Green Earth Vegetarian Cuisine
385 Broadview Avenue
Phone: 416.778.9199
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My guy and I walk into Green Earth Vegetarian Cuisine on a sunny spring day, looking for a reward. After a two hour hike through the Don Valley trail system, I have mud on my mary-janes, birdsong in my ears and a rumbling hunger in my belly. Green Earth Vegetarian is our pot of gold at the end of the Don Valley rainbow.
We start with water and recommendations. Lemon water is served quickly, but our sweetheart server lapses at recommendations, dreamily telling us she loves everything on the extensive menu. Are we vegetarians, or vegans? Neither? Oh, in that case... she lead us to the menu's fake meat dishes. These good intentions strike my funny bone. I do eat creatures, but I don't feel they're necessary for a good meal (hence coming to Green Earth Vegetarian for lunch). I crave a slogan that snappily expresses my solidarity with my meat-eschewing friends, a "straight, not narrow" for the omnivore crowd. Part time meat eater, full time veggie lover? Omnivore, not veg hater? Never mind. These protestations are just for show, because in the end we both order "meat" treats. Me: the Star Delight (veggie chicken stuffed with spinach--$8.95) while my sweetheart gets the Patriotic Royale (veggie steak with Chef's sauce--$7.50).
First, spring rolls. I love Vietnamese food, and with the abundance available in Toronto, I eat them a lot. So when I stay that Green Earth Vegetarian's spring rolls are the best I've had in this city, it mean it boldly, deliciously! I caps lock-underscore-multiple-hyphen love these spring rolls. With perfectly crisp shells, a savoury daikon and radish filling and a piquant dipping sauce, I believe the spring rolls at Green Earth Vegetarian are the best spring rolls in Toronto!
Next my "chicken", a chewy piece of gluteny soy goodness, pressed into chicken-ish shape. Only an herbivore could possibly mistake this dish for real bird. Although the texture is close, the flavour is not quite meat. Not quite meat, but still quite tasty. Smothered in a light, creamy sauce, stuffed with spinach and served with a side of perfectly steamed vegetables, my meal is a treat, and I devour it.
My lover's "steak" is not as great. Honestly, we don't care if it tastes like steak or not, we just want it to taste good, but there's something strange about this dish. Sweet and leathery, it hovers in a nether land between fruit and flesh. I should note here that I'm pretty sure I taste tones of banana, and the only thing I dislike more than banana is roasted silkworm pupa. That said, my guy likes banana, but he doesn't like his "steak" much either, so I gladly give him half my huge portion of "chicken". While we happily chew our faux fowl and crunch our veggies, a rich slice of chocolate cake is delivered two tables down.
When a double layered chocolate cake with ice cream and cherry on top parades through a small room, you'd better believe people notice.
If ever a cult were to be started by cake, this cake would do it. First, the couple in the corner receives their chocolate mountain, while we watch, eyes glued to thick fluffy icing. Next, the table in the middle gets one too, and we are overcome by their vociferous appreciation. Please, please, do you have any more? We need one, too!
Now, I've known some crazy fads in my day, several of them regrettable (massive jawbreakers that wore the skin off my palate, slap bracelets with wires that sliced, Hypercolor.) And then there are the trends I miss, the ones I'll gladly endorse if they come around again: Pogo Balls, Slip N' Slides, corduroy. This cake ranks among the latter, but happily, it's available now! Just one bite of soft chocolate and smooth icing and I'm ready to take back every nasty thing I ever said about vegan baking. There is a point! It is worth it!
Green Earth Vegetarian has taught me a valuable lesson: that creative use of quality ingredients will make anything delicious, and that there is a place in Toronto that can fulfill my dream of a spring roll+chocolate cake lunch. I may be an omnivore elsewhere, but Green Earth Vegetarian, I'm vegan for you!
Comments (18)
how can this be on the list of best new restaurants that opened in 2008, yet it doesn't even have a full review? what was the criteria for including it on the best of list?
