Our favorite VEGAN spots in Vancouver!

Our favorite VEGAN spots in Vancouver!

Let me start this post by saying it: We LOVE Vancouver. It's one of our possible cities to settle in someday and every opportunity we get to head north or the border, we take. I spent a week in Whistler for Thanksgiving (you can read about that HERE) and found some prime vegan spots to nosh at. Since I've now spent a few trips in the greater Vancouver area, I figured it was time to share some of my favorite vegan spots to stop at while we hang out in the city. This is not an all-inclusive list, and there are a lot of AMAZING places I've heard about but just haven't yet tried. Here are some of our favorites:

1. 4 STONES VEGETARIAN- Richmond, BC.
This menu is at least 1/2 vegan already, and they are willing to convert almost any other dish to MAKE it vegan if they can. We discovered this gem a few years ago when we booked a hotel just a block away, and have looked forward to having it again ever since. You know I love kimchi, so I'm a sucker for their kimchi fried rice, kimchi with noodles, and kimchi hot pot. The hot & sour soup (pictured right), is my FAVORITE- but the green tea is equally amazing. Strong and flavorful, you feel cleaner and healthier after just a cup. We were in Richmond for 3 nights for Alex's hockey tournament and we ate here EVERY NIGHT. Its well worth the visit, even if you're just in the area for a bit. There's another great restaurant down the road that's COMPLETELY vegan, called Spicy Vegetarian Cuisine- also worth the visit- but has a little bit weirder hours and was harder for us to catch them at a convenient time. Oh and don't forget to try the vegan spring rolls...YUM!

2. LEMONADE GLUTEN FREE BAKERY- South Cambie, Vancouver, BC.
A place that didn't pop-up on Happy Cow or any google searches, we stumbled across this cute bakery on our walk from the AirBnB we were renting to our first meal at 3G Vegetarian (listed below). The smell of freshly baked bread wafted into the street and we couldn't resist checking it out! They had a bunch of freshly baked dairy-free, gluten-free breads as well as a dessert bar and chocolate coconut cupcake that was vegan. We got the cupcake and a loaf of bread for munching. It was delicious! Worth stopping by if you're in the neighborhood.

3. SARGAM HOUSE- Vancouver, BC.
This was another place you could order quite a bit off the regular menu, and they were willing to veganize a lot of their other dishes, as well. We ordered aloo gobhi, gobhi pakora, samosas, basmati rice, and naan and were seriously impressed. We ate the leftovers for breakfast the morning and have been dreaming of it ever since. I'm now on the hunt for a GREAT Indian food restaurant in the greater Long Beach area. Anyway, this place was less than a mile from our rental, which confirms my belief that Vancouver has vegan food literally EVERYWHERE. It is so awesome.

4. 3G VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT- South Cambie, Vancouver, BC.
This place may be my second most favorite, right behind 4 Stones. The hot & sour soup was amazing, the gyoza were steamed and then fried juuuust enough, and the place was a total hole in the wall. And I mean that in the best way! The service was excellent, the food was incredible, and the location was just a 20 minute walk from our rental. What more could you want?! I loved that the tofu in the hot & sour soup here was thinly sliced and not in HUGE chunks- thats the worst. And the spring rolls were pretty damned good too, if you're into fried stuff (and I am). Oh and the ENTIRE menu is VEGAN! The perfect place to take veg-heads & meat-eaters alike. 

5. VEGAN PIZZA HOUSE- Vancouver, BC.
This was a welcome sight after a 4-mile (6.4K) walk around the city. We had worked up quite an appetite and were pretty happy there weren't many other people there. We ordered a large wheat crust pizza with pesto, Daiya cheese, tomatoes, onions, and jalapeños. It came out pretty quickly and we went hard- we ate the whole thing! It wasn't the best vegan pizza I've ever had- Cruzer's in LA simply cannot be beat. But it was pretty damn good! If you're not into Daiya, have 'em go light on the cheese. I loved that they had a pizza case where you could buy by the slice. If I lived nearby, I'd stop in a for quick, cheap lunch for sure! The best part though? The raw, vegan, gluten-free, homemade Nanaimo bars. A local treat, it has a grammar cracker crust, topped in a sweet custard layer and coated in dark chocolate. And theirs was SO GOOD. Grab one on your way out, and chat up the guy behind the counter- he's really sweet!

6. TERA V BURGER- Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC.
THE BEST BURGER I HAVE EVER HAD. Hands down, no question. It was flavorful and rich, and had a great bite- meat-like but not overly chewy or sinue-y. Alex ordered the 'No-Bull' burger, and I got the 'Smokey No-Bull' burger. His came with cheese, lettuce & tomato, and mine was slathered in BBQ sauce, swiss cheese, and sautéed onions. Alex's tasted JUST LIKE In 'n' Out- like the best fast food burger you've ever had. And mine- well, just fucking amazing, frankly. It was ooey-gooey, tangy, fresh, and better than any veggie burger I've ever had. The burgers are soy & tempeh based, and it gives them an amazing meaty texture. The restaurant has even won BEST BURGER IN VANCOUVER for the last two years. I bet meat eaters are fooled by this place all the time. Oh, and those fries! They were obviously fresh-cut and fried to a perfectly golden and crispy perfection. There are also at least 5 other burgers on the menu, as well as soup, salads, and smoothies. If you're in VanCity do yourself a favor and GO HERE! 

7. EDIBLE FLOURS- Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC.
We knew Edible Flours was 100% vegan 'cause we found it on Happy Cow. We didn't realize they offered soy-free, wheat-free, and gluten-free options too! We walked into the cozy, warm bakery to see a few small tables and a well-stocked bakery case with a beautiful open kitchen behind it. The baker was making fresh pastries when we walked in, and it was cool to see her work- plus, it smelled AMAZING! We ended up ordering two large cinnamon rolls (one with raspberries), a blueberry lemon scone, a chocolate chip cookie and a vanilla donut with frosting and sprinkles. We ate them ALL that day, and I'm not even ashamed. They were some of the best gluten-free pastries I have ever eaten. They still had a great texture and crumb, and they were buttery and soft and perfect. It's a good thing I don't live nearby, 'cause I would drop some serious dough here. HA! Get it? DOUGH!