Dharma Kitchen
Address: 3667 West Broadway Avenue, Vancouver
Tel: (604) 738-3899

Hours:
Mon. - Sun. - Noon - 10 PM

Mindful Dining

By Russell Ball
Vegan/Vegetarian Columnist
Wednesday, September 21, 2005

** (of four stars)

Dharma Kitchen is a new establishment near the Alma and Broadway intersection, an area that is slowly growing in population and commercial variety. Hopefully the restaurant-going populace of that area can reach enough of a critical mass to support a specialty restaurant such as Dharma. The Kitchen’s slogan is “The Food of Mindfulness”, which is reflected in the fully vegan, Thai-inspired menu. In that same vein, Dharma does not serve any alcohol, or any sumptuous desserts. Personally, the lack of a dessert menu seemed confusing, what is it about dessert that speaks of mindlessness – is it the absence of nutritional value?

I visited Dharma as part of an Earthsave Canada Dineout, in which the entire restaurant (eight tables of four) was reserved for our group. Fortunately we filled out the room perfectly. The dining room is basically the entire restaurant, save for a cash register/smoothie bar, plus a hallway leading to the rear kitchen, and washrooms. The décor is very simple, perhaps due to the high startup costs involved in the restaurant business. The room is painted a deep, warm shade of red, with only a mirror and a small piece of art on the side walls. The tables and chairs are study wood, nothing fancy but comfortable for the most part.

As part of our “Dineout” experience, we received a fixed menu, in which each table of four received six dishes to share: two salads, two basmati rice bowls, and two main dishes (tofu) served with steamed jasmine rice. Dharma has five salads available, each for $7; three veggie burgers (served with roasted potatoes or salad) for $8 a piece; five rice bowls for $9 each, and five tofu main dishes costing $10 a plate. Finally, there are several fruit smoothies and fruit cocktails available for $4-6, plus lemon ginger tea or chai tea latte for $3.

Our wonderfully fresh salads came in generous bowls, more than enough for one person given that each of us received a reasonable serving when sharing amongst four people. The avocado salad, like all those available, was served on a bed of (annoyingly large) pieces of romaine. I would have liked to have seen a few more mixed greens myself, but the ingredients were varied, and the avocado was excellent – served at just the right time in the ripening cycle, with no blemishes apparent. A topping of steamed spinach was a pleasant surprise, and the grated beets and carrots, along with alfalfa sprouts were fresh and tasty. The second salad we tried was the “Protein Salad”, so named because of the inclusion of tasty grilled marinated tempeh steak. The grated beets and carrots made a welcome return appearance, but this time alfalfa was replaced with buckwheat sprouts, along with red onions and a sprinkling of sunflower seeds – of which I would have appreciated a few more. With both salads we had a choice among sun-dried tomato, Thai, or ginger dressing. I tried both the tomato and Thai dressings and they were excellent, although it is hard to ruin sundried tomato dressing. The Thai dressing was particularly flavourful and I would definitely ask for it again.

The rice bowls were served next, starting with the Dharma bowl, of which I can only guess is a particularly original recipe, but one which sadly tarnishes the restaurant’s name. Although the rice was excellent, many of the ingredients were either over- or under-done – it was hard to tell. The artichoke hearts and mushrooms seemed all right, but the Japanese eggplant was tough, and the zucchini oddly chewy. The red onion was appreciated but under-cooked and as a result slightly overpowering, along with being served in overly large chunks. Lastly, the sun-dried tomatoes had not been rehydrated and were better off being removed entirely. On the plus side the dressing was good but not very memorable. One caveat however, the various cooking-related issues could be the result of our particular style of meal, with the chefs struggling to cook and serve eight bowls concurrently, so I can’t fault them too heavily, especially given the tiny kitchen I saw when visiting the rest room.

The Dragon Bowl was a significant improvement in bowl-cuisine over Dharma’s namesake Bowl. Topped with four large pieces of grilled marinated tofu, and an excellent miso gravy, the Bowl also included grilled tomatoes, mushrooms, and zucchini, along with a refreshing and well-matched sprinkle of green onions and cilantro. Although not quite Naam quality, the miso gravy went very well with the contents and I would certainly order the dish again, especially given the very generous helping of zesty, almost citrusy tofu.

A bowl of steamed rice came next, followed by two large plates of (medium-firm) tofu and vegetables in sauce. The first to arrive was the much-anticipated Tofu in Thai Peanut Sauce, which included green and sweet peppers, along with mushrooms. The peanut sauce was well-spiced with red-peppers it would appear, but not so much as to require another glass of water (at least for those with experience). The following dish was a virtual clone in terms of ingredients but containing a deceivingly-named coconut-milk-based basil sauce. Customers anticipating a delicately-flavoured fine herb dish would be well-advised to steer-clear of this mysteriously pepper-laden creation! I’m at a loss as to why the chef felt it necessary to dump a handful of black pepper in the otherwise pleasantly-sweet sauce, as it completely dominated every other flavour. With that in mind, I personally enjoyed the fire, but my table-mates did not, and water suddenly became a scarce commodity. Both tofu dishes contained generous helpings of tofu as well as sauce, but there was plenty of rice in one serving to avoid wasting any sauce. I would suggest that the tofu be cooked in a some way beforehand (but after marinating), perhaps a light sautéing to crisp it slightly, rather than dumped in together with the sauce and served.

With full bellies and a few scorched tongues, we sat back and savoured our individual favourites. The server mentioned the availability of rice pudding to follow, of which I imagine is the extent of Dharma’s dessert menu. We all passed, but I don’t see any reason to avoid it if you feel like a taste, and have any room left. We did enjoy the (green tea) chai tea latte however, which was made with soy-milk and served in a large warm mug – no delicate tea cups here! My wife, who enjoys tea to a much greater extent than I, tells me it was well-spiced with ginger and cinnamon among other things; I can only say it tasted good and wasn’t too strong.

The six-course sample menu we enjoyed was obviously a one-time deal, and for $17 a person it was quite a bargain. For the same reasonable price a future customer could order a salad and a tofu dish, or even a burger and rice bowl if in possession of a very healthy appetite. I plan on returning for a burger myself, and to try one of their many smoothies (four available) and cocktails (seven entertainingly-named fruit juice blends).

If I found myself equidistant between Dharma and The Naam I would probably gravitate towards Naam, but I’ll certainly be revisiting Dharma, in part to see how a more typical dinner plays out. If you are one to enjoy healthy, tasty yet simple food and a relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere Dharma definitely beckons.

Russell Ball is a hard-working employee of the Ministry of Children and Family Development. He is an accomplished amateur vegan chef, but still tries to leave his kitchen for outside cooking once in a while.