Restaurant Review: Heirloom Vegetarian

I love that there have been so many new Vegetarian restaurants opening up in this gorgeous city called Vancouver. Dining out is so fun and trying new restaurants is funner! Yah, that's not a word but you see what I was doing there right? :) I don't go to just fully vegan or vegetarian spots. I find it easy to eat out. Many people think it's hard to dine out if you're vegan or vegetarian but in fact it's not. I've never been to a restaurant that wouldn't modify a salad or veggie dish for me. Another cool way to make an awesome meal is to put together a bunch of their sides! But this post is not about how to be vegan and dine out....its about Heirloom Vegetarian restaurant. I almost can't choose what to eat when I dine at veggie spots. SO many choices!

Heirloom is located on West 12th at Granville. Very close to Broadway and Granville. It's in a great location. It's huge, white and modernly outfitted. I dig the space, felt extremely welcomed, pampered and satisfied. The staff were amazing; even the guy filling our waters was out of this world! He complimented my friend Danica and I which if you've ever met me, flattery will get you everywhere with me. Ha.

My friends Olive and Jake had already had the pleasure of dining at Heirloom and gave me some tips on items to get. Their must have dish was the yams. In fact they said they were the best yams they have ever had! Wow. That's a bold statement if I do say so myself. So, check out our experience:

Danica!

Me

Handpicked greens

Fennel, ginger poached pear, roasted brussel sprouts, hazelnuts and an orange blossom vinaigrette. This was fantastic! not your average salad. Really, really love fruit in salad and especially a poached pear!

Wild and Foraged Mushrooms

Coconut cream, fennel, garlic, dry cider, shiso and walnut onion baguette. This was honestly my fave dish of the night. Omg it was so tasty! The flavour was unreal. I could just roll around in it. But I won't...cuz that would be weird. Lol. 

Yams

Coconut butter, hemp hearts and cashew greens dip. This was my 2nd fave dish. It was quite substantial. You get 2 yams here! Love that! That cashew green dip should be sold separately. If they had a container and would sell it to me I would have bought it for sure! It was so rich and creamy. Amazing! I also dig that they used hemp hearts. Hemp hearts are a nutritional power house and should be worshiped.

All in all I give this place my seal of approval. It would satisfy anyone; meat eater or vegetarian it will impress you and fill you up. I was actually uncomfortably full because I didn't want to waste one ounce! I can't wait to go back and try more items. Try all dishes on the menu...challenge accepted.

OOoohhh yah, they also have a communal table. Those are so hot right now.

Check them out!

Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant Review: House of Dosa

My friend Leanne and I checked out House of Dosa a few weeks back. I'd heard of this place a long time ago and that it was famous for its Dosa's (duh) but also that on Monday nights they are on special for $5.99!!! Gawd, I love a good sale. 

I obviously got a veggie one but Leanne got a beef one so no pic of that. But we also had appies. :)

Idly

My friend Britney told me to get these. I thought they were ok. Never had them before so nothing to compare them to but I thought they were kinda boring. Very plain. Just rice and flour I think.

Veggie Pakora

 Good veggie pakora, nice dip. I think its probs pretty hard to mess up pakora's. lol

Masala Dosa (veggie)

Its HUGE! lol I've had dosa before and was shocked when it came for the first time. lol Its massive! But found out that the whole thing isn't filled. Dosa wrap is made from lentils and rice flour typically so its gluten free but always ask your server. Mine was yummily filled with veggies and potatoes. Also came with a small soup and 2 kinds of chutney. One was coconut and the other was tomato possibly. LOL it was all kinds of delish.  But the coconut one was my fave fo sho.

Insides of Masala Dosa (veggie)

YUM! Get some! If you haven't checked out House of Dosa yet, I highly suggest you do. If you go on Monday's be prepared to wait. Its not that long though. Big thumbs up from this gal.



Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant review Yolks Breakfast

I was invited back to Yolks Breakfast food truck to give them another shot a couple weeks ago. I did an honest review of them and they responded. I did keep in mind that it was day 3 or so into their opening so I didn't judge them too much as there are usually some issues that arise when opening a new business.

Tempura panko avocado sandwich

 They also had a veggie special this day that was sauteed mushrooms with goat cheese. But I didn't get that and obviously I don't get the egg. But I do LOVE mushrooms!

Tempura panko avocado sandwich with hash browns

I basically got the same thing except that I had it as a sandwich with an English muffin instead of as tacos. All the critiques I gave had been fixed. This time it was SUPER delish. I thought the addition of salsa fresca was perfection. The acidity in the tomatoes goes really well with the creaminess of the avocado. The tempura panko avocado was also cooked to perfection. Not overcooked. Not too hard. But crunchy enough. 

The hash browns were always cooked wonderfully but when I had them the first time they were lacking in flavour. They had a lemon truffle oil seasoning and this time you could actually taste that! They were lightly seasoned and cooked perfectly.

