Maple Thai Cuisine - Vegan Options

We've been here and posted before but this little local (and when I say local, I mean Aldergrove) Thai place manages to give space on their menu to a vegan section and I believe that deserves our support. As much as I kind of believe that I am the only vegan in a 20 square mile area, I know that is not true and if no one else ordered from vegan menus, they would disappear. So for the 10 or so people who actually read this blog, I want to remind you about Maple Thai Cuisine on 272nd just north of Fraser Hwy. 

This time, we tried a couple of standbys but I realized that there was possible a vegan dish on the curry section of their menu as well! So I checked in with the kitchen and sure enough the Yellow Curry does not have any animal products assuming you order the tofu.

So we did and it was pretty great. There were lots of vegetables and a good amount of tofu and when splashed over rice this was a satisfying meal all by itself. We ordered everything with medium spice which is our lazy answer to that question every time.

We also ordered the Vegetarian Lettuce Wrap. We decided that it could use more sauce. Actually, when we compared our photo with their website photo, we realized they must have forgotten the sauce altogether. The result was on the bland side. With the sauce, it would have been great...without it, meh.

The Vegan Tom Yum Soup was very good just as it was! This was my wife's favourite dish. It was a little spicy and a little sweet and loaded with veggies. We would order this again for sure.

This is a nice little family-run business that deserves our support. When I saw the piano, I knew somebody was coming to the restaurant and practicing piano after school. I told our hostess (Mom) that she shouldn't let her daughter quit after a few months as my mother let me quit and I have regretted it for 50 years. She confirmed that her daughter is not thrilled but I know she will thank her some day!

Food                                      3 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options Available       4 out of 5

Comfort                                 3 1/2 out of 5

Service                                  4 1/2 out of 5

Value                                     3 1/2 out of 5

The Burrow - Vegan / Vegetarian Restaurant

We haven't been to The Burrow since the days when it was still Bandidas Tacqueria in Veganuary of 2021. I don't know if it is fully the same ownership, but things have not changed greatly as far as the interior and exterior of the restaurant. The menu has changed from fully vegan to vegan/vegetarian. I can't make any excuses for vegetarians who contribute to animal suffering in the dairy industry in a large way but I am not up to making a fuss about a restaurant doing what it has to to survive. If adding dairy to the menu helps this restaurant stay viable then at least my wife and I can still enjoy vegan Mexican-style food here.

The Burrow has a decent number of tables and we have never had to wait for one (they do get busy!).

We started with half a dozen Sticky Garlic Wings. These were decent wings but could have been a little firmer as far as the interior is concerned. They were as advertised, sticky and garlicky and we loved that. The house-made vegan ranch was good enough that I slurped up the rest even when we had finished the wings.

I couldn't help but order the Danny Trejo Burrito (currently a special) just because I am a huge fan. I can remember what the filling was but they were definitely great with a decent red sauce and there was an impressive of cheese (we ordered it baked). 

My pre-vegan standard order was always enchiladas so its fun that The Burrow has enchiladas. So, 3 enchiladas with spicy lentil-walnut filling and green sauce. They were wonderful. Lots of cheese on top is what enchiladas need. I loved the rice and beans that we chose as a side. I pay less attention than I should to prices, but $19.50 seems reasonable for all this delicious food.

We loved that they delivered a choice of salsas on the side. Pineapple, green, chipotle, mango-habanero and habanero salsas were lined up from mildest to hottest. They were all pretty decent.

A great meal with really friendly staff. This is still a vegan hotspot despite the fact that it is not strictly a vegan restaurant. Once our servers knew that we were vegan, they were completely in our corner. Great vegan Mexican-style food! BTW, This is Plant Curious was again one of our motivations to come here at this time!

Food                                      4 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options Available       4 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                                 4 out of 5

Service                                  4 1/2 out of 5

Value                                     4 1/2 out of 5

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Parsley Berliner Doner Kabob, Brentwood - Vegan Options

Of the 4 words in the name of this place in the Amazing Brentwood food court, only the Parsley conjures up thoughts of any possible vegan eats. Figuring out that they were serving Turkish-style food led me to believe that falafel might be available at the very least and they deserved a closer look.

We showed up on a Saturday near noon. There are a few vegan things to eat at the Food Court (called Tables) but PBDK seems to offer the most variety. We ordered one of each plant-based item (other than the fries) that was recommended and sat down at one of the food court tables.

We started with the Hummus and Coban Salad. The salad, also known as Turkish shepherd's salad was simple and refreshing with lemon juice and oil dressing and plenty of parsley. We love hummus and this was very good being smooth and rich. 

