Rating: NNNNN
HEY GOOD COOKING (238 Dupont, 929-9140) Not much to look at, this alternative veggie venue in the Annex offers economical and nutritious dinners — and they’re not afraid of the spice rack! Best: country garden soup (split peas, red and white kidney beans, carrot, cabbage, celery and tomato in a dense veggie broth) spinach and squash pie (a substantial wedge of pulpy veg spiked with sage) and not strictly vegan lasagna layered with mozzarella paired with brown rice, steamed zucchini and carrots and a creamy basil-dressed salad of romaine, purple cabbage, green beans and Brussels sprouts yeast-free mini-rotis like the hellfire Caribbean potato, spinach and onion and the less-infernal adzuki bean, sesame seed, coriander, tahini and thyme — get any six to take out for $9.90! Complete dinners for $10 per person, including all taxes. Open daily 11 am to 10 pm. Smoke-free. Cash only. Unlicensed. Access: one step at door, washrooms on same floor. Rating: NNN
LOTUS GARDEN
LOTUS GARDEN
LOTUS GARDEN
(393 Dundas West, 598-1883) Buddhist vegetarian cooking takes tofu and wheat gluten and turns them into tasty and textured meat substitutes — only here with the culinary contrasts inherent in Vietnamese cuisine. Best: raw rice wrappers packed with crunchy jicama, lettuce and mint leaves and peanuts, with a sweet-and-sour citric vinegar dip glutinous agar salad with juliennes of carrot and daikon and imitation fish sauce dressing faux-beef satay with peppers and lemon grass, sesame and peanut sauce organic shakes like durian, soursop or avocado fried banana fritters and silky honey-ginger tofu pudding. Complete dinners for $10 per person, including all taxes and tip. Open daily noon to 10 pm. Smoke-free. Cash only. Unlicensed. Access: barrier-free. Rating: NNN
SIMON’S WOK (797 Gerrard East, 778-9836) A humble hole-in-the-wall on the fringe of Chinatown East and Riverdale, this vegan spot presents splendid Chinese all-veggie dishes, many featuring “meat” made from tofu or gluten. Best: peppery mock chicken with deep-fried tofu, green pepper and wood-ear fungus eggplant and bean-curd casserole in black-bean sauce stir-fried al dente watercress or broccoli and oyster mushroom sides ultra-gingery ginger fried rice Szechuan spicy tofu with mushrooms huge meal-in-one soups. Complete dinners for $10 per person ($5 at lunch), including all taxes and tip. Open Wednesday to Monday noon to 9 pm. Closed Tuesday. Unlicensed. Smoke-free. Cash only. Access: barrier-free, washrooms in basement. Rating: NNNLooking for more vegetarian fare? Here are a few suggested places, some of them proving you don’t have to go to Old Chinatown for meatless masteryHot veggie haunts
Looking for more vegetarian fare? Here are a few suggested places, some of them proving you don’t have to go to Old Chinatown for meatless mastery
