3/10

  4. Ambience: 10/10

  5. Price: 7.7/10

  6. Creativity: 8.2/10

T-ONE Restaurant: A treasure in plain sight

Located in Kelowna, B.C., this Asian fusion spot specializes in a variety of ramen and rice bowls

By: Madeline Liao

T-ONE nestles at 3477 Lakeshore Rd, Unit 100, Kelowna, B.C. (Madeline Liao/CanCulture)

Taking CanCulture’s food review series outside the Greater Toronto Area for the first time, I decided to visit T-ONE, an Asian fusion restaurant in Kelowna, B.C., founded in 2020. T-ONE is a relatively new restaurant, but it has established quite a name for itself in Kelowna already. With a distinct flavour brand, a fusion of Japanese and Taiwanese cuisine, T-ONE makes a flavourful experience for guests. 

I walked into the location on Lakeshore Road, greeted by warm lighting and a break from the cold outside. It was early on a Sunday evening, so the place was pretty much empty except for the staff. However, the atmosphere was still comfortable and lively, with the music playing and smiles from the chef and server at the front counter.

The interior of T-ONE illuminates a warm and sophisticated atmosphere. (Madeline Liao/CanCulture)

(Madeline Liao/CanCulture)

I had visited T-ONE a few times before, so I already had a rough idea of what I wanted to order. Since we were the only customers at that time, the service was quick and the chef even offered us some suggestions on what to order. After a bit of contemplation, I settled on the pork katsu bowl and the chef’s specialty rose gyoza. 20 minutes later, we were on our way home with a bag of delicious-smelling food.

The pork katsu really took me back to Taiwan and brought back childhood memories of street food experiences, as it tasted very similar to the food I would eat back home. The rice bowl was a well-rounded meal, with rice, meat, vegetables and half a marinated egg. 

The rose gyoza’s appearance was also very impressive; they were hand-wrapped by the chef with a unique look from other restaurants’ gyoza dishes. Although, the portion size was a bit small — only three pieces.

Top view of the pork katsu bowl from T-ONE. (Madeline Liao/CanCulture)

T-ONE’s rose gyoza. (Madeline Liao/CanCulture)

Overall, the food was bursting with flavour and the familiarity of home. The presentation was also quite nice, considering everything was packed in takeout containers (the server also drew smiley faces on all the containers, which was a cute surprise). 

The pork katsu bowl and rose gyoza came to about $20 total, with the bowl being $14.95 and the rose gyoza being $5.85. This could be a bit pricey for university students, but the pork katsu bowl, especially, was filling and had many ingredients, so the price was not extremely jarring. While it may not be the most affordable choice for nightly dinners, it is definitely a suitable way to treat yourself. 

However, I would say that T-ONE is better suited for families or groups coming in to dine, as there are many menu items suitable for sharing. The variety of choices can be hard to choose from. 

Altogether, I had a delightful experience and didn’t really have any complaints — T-ONE is the whole package. With excellent service, a menu with delicious choices and good portions for the price, there are many things to rave about. If you’re ever in the Kelowna area, make sure to stop by T-ONE.