I was really impressed this time and really appreciated the fact that they even cared what I had to say. Its such a great idea and I will definitely continue to go there. Especially since they are right up the street from work!

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 11: Restaurant Review Chutney Villa

I've been to Chutney Villa on Broadway once before for Dine Out Vancouver last year and really enjoyed it. My friend Sean and I have been meaning to go back for months but there are so much good food in Vancouver it can be a little tough. We made it though! And it did not disappoint. Serving sizes were much larger than for dine out. 

Aachi Varuval

Crispy cauliflower that is super yummy! I love all the chutney's they give you (below). They go awesome with the cauliflower. Good advice from our lovely server, don't eat ALL of the appetizer as the meal serving sizes are quite large. Tis true my friends. Tis true.

Paruppu Oorundai

I got the paruppu oorundai which are lentil dumplings soaked in a South Indian curry and I have to say this is seriously delicious. SO yummy! It was just fantastic. I love Indian food and eating South Indian is something new to me. Even though there are so many similarities, the differences are noticeable. I find there is less oil and there are differences in the spices. Also, do you see that little donut looking thing? DELISH! The meal did come with a yogurt sauce (I did not eat it), veggies, soups and a dessert type thing. It was gelatinous. I did not like it at all. I have never enjoyed Indian desserts. It was just like gelatinous sugar with seeds. 

Chutney

Look at all the chutney's! Love them. To be honest, I never know what kind they are. All I ask is if there is dairy in them. If not I'm good. Both times I've been here the chutney's have been different. YUM.

Go check them out! They are on Broadway and Main. Great service, great food.

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 3: Restaurant Review: Acorn

When I first heard about Acorn opening up in Vancouver I was super excited. There are not many vegetarian fine dining restaurants in Vancouver so whenever something a little nicer than the Naam opens up I'm super excited. It's great to have a nicer spot for a celebration dinner or a date perhaps. 

Acorn has vegetarian, vegan, raw, and gluten free dishes! BOOM. Speaking my language. They mark every item on the menu with codes to indicate if there are vegan, raw or gluten free options but all are vegetarian. Whenever I go to a restaurant where I can eat everything or almost everything on the menu its super hard to choose. LOL It's like Christmas!  Thankfully I went with 3 girlfriends, one of whom is vegan and 2 that are semi-vegetarian. So we all agreed to order different items and share. MY FAVE! I love trying as many items as I can off a new menu. So here goes it:

Ladies night!

Apple

I didn't try these delicious looking balls (shocking I know) but they have cheese inside. I know I know, its VEGAN month of food, but I had to show the picture. They looked wonderful and the plating is beautiful. And the comments from my non-vegan friends were awesome. 

Artichoke

This was tasty. Kind of like a hummus but with artichokes. It does not come with enough croustini's but they will give you extra. The pate was light but flavourful. 

Beet

In terms of plating, this one is my fave! Looks SO gorgeous. I love the red and yellow contrasting colours. I love nut cheese so the addition of macadamia nut cheese is to die for, along with an odd pairing with grapefruit sorel was WONDERFUL! I loved that. I love combining ingredients that are unusual. It worked very well in this dish and the cider glaze was like icing on the cake.

Zucchini

Again, plating in this place is just fantastic! Every dish is so beautiful. The colours are vibrant and contrasting to make them pleasing to the eye. I quite enjoyed this dish as well. The sauce was a cashew rose sauce which really complimented the zucchini noodles. It was rich enough to add a lot of flavour but not so much that it overpowers everything else. I'm not a fan of olives, but not a big deal.

The special (potato salad)

I liked the use of the different types of potatoes in this dish. It also had avocado which I love. Super colourful and a nice spin on a potato salad. It wasn't homely which is what I think of potato salad. Its usually all mayo and egg but this was nothing like that. It was good but not a dish that stood out for me.

Mushroom

This was my fave entree of the night. When I saw king oyster mushrooms on the menu, it didn't even matter what else was with the dish. I LOVE oyster mushrooms and they are not utilized enough. It says spelt on the menu but mine was done with quinoa. The peppercorn sauce was SO yummy!!! I didn't waste one drop. lol It was powerful and complimented everything else. Freaking fantastic.

Rhubarb

My first choice for dessert was obviously chocolate and peanut cuz that is one of the best combo's ever but I still wanted to try another dessert. The other vegan option was the rhubarb so my friend Marina and I shared both. And to my surprise, the rhubarb was my fave. I didn't even think I liked rhubarb but apparently I do. The sorbet and rhubarb combo was so satisfying. The tartness of the sorbet went amazingly well with the rhubarb. I ate it all. lol

Peanut

This was obviously good but not awesome. Basically anything with chocolate is good. It gets me every time. Its hard to complain when ur eating chocolate. But it was not what I was expecting. It was a little hard and not as flavourful as I expected. Kind of light in terms of both chocolate and peanut. The coconut whip was delish though. But the dessert itself was kinda just average. 

