When I was hired to shoot a three day conference for Alair Homes in Whistler, one of my first thoughts was WHAT AM I GOING TO EAT!? Are there any vegan restaurants in whistler!? Haha, well maybe it wasn’t my first thought, as I was definitely super stoked to be working with Alair Homes. But I do love food and I’m a vegan, so it can get a little tricky finding options sometimes. Luckily, we live in a time where vegan food is only becoming more and more popular and the stigma is far less taboo.
I’m definitely not one of those vegans who enjoys the taste of raw vegetables and considers a plain salad with no dressing an adequate “vegan option” at a restaurant. HELL no! That being said, I love animals (almost to a fault) and I would never consider eating one ever again. So, thankfully Whistler had just what I was looking for and I wasn’t stuck with yucky veggies the whole time! I also used Airbnb for the first time during this trip and I’M HOOKED! Guys, if you haven’t used Airbnb yet, I highly suggest doing so! Our humble abode was the cheapest yet best option we could find and it worked out so perfectly for us! We had everything we needed and we were only steps away from the village. Airbnb even gave me a link for you guys to receive a $50 TRAVEL CREDIT for your next getaway! How freaking awesome is that? Click here to redeem your accommodation moneys to be used anytime! WOO!
IN COME VEGAN FRIENDLY RESTAURANTS TO SAVE THE DAY! I was surprised to find out that Whistler actually has a ton of vegan options and even a handful of 100% vegan restaurants! Below I have listed three vegan restaurants that we checked out!
3rd Place:
Stonesedge Kitchen
“Wholesome Comfort Food Fusion”
“Our menu is a delicious & unique reinvention of traditional comfort foods with wholesome, nourishing & beautiful ingredients. We believe that yes, you can have it all: Food that both deeply nourishes your body and indulges that delicious guilty pleasure seeking part of you.”
Okay, first off I apologize over the photo quality of our meals at this restaurant. I forgot my camera (which happened to be my birthday lunch btw), so phone photos is was! But, enough of that, you want to hear about the food! I was really craving a burger and fries, so after a quick google search we read that Stonesedge has a killer veggie burger and boy were they right! I’ve had many veggie burgers in my time and this one was definitely near the top, the texture was spot on, the bun was fluffy and delicious, the combination of sauces added a mouthwatering punch – all in all, I was impressed. The only reason I ranked this meal at #3 was because of their lack of other vegan options. There were only two or three meals on their menu that were vegan or could be adjusted to accommodate a vegan diet. My girlfriend, Amy, had a burrito bowl which was also off the hook (I’ll list the description below). The staff were all super helpful and the overall atmosphere was rustic and comfortable.
Veggie Burger & Fries – $13
Quinoa, zucchini, black beans, pumpkin seeds and rolled oat patty, smashed avocado, ancho BBQ sauce & chipotle cashew cream
Quinoa Burrito Bowl – $11
Chilled brown rice, quinoa, corn, black beans, roasted red pepper, smashed avocado, cherry tomatoes, chipotle cashew cream, krispy kale.
(They even have the option to add krispy tofu to your meal for $4 – SO AWESOME)
#2
The Green Moustache
“Nothing tastes as good as healthy feels”
OK guys, this was an incredibly close call. If the experience and selection wasn’t what it was at #1, The Green Moustache would have easily taken first place, but alas….it came in second.
First off, the aesthetic of this place was right up my ally; it was cozy, quaint, and had a cafe vibe to it. You could definitely tell that everything was fresh, healthy and made with love. I had the “Healing Kitchari”, which was a warm Asian Indian fusion curry with rice and hints of coconut, and OMG I would head back there to get that curry bowl in a heartbeat. It was unbelievable good and whether you’re vegan or not, I would highly recommend trying this dish!
Amy had the Buddha Bowl, which was quinoa based and packed with loads of veggies (so, it wasn’t really my jam, but she loved it, and the bite I did have was pretty damn good). This bowl came with their House Dressing and I could eat that sauce by the spoonful – YUM!! We both also shared a locally brewed mojito flavored kombucha on tap ($4.75), Amy and I both agreed that it was one of the best tasting kombucha drinks we’ve ever tried. It almost resembled the taste of a Corona.
