March 10, 2021

Lotus Seed Vegan

A few years back, Richard, aka @vanfoodster, asked me to judge a vegan bowl competition he was hosting. My job, and I will no doubt have your full sympathy here, was to go around to a bunch of restaurants and try their bowls and then vote on which one I thought was the best. It was pretty awesome, but this is how I came to know Lotus Seed Vegan.

At the time, they were way out on the Vancouver/Burnaby border, a bit of a hike to get to, but a lovely, family-run business by two people who clearly cared very deeply and put a ton of love into their food.

A few years ago, Van and Amy relocated to the heart of Vancouver’s medical district, and I recently went for a mammogram (ladies, get those girls checked!) in that same building.

I was excited to try them again, and see what other things they had added to the menu.

Much of the menu is gluten-free in addition to being vegan, and I’d define it as “healthy comfort food.” Soups, salads, wraps, and curries all feature loads of veggies, so you leave feeling full, and nourished.

The last time I was there, I tried the Lemongrass Thai Curry, a bright explosion of sunny-coloured vegetables and chickpeas with rice.

This time around, we got to try a few new menu additions.

First up, Lotus Seed Vegan have produced and are selling their own products, a vegan paté, and a vegan egg substitute (you can buy these from the restaurant or Vegan Supply, or try them in a dish at the restaurant).

The paté is made with sunflower seeds, celery, leeks, soy and spices. It most resembles tuna, but it doesn’t taste fishy at all. It’s delicious on its own to dip, but would also be super tasty in a wrap or a sandwich. Van says he also mixes it into stir-fries and pastas to bolster up sauces.

The egg sub is pretty great. My friend Farzana, who is allergic to eggs, hasn’t had an omelette in years, and she couldn’t stop raving about it. She was so happy to be able to have an omelette she could actually eat! You can try the egg sub at Lotus Seed, or buy a bottle to take home to experiment with. I made these cute little mini-quiches with vegan sausage, sautéed leeks and kale. I want to try baking with it next.

We also had a big, heart- and stomach-warming bowl of pho, and of course we couldn’t not have dessert. Pistachio cheesecake? Oh yeah.

Here’s the thing: at this time, in the middle of a global pandemic, so many small businesses are really struggling to keep the lights on. Now is the time for us to support small businesses as much as we can. And I love supporting a small business that is also sustainably-minded and just serves really delicious food.