We found a great brunch spot before starting our trip!…read more We were in Nanaimo looking for a nice brunch spot before starting our Vancouver Island road trip, and Gabriel's Gourmet Cafe really hit the spot! We liked how easy the ordering system was. You pick up a menu, choose a table, decide what you want, and then order and pay at the counter. They give you a number, and they bring your food and drinks to your table. It's straightforward. The fresh, local ingredients stood out, and we would recommend this place if you want a tasty and filling meal. The portions were just right for our big appetites. The atmosphere was so relaxed we almost wanted to stay longer. We'd recommend starting the Nanaimo road trip here. Food: 5/5 Must Try! Service: 5/5 (hybrid-service) Kids: 3/5 Presentation: 2/5 Parking: Metered street parking is available throughout the surrounding neighbourhood. Tips: * Inside & outdoor seating available. * Great stop before heading out to explore Vancouver Island. * They have G/F and Vegan options. Would I Return: Yes

Yes, this is the place to eat. I had the hash, which did not appeal in writing but it was popular…read moreso....... Well, I loved it! In fact I spread it out more on the plate just for a good look to try and duplicate it. It was more attractive at serving but I had already dived into it

=== 1. VERDICT/VALUE 5 stars: that's what happens when you…read morecome across a desert of vegetarian places, yet find one with good food, service, at very reasonable prices! === 2. FOOD - Eggplant & Beancurd ($10.50): how does one describe how the this dish's namesake is amazing with Napa cabbage, a boiled egg, all on a bed of rice? Points for portion, taste, and price! - Vegetarian BBQ Pork Rice ($11.75): if there was a bento box that was healthy yet tasty, this may be it! From the rolls, Napa cabbage "salad", boiled egg, and the generous portion of imitation BBQ pork on rice - each compartment is a treat! === 3. SERVICE For a food stall in a food court, the service was good in English, and I heard it going well in Mandarin also. === 4. ENVIRONMENT It's the Parker Place food court, so it's as good as you are comfortable with it. Despite the closeness of the tables to each other, wheelchairs and baby strollers will fit. Parking is as good as your luck in the constantly-busy shopping complex lot.

Another fabulous lunch special. Been here a dozen times. Consistently delicious. Very nice polite…read moreowners. Attention to detail.

Best Indian restaurant in Duncan, maybe on the Island with reasonable prices and friendly staff.read more

Excellent food and clean and cute restaurant! Walking in was a delight as there is not much going…read moreon as far as the neighborhood. A hidden gem of a place.

A solid place to go by yourself or with friends. Friendly staff & lots if options for you to enjoy…read more It isn't a typical cafe (no one is serving you B at a table) but more providing large options for take aways (think multiple fridges of premade things from salads, sandwiches, frozen items, etc), huge variety of seasonal drinks & wide choices of desserts plus some warmed food options. I like this location as they do have gluten free options for my friends. Including their pizza, which is delicious (you have to ask about GF, as they do regular pizza crust too). Once you order, the hot food is served from the food pick up area. The drinks are served at another counter (where the coffee machines are). They'll take your name to call out & always leave the order sub beside the food (sometimes cashiers mistakenly hear your name as a different version but that's usually due to the volume of noise from customers - so just ask if the order included the drink you requested to confirm you're not taking someone else's food). This is the second time in a week I'm enjoying this place for lunch. Both times great food. As a single person, I can find a spot decently quick. However, if you want to enjoy lunch here with several people, arrive early or plan to do a later lunch. Especially on a Saturday, it's an extremely popular place (as downtown is busy with people going to the farmers' market too). Accessible parking, EV parking, and lots of regular parking right outside the door - all right along the train tracks. Door push to be open. Service dogs in-training can even be seen walking through here in & the washrooms. Low tables make it easier for those with walkers & wheelchairs to find a table. Seating is scattered through several rooms & the hallway. If you're sensitive to noise, try for less busy times. As when it's full during brunch & lunch times, it can be loud. Otherwise noise is average level. The busyness of the place can be a challenge if you're using an aid. So I often bring a bag with me to help carry my food so I can hold onto my drink at the same time & still use my cane while navigating the big lineup. Definitely worth a stop here if you're downtown.

It smells good the portions look great people look pleased. I kinda kind of think. I'd like to eat…read morehere someday.

One word: tempeh Ruben!…read more So creative and good. Never had anything like it before, and eat it every time I'm here.

Stopped in for a beverage and stayed for dinner. The Mojito, made with fresh pineapple, was…read moredelicious. Went for broke and splurged on a double ($4 more) and glad I did: smooth and satisfying. Need just one! Dinner: Sockeye filet sandwich on a bun that held its own. Served with roasted but not crispy, flavorful potatoes. The enchiladas which are in the Rebar Cookbook are delicious. I kept eating long after I should have. Excellent service. Drank outside and went inside for dinner to stay warm. Great restaurant. Enjoy!

