Sylvan Korvus

So I entered a contest at VegFest, and won $20 off a bin of organic veggies from Green Earth Organics. Yay! I signed up on their website (which was a little difficult; their signup form needs some improvement, which I let them know about), and made some adjustments to the content of my first bin.

The bin showed up today. The delivery guy, Steve, was very friendly and helpful, and I appreciated that they showed up at 5:30, when I was at home. However… I certainly looked at the list of items I would be receiving while on the website, but I suppose the actual quantity of food didn’t register with me. The contents of the bin were as pictured:

This is great looking food, and I’m all for supporting organic growers… but there’s really not much of it. At $20 off, it’s a good deal. But I must admit I have a modest income, and certainly can’t afford to spend $27 every two weeks on an arm-full of organic delights. I would normally pay less than $10 for this amount of food at Kin’s Farm Market… admittedly, not organic.

I’m sure if you’re one of those purchasing larger bins it might be more cost-effective, or if you’re one of those people too busy to shop, it may be worth it. But while I look forward to enjoying this food, I don’t think I’ll continue as a customer.

I attended VegFest on Main Street yesterday, which was awesome. Vegetarian, vegan, and animal-rights related booths stretched for over 2 blocks, and there were thick crowds of Car-Free Vancouver Day attendees sampling wares, checking out goods, and picking up literature.

I picked up a great new non-leather belt from Nice Shoes, enjoyed dim-sum lunch at Whole Vegetarian, and ran into Janna of Astrosatchel Accessories. There’s also several new vegan/vegetarian bakeries in town: The Gluten Free Epicurean, Sprout Vegan Bakery, Sustainably Sweet, and a chocolatier, Zimt Artisan Chocolates. Of course, Edible Flours had a booth as well, and were so popular they sold out. Oh, plus a shout out to Karmavore for being there as well! I’m so glad to see so many vegan businesses starting and thriving in Vancouver!

I attended a party last night, and picked up some delightful goodies from Edible Flours: gluten-free banana bread & cupcakes, and an assortment of other vegan cookies & donuts. They went over well!

Reportedly from the ashes of Loving Hut, a new all-vegan pizza place has arrived in the East Side, a block east of Victoria on Kingsway.

Edible Flours has opened their new shop, on Broadway between Vine and Yew in Kitsilano. Stop by for some incredibly tasty baked treats, including gluten-free options.

I’m delighted to learn about the upcoming VegFest Vancouver, happening June 19, 2011 on Main Street at 19th Ave! It’s going to feature numerous local vegan goods and food vendors, as well as performing artists and info booths for animal rights organizations. The event is put on by Saving Animals, a local animal rights and vegan advocacy group.

Nice Shoes is a new store specializing in vegan footwear and accessories, located near Mount Pleasant at 20th & Fraser.

Last night I visited Po Kong (1334 Kingsway, 604-876-3088) for Valentines dinner. This is the spiritual successor to the original Bo Kong, owned as I understand it by a member of the same family. The food is delicious as ever, the staff friendly, and the place is bright and clean. The bean curd skins in black bean sauce remains a favorite dish, the jai (wheat gluten) is juicy and succulent, and I also had the deluxe chow mein (the waiter assures me the noodles have no eggs). For something exciting, try the sizzling shishkabobs or a hotpot.

The menu is very similar to what is found at Whole Vegetarian, but both represent traditional Chinese Buddhist cuisine: I saw many of the same dishes when I visited Buddhist restaurants and a monastery in Hong Kong. The portions are large, and you’ll likely want to take your leftovers home.

Tessa Cheng, a psychology student at UBC, is doing a study on “personal food choices and backgrounds”. There’s a draw to win $300 for participants, so if you’re interested, go take the survey! Tessa can be reached at: animal.perceptions@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Truth Belts, a Canadian maker of non-leather belts, will be here in Vancouver at the Circle Craft Christmas Market from November 17 to the 21st. Good time to pick up a nice looking animal-friendly belt for someone special!

At the kind invitation of chef and proprietor Alessandra Quaglia, my “plus one” and I attended the Provence Mediterranean Grill’s inaugural “Meatless Mardi” last night. While Vancouver has a plethora of fantastic vegetarian restaurants, generally none of them offer anything resembling traditional fine-dining. Provence’s tasteful and cozy environment and Tuesday night menu changes that, providing an authentic upscale French dining experience.

