Restaurant Review: An Chay
AN CHAY 11203 Jasper Avenue Instagram: @anchayyeg Co-Diners: The E.A.T Crew
One of the coolest things that I have noticed in recent years has been the evolution and expansion of plant-based restaurants in Edmonton. When you think about "vegetarian fare" this will inevitably conjure images of hippy restaurants that serve one type of food (a bowl of vegetables?). Maybe this was once the case but it certainly isn't anymore. (I think that Padmanadi had a large part to play in this development and that they paved the way for a wider selection of plant-based foods in our city.) Today, you can find restaurants from all cultures that specialize in plant-based cuisine and even pub food and pizza! I support this movement and love constantly being proven that animal products are not necessary to make delicious food. And this is coming from a staunch omnivore who clearly eats everything. Good food is just good food! One of the restaurants that has been making waves in this arena is An Chay, a Vietnamese vegetarian restaurant that has been around since 2017. Their name literally means eat vegetarian! Located in Oliver on Jasper Ave, they are in a prime location to feed bustling downtown folk a different take on Vietnamese cuisine. Avenue Magazine named them Best Plant-Based Restaurant 2020 and I couldn't wait to taste their take on some classic and familiar dishes. As previously mentioned, their location is quite excellent on a prime corner in the center of the city. Inside you'll find a fresh space that is filled with bright windows. I loved the pendant lighting adorning the ceiling that look a bit like lanterns. Some of the tables have very cozy chairs that beckon you to really settle in. I was seated at such a table and enjoyed the casual cafe vibe of it all. Our server was incredibly friendly, delivering plates of food to our table in hardly any time at all. For a beverage I went straight for the Burdock Tea ($2.00) which seemed like the most unique thing to order on the menu apart from the Vietnamese iced coffee.
I enjoyed how different this was! This tea was not the typical green-jasmine situation that is normally found at Asian restaurants. I could see the pieces of burdock root steeping in the pot, an ingredient known for its antioxidant properties. The nice earthy flavour was something all its own and very pleasant to drink. The food menu is somewhat concise with only five appetizers and ten entrees to choose from. There is no need for more! I would much prefer that a restaurant does a smaller number of dishes really well, instead of offering way too many without being able to maintain quality. Spring rolls and fresh rolls make key appearances on the appetizer menu, as does a green onion cake (it's the Edmonton way). But I was most excited about the Green Papaya Salad ($14.00) otherwise known as Goi Du Du. I love a zesty green papaya salad that is full of spice!
It would be easy to serve a green papaya salad as a plant-based dish - that's already what it is! But I really liked seeing that An Chay is taking this dish to the next level by using ingredients like soy jerky. I appreciated seeing that they are leaning into what it is that makes their food unique and special. This salad was so fresh and had excellent texture. We poured the house soy sauce over top to kick the flavours up even more. Sweet, savoury, and a hint of spice. I loved the soy jerky most of all because of the wonderful pork floss-like texture. Choosing an entree was easy because the dish that I wanted to try seemed so obvious. It had to be the Vermicelli Special ($17.00) otherwise known as Bun 3 Mau. However, An Chay does offer their own take on pho and their coconut curry sounds wonderful.
Plated with an artistic hand, the beauty of this dish with its stunning rainbow of colours was a sight to behold. You eat with your eyes first and this dish couldn't have been more appealing. I poured the tangy vinaigrette over the entire bowl and reveled in the symphony of flavours. I loved the pops of cool freshness from the mint, acidity from the daikon and carrots, and crunch from the peanuts and fried onions. I noticed a delightful coconut flavour that I think was mixed in with the shredded beancurd. One perplexing ingredient was the tempura. I think that "tempura" refers to the pan fried item that looked a bit like SPAM (only it wasn't). I'm not sure what this ingredient was but I loved it (if someone had told me that it was meat I would have believed them). I also absolutely adored the spring rolls (cha gio) because again An Chay took an item that I've had a million times but made it their own. Filled with bean thread noodles, fried beancurd, taro, yam, and mung bean; the ultra crispy exterior almost reminded me of a fried donut and the inside was packed with flavour. I especially loved the way that the yam came though. This bowl is nothing but textures and colours and it was a joyful experience to eat it. I already can't stop thinking about it. An Chay was able to show me something in terms of plant-based food that I have never tried before. I might even say that I prefer their take on a vermicelli bowl over a more typical meaty version. This is the kind of food that makes you feel good after eating it and not weighed down. It's not just food for vegetarians, it's food for anyone who wants to eat something delicious.
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