Delightful vegan oasis in the desert of Duncan dining options. We got the "deli slice sandwich."…read morePerfection. Fresh, juicy lettuce and tomato. Flavorful, grilled to order deli slices. Soft, fresh bread. Highly recommended. And she threw in an extra slice of cheese, no charge! Doesn't get any better than that, does it?

Small shop, no dine in. Got an "egg" salad sandwich (1.5/5). It was pretty bland and the bread was…read morecold. Perhaps it would be better if it was toasted or grilled.

Delicious and authentic Chinese vegetarian restaurant located in the International Buddhist Temple…read more We tried a number of dishes including the sweet and sour "pork", tofu wrap, Teochow dumplings, radish cakes, sesame balls and mango pudding. The sesame balls were perhaps the best I have ever had--still warm and toasty on the outside and soft red bean goodness on the inside. Service was very kind and welcoming. The place itself is a cozy spot with around 8-10 tables that can seat 7-8 people and a handful of 2-seater tables. The restaurant opens daily from 12:30 pm-3 pm. Worth adding to any visit to this temple!

Vegetarian Chinese restaurant inside the temple. Everything is nicely made and presented. Wonderful…read moreservice. All the staff are friendly, helpful and give great recommendations. Many options from dim sum to traditional dishes to desserts. Outside the restaurant there are to go options. Their Hong Kong milk tea is so good, taste just like the ones from Hong Kong. Very clean.

I am a vegetarian, and its hard to find a good spot especially in surrey that offers a great vegan…read moremeal, thats both western and Indian. By far my fav vegan burger!! The menu was great, lots of items you can order pizza, pasta, and Indian! I got a few dishes, and I was happy with them all. I really enjoyed the veggie burger, and the tandoori paneer plate & the cauliflower wings. Everything was flavourful, and felt healthy, I didnt feel gross after eating this food (most places in surrey you feel like there is MSG and feel not good after eating it) but I felt leaving good! The place was busy when I came in and the staff was very nice and attentive Overall it is very clean, and there is absolutely no meat or eggs there. I will certainly be back to try other items on the menu!

My boyfriend and I were planning on watching a movie at the nearby Strawberry Hills Cineplex. After…read morea search of restaurants in the area, we found this one. A vegetarian bistro and we had just been talking about trying more vegetarian dishes? Why not? As the name suggests, it is small and quaint, buried in a strip mall and one of those "blink and you'll miss it" places. The decor reminded me of a contemporary restaurant where everything is chosen based on their ease of ability to be cleaned (and for the record, the place was clean), with enough seats to sit about 15 people, and I may be rounding up. We were the second table to enter and we were greeted promptly and given the menus. Perhaps I was misled by the restaurant name and did not really know what to make of the meat dishes that I saw: Beef burger? Chicken Nuggets and Fries? Crispy Chicken Burger? I saw nothing to indicate they were the vegetarian version of chicken nuggets or beef burgers, and about 2/3 of the menu was vegetarian or vegan options, so I surmised they must have put a few meat options there to satisfy any meat eaters that wander through the door. I settled on the Spaghetti with Veggie Balls and the boyfriend ordered the Veggie Curry. The pasta was quite filling (included garlic bread) and I discovered the veggie balls and/or sauce was a tad above my spiciness tolerance level, and was even spicier than the Veggie Curry. In hindsight, I wasn't surprised: it is my personal experience that a lot of the times a vegetarian dish will have a lot of spices added in. Chalk it up to not reading the ingredients carefully and thinking things through. In terms of service, I thought it was great. Water glasses were filled regularly, the waitress checked up on us to ask how we were enjoying the food. I would be very interested in coming back and trying other items on the menu!

I've been a semi-frequent customer at the Kokomo locations in Vancouver, but this was my first time…read moreat the Port Moody location. I stopped for a quick lunch and got the bean burrito. I've really enjoyed everything I've tried at Kokomo and this was no exception. The burrito was flavourful and very filling. More complex flavours than the usual Southwest-style bean burrito. Good vibes. The staff person up front was very friendly and always had a smile. The store design is bright and fun, and the tables were kept clean. Vegans, vegetarians, or those inclined toward plant-based eating will most appreciate Kokomo, but the food is interesting and objectively good enough the I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something different.

I tried this place for the first time and I was quite impressed…read more The vibe of the restaurant feels chill and it has a modern with the brightness/decor of the place. I absolutely loved it. The food was really delicious to my surprise. It actually had flavour to it which was wonderful. I would say a tad bit pricy for certain items but totally worth a try. I will definitely be back.

I have gone to the Calico Cat for 30 years. The food is fantastic and Heather's readings are…read moreamazing. Every time I get back to Canada I go there for sure.

Love the experience of having my tea leaves read! Wonderful lunch to follow - will be back.read more