Meatless Mardi is an experiment for proprietress Alessandra, but one she seems passionate about, expressing a genuine concern about the environmental impacts of meat production. She has taken the concerns of vegans and others with specific dietary needs to heart in selecting the foods and ingredients used for the evening: the breads are dairy-free, and the main course can be veganized on request. She mentioned the possibility of making everything vegan by default in future.

Meatless Mardi features a three-course prix fixe menu for $25. The meal begins with olives & focaccia, baguette and balsamic vinaigrette. The appetizer was a plate with Shaved Fennel Carpaccio, Fennel Seed and Lemon Marinated Carrots, and Chickpea Crouton. The fennel was a bit of an unusual experience for me, but the carrots and topping were good.


The main course was Roasted Artichoke, Bell Pepper, Spinach and Goat Cheese Open Ravioli
with Tomato Basil Coulis, and with Daiya mozarella substituted for the goat cheese on request. The presentation was excellent, and the robust melody of flavours was fantastic. This is absolutely a dish that anyone can surely appreciate. We had organic herbal teas, and then dessert was Pear Ginger Tarte Tatin with Chocolate Sorbetto. Absolutely delicious.


Overall, this was a fantastic dining experience, and I think Provence’s Meatless Mardi is going to be a great way to show people that vegetarian meals can satisfy even the most demanding and discerning foodies. The portions were generous, the service friendly and professional – they seemed to take dealing with the concerns of picky vegans in stride, albeit being a little new to it – and it is clear that Provence is making a sincere effort to reach out to Vancouver’s vegetarian & vegan community.


Provence Mediterranean Grill
4473 West 10th Ave.
604.222.1980

Earthsave’s Taste of Health festival is happening this fall on October 23, at the Masonic Hall, 1495 West 8th Ave. Tickets are only $5, and it’s free for Earthsave members. As with previous years, the event will feature numerous food vendors showcasing their wares, cooking demonstrations, workshops, and an evening keynote by John Robbins, who started Earthsave. For more info, visit the Taste of Health site.

What was formerly the Bo Kong is now Whole Vegetarian, seemingly barely changed, with some of the same staff as well. Still wonderful Buddhist Chinese cuisine.

Edible Flours started up earlier this year as a new specialty vegan bakery in Vancouver.

I’m adding a section to the site called “Veg-Friendly”, to list those restaurants that make a sincere effort to cater to vegetarians & vegans. It’s going to be fairly restrictive however. Nuba, sure! Chill Winston, not so much.

The Vegan Spoon is a blog exploring Vancouver’s vegetarian restaurants.

Daiya Cheese is now available from (of all places) Dussa’s Ham & Cheese at the Granville Island Public Market.

Vancouver vegans are hosting a Chile Bake Sale Benefit on Friday, March 12th at Radha Yoga and Eatery on Main Street, from 6:30 to 10. Bring vegan goodies, or your own containers to bring home your delicious finds! Proceeds are going to help survivors of the Chilean earthquake.

Very sad news for lovers of Chinese vegetarian fare: the Bo Kong on Main Street has closed down. Their Richmond location is still open though, and the nearby 3G Vegetarian, at Cambie & 18th, has fantastic Chinese veggie food!

I have been terribly remiss in not mentioning Karmavore before now. Karmavore is Vancouver’s latest all-vegan store, located in New Westminster on East Columbia street. The shop offers a wide selection of vegan food, clothing, health and other products, and offers online ordering as well. You can also join their Facebook Group and follow them on Twitter. Karmavore is a vibrant addition to Vancouver’s vegan scene!

I’ve just learned about Daiya non-dairy cheese, made by Daiya Foods, a company in North Vancouver. It’s free of common allergens and is touted as shredding and melting like the real thing. I’m told that it’s now being served at The Naam as an optional replacement for dairy cheese.

Chicake is a healthy, vegan cheesecake made by a local baker. It’s available at numerous locations throughout the Metro Vancouver area.

