- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Whole Vegetarian Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Vegetarian Restaurants Chinese Vegetarian, Chinese [Edit]
3068 Main StreetVancouver, BC V5T 3G5
Neighbourhood: Mount Pleasant
(604) 876-8899
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11 am - 7 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
25 reviews for Whole Vegetarian Restaurant
Review Highlights
-
"...are the bean curd skin rolls with black bean sauce and the..." In 2 reviews -
"It's the same menu as Bo Kong (thank goodness." In 10 reviews -
"...sizzling chow mein, sweet & sour pineapple delight, orange..." In 1 review
Loading...
25 reviews in English
-
Review from Amanda L.
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
I stopped in here for an appy because the line up at Burgoo next store was about 45 minutes and we just couldn't wait that long.
We ordered up spring rolls and mango pudding and to my surprise we were fed in just a few minutes, the service was average, hate to say it but very typical Chinese restaurant attitude and decoration going on inside Whole Vegetarian.
The food however was super quick, quite good, I had sever food envy looking around the tables and seeing what everyone else had going in their gullets. I will be back that's for sure!
The free tea and cookies were nice too and I sorta loved how they brought the bill in a funny little basket! -
Review from Sarah O.
3/9/2012
I liked it. We ordered the bean curd rolls which had good flavor- they were crispy and chewy. The harry melon hot pot was just alright, too much noodles. The service was a little bit skiddish but the atmosphere was chill. This is my second time trying at a Po Kong restaurant and it is still a solid 3 star for me. Some dishes are tasty but not enough for me to crave it. Overall, not bad.
-
Review from Doris L.
Vancouver, BC
10/10/2011
As a meat eater, this place is really not that impressive.
Like other reviewers, I find some of the items were extremely greasy yet lacking in flavour. Also there was very little variety in the range of flavours.
I also made a mistake of going for "dim sum" items on the menu. Let's just say that food science is just not at that stage yet where it can make plants taste like animals.
I think for a chinese restaurant, this place is also on the pricey side.
The service was just average. Nobody did anything crazy bad but nobody did anything crazy good either. -
Review from Sam L.
9/18/2011
Came here a couple of times when it was known as Bo Kong and enjoyed my food, even as a meat eater. I didn't miss it in their food.
Recently I came back - my first time since the name change to the poetic "Whole Vegetarian Restaurant", with my girlfriend who is Chinese. Again, the food was good and we enjoyed everything, especially the bean curd wrapped, five spice mushrooms.
What the hell is with the interior though? Glaring flourescent lights and emerald green chairs? It's hideous. -
Review from Boris G.
9/28/2011
This place gets one star for being a vegetarian place, second as the soup wasn't bad. Over-fried, super salty, pricey for what you get. Seems like they had lots of options, but much of a variation on the same few things.
The owner came out to give us our leftovers, while chewing food, and talked to us with said food in mouth. I think he might've been eating some of ours that he didn't put in the to-go box as it looked a little sparse. (Although, we threw it all away later so glad someone could enjoy it.) I'd suggest trying elsewhere. -
Review from Jenn J.
Vancouver, BC
8/4/2011
I eat meat but I don't miss it when I eat here.
The only 2 times I've been to this place, it's been really good. Admittedly, on both occasions I've only tried 2 dishes because my wife isn't very venturous and when she finds a dish she loves she'll order it again and again and again.
The most mind-blowing (in a good way) dish is their Taro & Vegetable Cutlet Hot Pot. Being Chinese, I grew up with Khau Yoke (a Pork belly & taro casserole) - it's a staple in Chinese comfort foods. WVR's version is just as tasty, not greasy, and therefore guilt-free!
I noticed that they have sizzling plate chow mein so I can't wait to go back and try some more dishes!
No complaints about the service either; friendly and attentive (without being in your face). I noticed at other tables when new customers weren't sure what to try, the waiters were really helpful at suggesting dishes that were accessible and tasty, and in the end well received.
In previous reviews it was mentioned that parking was available in the lot beside the restaurant. Well, unfortunately that lot is now under construction so they only have about 5 spots in the back underneath the restaurant.
