Ba Le Bahn Mi - Vegan Options

When the craving for bahn mi hits, it must be satisfied! We saw that Ba Le was advertising "limited availability" for vegetarian bahn mi, so we knew we had to get ourselves there and soon!

We decided to make our way to the Broadway and Fraser Street location as it is an easy transit voyage for us (one skytrain and one bus) and it seems that not every location has all the menu items. This location may be the only one with vermicelli bowls.
We started with the Vermicelli Bowl with Tofu and Spring Rolls. As usual, there is confusion as to what vegan and vegetarian mean but we were assured that this was prepared plant-based even with vegan fish sauce. The generous serving of tofu was hot and crispy and hit the spot. The bowl was full of veggies and lots of noodles. Topped with a fish sauce and vinegar dip, this was a hit with us.
We also ordered 2 sandwiches but ended up with at least a half left over and to go. My advice is to eat these sandwiches as soon as they are prepared as the baguettes soften if they are riding around with you. And the baguette is definitely one of the highlights of a bahn mi! These were definitely of choice quality, being crispy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. The spicy chicken actually packed a bit of a spicy kick (not enough to be leery of) and the crispy veggies made this a fresh yet substantial sandwich.
The Vegan Steak Bahn Mi was more of the same. The faux meat was even fairly beefy. There was also a vegan Bologna available in a sandwich but I was never a Bologna fan even as a carnivore.
There are a few tables and some window seating but a lot of people phone in for take-out. The staff were friendly and helped us make sure our order ended up being plant-based. It is worth verifying that as again...seems to be some confusion and the online menu refers to these sandwiches as "vegetarian". 
Food                              4 out of 5
Vegan Options               3 out of 5
Comfort                         3 1/2 out of 5
Service                           3 1/2 out of 5
Value                              4 out of 5





Bar Burrito - Vegan Options

I know I know: what's with more fast food? The fact is many fast food chains offer nothing plant-based and sometimes, you just need a quick bite and a protein bar won't do. Bar Burrito solves the problem.

There are quite a few BBs around but we tried this is a new one at Mt Lehman Crossing in Abbotsford which is essentially a fast food nest. This strip mall tells me that we may not be cooking much at home any more as a society and we are probably getting fatter by the day. but at least Bar Burrito and Pita Pit of the many chains represented here,  can offer something plant-based.
They have 3 non-animal proteins that can be used interchangeably and we chose to order 3 tacos with their Veggie Ground. You order and modify your items just like you would at subway. Choose your protein, vegetables, toppings and sauces. We actually ordered the tacos last and I was trying to work my way through the sauces (an allergy chart on their website tells you what items are plant based) and might have ended up with a spicy barbeque sauce here which is just a weird direction to go. They still ended up tasty with some heat, crunchy veggies and not terrible tortillas.
The second protein is falafel and I am going to give them credit for serving a decent amount of good falafel on this bowl. Badly done falafel can be dry but this was not the case here. On a bed of brown rice and lots of miscellaneous veggies, this was a decent plant-based meal.
Finally, we ordered BBs namesake with their third protein source black and pinto beans.  Nothing surprising here, brown rice, lots of veggies and beans and some other more appropriate sauce than I chose for the tacos (they have a couple of spicy sauces that are plant based). Just a decently substantial burrito but still healthy and very tasty.
So Bar Burrito is just a regular fast food place with some room to sit down and eat and really helpful staff (I think that they learned a bit about plant-based eating). You have to be aware of which sauces have dairy products and such but you can eat well here without having to go to McDonalds or Popeyes. BTW, if you are still eating animal products, you should watch Pigignorant which is now available on Amazon Prime. You need to know how your bacon gets to your plate.
Food                      3 out of 5
Vegan Options      3 out of 5
Comfort                 3 out of 5
Service                  4 out of 5
Value                     3 1/2 out of 5





Perverted Ice Cream - Vegan Options

We've been to Perverted Ice Cream before but it was in my pre-vegan life and I was not even aware that the soft-serve here is actually plant-based!