Saje Natural Wellness is a chain of Canadian-owned stores and boutiques specializing in all-natural, animal-product free health and beauty products. They have locations in Metrotown, Kitsilano, Robson Street, Surrey, Langley, West Van, White Rock, Coquitlam, and elsewhere in BC and Alberta.

Snail House Bakery is a new vegan bakery in Kerrisdale featuring organic and low-fat treats including cakes, cupcakes, biscuits and cookies.

The Libra Room includes several vegetarian items on their menu.

Liberation BC is a local animal rights and vegetarian/vegan advocacy group with several active campaigns. Check them out & get involved!

A UK Group, VeggieWorld, have done a series of videos about vegetarian restaurants in Vancouver, called Veggie In Vancouver. These short YouTube videos discuss the food at local restaurants and give some behind-the-scenes info about our local vegetarian and vegan businesses!

Queen Bee Luxuries is a boutique in the thriving Main & Broadway area that specializes in vegan soaps and body-care products, as well as corsets, hats, and jewellery from local and independent designers. They’re located at 76 Kingsway. Check their site for hours!

I have since moved this site over to WordPress, but I wanted to preserve all my old posts. 10 years since I started this site!

:: Sept 14, 2007 ::
Short notice, but there is a Vegetarian Food Fair taking place in Richmond this Sunday, September 16 from 12PM to 2PM, at the Ling Yen Mountain Temple. The address is 10060 No. 5 Road, Richmond.

:: May 10, 2007 ::
I stopped by the Bo Kong restaurant in Richmond, and had a plate full of “Jai”. That’s their assortment of wheat gluten cooked and flavoured in a variety of ways. It’s SO good, very filling, and even your non-veg friends will love it!

:: October 27, 2006 ::
The Vancouver Vegetarian Association has opened a Vegetarian Resource Centre on Commercial Drive! It includes snacks, literature, clothing and advocacy items!

:: December 27, 2005 ::
Sadly, the Buddhist restaurant in Chinatown closed down earlier this year. I’m very sad to see them go. However, the Bo Kong continues to serve the same delicious types of dishes.

:: August 29, 2005 ::
Wow, a whole lot of very belated updates!
Taste of Health 2005 will be happening October 1 & 2 at the Croatian Cultural Centre, 3250 Commercial Drive.
The Vancouver Vegetarian Association has been quite active recently, releasing a new guide to Vancouver’s vegetarian restaurants, and organizing several events.
VanVeg, the Vancouver Vegetarian Community, is a new site with information about being a vegetarian in Vancouver, a restaurant listing, and events!
The Raw Food Society of BC is a non-profit organization that informs about the benefits of a plant based raw-vegan diet.
Radha Yoga & Eatery offers homemade vegetarian & vegan food, as well as yoga classes & events

:: August 29, 2004 ::
According to PETA, Vancouver is Canada’s #1 vegetarian-friendly city. Based on all the vegetarian restaurants and health-food/organic grocers we have, I don’t doubt it for a minute.

:: August 2, 2004 ::
Don’t forget the Taste of Health vegetarian food festival is happening the weekend of August 14-15 at the Chinese Cultural Centre in Chinatown!

:: May 8, 2004 ::
Om Vegetarian is a wicked new restaurant at Cambie & 19th. More excellent Chinese/Buddhist vegetarian fare, with some variation from the menus seen at the Buddhist restaurant & Bo Kong. Pleasant space in the South Cambie village, right across the street from Choices Market.

:: July 17, 2003 ::
The Granville Island Farmer’s Market has fresh produce at prices often cheaper than Safeway or the other supermarkets. Their prices go down as the day goes on (but so does the quality available!), so if you want cheap veggies, go in the late afternoon, if you want good stuff, show up early. It’s every Thursday, 9-6, from April until the end of October, right next to the main Granville Island Market.

:: April 16, 2003 ::
The Manor Guest House offers cozy accommodations in Vancouver and offers vegetarian meals with vegan options.

:: December 2, 2002 ::
The new Vegan Store is opening on Wednesday, December 4! This shop at Oak & 8th Avenue is run by Johnathan of Vegan Voices, and features vegan clothing, food, books, and CDs.

:: November 1, 2002 ::
It’s World Vegan Day! A celebration of everything vegan, on the birthday of the formation of the original Vegan Society.

