Nam Vegan Express - Vegan Restaurant

A fully vegan restaurant means not having to think about anything except what on the menu looks like it will taste the best! In the case of Nam Vegan Restaurant, thinking about what to order is no small deal as they have a lot of dishes to offer and everything looks good!

Located on 10th Avenue in New Westminster between Cariboo and Cumberland, NVE is in the same outdoor strip mall as the Hi-Five Chicken that we once visited in a past life. Place your order at the counter and they will bring you your impressive food when it is ready.

We started by trying their Bao Buns. Nice and fluffy as you would expect, the buns were filled with just enough impressive vegan pork that I'm sure most people wouldn't know the difference.

The Fried Shrimp in tempura batter were also quite impressive. The texture was the surprising thing here as the shrimp had just a bit of that familiar snap and even had some pink colour. They did not have an overly briny shrimp flavour but we honestly didn't come here to eat seafood so we enjoyed them just as they were, with Thai sweet chili sauce.

So, the Fried Fish doesn't look like you may expect. It is wrapped in nori of some kind that provides a nice oceany flavour while the 'fish' itself has brilliant texture. We try not to rate things according to their closeness to the more common sacrificed animal, but we could have been eating fish. NVE kindly marks all of their vegan 'meats' with a "v" on the menu so you don't have to think twice. The tomato sauce also really hit the spot here.

The belle of the ball for us was the Pan Fried Stuffed Eggplant. Stuffed with their house made tofu mixture and served with mushroom vegan oyster sauce, this was substantial and tasty! A bit salty and rich, we're not sure what the tofu mixture is but we would order it again!

Not all places that have vegan options have a vegan dessert so it was hard for us to pass up the Vanilla Strawberry Cake! Delicious!

Not a huge place, NVE is run by the chef and her son, if I understand correctly from their web site. At one time, I think they might have been all take-out but there are a few tables. The room is kind of homey but not too fancy. BTW, in case you assumed we were gluttons, at least half of the food went home with us including an order of very impressive Pho that I forgot to photograph! Not a very professional move I admit, but we are avowed amateurs. We'll be back to try more from the menu!

Food                    4 out of 5

Vegan Options     5 out of 5

Comfort               4 out of 5

Service                4 out of 5

Value                   4 out of 5

Table Bistro, Abbotsford - Vegan Options

I have had my eye on Table Bistro for quite a while but the universe just did not provide the circumstances for us to visit until recently. I had seen that their menu offered quite a  number of vegan options. I recently read a review of this place by a local food blogger but sadly, he did not acknowledge the fact that TB has plant-based options. Just not important? I think it is huge, personally. Our server/head bartender even assured us that the younger management group had specifically made an effort to accommodate the local vegan population plus maybe they just give a damn about the planet and its inhabitants.

TB is located on Bevan Avenue adjacent to Mill Lake in a recently built residential tower. There is street parking which is no problem. We arrived early in the day and were seated right away. 

We decided to try the one vegan pizza on their menu which is the Mediterranean. We were taken aback by the lack of cheese on this pizza (they do use vegan cheese on other items) but in the end, we did not miss it. The crust was quite good although we thought it could have used a little more char and indeed when we reheated the leftovers in our oven, the crust was even better. The sweet potato hummus base was quite delicious as were the roasted eggplant, peppers and balsamic glaze. The arugula on top was a nice touch as the peppery flavour provided a tasty finish.

The Plant Smashburger was a hit for us. The patty is not made in-house so maybe Impossible or something but the smashing process worked very well and gave a bit of a crust which one looks for. A decent bun, melty cheese and basic condiments resulted in a very good burger that we would order again. It came with a side and we went with their Tomato Soup made with San Marzanos and roasted peppers. This was also very good.

The Spicy Peanut Bowl probably qualifies as our favourite. There was some serious substance here. The base noodle was fettuccini and the sauce was just slightly spicy (you can top it up with chilli oil) and very rich and peanuty. More roasted veggies, peanuts, green onion and crispy garlic made this dish excellent whether you are vegan or not!

We found this to be a very pleasant and relaxing environment with very accommodating and informed staff. There are quite a few more plant-based items on the menu that we would like to come back and try. It was nice also, that the menu items are labelled vegan so that we didn't have to search and ask a million questions. We are impressed with the forward-thinking management group and hope that introducing people to more cruelty-free cuisine is a trend out in the Valley. BTW, we took probably 1/3 of our food home due to the generous servings.

Food                     4 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options      4 out of 5

Comfort                4 1/2 out of 5

Service                 4 1/2 out of 5

Value                    4 1/2 out of 5

Chutneys Indian Grill - Vegan Options

Chutneys is a restaurant where you place your order, and then modify it by choosing the veggies and sauce and toppings from the bounty in front of you to make a dish that suits your mood. Picture Subway with Indian inspired food. We happened to arrive at the Chutneys in Langley on their official grand opening day and it was a little chaotic. Still, given a little more time (I didn't want to be holding up the line) I wouldn't have built something much different.

