One of the OGs of Vancouver vegan/vegetarian restaurants, Sweet Cherubim has been a part of the Commercial Drive scene (near Napier Street) since 1980. With their grocery store adjacent and leaning organic and fair trade, they certainly have filled a niche, while not being ethically vegan.
As soon as we stepped in the door, we were met by the heavy and dark wood vibe that screamed vegetarian from the 60s (although 1980s in this case) just like The Naam. We like it and feel like we should bring it back.
Ordering was easy but also confusing as most of the foods are prepared and on display, but you can order plates or individual items or combos. We ended up with a taste of a few things but one could visit often and enjoy a continual variety.
We started with a Rice and Tofu Samosa. The menu here is heavily South Asian but incorporates some healthy variety. For instance, they offer many types of samosas. Some, like this one, are baked instead of deep-fried and with nontraditional ingredients. Almost a meal unto themselves, you can order them in combination with soup or salad, and they all come with a choice of chutney. Frankly, this samosa is a unique and delicious idea!
I meant to order Moussaka but asked for Spanakopita. Either way, I was not expecting Greek dishes but this was pretty good and served with Tamarind Chutney again which was fine as tamarind chutney goes with everything There are quite a few non South Asian but vegan standby dishes!
Mharie likes a good smoothie and this one had raw chocolate (whatever that means) with almonds etc. With that unique rich but not too sweet flavour, this also could also be a quick meal all by itself. Ingredients on the smoothie menu include carob which would be familiar to anyone who was already vegan in the 1960s!
The star of the show was the Indian Thali which we ordered with dal, kofta and brown rice. It came with an amazing quinoa salad (which isn't listed as part of the thali), as well as raita and mango chutney. The mango chutney was fairly amazing. It was a smooth sauce and more on the sweet side than savoury. The papadum and chappati were also landmark tasty and nothing on this platter was wasted.
We could not pass on the baked goods and got a couple of things to go. We tried 2 of their cheesecakes namely mango and blueberry. These were creamy and sweet and although small, they were rich enough that we were not left feeling unsatisfied.
I have felt nostalgic from time to time for bird's nest cookies (something my mother used to bake) and this one was very good. The well for the jam was deep enough that there was jam in every bite. The big cookie was peanut butter forward with chocolate chips. Also very enjoyable.
There is probably seating for about 20 in the dining room in addition to tables outside (today not being the day for that).
The grocery next door is basic vegetarian but stretches into all the crazy assed stuff you could want if you happen to read Prevention magazine and need organic horsetail. That's not really our scene but it was interesting to look at. We noticed that prices were not unreasonable on the things we were familiar with like the frozen Gardein products.
Overall, fairly friendly people and decent service but the food was great. As I mentioned, the variety in the restaurant is wonderful!
Food 4 out of 5
Vegan Options Available 5 out of 5
Comfort 4 out of 5
Service 4 out of 5
Value 4 out of 5
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