Take out service is really popular and they take 10% off the bill. It's weird that their take out menu isn't as extensive as their regular menu but you can order from the regular menu for take out. They should really fix that AND, post their menu on the website. I appreciate the photos here on yelp of the menu, but the image quality is poor.
Hours: Open 7 days a week, 11am-Midnight
-1 star only because I need to try more dishes (2 isn't a fair assessment lol) -
Review from Geoff S.
Vancouver, BC
9/4/2011
This is probably my favorite restaurant in the world. There's just something about it in here. As others mentioned, everything is precisely as it was when this place was called Bo Kong. The food is wonderfully varied. The menu is pretty big, but I've never been disappointed by anything I've ordered. The service is generally very good (though there's been less wait staff lately). Favorites are the bean curd skin rolls with black bean sauce and the ginger on fresh bean curd skin sheet.
The decor is pretty plain but very nice. I've always said that if heaven had a cafeteria it would probably be this place, it's that kind of spare, efficient, but very comfortable and clean environment.
It's also open pretty late now, which is great news as you can work late and still catch take-out or a quick late meal! -
Review from Trish W.
Vancouver, BC
1/1/2012
Yay for a vegetarian place!
They have good spring rolls, but a little overpriced. Many of their main dishes are very greasy. When I was finished my meal, there was a puddle at the bottom of my take-out container almost a centimeter deep! Unacceptable. If you must cook in all those oils, at least drain it!
I am also a little put off by the "vegetarian chicken" listed on the menu. But that's just my own philosophy about disliking fake meat. Vegetarians (and everyone!) should appreciate the taste of vegetables, grains, etc, without having to pretend that it's meat. Gross. -
Review from Emmo S.
Vancouver, BC
3/17/2011
To start off with, we're vegetarians and have been coming to this place since we moved to the neighborhood a couple of years ago (when it was then called BoKong)
The menu has a reasonable amount of variety and everything is always fresh, hot and tasty. If you are used to veg asian restaurants like Padmanadi in Edmonton or Bhuddas Veggie in Calgary this menu will suit your tastebuds but will dissapoint from the more interesting dishes those other places can provide (like the curry veg chicken and the dry ribs).
Service is always great, friendly and fast. Tends to be super busy on friday nights so plan on a bit of a wait in the early evening. They do takeout also which is what we do as we live nearby.
Prices are reasonable and portions are sufficient enough for 2-4 people to share each plate. -
Review from Natalie P.
12/28/2010 1 Check-in Here
Yum, yum, yum! A vegetarian's delight! I was so crushed when the Bo Kong in Richmond closed, but my best friend just bought a condo around the corner from Whole Vegetarian so I'm a happy camper.
It's the same menu as Bo Kong (thank goodness!) and the same furniture and employees. Service is friendly but the prices have gone up - $15 for a few pieces of orange cutlet is a little steep.
My favorite menu items are sizzling chow mein, sweet & sour pineapple delight, orange cutlet, and bean curd (formerly known as bean "curb").
Vegetarians and omnivores alike will enjoy this place, it's a Chinese food must-have! -
Review from Lex B.
10/13/2010 ROTD 6/2/2011
I love you, Restauraunt-Formerly-Known-As-Bo-Kong, but your new name is pretty unappetizing. It sounds more like a grocery store to go buy your unseasoned tofu than a place to eat. Your food however is still spectacular!
I went to WVR for a animal-friendly Thanksgiving dinner with a large group of mostly (but not entirely) vegetarian friends. EVERYTHING was fan-f*cking-tastic. I stuffed myself like all of the turkeys I didn't eat this year. I ate like the romans, or at least I would have if I was provided with a vomitorium. Can we bring that back? Let's just go to the height of gluttony while we're all so close.
I like to start with some of their hot and sour soup which is wonderfully spicy and packed with several kinds of mushrooms, a few different styles of tofu (including the fakey "pork" strips,) and veggies.
We ordered two types of bean curd (my new veggie love) - cold bean curd wrapped mushrooms and bean curd in black bean sauce - both very different and delicious. Don't let the word "curd" fool you, this stuff is great. Kind of the texture of a filo pastry made of delicious savory rubber. Seriously, just try it if you haven't.
Every time I go I HAVE to order the pineapple delight, which is apparently a delight even if you don't like pineapples (like two of my friends.) It's a pile of little (gluten?) cubes covered in one of those glossy asian orange sauces, all sticky sweet and savoury.
