Marathon Cafe

What is Marathon Cafe? Located at 28 Finch Avenue West just west of Yonge Street in North York, Marathon Cafe is a modern outpost of one of the Greater Toronto Area's most revered Hong Kong tea institutions. Situated in a compact retail strip steps from Finch subway station, this cha chaan teng focuses primarily on fast-casual dining and rapid takeout service. It draws constant streams of commuters, university students, and Hong Kong diaspora seeking faithful renditions of colonial cafe classics and artisanal brewed teas.

Marathon Cafe Menu & What to Order The marquee attraction here is the legendary Hong Kong-style milk tea, brewed using proprietary blends of Ceylon black tea leaves pulled through fine cloth filters and mixed with rich evaporated milk for an impossibly smooth, velvety finish. On the culinary side, the Hainan Chicken Rice delivers tender, poached chicken served with fragrant oil-infused rice, house-made ginger-scallion puree, and dark sweet soy sauce. Another top-ordered specialty is the Marathon Deep-Fried Chicken Leg, featuring crisp skin and juicy meat served alongside your choice of steamed rice or stir-fried spaghetti. For comforting colonial nostalgia, opt for the Baked Triple Cheese Rice smothered in rich minced meat tomato sauce, or a steaming bowl of peppery Bak Kut Teh herbal pork rib broth.

Know Before You Go Marathon Cafe operates daily from 7:30 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., making it an outstanding option for quick morning breakfasts or evening comfort meals. Seating inside the North York unit is cozy and limited, meaning takeout or delivery orders via apps are especially popular during lunchtime peaks. Arriving via public transit is exceptionally simple, as Finch subway terminal and regional GO/Viva bus platforms are less than a three-minute stroll to the east.