Located on Thurlow just north of Robson, you will be welcomed by a happy looking snowman giving you the finger. The level of perversion at PIC is low and kind of fun. Inside the small store, it feels a little like you're in a porn store (so I've heard) and all the menu items have slightly suggestive names. I'm sure you can have plain vanilla but why would you?
We ordered a couple of cones starting with the Bombshell. I asked for twist soft serve but this comes with a lot of genuinely sour cherry flavours and something called barbed wire crumble.
To be honest, I can't remember what my wife ordered. It might be something called Bad Review and if so, according to the description, it is "not even that perverted." As you can see, my wife got into the spirit of the place! LOL.
On the menu, it says, "Plant Based. Vegan Options Available". It's a little confusing as plant-based and vegan are the same from a diet point of view as both avoid all animal products. What they mean to tell us is that some items have animal products making them vegetarian. Just make sure you are aware of which items are fully vegan. These are healthy-sized cones and could serve as a meal replacement! Not a lot of room in here, there is room to stand at one table or you can take your cones (or cups) to go. 
Food                         4 out of 5
Vegan Options          4 1/2 out of 5
Comfort                     NA
Service                      4 out of 5
Value                         4 out of 5




Lucky's Donuts / 49th Parallel Coffee - Vegan Options

We have been to 49th Parallel Coffee Roasters in the past (in my pre-vegan days) for great coffee and donuts. Now when I look for donuts, I'm seeking plant-based/cruelty-free varieties so imagine my delight when I found that Lucky's Donuts crank out a few vegan varieties.

This location is on Thurlow just north of West Georgia but apparently, there are 3 other locations of this partnership made in heaven.
We ended up here twice on the weekend because on the first visit which was in the afternoon, they had almost sold out of the vegan donuts. We ended up with one donut to share and the coffee was served in takeout cups for whatever reason. It was still great coffee (I like my coffee dark and black) but it is so much nicer in their actual cups.
In addition to 3 or 4 vegan donuts, they usually have a vegan lemon loaf or banana bread and one other item on their menu (I think that they had soup the second time we were there). On that first visit, we had the vegan Fruit and Floral donut which I thought was interesting and really delicious. Mharie did not care for it finding it too "floral". I am no donut scientist but these seemed less cakey and more moist and dense than most donuts that I have had.
On my second visit, I got the 3 donuts available to go which included the Fruit and Floral again and 2 other varieties as you can see. They again had that rich sweet somewhat dense texture. You certainly don't need to eat more than one of these as they are quite substantial.
There are tables inside and a few outside. Also, you can drift into the lobby of whatever building this is and there are tables there as well. They get quite busy at times so don't be a dick and take up space with your laptop if people are waiting to sit down. I am somewhat thankful that 49th Parallel and Lucky's Donuts are not close to home.  I am not sure that I would be able to exercise the appropriate restraint.
Food                                4 1/2 out of 5
Vegan Options                 3 out of 5
Comfort                            4 out of 5
Service                             4 out of 5
Value                                4 out of 5






Afghan Horseman - Vegan Options

Being in one location and then another in Vancouver, for over 50 years, Afghan Horseman was the first Afghani restaurant in North America! This is a family-run business, the senior members of which are actually from Afghanistan. Welcome to Vancouver and sorry that it took me so long to get to AHR. Vancouver loves Middle Eastern food of all kinds and I love that it can be adapted to a plant-based lifestyle!

Their current and long-time location is just a stone's throw from Granville Island on West 2nd. We made a reservation and were given the choice of chairs and a table (or booth) or the traditional curl-up on pillows Afghani style for dinner. Given my now 4 months ago knee surgery we decided to stick with the chairs.
At AHR, they offer various platters including a Vegan Platter for Two which is why we were so excited to finally get here! They started us off with the requisite Hummus and wonderful Pita as well as a refreshing salad of cucumber, onion and tomato.
The main platter arrived with a little bit of a lot of things. We think that this could easily feed at least 3 people as we ended up taking quite a bit home with us. The centre piece was their Qabeli Palaw, Basmati rice baked with carrots, raisins and almond. Around this  was baked eggplant, stewed spinach a very nice dahl served with a housemade tomato sauce. Unexpected was the Pakawra which are batter deep fried potatoes served with a dip. We found all of this to be comforting and filling but didn't leave us feeling weighed down (well maybe if we had finished the platter).
As they make their Baklava with a simple syrup rather than honey, dessert was not to be missed. This was some fine Baklava and rounded out the meal beautifully.
Such a cozy, homy place for dinner. An interesting variety of hanging lamps and a ceiling meant to make you feel like you might be in a tent in the desert. The staff were very friendly and I was glad that I asked about their history.
Food                                     4 out of 5
Vegan Options                      3 1/2 out of 5
Comfort                                4 1/2 out of 5
Service                                  4 out of 5
Value                                     4 out of 5






 

Noodle Arts - Vegan Options

Everyone has known about Noodle Arts but me! As you walk in the front door you notice posters showing our Noodle Arts Hostess' (and clearly owner/manager) appearances on CTV and with Richard Wollach on CKNW! Their Beef Noodle Soup is apparently famous as are their Dan-Dan Noodles. Still, better late than never, here we are.