The way to do it it to go with 4+ people, each order a thing or two, and lazy susan like you've never lazy susan'd before! You will not be disappointed.Listed in: ROTD
-
Review from Malloreigh M.
Vancouver, BC
1/11/2011 6 Check-ins Here
I've been to the Restaurant Formerly Known as Bo Kong twice now for dim sum and have not been disappointed either time. The dishes are reasonably priced - based on size, they vary from $3ish to $5ish - and everything I've tried has been delicious. I'm sure there are some dim sum items that are weirder than they are tasty, but I'm lucky enough to not have encountered them.
This is not a restaurant I'm excited to come to for a date night dinner. It's more of the type of restaurant you want to visit with a big group of friends - but that's true of many Chinese-style restaurants. And it is super fun with a big group of friends. Still, it's just fine for breakfast dim sum with my girlfriend on a weekend.
If you can afford the $12 it costs, order the drumsticks - balls of crispy juicy seitan on a stick that are a vegan's answer to chicken wings. Delicious, though possibly one of the more overpriced items on the menu. We paid more for that plate of six drumsticks than for our 3 delicious dim sum items together.
My recommendations for dim sum: barbecue buns, turnip cakes, shanghai style dumplings, and sticky rice wrapped in leaves.Listed in: Vegan Vancouver
-
Review from Nicole F.
9/29/2010 2 Check-ins Here
I freaking LOVE Whole Vegetarian.
I went for the second time tonight with my good friend to grab some dinner and catch up a bit. We were the ONLY people in the restaurant for quite awhile so we got excellent service.
I wish I could remember what everything was called, but I can't. So I will do my best to describe what we ate.
The first dish we had was some kind of cold bean curd meat pancake. Sounds gross, but it was actually pretty good. It reminded me of pork kind of. Nice and flavourful. I didn't think I'd like it cold, but it was totally fine.
The second was the Fried Bean Curd Roll with Black Bean Sauce. THESE ARE SO AWESOME. They remind me of the sesame chicken samples that are constantly being handed out at the that Chinese fast food chain, Flaming Wok. But a million times better! I could eat a BUCKET of these.
Third was Fried Chicken drumsticks. SO CREEPY. It tasted like REAL fried chicken. Or at least, how I remember it many years ago. These were freaking amazing and had a delicious red dipping sauce. My friend and I went nuts over these. NONE WERE LEFT OVER!
The fourth dish we had was some kind of fried rice/veggie/taro niblets dish with a delightful "cheese" sauce on top! It was so weird and amazing and I kept eating and eating, and then I almost couldn't walk...
I WILL BE BACK. MANY MANY TIMES.Listed in: Favourites, Veggie Spots
-
Review from Lucy B.
Vancouver, BC
8/26/2011
Disappointing and greasy and kinda expensive. I've been spoiled by amazing veggie Chinese at Buddha Veggie in (of all place) Calgary. I'm gonna listen to the wisdom of moms every where and keep my mouth shut now cause I simply have nothing nice to say.
-
Review from Simon K.
It was requested that we go to eat Chinese vegetarian food, and the one place that we go to is "Bo Kong". I did not know until we came here, that the place has changed ownership and name. One thing that the place has not changed is the jade green chairs. Some might find this zen like, and some might find it an eye sore. Along with the chairs, they use light green table cloths. It's an odd comfortable feel due to the color, and the lights are really bright in here. The place is nice and clean, as this place is no dump.
As this is a vegetarian restaurant, there was going to be a heap load of soya based products. We ordered a couple plates, and we were stuffed. To go down the list, we started out with a small soya soup, that came out half green, and half white, like the ying-yang symbol. This soup was creamy, and the tofu bits that were in this thing tasted like ham. A little on the bland side, but it was hearty and filling.
We then proceeded with the crispy fried noodle with mixed vegetable and fried tofu blocks. The sauce they used was black bean, with some black beans still not broken up. This dish was really tasty, and the noodles came on a hot plate, so you heard the sizzle, and saw the steam.
The broccoli with tofu and imitation crab, almost made me think that the dish was the same compared to the dish at other restaurants, where they use a meat based sauce, and scallop strands.
