Paradise Vietnamese Noodle House: 8681 10th Ave., Burnaby, B.C.

Spicy Lemongrass Veggie Chicken

Note: This review is from 8/12/2012

After Veg Fest in Vancouver last weekend, my husband Doug and I realized we couldn't stop thinking about the menu we saw for the  Paradise Noodle House--so many yummy sounding dishes to try. So yesterday Doug picked me up after work and we headed to to B.C. for dinner.

Paradise Noodle House is now 100% vegan, which meant we had a very difficult time deciding what to order. Planning ahead, we opted for skipping an appetizer so that we could make sure and have dessert instead. For an entree, I chose the spicy lemongrass veggie chicken, and Doug decided to try the broccoli veggie chicken with black bean sauce. We of course planned on sharing so that we could each sample both dishes. We ordered a side of steamed brown rice, and happily sipped our fragrant jasmine green tea as we waited for our dinner.

Broccoli Veggie Chicken with Black Bean Sauce

The woman who took our order was really friendly and nice, and made us feel very welcome. Our food looked and tasted amazing. The spicy lemongrass wasn't too spicy--(I realized I probably should have ordered hot instead of medium)--and the lemongrass flavor was really nice and blended well with the flavor of the peppers. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted fresh. The "chicken" reminded me a bit of tofurky in terms of the texture, and it went really well with the choice of sauce and veggies.

The broccoli dish was wonderful as well, and the broccoli soaked up the flavor of the black bean sauce quite nicely. I couldn't decide which dish I liked better because they were both very different in terms of seasoning and flavor, but they were each so tasty in their own way.

Vegan Cheesecake with Strawberry Topping

For dessert I chose the vegan cheesecake with strawberry topping. My husband immediately gravitated towards the taro pastry, having no idea what it would be, only knowing that he likes taro and he also likes pastries. The cheesecake was yummy with a strong almond flavor in the filling. It was very dense and rich, and a little different than the vegan cheesecakes I have had in the past.

Taro Pastry

Doug was beyond pleased with his pastry and knew he had made a good choice for himself, especially when he saw that there were not just one but TWO pastries on the plate! I had a couple of small  bites and it kind of reminded me of a really delicious doughnut, and yet there was also something a little different than a doughnut about it--it is sort of hard to describe. We both agreed the picture does not accurately reflect how delicious it tasted. (The menu also listed fried banana with vegan ice cream as another possible dessert choice that I am sure we will sample at some point in the future...)

Before we left, we chatted a bit with the woman who had been helping us, and she asked where we were from, and whether or not there were any vegan restaurants where we lived. We told her we were from Bellingham, and that while we had some great vegan-friendly places in town, unfortunately there was no place that was completely vegan. She seemed surprised when we told her there was no place like this where we lived, but then she smiled when we explained that just meant we would be sure to return again soon!