Located on Robson between Bidwell and Denman, there is seating for a little more than a couple of dozen diners but I am sure they get quite busy at times. I'm trying to say it might be worth making a reservation. Obviously, they are all about the noodles here and specifically hand-pulled Lanzhou-style noodles.
We started with Green Onion Pankake which we always love but these were a little bit better than usual! I thought maybe it was a regional recipe that made it different but I was told that it has to do with the quality of the oil and the fact that they keep it quite fresh in the kitchen. The result is a lighter colour and taste. It was served with a tasty plum sauce. Very nice!
The Tangy Shredded Potato is marked as spicy but it was not (they may have adjusted for the white guy who told them about his bad Dan Dan noodle experience). We always enjoy this dish which proves that potatoes do not have to be cooked to death. As shreds or noodles, they are allowed to retain some firm texture and are very tasty. A little sesame oil and usually a little heat bring this dish alive.
Of course, the Szechuan Dan Dan Noodles were the main event and the heat was again reigned in for the white guy (to be honest, I like a little heat but I also need to be able to take a shower after!). We ordered this with blade-cut noodles which admittedly, you can't see in the photo. These are quite substantial noodles but so tender and absorbant of the flavours around them. They are worth the price of admittance all by themselves. Along with lots of greens were peanuts, Szechuan peppercorns and sesame oil. Wonderful!
Next up were the Noodles with Chilli Oil as we wanted to try a different type of noodles. Our hostess recommended the wider noodles to go with this and as far as we could tell it was good advice. More greens, peanuts, mild chilli oil and more delicious housemade noodles made this another wonderful dish.
There are 4 desserts on the menu at Noodle Arts and all of them are vegan! Unfortunately, they didn't have the Pear Soup so our hostess recommended the Red Bean Pancake. I tried to pose it to show the filling as best as I could. It was tasty, crispy and very sweet as red bean paste usually is. It is a little rare to see even one vegan dessert so having some choice is very nice!
This is a nice little restaurant with some lanterns and art that makes it feel a little exotic. Our hostess was very nice and regularly topped up our Chrysanthemum tea. It is not cheap nor would I expect it to be. Hand-made noodles are pretty special. There are a few more vegan dishes to try and I am just a fan of any place that indicates vegan on the menu and understands the concept. 
Food                             4 1/2 out of 5
Vegan Options              4 out of 5
Comfort                        4 out of 5
Service                          4 1/2 out of 5
Value                             4 out of 5







Veg Out Plant-Based Burgers and Shakes - Vegan Food Truck

We first visited Veg Out a couple of years ago during Veganuary and loved the place (OK. Truck). In the time since, we have seen them around a couple of times but they always had a one-hour lineup attached to them. This time we knew they were setting up at Vegan Supply in White Rock. Being the middle of nowhere and on a dreary day, we thought if we got there early, there would be a limited number of hungry vegans lined up ahead of us!

We showed little imagination in ordering almost the same thing as we ordered last time (although, if it ain't broke!). We placed our order, picked up our food (I was first in line!) and made our way to a lovely park in White Rock to consume said order!
We started with Veg Out's perfect wings with sweet and spicy sauce. The 'skin' on these things is uncanny and I had to ask if it was real chicken skin (I did not ask that as I didn't need to, but you might need to) while the meat was also tasty. It's all about the sauce in reality, isn't it? I am glad that faux meat never really tastes completely like dead animal. 
I used to complain that people called poutine Canada's national dish but as a vegan side, it carries some weight. The Buffalo Chicken Poutine provides a little bit of so many delectable things!. Buffalo sauce, fried chicken, ranch, crispy fires and uncountable calories. Not for every day but certainly delicious.
Last time, we ordered the Vegonator which was insane but this time, they had a Korean Burger special. It was a chicken burger but with assorted Koreanish condiments and toppings. All on an excellent bun but still messy enough that it was necessary to assume a stance that would not allow you to drip sauce all over yourself. Excellent!
Finally another Veg Out amazing milkshake. You will definitely have to try one for yourself and I challenge you to tell the difference between this and any dairy milkshake.
I usually like to post a picture of the dining room when I blog about a place. Crescent Park is very nice and they have these covered picnic areas. I only wonder how all of the picnic table seats could be soaked when there is a roof over them? I guess that I won't hold that over Veg Out.
Food                         4 1/2 out of 5
Vegan Options          5 out of 5
Comfort                     NA
Service                      5 out of 5
Value                         4 1/2 out of 5








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Are you guys eating again? At some point Marie and I became the kind of people who take pictures of everything we eat, whether in a restaura...