The Cereal Bar

It’s true, one of the Financial District’s not-​so-​hidden-​but-​often-​overlooked gems (hence, few lineups). This place isn’t over-​the-​top amazing, but it’s definitely something different in an area of over-​priced food options and often underwhelming food — here, the highlight is definitely the lunch special, as other reviewers have mentioned.
Located in the heart of Commerce Court Food Court (just diagonal from the PATH entrance of Equinox gym), this is a humble food stall that serves mostly breakfast items — cereal (obviously) and steel cut oats with toppings of your choosing. But also, randomly, at lunchtime, they sell Asian-​oriented meals that are quite delicious and very satisfying, under $ 10.
Their most popular lunch item is the cold Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad, which you can choose to have with either chicken or tofu. Seasoned very well, spicy. sweet. Generous portions of chicken, lots of veggies, and a light sesame dressing that complements the meal so well. For one large bowl of this, I paid around $ 8.00, and I still had leftovers for dinner.
If you’re sick of food court fried chicken or the long lineups at the Fresh salad bar, check this place out. Small lineups, friendly staff, reasonable prices (for the area), and healthy offerings make for a pretty decent breakfast or lunch choice.

To be honest, I’ve been ignoring this place for years because of its name. Why would I buy cereal? But then I found out they have a cold soba noodle salad for about $ 8. The portion is pretty decent and comes with some spinach and carrots, chicken or tofu, and soba noodles. The spicy is has a lot of kick. Overall, its a pretty quick and satisfying lunch. No one really lines up for this place so you get your food very quickly.

Quick Takeaway Lunch
Took a Soba Noodles with Tofu with a bit of spice mix. For under $ 8 including taxes this is the best lunch you can get. The same price also gets you with Chicken Breast by the way. The portion is quite good and fills you up. And I think healthier option when compared to other foods sold around Financial District
I believe my lunch with Tofu is vegan as well.
Good quick service. Fantastic food and at a great price.

I knew that this place wouldnt disappoint after reading great reviews from other trustworthy Unilocalers and from a recommendation to try their famous soba noodles.
They mainly serve breakfast type meals such cold/​hot oatmeal but I was intrigued to try the soba noodle spinach salad when I noticed literally every person was ordering it for lunch. It was an interesting combination of fresh soba noodles with baby spinach, pickled carrots, and your choice of protein (chicken or tofu). You could also choose to have it made spicy or non spicy. The dressing was a nice light sesame thai flavouring that tasted so good! It was totally worth the price of only $ 7 including tax especially considering that your average healthy lunch meals usually costs $ 10.
The best part that I enjoyed about this meal is that after finishing the whole thing, I didnt have that full glutinuous feeling like I normally would after eating noodles. Because they say that buckwheat soba noodles are low calorie, gluten free and nutritious!
I definitely will have this noode salad again and try it with tofu instead.

The Cereal Bar is an interesting experiment in that the place serves cereal all day. I have certainly had my share of cornflakes and oatmeal at odd times of the day when at home, but that would not be the case if I had a multitude of options, such as you would in the shopping complex below Commerce Court.
They have cold and hot cereals and parfaits. And a small assortment of nutritional bars. I am a big fan of their birchermueslix, if you can find it before it is sold out in the morning. The ability to pick the custom toppings for the hot oatmeal is the only control you have on the end product.
Prices are reasonable — C$ 4.95 for the large bowl. But they do not accept US cards, so expect to get back lot of change after you pay with your Canadian bills. I have almost outgrown my taste for their cereals over the last year, but will visit occasionally.

I get the cereal bar often for lunch. It has one item on the menu — buckwheat noodle with chicken, spinach, and carrots, with a soy sauce based dressing. You can get it spicy or not spicy. Couldn’t be more simple — either you like the one item that is on the menu or you don’t. I like it! It satisfies my craving at lunch for something salty, meaty, and healthy. I get is spicy most of the time.
I will add that other people I know have had the cereal or oatmeal here. I have not so I cannot comment there. But try the lunch.

Went here to try the cold soba noodle, and was not dissapointed. For $ 6.50 (tax in), I got a VERY BIG meal! I always split it into two portions as it too big of a meal for me to finish (for me at least)
The protein (chicken breast or tofu) was very generous, and the veggies plus the cold soba noodle were all very good. Would definitely go here everytime I’m looking for something fast, delish, economical, and healthy!