So overall I liked Acorn a lot. The food is REALLY good. Like I said, if you have a celebration or need to take a date somewhere a little nicer that a burrito joint than here it is. But don't think you're going to get great service. That is my one complaint. Service was crappy. I almost wanted to strangle the bartender. He was not nice. Not friendly at all. The server was a little better but still attitude was really lacking there all around. As long as ur ok with some average at best service but some good food then you'll be fine. 

Oh yah, no reservations which is kinda typical these days in Vancouver but also, they won't seat you till your whole party arrives. I think that is total BS. Its one of those places. 

Peace

xoxo

K

Vegan MoFo Day 1: Restaurant Review: Hell Pizza

It's that time of year again!!! Vegan Month of Food. This will be my second time participating in MoFo and I'm really excited to see what will come of it. I'm gonna start Vegan MoFo off with a restaurant review. Its not a full vegan restaurant but they have vegan options. 

 

I heard about Hell Pizza from my friend Oli. It's great pizza with cool names. The coolest part is they have a vegan pizza on the menu! It's called Sinister and has refried beans, avocado, onions, salsa, green peppers and jalapenos. YUMMMM. Omg you had me at refried beans. They also have daiya and will use that if you ask for it, but if you don't, then its just sans cheese. So keep that in mind if you're really into daiya.

I love the addition of refried beans. I never thought of that! Adds some necessary protein and bulk to a vegan meal. Not that pizza usually needs more bulk. LOL I just love refried beans so much. It makes the pizza juicy, tasty and filling. 

Sinister - vegan w/ Daiya

Cool box!

If you haven't had this pizza, I highly suggest that you do. The names are cool, the options are endless and they can make any pizza vegan! Obviously not the meat pizzas but any of the veggie options can be done vegan and I'm sure you can create your own. I love pizza shops that have daiya. Ordering a pizza to be delivered to my couch is a luxury I took advantage of when I wasn't vegan. LOL

ALSO, you can place your order online! Love that. If you wanna pick them up and are in the West End, check them out at 1074 Davie Street. Tell Steve I say what up.

Peace

xoxo

K

Summer recap

I had some fun last few weeks of Summer. Lots of friends, food and good times. Sad it's officially over but it will always be in my heart, lol. Here's some snap shots of the last bit of Summer:

Mongrillian - Duncan

Keith's, kale salad and a hammock

Vegan Banh Mi from Whole Foods

Veggie burger on Wreck Beach

Toppings galore!

Family supper

Sol Cuisine burger with peach salsa

Gorgeous birthday cake

YUM

Birthday boy, Eduardo

There you have it! Fun times. More to be had, just now I'll be wearing a scarf. lol. I'm actually really excited to cook some Fall food. I baked an avocado the other day and I'm feeling like it might be a new fave! Stay tuned for some reviews. I checked out Acorn recently.

Peace

xoxo

K

Restaurant Review: Yolks Breakfast

When I heard the buzz that a breakfast food truck was going to be opening in Vancouver I was seriously excited. I looked at some pics and saw the beautifully shot pictures of some items from their menu and was seriously impressed. Even though it was all meat and eggs, it looked spectacular.  

I found out about the opening of Yolks Breakfast 3 days late, but immediately sent all my coworkers an email demanding that they go try it and tell me all about it.....then I found their website and menu. They have a veggie option!!! Of course that means I def have to try it.

My friend Laura and I jetted over to their spot at Beatty and Dunsmuir for breaky one weekday.  

Located at Beatty and Dunsmuir, Stadium Skytrain Station

Croque Madame Muffin

Croque Madame Muffin

My friend Laura got the croque madame muffin which has a poached egg and hollandaise sauce. Visually it is stunning. It's a compostable container but the plating is amazing. I've been told they are quite delicious. A few friends have had them and enjoyed themselves. A couple say they weren't blown away....can't please em all. ;)

Tempura-panko Avocado Tacos w/ Hash Brown Skewer

Tempura-panko avocado tacos

Nom nom nom

I really enjoyed these tacos. Its a cool idea for a food truck and we don't have any others in Vancouver so good on them! But I wouldn't say its perfection. I thought the tacos were good but basically its just deep fried avocado. Lots of fat but not a lot of substance. It need something else in it.

I was happy that I decided to get the hash browns. Anything with truffle oil must be ordered. I LOVE truffle oil; was super happy to see that on the menu. :) The hash browns were perfectly cooked, and obviously a good quality potato, but they were nothing special. I thought there would be more truffle oil but I didn't taste it. Maybe they forgot it or something. But I was disappointed.

I do want to clarify that I did enjoy it. I thought they were pretty good and I was satisfied but it could be better. I will def go back and try them again or take peeps there to spread the love. It's a cool concept!

Peace

xoxo

K