:: October 21, 2002 ::
Mike Hennigar is a reporter for CBC Newsworld who is doing a story on orthorexia. It’s described as an eating disorder that involves taking a healthy diet to an extreme such that it leads to malnourishment or unhealthy obsession. Currently, there is dispute in the medical community as to whether it even exists. However, if you know anything about it, have experienced it, or know anyone who has who might be willing to talk about it, send him an email.

:: October 15, 2002 ::
Johnathan of Vegan Voices hosted a wonderful vegan potluck Thanksgiving dinner last night at his new space here in Fairview (near Oak & Broadway). The food people brought was excellent, and there was Tofurkey of course! About 27 other vegans showed up, it was quite a party. Watch the Vegan Voices website for news of future events, or contact Johnathan and ask to be put on his mailing list.

:: September 20, 2002 ::
Choices have the new Silver Hills Bagels which are all organic, and have no dairy ingredients. Combine them with Tofutti non-dairy cream cheese and MMMMM!

:: September 18, 2002 ::
Went and checked out the Foundation Lounge last night; a very funky new place at the edge of the newly-revitalized Mount Pleasant area, at Main & 7th. The space is cool with cheap-chic furniture, local art, and urban music. The food is great with a variety from pasta & salads to Indian curry and veggieburgers; almost everything is vegan, and the servings are huge.

:: September 2, 2002 ::
The Kitsilano Hemp Company carries eco-friendly clothes, accessories, and personal products.

:: August 3, 2002 ::
I just received email from a Garmont customer rep, they also have two trail shoes that are vegan suitable: the Nagevi model (it’s “I Vegan” spelled backwards!), and the Aroya.

I’ve redesigned the site to match my personal site. Hope you guys like it!

:: August 1, 2002 ::
Garmont, in addition to their men’s Vegan boots, now has a women’s version of their all-synthetic hiking boots. You might be able to find them at Mountain Equipment Co-op

:: June 6, 2002 ::
EarthSave Canada is presenting A Taste of Health this Saturday, June 8th, at the Plaza of Nations. From 10AM to 6PM, the festival will feature several vegetarian celebrity speakers including John Robbins and Howard Lyman (“The Mad Cowboy”), musical acts, cooking demonstrations, restaurant samplings, and vegetarian products.They’re also looking for volunteers for the event if you want to help out!

:: May 17, 2002 ::
PETA is declaring victory and has called off the Safeway boycott, in both Canada and the USA. Safeway management have agreed to implement new standards for their suppliers, and begin performing unannounced audits.

:: April 30, 2002 ::
Alan Boysen, owner of Cookies of Course in Harbour Centre, is opening a new vegetarian fast-food outlet in the food court there. It’s always nice to see more places to eat downtown. He’s looking for a couple cooks and some serving staff, so if you’re interested in working in a veg-friendly place, send him an email! He’s also looking for menu suggestions, if you’d like to submit any ideas.

PETA have elaborated on their boycott of Safeway, and specified that it does, indeed, target the Canadian stores as well as the American ones. The letter I received last week was actually a slightly-edited form letter which has been distributed to many other Canadian vegetarians/vegans/animal-rights activists who contacted Safeway. PETA indicates this letter contains numerous misleading and outright deceptive statements, and I am very disappointed in Safeway’s decision to respond in this matter, instead of acknowledging that there are improvements to be made. I therefore am supporting & participating in PETA’s boycott, and urge others to do the same.

:: April 24, 2002 ::
ALERT: Denman Island Chocolate, which I recommended last month based on their own labelling, is NOT vegan! Apparently their chocolate had trace amounts of milk ingredients, which were not declared on the label. The Canada Food Inspection Agency has issued a warning for those allergic to dairy, and ordered a recall of the bars so they can be re-labelled.

I received a polite and informative letter from Sabrina Del Monte, Public Affairs Manager in BC for Safeway Canada, in response to a letter I wrote Safeway presenting some concerns I had, and the PETA boycott. Ms. Del Monte states that Safeway Canada “in no way condones the neglect, abuse, or inhumane treatment of animals”; and she also detailed their adherence to federal animal welfare laws, and cooperation with audits conducted under the auspices of Dr. Temple Grandin. While of course a vegan’s view of what constitutes “humane treatment” differs from most people’s, I’m fairly satisfied that Safeway is making progress. The PETA boycott only appears to be directed at Safeway in the USA instead of Safeway Canada; I’m still waiting for PETA’s response on the matter.

