During my break from doing SkipTheDishes and DoorDash, I tried the Aloo Gobi dosa (potato cauliflower). I asked the staff to ensure there’s no yogurt, milk or butter and the chef assured me that it was vegan.
Morsel of aloo gobi dosa on a fork
The outter shell was really crispy and airy. It reminded me of a crepe-like texture and mouth feel! The filling was savoury with little visits of tart from diced tomatoes.
It also came with two dipping sauce and a rich soup that was more like a stew. The dish felt really light and refreshing. Quite splendid for a beautiful sunny summer day! Very enjoyable, so I’ll be back again! Give them a try. Others seem to love Chettinad as well. At the time of this writing, they have a 4.5/5 star rating on DoorDash, out of a total 785 ratings. Not too shabbay!
Photo deep-fried agedashi tofu. Hyack Sushi at 55 8th St, New Westminster, BC V3M 3N9
Delicious deep fried tofu and avocado mango rolls. The agedashi was nice and crispy with a sweet and savoury soy glaze on top, all over a bed of mixed veggies (broccoli, cabbage, bean sprouts, and carrots.
They have a lot of vegan options. So, next time you’re in New West, you may want to give them a try. They are located in New West at 55 8th Street.
Check out Hyack Sushi for some good vegan sushi rolls and deep fried tofu!
Taco Del Mar in New West. They serve Mexican Baja-style burritos and tacos. Address:Â 805 Boyd St, New Westminster, BC V3M 5G7
It was great to find that Taco Del Mar has plant based meat options now. However, I found the Beyond Meat crumble very tough and dryyy. I would not want to eat it again. I hope that Beyond improves their formula, because I do love their burger patties. I have yet to try their breakfast sausage links, but I’ve heard a lot of really good things.
If you need some good filling mexican burritos or tacos, head over to Taco Del Mar for your fix. They’re located in New West at 805 Boyd St, New Westminster, BC V3M 5G7.
Check out TACO DEL MAR for some good Mexican Baha style tacos and burritos!
Writing this blog post makes me want another one…Oh gawdddddddd…The weird thing is that this beyond patty didn’t taste like the ones from the grocery stores or A&W, or even other restaurants that carry it. I’m not sure why the texture and flavour seemed so different to me. Visually, it looked like it was deep fried and more pale or something.
Beyond Meat White Spot Vegan Burger
Nevertheless, it tasted so nice. It had creamy avocado, charred corn, pickled red onions, and crisp iceberg lettuce. Looking at their website, it had jalapeno ranch, and an edamame hummus (never even heard of this!). They also included a coleslaw, but I wasn’t sure if it was vegan, so I just avoided it.
Out of pure food science, I’ve tried Pizza Pizza’s vegan calzone and panzerotti at, like, three locations. They’re actually slightly different (texture and size most notably). But, they were all really really yummy in my frikkin’ tummy. I love the oozing cheese and the tangy tomato sauce. Remember to add dairy-free chese and a plant-based meat option.
The prices were about the same at all locations (Burnaby, Surrey, and South Surrey): around 7 bucks. I think it’s a pretty good deal. Not the healthiest thing to eat, of course.
I had the honour of being featured on AmazingVegansBC where my new friend Jezryl, and fellow vegan, shares the journey and lifestyle of amazing vegans here in beautiful British Columbia. This photoshoot was at one of my favourite parks since childhood: Bear Creek Park in Surrey, BC. I was delighted to learn in the summer of 2019 that they’ve installed some calisthenic bars and benches there- just beside the big track. Be sure to check it out if you’re looking for a good outdoor workout!
Jezryl, awesome time meeting you brother. Looking forward to future photoshoots to document my journey and progression as a vegan. And, of course, looking forward to sharing good eats with ya, too! Cheers, bro!
10-piece A&W nuggets made by Lightlife. At the time of this writing (Dec. 15 2019), Lightlife’s nuggets are being served at all A&W locations across Ontario and British Columbia, Canada.The nuggets were surprisingly juicy (like wtf is that? some sort of plant-based oil?)
The Taste & Texture
The outter batter or crust was super crispy and crunchy. Very satisfying. The inside had a meaty texture and a nice flavour. It wasn’t too strong in flavour, so I ate my 10-piece with a pack (or six) of ketchup (Goddamn ketchup is good, aint it?…it’s like crack, but better, if I knew what crack tasted like). For more information on what’s inside these tasty nuggets, you can check out Lifelife’s website: https://lightlife.com/en-ca/ .
The Price & Verdict
The cost? 6-piece for $5.99 and 10-piece of $8.99 PLUS tax… so, about a loonie per nugget. Was the price worth it? Not really…I’d rather spend 7 bucks or so to get a big bag of Gardein crispy tenders (those fake chicken, chick’n, tricken strip things). This walking vegan billboard gives these nuggets an 8/10. Thank you A&W for bringing more plant-based options. Let’s keep it comin’!
This place was not bad. I almost stepped out after looking at the unimpressive vegan selection (Like, where’s my little box of vegan options, and little green leaf logos, huh? Come on now! It’s 2019). The friendly and very persuasive staff convinced me to try some of their stuff. She even threw in some social proof by stating that they have a lot of regular vegan patrons. Okay, so I gave them a shot!