We ordered Cig Kofte and Sarma. The yogurt (?) dip with the Sarma is not vegan. Other than that, our server was very conscientious once we told him we were vegan (at ordering time). I heard him checking with his manager and not putting white sauce on our Falafel Wrap, which was the right call. The Sarma (a rice mixture wrapped in grape leaves was simple and tasty. The Cig Kofte is basically a well-spiced bulgur, walnut, and bread mixture served in the manner of a steak tartar. To be honest, this kind of freaked me out as the texture really did feel like raw meat but the spiciness was very good and it is served with a pomegranate syrup for dipping that was wonderful. 

Where would vegans be without falafel? Many world cuisines serve falafel and this was a very good version. The falafel balls themselves were nicely crispy and substantial. This came wrapped in a tortilla which was good as bread to filling ratio was lower than with a pita. There was a decent selection of sauce and vegetable in addition to the falafel. I would order this anytime.

Decent for mall food. The folks working at PBDK were friendly and helpful.

Food                                          3 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options Available           3 out of 5

Comfort                                     3 out 5

Service                                      4 out of 5

Value                                         4 out of 5

Red Swan Pizza - Vegan Options

Continuing on our recent policy of letting the vegan pizza options come to us, rather than chasing around all over the Valley (unless it's for something pretty special)  is our visit to Red Swan Pizza. RS opened recently on Fraser Hwy in Aldergrove adjacent to India's Most Wanted.

We ordered a couple of pizzas to go one chilly Sunday evening but they have a few tables if you choose to dine in.

The fact is that they offer 2 vegan pizzas and we ordered one of each. There are options, but you could easily veer off course with them and end up with a vegetarian pizza which would be a total waste of time!

 First was the Veggie Feast which for some reason only comes in 10". We did not feel the need to change their lineup of mushrooms, tomatoes, pizza sauce and vegan cheese. We ordered the standard crust on this one. The crust comes with sesame seeds which is not typically Italian but is an inspired choice. We loved it! The pizza is very decent and they use Daiya Cheese.

Next up was the also creatively named Vegan Pizza. This one comes plain and is all about your choices. We ordered pineapple for my wife but rounded it out with potatoes wedges which was pretty interesting, some mushrooms, red onions and some chilies. This one we ordered the thin crust which was still good but we couldn't tell the difference. That could mean that they missed that part of the order or its really just not that thin. Either way, we like their crust. If you get carried away with options on this one, the price can add up quickly. Still, it was a pretty good pizza.

So overall a decent small addition to what is available for the Aldergrove vegan population which might be just over 2. Red Swan is actually a pretty large chain in Canada but I had never heard of them before. The staff were friendly and our pizza was ready when they said it would be!

Food                                     3 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options Available      2 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                                3 1/2 out of 5

Service                                  4 out of 5

Value                                     3 out of 5

 

The Happy Herd Farm Santuary

On our first snowy Sunday, a couple of weeks ago, we visited The Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary just south of Aldergrove. As we and they are all residents of this booming metropolis, we had seen their van around and at some point in the past, looked them up and discovered that we and they shared an ethic namely, to avoid animal exploitation and cruelty to the extent that it is practicable. Of course, I avoid eating said animals and blog about it, while they go all in and protect those who come to them who have been mistreated or exploited and allow them to live out their years in relative comfort and love. That is a wonderful and noble cause but you can imagine that it is a huge undertaking!

When we visited, I had not thought about writing a blog post so despite the great stories that we heard about the animals and their pathways to this forever home, this post will be short of details. Many of the actual facts in this post come right from their website which you should not fail to visit. One story that I do recall is about 2 pigs rescued by a Surrey RCMP officer and brought to the farm in the back of his police cruiser. The officer was afraid to leave the animals until morning lest they be further mistreated as the people who had them, had purchased them at auction with the intent of to slaughtering them at home. WTF?

This is Desi Moo Moo who was the first rescued resident of the farm. He was later joined by 2 more cows and a lot of other animals. He was pretty calm and enjoyed having his muzzle rubbed. Most of the animals here seem to have overcome the trauma of their pasts, but not all.

Some were on the shy side and it took slow movements to get close enough to meet them and other newer residents, we just left alone. Hopefully, they will get more tolerant of people with time. I have!

The goats are the most curious not to mention mischievous. I counted 45 animals on their website. The photos are much better than mine also. Can you imagine the work and cost of looking after all these animals? 

The co-founders, Dianne and Stephen, have had rescued animals here since 2012 and they established a charity in 2018. They have on average 7 volunteers a day (I hope to be one from time to time). The farm buildings that are added from time to time, are assembled, painted and even muraled by volunteers. They have an 8-person board of directors, who share in the decision-making and direction of the farm.