The new Chutneys is located in the maze between Willowbrook and 200th. We ordered everything vegan that we could find on their menu, to go.

A couple of Samosas that were reasonably priced and filled with potatoes and veggies. Pretty tasty but no big surprises here.

The Build Your Own Bowl option gives one some flexibility and its easy to achieve vegan! You start with a grain choice, and move on to a protein (we chose garbanzo beans for the bowl), choose a sauce (3 of the 4 are vegan) and grab some veggies for toppings.  In the interests of keeping the opening day line moving, we left most of the choices to the CIG staff and we were content with the results.

We followed the same process with the Build Your Own Burroti only we chose tofu as the protein. The results again were pretty tasty. You really can't go wrong with the build your own options which also include salad or a plate.

For some reason we ordered Masala Fries which didn't really do well on the trip back to Aldergrove. You should eat these right away. Still we liked the seasoning.

I don't expect that it will always be this busy. To their credit, they were well staffed for the opening but space behind the counter seemed to be at a premium. They were quite willing and able to ensure that our order was all plant-based.

For opening Day, the Bowl and Burroti were only $7 each which is insane but they are very nicely priced all the time (I think less than $12 for the Burroti). There are a few tables and a front counter if you choose to eat in.  Indian flavours and vegan choices will make this one of our top fast food go-tos in Langley!

Food                     4 out of 5

Vegan Options      4 out of 5

Comfort                 3 1/2 out of 5

Service                  4 1/2 out of 5

Value                     4 1/2 out of 5

Momo Factory, Delta - Vegan Options

Nepalese cuisine, not surprisingly, seems to include quite a bit of fusion with the cuisines of their neighbours, China and India. The result is sometimes spicy, sometimes sweet variety of dishes, many of which are vegan or at least vegan friendly. This is not our first time trying Nepalese food but it was definitely the most enjoyable. Admittedly, we have never actually been to Nepal so how completely authentic our experience has been is anyone's guess. We still enjoyed it.

Last time we were here, this was a Filipino joint, the name of which, I can't recall. They are located in the strip mall at the corner of Scott Road and Nordell Way in the same complex as Happy Singh, Tandoori Flame, Le Meza and apparently the Surrey/Delta Circumcision Clinic. All I'm saying is, make sure you get to the right place.

Ordering too much is always our thing (OK, my thing) and we could have done nicely with a couple of their lunch specials at 15.99 each. This one had 4 deep fried momos, Manchurian fried rice, something just called Manchurian (with your choice of protein) and a delightfully spicy habanero hot sauce. Everything was amazing but we didn't stop there.

We came for the momos and more momos we would have. We asked for them to be deep fried as healthy preparation be damned. You can order them with different proteins including soya chaap or veg for vegans (we asked for soya chaap). You order them with different sauces some of which are vegan but not all. We order this with sandehko which is sort of a pico de Gallo. Very good!

Somehow, I managed to order Veg Manchurian twice (the first was part of the lunch special). That's OK because we really like these things! Sort of like a meatball without the meat. Mixed chopped veggies flavoured with garlic, chilli and soy, we could eat these anytime.

Our final dish was Aloo Gohbi, a familiar Indian dish but we like how they prepared it here with potatoes wedges and Nepali spices. Served with basmati rice but they let us know that the Naan is not vegan. Another nice and warming dish.

For absolutely no reason, and to no advantage, Momo Factory (I am not using the abbreviation MF for obvious reasons) has a robot server! Of course, it is highly Instagramable but when it arrived the first time, our human server came and moved the plates to our table! So...you know. The next time it arrived, I bravely removed the plates myself.

This is a comfortable low-key room and the staff is very nice. Our server helped us figure out the vegan options. It would be nice if the menu was a bit clearer on that as there are quite a few more dishes beyond what we tried. We like the pastoral scene mural at the end of the room. It is a leftover from the Fillipino restaurant that used to occupy the space but if you didn't know better, you could imagine that it was Nepal!

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 1/2 out of 5

Top Rope Birria - The Vegan Birria Taco

Just prior to my going all in on veganism (it took me 40 years so I am trying very hard not to be self-righteous), I was on a tear to explore the world of birria tacos. Mharie and I checked out every place that we could find and a lot of reviews are posted on this blog. Certainly one of the best was from Top Rope Birria! When I saw on Insta that TR was doing a Vegan Birria Taco, I was elated. It took a while to get there but get there we did!

We found them at one of their regular haunts, in front of Strange Fellows Brewing on Clarke Drive (check their schedule on Insta). Unfortunately, their commissary kitchen was lost to a fire on the DTE which will affect their business (and other trucks, as well) greatly. We hope they are able to sort something out soon to keep their amazing taco truck running.

Their vegan taco uses a 'beefy' mushroom mixture and broth with Vitalite Cheese. We were more than suitably impressed!