The final dish, and by this time, we barely touched the other two, as we were really feeling full, was the cheese baked rice with imitation seafood. The vegan cheese was all melted on top of this baked delight. Each bite was just adding to our full stomachs. It was creamy and tasty as well.
The next time any of you go here, just watch out, as you might say you need meat to make you full. This place has filling food, and it can really sneak up. The food is tasty, and the fake meat dishes are made to taste like their real counterparts. The menu is in clear English and Chinese, and there is a good selection for your appetite. -
Review from Evilyn T.
Goodbye Bo Kong, hello Whole Vegetarian Restaurant! I am sure a lot of Yelpers out there will be pretty stoked to know that this place is back open, and everything is the same, they just had a change in ownership. (We were pretty confused when we showed up and all the same staff were working and nothing had changed, so we had to ask.)
Ok, I know I have dissed Bo Kong in the past, probably because I didn't know which dishes to order, and the damn BF is so picky that he won't eat the fake meat, which is served in almost everything that sounds good, so I always end up with these weird random dishes that tasted like butt. However, this time we told him to stuff it, and ordered what we wanted. He could pick out the fake meat if he so desired, but the rest of us were not going to suffer because he is a bitch.
I ordered the Won Ton soup, which was good, I added a little hot sauce to it, to spice it up. I also ordered the Spring Rolls, which were supposed to be an appy, but came out last. Not a big deal, just kinda funny. We ordered the Spicy Green Beans, Pine Nut Fried Rice, a noodle dish, and a dish of bean curd wrapped in mushroom that was not my favourite. We had a pretty good feast going on, and I have to admit, I was the sloppiest one at the table. You know there's a point when they take the plates away that a person like me has to rush to get the bill and get the hell out because there are so many stains and droppings all around me that its almost embarrassing. Almost.
The staff were very friendly, as usual, and even thought the place was pretty busy for a Wednesday night they made sure we had everything we needed and were very quick and efficient. The bill came and between the three of us it was only $20 each including tax and tip, which is pretty decent considering we ordered like five main dishes and an appy. I am ready to love you, Whole Vegetarian Restaurant!Listed in: Best of the best, Vancouver Vege-me-tarian.
-
Review from Peter T.
1/3/2012
My brother lives just up the street from Whole Vegetarian and he suggested we stop in for lunch on a Friday just before the holidays. It's a relatively non-descript sort of restaruant with a slightly dated interior but immaculately clean nonetheless. The menu was a mix of a la carte and dim sum items, and we were given a form on which to order that was in Chinese and English. We chose a variety of dim sum items including a selection of dumplings, wide rice noodle, egg rolls, and veggie barbecue steam buns. The first thing out was the egg rolls, and they were really crispy and delicious - totally old school Vancouver Chinese egg rolls that I remember from the 80's. The dumplings were also delicious, but the real star of the show was the barbecue steam buns. Since the wife and I are vegetarians, we almost never get to have steam buns and not only were we able to have these but they were delicious! The best part of all was that the bill came to less than $25 for three people and we were all stuffed when we left. We will definitely be back!
-
Review from Crystal G.
West Vancouver, BC
3/29/2011
We were disappointed when the Bo Kong closed, but were thrilled when this place re-opened with the new name of the Whole Vegetarian, with much the same menu (a couple of new choices).
The prices are either the same or .50 to $1.00 more, but that's ok -- the value for money is still good as the dishes are quite large. When this place was the Bo Kong, it was always cold, even in the summer; now it's just the right temp. Some of the staff are the same and some are new.
Initially the new serving staff did strange things like reaching over rather than going around a person but that seems to have stopped. We have not had any problems with getting orders wrong, and they always honour my request of soft rather than deep-fried tofu without any problem. The bill comes printed in both English and Chinese which is a nice improvement (before just came written in Chinese).
There's a huge selection of dishes. Some of the favourites are the pepper "steak", sweet and sour delight (mostly sweet, with pineapple and peppers), spicy green beans, and bean curd skin rolls with black bean sauce. Wonton soup and thick spinach soups are good, and I also like the eggplant and tofu made with soft tofu. "Chicken drumsticks" are fun but you can buy these frozen from the Whole Veg. stores so we don't order them in the restaurant.
