We almost completely missed the Vancouver International Jazz Festival again this year but at least showed up for one performance. We were delighted with the young people (as well as the organizers and mentors) of the Vancouver Youth Jazz Orchestra. They played on Sunday afternoon at Performance Works on Granville Island.
They played Count Basie to Duke Ellington tunes as you would expect but with a couple of Soundgarden and Steely Dan tunes thrown in as well. The future of jazz in Vancouver seems secure even if everything else in the world is going to hell!
Of course, we had to eat also. In the market, Chau Veggie Express is an all plant-based eatery. We have been to their main outlet on Victoria Drive so knew that we could count on some tasty eats here.
Obviously, salad rolls are a mainstay when eating vegan Vietnamese and we have had more than a few but these Namahata Rolls came with a lemon dipping sauce which was more than interesting! Even the rolls themselves were souped up with shredded bean curd, crispy shallots, mung beans and quinoa. This could be your affordable vegan meal on Granville Island all by itself at only $7!
The Midnight Swim Bowl was served on a wild rice blend with lots of goodies (tofu, mushrooms, veggies) and topped with a spicy peanut garlic soy mushroom sauce! It came with lots of greens which I swept to the side for the sake of the photo. This was substantial and delicious!
Noodles served as the base of the Rice Fields Bowl (rice noodles) with dark soy garlic mushroom sauce. Again lots of veggies made this a substantial tasty bowl that filled us up but without the heaviness that comes with a filling carnivore meal. We felt content that we were eating our veggies too!
This one came with a side of savoury Lychee-Date Broth which was delicious not to mention interesting and a bit of a departure for us as far as soup is concerned!
Granville Island, especially the market, is generally a madhouse on the weekend. I always think that it is a good idea to go but am in a hurry to get out once we arrive. We are happy to know that there is a rock solid place for us to get sustenance without having to ask a lot of questions and holding up the inevitable line! The menu is broad and with a fair bit of variety including vegan ice cream. Nice!
Food 4 out of 5
Vegan options 5 out of 5
Comfort 3 out of 5 (not their fault - food court madness)
Service 4 out of 5
Value 4 1/2 out of 5
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