Calgary has a few great vegetarian restaurant options around the city, but I find that Buddha’s Veggie never seems to get the attention it deserves. Located in an unassuming little building at 5802 MacLeod Trail SW (right beside the Acura dealership), this restaurant serves up a mix of Asian cuisine including Canton, Szechuan, Peking, Thai, Malay and Singapore specialties. The best part? Over 100 vegetarian dishes! While they also serve an equally large list of meat dishes, I’m going to focus on the faux-meat products they sell.
There are many reasons for people to not eat meat (I listed a few of mine here), but that doesn’t mean that they all suddenly stop craving delicious Chinese treats like lemon chicken and sweet and sour pork. Before discovering Buddha’s Veggie a few years ago, I was always missing the sweet and tangy perfection that is ginger beef. Luckily, vegetarians in Calgary no longer have to long for old favourites. There are even mock shrimp and fish filets done up in tasty sauces and concoctions. It’s important to note that all veggie dishes are prepared separately from the meat, quelling cross-contamination fears.
This vegetarian version of fan favourite ginger beef means everyone gets to enjoy it!
If the thought of faux-meat (made from textured vegetable proteins) makes you nervous, they offer plenty of hearty vegetable dishes such as stir-fried asparagus with fresh lily bud, crispy fresh mushrooms with a spicy salt, and mixed vegetables with almonds or a black bean sauce. Of course, there are a ton of old standbys (rice and noodle dishes.) There are also a total of 29 gluten-free dishes (meat and veggie), showing the care that goes into providing options for all dietary restrictions.
While years ago they only had vegetarian menu items, they brought in meat products to appeal to a wider audience. This is appreciated by many, because it can be difficult to convince omni friends and family to go to a restaurant that solely sells vegetarian meals. It’s also a relief to know that despite being so close to the chaos of Chinook mall, parking is easy to come by in the restaurant’s lot as well as the street.
Vegetarian lunch specials including spicy braised eggplant with vermicelli, pan-fried shanghai noodles with veggie ham and mixed veggie chow mein are $8.90 from 11:30 am to 3 pm Monday through Friday. They also have meat and veggie lunch boxes for the same price, and offer daily specials with discounts on the most popular dishes (such as ginger beef on Wednesdays and Kung Po chicken on Saturdays, meat or faux-meat) for $9.90. There are also meal combos for two, four or six people if you want to try a variety of dishes.
If you’re looking for a licensed restaurant that can please the whole family regardless of dietary restrictions, Buddha’s Veggie is the place to go. The service is always friendly, and the restaurant is usually quiet enough to enjoy the company of your companions without having to strain to hear or speak over music or crowds. I recommend the ginger beef and the veggie peppered beef with Shanghai noodles!
Filled with veggies, faux-beef and shanghai noodles in a peppery sauce, this meal has it all.
Open Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesdays), check the website for most up-to-date hours and info on daily specials.