Service is very fast and, after a couple of times, the new serving staff recognized us. The staff are friendly but don't expect them to fawn over you -- the service is efficient, not overly attentive which is fine.
As this is a Buddhist Chinese restaurant, there is no onion or garlic but, despite this, the flavours are fresh and very tasty.
There's free parking beside the restaurant, monitored by video camera.
If we think it will be busy (eg Mother's day) we'll make a reservation but it's usually not necessary for smaller groups.
The name comes from the fact that the new owners are the Whole Vegetarian chain of stores, with several stores in the Lower Mainland. After eating here one day, we checked out the closest one and bought quite a few dry goods and freezer items. Certainly worth a visit if you're vegetarian and have freezer space.
This is one of our favourite places to eat and we visit at least once a month, ordering too much deliberately and taking it home. At this point, they're used to the fact that we take our own containers, anticipating this. Definitely worth checking out even if you're not vegetarian due to the large selection. -
Review from Karly P.
Vancouver, BC
9/21/2011
This place is always reliable for amazing veggie food, friendly prompt service and they are always my go to for big portions for the perfect to go lunch or dinner. Try the spicy chicken, hot and sour soup and the drumsticks!
-
Review from J D.
Vancouver, BC
11/7/2010
I've been to this restaurant twice under it's new name, and a few times as Bo Kong, all times for dim sum. I love the option of vegetarian dim sum, as I often don't like the meat options at other restaurants.
This is not a fancy restaurant to any extent: the service is never great, and the decor is not something that adds to the overall feeling of the place. Last time I went, I was even more disappointed with the lack of customer service and quality of food. My bamboo wrapped rice dish was cold on the inside: it had obviously been previously frozen. After calling the waiter over and explaining this to them, they looked at me as if I was completely inconveniencing them, and took my half eaten portion back into the kitchen. I was expecting a fresh, new dish when he returned, but he had just reheated the one I had picked apart.
I don't consider this to be good service. I also don't go out for food at a restaurant to be served frozen food half heated. Needless to say, I don't think I'll be returning. -
Review from Jarrod L.
6/15/2011
Tons of varied vegetarian Chinese items, all sounding tasty. The 6 dishes we had were all good (one being a fried mushroom dish, possibly item C6, that tasted like red wine to me; strange but very good), though most had a pretty sweet, Americanized sauce base. The portions are large, so you'll likely bring home some leftovers.
-
Review from Tamar K.
Vancouver, BC
7/18/2011
I used to live by Bo Kong and was so disappointed when it closed. So I boycotted Whole Vegetarian restaurant - what a mistake! I met friends there a couple of months ago and have been back 3 times. It's very similar (if not the same) as Bo Kong. My favorite menu items are the won ton soup, the lettuce wrap, and my ultimate favorite is their eggplant mushroom dish. The interior is nothing special, but the food is. Every dish has it's own textures and flavours and the menu is a varied as any vegetarian diet should be. This should be on every vegetarian and non vegetarian's top 10 restaurant list in East Vancouver.
-
Review from jacky k c.
9/5/2010
cool thing about these Chinese style vegetarian joints is that they try to make traditional meat dishes into all vegetarian such as kung pao faux chicken, and roasted fake pork. It's tasty, really. but it doesn't look that great, presentation kinda suffers. I've had better, such as the joint in Scarborough, toronto (next to market village) were taste and presentation is top $hit.
-
Review from Gwen A.
Vancouver, BC
5/15/2011
Good food, good prices, mostly friendly service, but horribly tacky decor!! That should speak to how much I enjoy the food though that I'm still giving it 4 stars despite having to sit in one of the most hideous ambiances around. Sea green? Really!?
-
Review from Morry G.
Vancouver, BC
9/24/2010
I had a business meeting today ...supplier was in from HK and I wanted something close by my work.. I was surprised to see that Bo Kong had changed ownership (not usually a good sign). The place was packed..at 1:00pm..but there were 2 tables left ....many asians (good sign!!!) the food came quickly and so did the bill when we asked for it PLUS cookies for dessert on the house (not fortune cookies haha). I will be back for sure. These new owners have it all under control and the food was amazing.. everything came out at almost the same time and again remember...the place was packed.