YES to my fellow Unilocalers! the cold buckwheat noodle «salad» is where it’s AT. amongst the overpriced and seemingly repetitive takeaway lunch options in the financial district, this place has a unique buckwheat noodle option (which fills you up but doesn’t make you SLEEPY), with either chicken or tofu, pickled shredded carrots, baby spinach, a ladleful of light soy-​based (i think) sauce, and your preferred level of spicy sesame chili sauce to boot.
few would think to come to a «cereal bar» for lunch but they have these noodles ready to customize and toss to evenly distribute all the add-​ins and dressing. comes out to $ 6.50 after tax, payable by cash or debit only.
they’re quite generous with the protein, so you manage to get whatever protein you choose with each bite. they’ve even supplemented my chicken with tofu one time cause they didn’t have enough chicken. i like that they didn’t skimp on the meat and call it a day. it’s nice when people put THOUGHT into my food (and don’t destroy your wallet for it) :D

It seems that word of the fantastic meal (or should I say deal) that is the BUCKWHEAT NOODLE SALAD BOWL is beginning to spread via watercooler chats… Miss Sweet-​as-​Pie behind the counter told me that months ago they used to only sell maybe 3 of them in a day. She then gestured behind me; a line up of about 4 suits was beginning to form behind me.
That said, the longest line up I’ve experienced here was 5 people, which makes this lunch spot as CONVENIENT as it is AFFORDABLE.
The Buckwheat Noodle Salad Bowl ($ 5.75) is somewhere between a salad and a stir fry – somewhere DELICIOUS. Buckwheat noodles, spinach, shredded carrots, cucumbers, and chili soy dressing. Ingredients are fresh, tasty and plentiful!
To reduce calories/​sodium, I get less noodles, more veggies, and ask that they go light on the dressing; they are always happy to oblige these customizations, and I am always stuffed afterwards!
By offering a convenient, affordable, filling, fresh, healthy, delicious lunch on The PATH, Cereal Bar has acheived the impossible! WOOHOO! This is as good as it gets in the underground, baby!

Cold buckwheat noodles for lunch is a great option from Cereal Bar.
For $ 6 you get a bowl of chicken, noodles, spinich and other veggies tossed in a light sauce. Very healthy and tastes great as well.
They also throw in a cup of chicken broth to wash it all down.
Cheap and tasty! Cereal Bar is a «go» for lunch.

If you’ve strolled along the PATH downtown Toronto during lunch, you may have seen The Cereal Bar and dismissed it. Makes sense… a bowl of cheerios or yogurt and granola isn’t my idea of ‘lunch’ either. Yet, there’s more to this place than its name implies. They’ve enhanced their offering with the latest and greatest gluten-​free noodle bowl.
Look past the cereal and you will see chicken, vegetables and, the key ingredient… buckwheat noodles. Note: For those with sensitivities to gluten/​wheat, buckwheat is your friend. The name may tell us otherwise, but you can trust me… it’s safe.
I’ve introduced a few of my colleagues to this hidden gem, and they have since become regulars. If only there was a reward for referrals Well, referral or not, I will continue to be advocate for The Cereal Bar. Ironic given that I very very rarely eat cereal, or yogurt or granola (since adopting the Paleo diet).
The noodles are mixed with cucumber, shredded carrots, spinach and your choice of chicken or tofu. Then drizzled with their gluten-​free sauce (soy and sesame I believe). Get it spicy! Unlike your lettuce based salad, this bowl will fill you up (without loading you up with carbs). AND, you’re paying LESS than $ 6 for the meal! A steal.
The noodle bowl is a treat, yet that’s not the only reason I make my weekly appearance at The Cereal Bar. The two people who work there might be the friendliest on the Toronto PATH. They are ALWAYS smiling and seem so excited be doing what they’re doing. So refreshing.
If you’re a cereal guy/​gal (and not avoiding gluten or dairy) you’ll want to visit them for their breakfast. They serve cereal three ways: (a) Oatmeal with toppings (2) Cereal with milk and toppings (3) Yogurt parfaits. They don’t skimp on the options either:
*25 types of cereal
*25 toppings
*9 types of milk (NINE! What could they possibly be serving!?)
*4 types of yogurt (I’ll have to inquire whether they have goat’s milk yogurt… better for you than cow’s milk)
So whether it’s breakfast or lunch, take a trip to The Cereal Bar. It won’t be your last visit.