Restaurants - London, ON (canada)

ZEN GARDENS omg, this place rocks so hard....too many things to say... www.zen-garden.ca 519-433-6688 also, tons of other locations around Ontario

Restaurants - Toronto, ON

Bar Burrito

5 locations throughout the greater Toronto area. I went to the one at 4918 Yonge St.

Excellent quick Mexican Burritos and the option for 'soy meat' (which turned out to be like the Grillers Crumbles). But the guy asked if I wanted it 'dairy free' and I said yes, of course. Talked to him for awhile and he said they were trying to have more Vegan options.

Good choice whereever you are in Toronto, fast and inexpensive.

www.barburrito.ca

416-733-2424

Restaurants- Ottawa, ON....Take 3

another gem of a place in Ottawa's Chinatown.....

I found myself walking around Chinatown one night and had already eaten at So Good twice that week, so I wanted to find a new place. I walked for hours it seemed and found several Chinese places with tofu dishes, but nothing that jumped out at me. I stumbled (almost literally since I had been drinking) upon a Vietnamese place just down the street from So Good.

Vietnam Palace is located at 819 Somerset West and is a very nicely decorated restaurant. The staff there was very interested when I said I was vegan; they have what they called "Specialty Vegetarian Food". It was not much, but it was cool to see they were trying to offer something different. Their menu is 90% meat, but the 10% that is veggie was very good. Their menu is also in French and English, which meant that the section was called "Vegetarian/Mets Vegetariens". I had their Vegetarian Salad Rolls, which were what we usually call Rice Paper Rolls; tofu, noodles, carrots, in a rice paper roll with peantu sauce. Their Spring Rolls were also good (I got an order for later that night). They had some good looking soups (not that I ate them); Tomato and Beancurd Soup, Pineapple Sour Soup, and Vegetable Soup to name a few. They had a fried tofu appetizer, Lotus Salad, and Young Papaya Salad amongst other Appetizers and Salads. I was really impressed with their entrees though (yes, I got two of them). Their specialties were Vegetarian Chicken stir fried with Lemongrass and Chili, the same dish with Vegetarian Beef, Vegetarian Grilled Pork Wrap with Salad Vegetables in Rice Paper, and the same dish with Grilled Vegetables too. I got the Fried Beancurd with Tomato Sauce (and I added Veggie Chicken to it) and it was amazing! I also got the Fried Beancurd with Black Bean Sauce (and added Veggie Beef to it) and was also equally amazing. They had tons of other noodle dishes, fried rices, and assorted other vegetable dishes. I still think that So Good is a healthier and better choice, but if you are in Ottawa and wanted some good Vietnamese food; go here! 613-238-6758

Restaurants- Ottawa cont...

Just a short walk from my hotel in Downtown was a fantastic Vegetarian Restaurant next to the University of Ottawa.

Perfection-Satisfaction-Promise is a intimate place where the food is really fresh and consists mainly of Hindu/Hare Krishna philosophy and great vegetarian food. I went here MANY times since I could walk there and received excellent food each and every time. The staff was very helpful and courteous. I told them I was vegan and they pointed out the 90% of the menu that was vegan. My favorite dish was the "Tofu Tamari Painted Potato" which was mashed potatoes covered in a great sauce and Tofu with fresh vegetables. I tried another of their "Painted Potatoes", the Paprikas Roasted Red Peppers one; it was excellent as well. The dishes proved to be very filling as I had one for lunch and then forgot to eat dinner until 9 PM that night; I really was not hungry. Their Lentil Soup was fantastic, as was the 3 bean Soup that was on special when I was there. They have good salads too (not that I ate them, but if you are so inclined, they have it). They also have a homemade Veggie Burger and a Pizza that they will make vegan. This place was very healthy, so if you wanted fried food, go somewhere else. They also had a great selection of desserts in thei front case; most of which were vegan. If you are near downtown and want a very healthy and tasty meal; go to this place first. http://www.perfectionsatisfactionpromise.ca/ 613-234-7299

Restaurants- Ottawa, ON (Canada, eh?)

I have spent probably TOO much time in Ottawa over the last couple of years. It is a very vegetarian friendly city.

They have a nice Chinatown area with TONS of restaurants, both Chinese and assorted other Asian food. Most, if not alll of them, are very vegetarian friendly since there is a large Buddhist and Hindu population. There was ONE that was far and away better than the others....

So Good Restaurant was exactly that, SO GOOD. Located on the main street in Chinatown, at 717 Somerset West, it looks like a small and dirty place, but the people were very friendly and the food was excellent. It is marketed as a "Vegetarian and Asian Food" restaurant, so it is not 100% veggie, but it has so much food for us, it did not matter that it was not completely veggie. I went here three times and got different food each time and was never disappointed. They have a Vegetarian section of their menu that made it really easy. Their Vegetarian Spring Rolls were excellent, as was their Vegetarian Dumpling appetizer. They had a tons of soups, so I tried a Sweet Corn Tofu Soup that rocked! Also, their Hot and Sour soup was good. On their menu, they have different sections for certain veggies. They have a Fried Rice section, Vermicelli and Other Noodles section, Vegetables, Beancurd, Eggplant, and Mushroom sections. They have some very interesting tofu dishes; for example; Deep Fried Tofu Balls in Mushroom Sauce, Spicy Tingly Tofu, Tofu with Ginger and Pineapple, Fried Tofu with Capital Sauce, and Tofu Ball with vegetables and Bean Thread to name a few. They also have ALL the staples; Kung Pao Tofu, General Tso's Tofu, Hunan Tofu, and Szechuan Tofu to name a few. The Eggplant Section was great too, they do NOT overcook it (which is MOST places downfall with Eggplant); Eggplant with Black Bean Sauce, Deep Fried Sweet Heart Eggplant, Thai Style Eggplant in Tofu Cheese, Eggplant in Garlic Sauce and many others. If you like Mushrooms, they have over 10 specifically Mushroom dishes. I highly recommend this place if you are in Ottawa; it is only minutes from Downtown. http://www.sogoodfood.com/ 613-233-0138

Restaurants- Toronto, ON

Toronto is one of the most vegetarian friendly cities in the world; it has too many restuarants to count....but one in particular was my favorite....

Vegetarian Haven is located at 17 Baldwin St in the Chinatown section of Toronto. I ate outside on a nice outdoor patio. The staff was very friendly and accomodating to an American looking for good Canadian veggie food. I started with the Grilled BBQ Soya Kebab and it was magnificent. The kebab was very filling, but I had to try a few other items since their menu is very extensive. I had the Spicy Szechuan Seitan Nuggets as an entree and it was unbelievably good; homemade seitan and a great, light sauce. Other patrons told me that Sweet and Sour Tempeh, the Spicy Black Bean Eggplant Tofu, and the Spaghetti with Black Pepper Steakette are some of the best vegetarian options around. They have tons of salads, soups, and various other incredibly innovative vegetarian cuisine. A vegan dessert case caps this place off well. Their double chocolate brwonie was awesome! A definite must if you're ever in Toronto. http://www.vegetarianhaven.com/