Pho 37’s Vegan Pho Option at 8328 Capstan Way #1101, Richmond, BC V6X 2H8
Verdict:The Vegan pho broth was very flavorful, actually it was a bit too sweet for my taste. My feeling was that they use some veggie seasoning powder and just put a few too many table spoons. Otherwise, it was some delicious soup to have during this “Winter is coming” season in Raincouver. A little less seasoning, or a little splash of hot water, and Voila (again, that’s just my opinion, so take it with a grain of seasoning). Also, the rice noodles were perfect might I add. Well-cooked noodles are expected, sure, but much appreciated nevertheless. Very grateful. *presses hands together palm to palm and chants: Ohmmm….*
Spring Rolls
Vegan Spring Rolls at Pho 37
Okay, so I asked two staff members and they said these “egg” rolls or spring rolls are vegan. Yes, I specifically asked about the wrap and whether or not it had egg in it. After the second staff member confidently confirmed that there is no egg, I actually overheard him double-check, in Vietnamese, with another male staff that there was no egg. At last, my limited Vietnamese language abilities came in handy. Woohoo! Anyway, they were pretty damn tasty!
Tea-riffic Tea
Pho 37’s Complementary Tea
Usually complementary tea ain’t something to blog about, but it really had me appreciating life, and thinking, what kind of tea is this? It had this really roast-tea or rice-y flavor or something.
Hmm…I never did end up asking. I felt like I used up all three of my questions about the vegan soup and spring rolls. My friend and I ate right up until closing, too (which was around 9:00pm that weekday). SO, I didn’t want to push my luck. All in all, seems like a pretty nice (possibly family-run) business that wants your business! If you check out their vegan options, let me know what you think! Would love to hear from you!
Pho 37 at 8328 Capstan Way #1101, Richmond, BC V6X 2H8
If a Vegan “chicken” nugget looks like a chicken nugget and tastes like a chicken nugget, is it a chicken nugget? – Jacob H.
After hearing about Happy Veggie World from friends over the past 3 years, I finally got to visit them in Richmond this October. My god, what was I waiting for? (Actually, I went twice before, but showed up when they were closed… Woops! My bad!) So, I hope this post inspires you so that you don’t make the same mistake I did. For your faux meats and mock jerkys (jerky’s?), hit up Happy Veggie World! If you don’t at first succeed, try again!
Damn, look at that texture! Happy Veggie has two locations for your convenience. I visited their Main Office/warehouse at #378 – 13988 Cambie Road, Richmond, BC. Their store location is at #105 – 8231 Cambie Road, Richmond.
Their chicken drumsticks are pretty amazing. They have a nice chewy texture and a sweet savory flavor. Not too strong. Like a lot of Taiwanese food products, they’re really well-balanced.
Faux “chicken” drumsticks from Happy Veggie World.
After stocking up my freezer with my first Happy Veggie World food haul, I heated up some (okay, a lot) of oil and deep-fried these “chicken” drumsticks and their non-sentient nugget cousins.
Crispy , crunchy, and compassionate “Chicken” nuggets from Happy Veggie World
The nuggets were my fave: they’re crispy with that ever-satisfying crunch sound as you bite into them, and that warm inviting welcome of the chewy yet soft inside that I remembered from McNuggets from McDicks (Hey, by the way, McDonald’s, hurry up with your vegan burgers and McNuggets, already! It’s 2019. Thanks 😛 And yes, I’ll have fries with that :)…)
After posting these vegan goodies on my IG, my friend asked me: “if a Vegan ‘chicken’ nugget looks like a chicken nugget and tastes like a chicken nugget, is it a chicken nugget? No, Jacob, no… it is not a chicken nugget. ^^
Disclaimer: No animals were harmed in the making of these delicious nuggets. Some names of individuals may have been changed to protect the identity and privacy of individuals.
For those classic burgers and shakes, look no further! They got cute sliders, too, for a little taste of all the flava’s!
Planetary Burger is located at 3088 Main St, Vancouver, BC
I got to taste all four of their burgers a couple of weeks ago, and my favorite was the mushroom burger. I am an avid believer that variety is the spice of life, so I was excited to try each burger. The current burger line up offered is the Beet, Cauliflower, Mushroom, and the Classic Cheese.
The Strawberry shake was good, but a little tart for my liking. I think they mentioned they use real strawberry, so that’s probably why.
I’m diggin’ the paper straws. Down with plastic!
I’m used to that artificial flavor? (Hopefully no beaver butt!). I also got to taste my friend’s vanilla shake, and did I ever wish I ordered that one! – Next time! It was sweet creamy heaven. I felt the price for these small milkshakes was a little on the hefty side at $8 somethin’, but if you’re hankerin’ for a vegan milkshake, it could be just what you need.
I like my cheese curds a bit chewier, but it was aiighte.
The poutine wasn’t anything special. The fries weren’t crispy golden-brown and fluffy on the inside. The gravy was savoury with a nice smooth texture. I felt the cheese though was particularly disappointing as it was just too… soft. Yep, I want some cheese that bites back! My friend liked it though, so go try it for yourself if you’re into poutines 🙂
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Adventures of a Walking Vegan Billboard 