:: April 7, 2002 ::
Dreena Burton of White Rock has written a cookbook called The Everyday Vegan. I’ll let you know more about it once I have a chance to pick it up.

:: March 13, 2002 ::
PETA has called for a boycott of Safeway, due to their failure to hold their suppliers to any standard of humane treatment.

:: March 8, 2002 ::
Vegan Voices is a local vegan group that does both advocacy & outreach, as well as organizing social functions.

Brendan Brazier is a Vancouver-area triathelete who eats a vegan diet. He has plenty of info relevant to vegans & vegetarians who are interested in high-performance sports. He also offers seminars for athletes interested in vegan/vegetarian diets.

:: August 1 2001 ::
I visited Urban Monks, “Zen Cuisine” vegetarian/vegan café last night. This place opened in Yaletown just three months ago, features a very cosy (albeit new-agey) interior, and has great food. I went with a couple friends after going to a movie, and my non-veg friend absolutely loved the food. If you’re downtown this is definitely worth visiting; it’s only a few blocks from Robson & Granville.

:: June 26 2001 ::
ATTENTION!The Ministry of the Attorney General is currently in a consultation process with the public regarding possible mandatory labelling of genetically modified foods in British Columbia.
You can submit your comments following a link from the Discussion Paper page:
http://www.ag.gov.bc.ca/legislation/gef/ge_consultation_info.htm

:: June 24 2001 ::
Green International Trading Co. next to the Bo Kong restaurant sells frozen soya and gluten products and other Asian vegetarian foods.

:: June 2 2001 ::
Silver Hills Bakery in Burnaby makes fantastic bread from organicly grown grains, and most of their breads are 100% vegan (a few have honey). You can buy their breads at most better grocery stores (Capers, Choices, Safeway, etc.) and also order online.

:: February 27 2001 ::
I’ve received some printed literature from Jamieson, the following of their products are veg-friendly (they don’t make distinction between vegetarian/vegan, their Protein Powder contains milk ingredients, most of the vitamins should be safe, but read the labels): Selenium 50/100mg, Zinc 10/25/50mg, Zinc TR, Chelated Chromium, Timed Release Iron 50/35mg, Brewers Yeast 400mg, Echinacea and Goldenseal Tincture, Ech. Tinc., Ginko Tinc., St. John’s Wort Tinc., Soothex Blister/Cold Sore Medication, Alfalfa 650mg, Astragalus Root 3g, Med. Harvest Garlic, Timed Release B12 1200mcg, Biotin 250mcg, Pantothenic Acid 250mcg, Folic Acid 0.4/1mg, Kamu Jany Complex, B6 25/50/100/250, B12 25/50/100 (not the 250!?), Stress Plex multivitamin. Phew, long list. I have contacted Jamieson to let them know that labelling which vitamins are vegetarian & vegan friendly would be great.

:: February 20 2001 ::
In search of the best source of multivitamins and B12, I’ve contacted both Nature Made Vitamins and Jamieson Vitamins. According to Sky at Nature Made, their B Complex with C, B-50 T.R., B-100 T.R., and B-150 T.R. are all vegan. See theirproduct list for info.
Rose from Jamieson called and told me that their B-6 complex, B-12 complex (including time-release version), B-12 100, and Stress Plex Multivitamin [note: NOT the StressEase] are all vegan. Jamieson gets bonus points for stating on their packaging they do no animal testing.

:: November 22 2000 ::
I’ve added a photo from my dinner with the Hong Kong Vegan Society during my stay there in June.

:: October 13 2000 ::
Two women from nearby Victoria, Sarah Kramer and Tanya Bernard, have a recipe book out called How It All Vegan. It’s received excellent reviews and looks like a great source of new meal ideas.

:: September 29 2000 ::
Kate L. Pugh (“Kake”) has been really nice & put a link to this little site from her Vegan Guide to Oxford site. Thanks Kate!!

