Food Crawl Stop #2 – CHAU Veggie Express

I have to admit that I’m not a veggie-lover, and most of the time, I think I’m “allergic” to vegetables! But I really like our second food crawl stop – CHAU Veggie Express. It is one of the most popular restaurants on Victoria Drive, which serves traditional Vietnamese vegetarian cuisine. Most of the dishes here are also gluten-free. They also have a location in Granville Island, but I personally think the new location is way more accessible.

CHAU Veggie Express is a self-serve restaurant, where you order at the counter and seat wherever you find comfortable. Since it is called “Express”, the food comes out fairly quick, so customer turnover rates are fairly high. We ordered four items to share.

#6 Baisao Beach Chips | $7

Hand-cut taro chips & paprika garlic spiced organic tofu dip (GF)

This is a must-order, and I love how the taro chips are freshly made! The dip adds a different flavour to it. After looking into the menu, it is actually a tofu dip, which doesn’t taste bland at all. If I were to add another sauce, it would be a spicy version of it! | 4.5/5

#17 Golden Temple Soup

I am actually worried that I would not like this dish at all because there are only vegetables. But this is surprisingly delicious! The broth is not spicy, with a mild curry flavour. In addition, it has cauliflower, broccoli, and carrots, etc. You may have a choice of rice noodles, wild rice blend, or quinoa. We chose the rice noodles, but I think I would choose the rice next time. It is very filling, because of how diverse veggie choices there are in the bowl. I would also want to try other dishes next time! | 4/5

Signature Coconut Shake

I personally found this too sweet for me but looks like I’m the only one who doesn’t like the drink. My friends enjoy it, and they like how refreshing it is. I like there are bits and pieces of coconut meat in the drink to add a texture to the drink. | 3.5/5

Pandan lead & kale ice cream | $3.75

This is my first ever pandan dessert in Vancouver. At one point, there was a dessert trend with pandan in Hong Kong. And I found that it is hard to expertise using this ingredient, though I did have some delicious pandan soufflé. Anyways, all ice cream in CHAU Veggie Express is vegan and gluten-free. I tasted a bite of the ice cream, and I can only taste the flavour of coconut. Unfortunately, the pandan flavour was nowhere to be found. 2.5/5

Overall, I really like the main and side in here. If you ever want to have a quick and healthy lunch, this is a place that I highly recommended. I haven’t tried enough dessert in here to decide how good they are. But pandan ice cream is definitely not my cup of tea.

Taste: 4/5 • Service: 3.5/5 • Ambiance: 4/5 • Quality-Price: 4/5

ADDRESS: 5052 Victoria Drive, Vancouver, BC V5P 3T8

HOURS: 11:30AM – 7:30PM | Tues to Sun

INSTAGRAM: @chowatchau | FACEBOOK: @chauveggiexpress