Sophie Ritchie tries out lunch at MeeT, the Vancouver restaurant group putting a little va va voom in vegan food
I started eating a mainly plant-based diet about half a year ago, after being told I had the metabolism of an OAP and an inability to digest dairy.
I’d call myself a flexitarian, but if you ask my friends, they’ll probably tell you I’m a health freak. I love me a salad. I love me a fruit bowl. I spend far too much money on protein bars and I can downward dog like there’s no tomorrow.
But it has to be said, from time to time, I miss sinking my teeth into a deliciously juicy burger or filling my face with fries.
At MeeT, the vegan restaurant with several locations across Vancouver, giving up animal-based products doesn’t mean scrimping on the indulgent stuff in life. Instead, they believe meat-free food should be just as tasty – if not more so.
So when the opportunity arose to visit the trendy restaurant during my trip across Canada, I jumped at the chance.
The Food & Drink
I try lunch at MeeT in Yaletown, the district known for its old warehouse buildings now home to hip restaurants and cocktail lounges. Many of these offer buzzing outdoor terraces and MeeT is no exception – I arrive to find the space filled with business folk and students alike, all basking outside in the Canadian sunshine like well-dressed house cats.
MeeT operates on a first come, first served basis, so if you arrive at peak times expect a wait. Luckily, we’re shown straight to a patio table and waste no time in getting acquainted with the menu.
Split into different sections such as ‘Fries Done Right’, ‘Greenery’, ‘I Dream of Poutine’ and ‘A Bowlful’, there’s plenty to whet a foodie’s appetite. I love that the focus is on flavour and not calories – with everything from a vegan take on traditional poutine to cronuts in the lineup.
We start with a plate of glistening Sweet-Chili Cauliflower, which soon arrives looking just like a plate of glazed chicken wings. House beer-battered with a tamarind chili-ginger glaze, it’s both tender and fiery at the same time – although I’d recommend ordering two servings if there’s more than one of you.
Moving onto mains, I split The Mucho Gusto Burger and a brimming Seoul Bowl with my friend.
The former is a Tex-Mex mouthful of house-made black bean burger patty, topped with guac, pico, lettuce, chipotle mayo, house made queso, and taco strips. It’s gorgeously juicy, dripping with every savoured bite – although this makes grabbing it with two hands rather messy!
It comes served with lashings of thick-cut fries, which sit crispy in the sun whilst we grab them by the handful. We’ve spent most of this trip hiking, after all.
However, the Seoul Bowl is undeniably my dish of the day. Filled with fresh mushrooms, kale, carrots, marinated bean sprouts, scallions, sesame seeds, kimchi, shredded nori, and a sweet soy ginger sauce – it’s a swarm of flavours and textures.
I love the meaty strips of seasoned chikkin found within, as well as the bed of organic brown rice lurking at the bottom.
The Wordrobe verdict
Comfort food at its most creative. MeeT’s dishes are filling, hearty and exactly what I want before it’s time to explore the sights and sounds of Vancouver again.
If you’re headed to this cosmopolitan city anytime soon, make time for a pitstop at this hip vegan hotspot – your tastebuds won’t regret it.
Words by Sophie Ritchie