You know, this is another one of those times when I ask, If this is so good as plant-based, why are we even eating the meat version? This was amazing and nothing had to die.

As sides, we enjoyed their vegan kimchi and pickled vegetables. Crispy and fresh and a nicely offsetting flavour and texture with the tacos.

Watch for their sign and check their Instagram! We hope they and others affected are able to get past the crisis and get back on the road. You can find the GoFundMe which has been set up by searching Vancouver Food Business on the GFM search page.

Food                              5 out of 5

Vegan Options              3 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                         Well it was a nice day and Strange Bedfellows has picnic tables

Service                          5 out of 5

Value                             5 out of 5

Persia Foods - Vegan Options

I am a different kind of nerd. I don't care for video games or tech or the stock market. I am a bit of a science and skepticism nerd but weirdly, a grocery store for people with a different cuisine or culture is totally absorbing to me (food nerd?). I will often purchase food because I just don't know what it is, just to taste it and figure out what to do with it.

The North Shore has a large Persian population (not sure of exact numbers) and there are several Persian grocery stores along Lonsdale and elsewhere locally. This place, Persia Foods is on Marine Drive and caught our eye. I could not help myself and we ended up coming home with a bag of groceries that just happened to be vegan and mostly from Iran.

This bread is not from Iran but the recipe probably is. It was warm when we bought it but surprisingly made it home with us and didn't get devoured in the car. We toasted some in the oven and spread it with various things including the fig jam that you will see in a moment. This is not the first time we have purchased Persian bread and we love it!

From the pickle and jam aisle (I'm not sure if they called it that), we bought some fig jam as well as pickled garlic and pickled bandari. The latter is a spicy mixture of eggplant, tomato paste, cauliflower etc. which we love! The garlic is very good also but curiously is jarred in semi-peeled heads.

There were a lot of these little tinned concoctions and I could have come home with many more varieties (next time). There was a wonderful stewed eggplant mix which we polished off fairly quickly and a spinach and plum mixture which was a little sweet and very tasty as well. In the middle is dessert.

The dessert is a saffron cake or pudding which tasted a bit medicinal to us. We're not sure if that is the way it is supposed to be or if it is the consequence of being in a can. At any rate, we will avoid it in the future.

Other cool things we bought were halva, dates, a quince, a couple of fried noodle soups and a dried herb mixture for making Ghormeh Sabzi, an Iranian herb stew. We have made it before using the dried herbs and beans etc., and it is easily veganized and rich and delicious. We're not really sure where everything is from other than the halvah is from Greece while the soups, herbs, and tins and jars are all from Iran.

I love exploring new cuisines and while Persian food and culture is familiar to Vancouver, there is always more to discover and we love that there were so many products made without animal inputs.

Wild Trails Coffee - Vegan Cafe

The all-in vegan joints are few and far between compared to places that provide a few vegan options. Don't get me wrong; I appreciate that whoever is in charge is at least thinking about people who choose to eat plant-based for the planet's sake and because they have decided not to have their dinner murdered. When though, someone has the morals to choose not to serve animal products at all, I admire them greatly.

Located on 14th Street E just a block or 2 east of Lonsdale, WTC's website recommends some documentaries, most available on Netflix that will change your mindset if you are open-minded. The website certainly gave us an idea of what we would find when we showed up. Inside this cozy, eclectically decorated cafe you will find coffee, baked goods, sandwiches and smoothies that got there with zero animal cruelty involved!

We started with some very good coffee and tried a breakfast sandwich that was also very good. It seems like vegan cheese is getting better day by day and that to me is the most important element when you take your "mcmuffin" plant-based. In addition to the cheese and English Muffin, there was tofu egg and a vegan pepperoni (or similar) which has my mouth watering even now. All finished in a press, this was definitely worthwhile!

We also ordered a Panini (sorry...panino) but somehow, my picture is terrible....need to check that more carefully. So I have posted a second pic of the breakfast sandwich. The panino was vegan turkey with cheese and tomatoes on ciabatta and toasted. It was also very good being warm and melty and the turkey had some decent flavour. I could eat those for lunch regularly (or the breakfast sandwich for that matter).

In addition to really good coffee and sandwiches, WTC will whip up a smoothie for you or serve baked goods from To Live For or Bonus Bakeries.

There is a window bar and a few stools or comfy chairs where you can enjoy your goodies and coffee and another one outside if the weather is nice. Just one thing, our hostess told us that at least once a day someone is rude to her because she runs a plant-based business. We feel like that is disgusting behavior that we would otherwise attribute to narrow minded people with MAGA hats but should not be a part of our Canadian culture. Grow up! In  the meantime, we will be back when we are on the North Shore.

Food                             4 out of 5

Vegan options               5 out of 5

Comfort                        4 out of 5

Service                         4 1/2 out of 5

Value                            4 1/2 out of 5