BY PAUL REID

#180 – 3665 Kingsway
Vancouver, BC V5R 5W2
(604) 431-7789

Spicy Thai green curry at Lotus Seed Vegetarian Restaurant

Greetings RC. Good news: we have a new restaurant in the community that is going to help lead us into a more healthy lifestyle. Let’s give a big warm welcome to Van Loc and Amy who are bringing to our community health and awareness. “Awareness of healthy choices for food, our bodies, our community and our planet.” Their headquarters: the Lotus Seed Vegetarian Restaurant, named for the lotus, a divine symbol in Asian traditions representing the virtues of purity.

Located in the Boundary Plaza (at the corner of Boundary Road and Kingsway), between Starbucks and Bikram Yoga Metrotown, you can find parking there, free for up to one hour. Of course, though, being a healthy type, you may be arriving on foot. In that case, just head on in.

Once inside the nicely renovated interior, sporting a Zen-like simplicity and beauty, one can now choose from among Lotus Seed’s gourmet vegetarian offerings. All the menu will likely grow, Van Loc and Amy are starting off with relatively few items to ensure quality and freshness.

My accomplice and I, and guest accomplice, our niece Tania, can tell you first hand about three of them. We had the Spicy Thai Green Curry (tofu, mushrooms, potatoes, cauliflower, pineapple, green pepper, carrots, chick peas, green beans, garlic and onion with coconut base). With choice of rice or tortilla ($8.95). We also had the Zucchini Organic Brown Rice Lasagna (with home-made tomato sauce, top with sunflower, sesame, basil pesto ($8.95). And to round it out, the South American Baked Burrito (cheese, beans, basmati rice, sour cream, red cabbage, salsa, green pepper and guacamole, $8.95). We shared everything and my two accomplices and I gave each dish a big thumbs up! Super delicious. You will taste the love and goodness in each bite and boy, were we full.

Lotus Seed owners Amy and Van Loc

Although this is by far not their first restaurant venture, this is their first vegetarian one. Van Loc, who has been a vegetarian for about five years now, says, “I had epiphany in my life where I wanted to make better choices for myself and my family. Better choices starting with food. And now I hope to make that food for everyone.”

A natural-born chef, Van Loc has been cooking from an early age. “Because I wanted to, because I have a passion for food.” Also because he started to criticize his mother’s cooking so much that she let him take over. That was when he was 12!

So, we’re telling you, Lotus Seed is the bomb, but you can’t really know until you taste for yourself. So if you haven’t done so already, do yourself a favour and head to the Lotus Seed. You can welcome Van Loc and Amy to RC, and of course try Lotus Seed’s healthy and delicious vegetarian food. You will love it. Bon appetit.

Copyright (c) 2014 Renfrew-Collingwood Community News