I don't know what the dish above is but I can assure you that the food there is amazing! A varied menu but they pull it all together. Try the royal noodle soup and if you're into the mock stuff their chick'n is fantastic! After ten years of living in Toronto I've finally been able to settle on a favorite restaurant.
I really don't get the point of TVP (textured vegetable protein). If you're going to put so much time and effort reconstituting vegetables into something vaguely resembling meat, you might as well admit you like meat and enjoy the real deal.
Christielea,
Vegetarians don't stop eating meat because they don't like what it looks like. You know the real reasons.
I am all for people making an effort to eat less meat, but I am not such a fan of the veggie fare that requires quotes around it... like 'steak'.
Actually, some vegetarians don't eat meat because they don't like it, believe me. Others do it for health, or environmental, or cruelty reasons. But I know more than a few that don't eat it because they don't like it.
Real meat *is* awesome. That's why many vegetarians would like to see veggie products that taste as much like real meat as possible.
I beg to differ. Isn't the point of going veg to reduce consuming animals?
As one myself (lacto-ovo-veg) I see the veg patties and veg hot dogs as a way to wean off the real thing. Almost comparable to the nicotine patches. Personally, I only eat veg burgers and patties once in a while, or if it's the only veg option other than the stir-fry. (Heck, I'm Chinese, I can make my own stir-fry that's better than regular resto fare.)
The second thing of having these veg products is that it's a way of ensuring that the veg crowd are accommodated to the usual fare (Burgers and hot dogs) at social events.
I believe that the reason for TVP products to taste like meat because vegetarians are requesting it is questionable.
I've been vegetarian for seven years and at no point did I want my food to look like meat. I would not want a hamburger patty shaped like a banana, painted yellow, and perfumed with banana fragrance, and I do not want soy fixings shaped like a hamburger, given arbitrary grill marks, and smoked.
Fake meats represent a lack in culinary innovation. It makes the goal accuracy instead of deliciousness and that's just so fucking wrong. The only excuse for intentionally casting an ingredient as a poor substitute or unnatural imitation of something else is your grocery supplier dying.
It reminds me of a push-up bras. Don't make me a bra that requires fakery to be sexy. Just make me a sexy bra.
Don't make me a dish that requires fake meat to be satisfying. Just make me a satisfying dish.
Generally this can be accomplished by throwing everything in a deep fryer.
At least from the photos, I get the impression that the food is really, really bland.
The first photo looks decent, but the second one looks like the soy-chicken thing on some lettuce, brown rice and boiled veggies...the third photo has a similar formula too...
As a meat-eater who sometimes eats vegetarian meals, I'm not too impressed. King's Cafe seems to quite a bit more creative. I just wish they'd sell those Popiahs they sold at the Harbourfront Centre at their actual location...
The people who run this place are members of a weird religious cult, and have a satellite tv station broadcasting their Supreme Master's propaganda non-stop. The food is decent, but the service was borderline useless. High points-their fries and their smoothies.
To Paul: King's Cafe is amazing, but haven't they gone out of business? That "renovation" seems suspect.
As for the whole fake meat debate, I've been veggie for 13+ years and I don't miss meat, I like veggie substitutes but I don't have any mental association with them and the real thing. They are just a tasty veggie entree.
BTW, this is the cult I was referring to. Pretty harmless, but still weird.
all hail suprememaster!
some people who comment on here are so self-righteous... wtf mate, who cares if there is TVP on the loose, nobody is forcing it down your throat! No matter how much you'll hate it, there is a demand for it, and people will eat it.. if you don't like it, don't eat it!
I agree that this suprememaster cult is harmless and wierd...
This restaurant may be vegetarian, but it's far from healthy. All that mock meat is full of preservatives and artificial flavours. Everything is made of soy, which is really too bad. I'll stick to Live and Rawlicious.
Charlene,
Real meat takes real lives and cause animals real pain. That is the real reason people become vegetarian. They sacrifice their taste to save some lives. I don't like fake meat myself but I really respect those who like meat yet still become vegetarian in whatever ways they can.
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