:: September 26 2000 ::
Just spoke to someone at the BC Vegetable Marketing Commission. I found out that some of their vegetables bearing the BC label are actually grown in the US, which isn’t so good. However, she also stated that none of the vegetables they market are genetically engineered, which is great news.

:: September 25 2000 ::
I had lunch yesterday at the Buddhist Vegetarian Restaurant in Chinatown. Since my trip to Hong Kong I’ve been missing the gluten dishes these types of restaurants serve; it was really nice to find some! It’s a pleasant place with a cool clientele (obviously many people from around town find it appealing) and the food we tried was great. They have a big sign up stating they don’t use any eggs, milk, honey, or MSG in preparing the food, so they’re obviously making a great effort to cater to both vegetarians and vegans. This is definitely a nice laid-back place to eat & chat in for a while.

:: September 05 2000 ::
Capers is hosting “Living Naturally – An Organic & Natural Living Fair” on September 16 and 17 at the Capers Market at 1675 Robson Street. Features BC organic farmers, music, cooking, and vitamin/nutritional experts. Might be interesting.

:: August 28 2000 ::
Well, I’ve finally managed to do the major update to this site I’ve been meaning to since I returned from Hong Kong. Pleaseemail me with any suggestions or additions you’d like to see! I hope this site will be useful to locals & visitors!

Looking for health resources in the area, I found the website of Vesanto Melina, a Registered Dietician in Langley who specializes in vegetarian/vegan diets.

:: August 14 2000 ::
Capers is now carrying Earth Balance, a 100% vegan margarine! Made from non-GMO expeller-pressed oils and is non-hydrogenated. It tastes amazing!
-Submitted by Marnie

:: June 29 2000 ::
I just spent a month living in Hong Kong, working on an web project. I probably would have starved if it weren’t for the help of the Hong Kong Vegan Society, and I’d like to thank them again for their helpful webpage. I had dinner with the society, which was great fun.

:: April 15 2000 ::
Thought I’d mention that I’ve been drinking SoGood Soymilk since I went vegan last year. It’s delicious, great on cereal and in tea, and reasonably priced. It’s available at many groceries and the 7-11 behind my apartment.

:: April 14 2000 ::
Habibi’s Restaurant on West Broadway is a wonderful little Lebanese vegetarian place. The chef knew what vegan is, the food is great and the prices wonderful. A charming environment that seems popular with some very interesting people.

Note! I stated below that Canoleo margarine was apparently vegan; it however isn’t. There’s a small amount of dairy used in its production, in the guise of “natural flavour”. I had sent an email to Springtree Corporation asking them for info about their ingredients, and while they didn’t answer most of my questions about the ingredients and the production methods, they did confirm that Canoleo isn’t vegan, for which I appreciate their honesty.

:: April 1 2000 ::
Capers is now carrying VeganRella, a vegan cheese substitute.

:: March 20 2000 ::
Earthsave Canada is a local organization promoting vegan/vegetarian diets. They have a catalog of books and other items, and membership lets you get a discount at many local businesses and restaurants.

:: March 09 2000 ::
Kea Foods at Main and 10th carries some good products including the Nature’s Path cereals, and a wide selection of bulk foods.

Oh, I don’t think I’ve mentioned Nature’s Path before this. Excellent organically based cereals (many of which are completely vegan, some however have honey) and bread made by a local company.

:: Oct 21 1999 ::
Mission Hill Wines after a very friendly phone call inform me that their entire product line is free of animal products and at no time comes in contact with animal products. They were very responsive to my suggestion that they mention on their label & website (in development) that their wines are vegan. Their special reserve Foch is also organically grown.

Capers Market is rockin. The best place to shop in town.

The charcoal in Brita water filters is made from coconut shells.

I had a great deal of difficulty recently finding a prescription-strength painkiller or even over-the-counter ibuprofin that was vegetarian. Tylenol, Motrin, Advil all fail the test. However, McDonald’s Pharmacy on Broadway was able to mix up pure ibuprofin in Vegi-Cap capsules for me, and the staff were very helpful.

Mountain Equipment Co-op carries one line of leather-free hiking boots called, not surprisingly, “Vegan”. They’re comfortable but not all that great looking.