It was heartwarming to learn that much of the food donated to feed the animals comes from local grocery and feed stores.

You too can contribute as much of the expense is carried by donations. A farm where animals are not cruelly exploited does not actually make money. You can make a monthly donation, even a small one, that will make a difference and make you feel good about yourself. Next thing you know, you will be making the decision to go vegan, for the animals and for the planet! 

The mural above represents the animals who have come to the farm and finished out their natural lives in relative peace.

I hope to make more of a pest of myself at The Happy Herd Farm Sanctuary in the future.

 

 

  

Mumbaiyaa Street Foods - Vegan Options

When they first opened, the folks at Mumbaiyaa Street Foods kindly invited us (through Insta) to dine with them as their guests! I rudely never quite responded (stuff comes up...) but we always intended to go and we finally got there this past weekend. We paid for our own food (and didn't even tell them we were coming) because a) I'm not sure enough people even read this blog to make it worth their while to pay for our food and b) it is hard enough to make a restaurant successful without giving food away (unless it's for a good cause and to people who need it ). That being said, we were flattered by the invitation!

Located on Hastings Street just east of Gilmore in Burnaby, don't park in the Red Apple Parking lot even though you will be tempted. Like many Indian places, MSF is vegetarian but they are good enough to clearly mark the items that are vegan or can be made vegan. That is what we look for at Indian places now. We grabbed some takeout and did our best to make it pretty at home.

We started with the Ulta Vada Pav. This is the inside-out vada pav....but I'm not sure what makes it inside out as the bun is still on the outside! Stuffed with a potato and coriander mixture this was substantial and delicious. There was a fair bit of spice in our order; honestly, I'm not sure if it came from this! Some items on the menu carry warnings for children and older people because of the spice level. I consider myself a spice head but we chose not to tempt fate!

We tried the Sev Puri. This is a popular street food snack of crackers, potatoes, onions, tomatoes and chutneys. Topped with pomegranate seeds and cilantro, we liked this a lot.

This was Subadana Vada and is made with tapioca pearls in addition to potatoes, roasted peanuts and herbs. This was crispy in addition to being flavourful. I think it might be the unsung hero of Indian snacks as we really didn't know about it. We do now!

Finally, we had Black Chana Chaat. Black chick peas, which we have never actually had before, were the base ingredient here. With onion, tomatoe, cucumber, chutneys, some herbs and spices this is another tasty and dare I say, healthy dish.

You could just as well, dine in here and the landscape is interesting but the chairs and tables might not make it the most comfortable. That being said, the theme is street food and not fine dining so lets stay with the program. Lots more on the menu for us to try (you'll notice we didn't order any samosas which is odd for us). Our host was friendly and the food was ready when they said it would be! Again, the vegan options were spelled out on the menu! Nice!

Food                                              4 out of 5

Vegan Options Available               4 out of 5

Comfort                                         3 out of 5

Service                                          4 out of 5

Value                                             4 out of 5 

                                                         

AM Cafe - Plant Based Cafe - Second Visit

This was our second visit to AM (Animals Matter) Cafe as their full menu is fully is up and running! The last time we were here was during the soft opening and we were already suitably impressed but this was to be more of a lunch experience. Also, we got further coaxed back by the This Is Plant Curious deal that popped up! We arrived at a packed house and I said to our host that they needed to think about expanding already and he told me that they are! 

Parking is sparse on Guelph but E Broadway is better, especially on the weekend.

We started by sharing a Flat White. Non-dairy milk, of course.

Everything seemed to be about "fish" this afternoon starting with the Faux-Let O' Fish which in appearance looks like its namesake (the McD thing) but is so much better! We had another one of those, "Did they actually serve us fish?" moments but of course, there are no animal products in this kitchen. It was just an excellent "faux-let" (nice)  packaged in the ultimate comfort burger. Melty cheese, a buttery brioche bun, nice slaw and pickled onions made it truly a work of art!

A wonderful Tuna Melt using the magic chick pea-based tuna.More melty cheese, and pickled onions and the stuff that makes tune into a tuna melt. Wonderful again and no harm caused to the ocean.

We didn't quite get the Bahn Bao-rrito experience as they were out of bao that day. That is a roasted chilli with garlic aioli on the side in the photo, which was very flavourful. The burrito was no slouch even without the bao with spicy chicken, tofu, peanuts and other good stuff. 

Once again we were pretty impressed with these folks. We look forward to what expansion brings. I am told that the new space will be more sit-down with service while the current space becomes more self-serve. I might be hazy on the details but we're sure it will be great!

Food                                        5 out of 5

Vegan Options Available         5 out of 5

Comfort                                   4 out of 5

Service                                     5 out of 5

Value                                        5 out of 5