Toronto's most exciting plant-based restaurant — Fat Choi on Dundas West makes 100% vegan Asian-fusion food inspired by Malaysia, India, Japan, and Indonesia, in dishes that are genuinely craveable: the laksa is rich and spicy, the dandan noodles are properly fermented and savoury, and the soft serve changes weekly. Nothing tastes like compromise.
Neighbourhood: Dundas West · Address: 890 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1V8 · Hours: Tue–Sun 11:30am–9pm | Closed Monday
Why Visit
Fat Choi takes vegan food far beyond the basics with bold, Malaysian- and Japanese-inspired flavour bombs like their coconut-laden laksa and tongue-numbing dandan noodles. It’s a spot where vegan and omnivore friends can both get excited about what’s on the table.
What Makes It Unique
Unlike most Toronto vegan restaurants that focus on comfort food and bowls, Fat Choi serves a menu rooted in Southeast and East Asian cooking, with ingredients like fermented bean paste, lemongrass, and fresh curry leaves. They’re serious about umami—and their cult-favourite vegan soft serve changes every week, drawing regulars back like clockwork.
Fat Choi is a 100% vegan restaurant on Dundas West that has established itself as one of Toronto's most genuinely exciting plant-based dining options — not because of its dietary positioning but because the cooking is actually delicious in ways that transcend the category. Chef Jessie Mak draws on Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, and Indonesian culinary traditions to build a menu of Asian-influenced dishes where the plant-based premise is irrelevant to the enjoyment of eating them.
The laksa is the dish that defines what Fat Choi is capable of: a fully plant-based version of the Malaysian coconut curry noodle soup, made with a housemade coconut and chili broth that has the richness, depth, and heat of a properly made laksa without a single animal product contributing to that depth. The secret is time and fermentation — the spice paste is made from scratch with techniques borrowed from Malaysian home cooking, and the resulting broth is complex enough that most diners assume it contains shrimp paste or chicken stock. The dandan noodles (a Sichuan-influenced noodle dish) use a similar approach: fermented components and carefully layered seasonings that produce the umami depth that meat-based versions achieve more directly.
The weekly soft serve program is a lighter but equally inventive part of the menu. Flavours change every Tuesday and run through a repertoire of Asian-influenced combinations (miso caramel, black sesame, yuzu citrus, matcha, ube, pandan) that would be notable at any ice cream shop and are particularly impressive within the constraints of a fully plant-based dairy-free format. The shop announces the weekly flavour on Instagram and dedicated followers plan visits accordingly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cuisine does Fat Choi Toronto serve?
Fat Choi serves 100% vegan Asian-fusion food inspired by Malaysian, Indian, Japanese, and Indonesian culinary traditions. The menu includes laksa (Malaysian coconut curry noodle soup), dandan noodles (Sichuan-influenced), and other Asian-influenced preparations, alongside a weekly soft serve program in Asian-flavoured variations. Everything on the menu is plant-based.
Is the laksa at Fat Choi good without any animal products?
Yes — Fat Choi's laksa is considered one of the most successful fully plant-based versions of the Malaysian dish available anywhere in Canada. The house-made coconut and chili broth achieves the richness and depth of a traditional laksa through time, technique, and carefully made spice paste rather than shrimp paste or animal stock. Most diners who try it find it fully satisfying.
What is the soft serve at Fat Choi?
Fat Choi offers a weekly rotating soft serve in plant-based dairy-free format with flavours from Asian culinary traditions — miso caramel, black sesame, yuzu, matcha, ube, pandan, and seasonal variations. The flavour changes every Tuesday. Follow @fatchoitoronto on Instagram for the weekly announcement. The soft serve is available in cones and cups as a standalone dessert.
Where is Fat Choi restaurant in Toronto?
Fat Choi is at 890 Dundas Street West, a short walk from Dufferin Station (Line 2). Open Tuesday through Sunday from 11:30am; closed Monday. The restaurant is in the Dundas West / Little Portugal neighbourhood, close to Ossington and Dufferin.