Burnaby is home to a plethora of vegan and vegetarian restaurants, some showcasing traditional cuisines such as North Indian or Vietnamese cuisines, and others offering experimental or Western fare. Above all, these vegetarian-friendly restaurants are affordable, with most items costing $10 or less. These eateries won’t break the bank on your next meat-free tour of the city. [Photo credit: iStock.com/pictafolio]
Vegetarians who love Vietnamese food – and who also may be tired of ordering the veggie salad roll – need look no further than Paradise Vegetarian Noodle House located inside an unassuming Burnaby strip mall. This clean-lined restaurant offers vegan versions of just about every Vietnamese dish under the sun, including pho, spring rolls and hotpots, and all are just as good as their originals, and arguably healthier, too.
The Ladle pledges to offer healthy vegetarian cuisine that even students can afford, but just about anyone else can eat here, too. Located inside the food court at Simon Fraser University’s Burnaby campus, the small café offers a simple menu of typical student fare with a veg-friendly twist including soups, grilled cheeses, burritos and tofu nuggets. The vegetarian Shepard’s pie is truly wondrous (how do they make it so meaty, so hearty?) – and the best part? Most items on the menu are less than $5.
Lupii Café’s all gluten-free, all vegetarian buffet menu changes every morning but typically includes soups, chillis, eggs, yogurt parfaits, fruit and crunchy oat cookies. And one can enjoy all this for less than $5 – an unbelievable price that also includes coffee, juices and a wide selection of teas. Go here with a happy wallet but consider making a donation, too, because the restaurant also engages in important community outreach programming such as monthly free dinners hosted at local community centers – plus, all Lupii produce is sourced from farms and suppliers “who prioritize cruelty-free, ethical food production” and low-waste, of course.
Located on bustling Kingsway Street, Dharma Garden serves traditional Vietnamese dishes, most of which are less than $10, all of which are vegan and meat-free. With a lack of flavourful meats, good vegetarian Vietnamese subs can be especially hard to come by – but not here, where they’re just the right amount of saucy, spicy and doughy. Before you go, perhaps plan to eat your steaming pho with puffed tofu bits and crunchy spring rolls in the great outdoors, because the restaurant is more similar to a kiosk than a sit-down affair.