Healing KItchari – $11.95
“A staple Ayurvedic healing food”
This complete protein meal nourishes + heals, consisting of rice, mung dal, veggies + spices with coconut, cilantro + lemon
Buddha Bowl – $11.95
This meal consists of an abundant bowl of rice + quinoa topped with fresh veggies, seeds, sprouts, avocado (when available) + House Dressing
All n’ all, I would give the Green Mustache a 4.5/5. I would have liked to see more warm food on their menu but I understand that they are a raw food and live juice bar
^ SEE! Look how happy that Kitchari made me!! ^
#1
The Mongolie Grill
Ok… Rule #1… If you go to Whistler GO EAT AT THE MONGOLIE GRILL! I can’t stress this enough!
We showed up on a Friday night at dinner time, expecting to walk in and sit down…HAH! Nope. The restaurant was packed with a lineup out the door. So, the next day we headed back for an early dinner at 4pm and we got a table right away. The lights were dim and the place had a very romantic feel to it. Our waitress explained to us how it all worked and we were off! Picture a stir-fry version of Subway (but a nicer atmosphere, higher quality food and service of course). They give you a metal bowl, which seems small at first, but don’t be fooled, that bowl is enough to fill you up and even leave you with leftovers! Then it’s all up to you! They have every ingredient imaginable to create your perfect stir-fry and they even have TOFU! Yes, you read correctly – tofu!! A vegan’s dream come true!
My stir-fry included chow mien noodles, tofu, tofu, tofu (haha), black beans, chickpeas, red peppers, edamame, shredded carrots, water chestnuts, cashews, banana peppers, cilantro, fresh ginger, fresh garlic and oh yah! They have a sauce bar as well! All of their sauces are vegetarian and almost all of them are vegan friendly! So, I topped mine with sweet chili sauce because its effing bomb.
Amy had rice noodles, tofu, broccoli, carrots, red pepper, edamame, bean sprouts, cashews, red onion, snap peas, fresh ginger and garlic all topped with their Sea to Sky sauce, which was an amazing combination of a few different sauces!
Once your meal is prepped and your bowl is full, you hand it over to one of the cooks who then grills your stir-fry to perfection right in front of you! The meals are priced by weight, so prior to grilling the cooks weigh your bowl ($19.95/pound). Also, if you’re vegan, vegetarian, or have allergies let your cook know and he/she will clean the grill and use a fresh set of cooking tools to ensure there is no cross contamination. This wasn’t a hassle at all either, they were more than happy to do this for us!
HOT TIP: Don’t forget to save room for your complimentary soup, and your choice of jasmin or brown rice that will be waiting at your table when you return from the grill!
So, Vegans, needless to say they have us covered! And if it seems like it couldn’t get any better, it can – they offer a bonus 20% OFF to all vegans and vegetarians!! How awesome is that! Now you know why Mongolie Grill ranked #1 on my list of vegan eats you have to check out!
Bonus Restaurant!
As we were leaving Whistler, we stopped in Squamish for lunch. We were incredibly happy to find the Zephyr Café which is almost entirely vegan friendly!
“Located in the heart of Downtown Squamish, the Zephyr Cafe offers creative and tasty veggie, vegan, raw and gluten-free dishes. We’re a progressive cafe that encourages community growth and healthy eating.”
We had:
FALAFEL WRAP $9.95
Vegetarian falafel balls with hummus & tzatziki (to make vegan, ask for no tzatziki), organic greens, shredded carrot, red onion and tomato grilled in a whole wheat or gluten-free wrap. And the wrap in this photo IS gluten free and its not one of those terrible GF wrap shells you always seem to get, this one is legit!
It’s listed right on their website that all of their meals can be made vegan and gluten-free! So awesome! They have veggie burgers, rice bowls, salads and even a raw pad thai! They’re also licensed and serve beer & liquor if you’re into that kind of thing. Our wraps came with corn chips on the side and we ordered a peach kombucha, however, if I knew at the time, I would have certainly had a tasty beer!
