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THE VEGGIE OPTION: SHIZEN YA

We're The Vegan Project . Our mantra? We're The Vegan "Project," not perfect. We just love animals and try our best to reduce our consumption of animal products while encouraging others to explore veganism too.

We just love animals and try our best to reduce our consumption of animal products while encouraging others to explore veganism too.When it comes to food, we are unwilling to sacrifice on flavour. We've paid our dues in fries and salad. When we eat out, we are determined to get a satisfying meal that is just as good as the rest of the menu. And if there's no veggie option, we'll make one! We've been living on the "vegan block" in Vancouver for a while now so we're very excited to be documenting our dining experiences as we review vegan cuisine in beautiful Vancouver, BC.

www.TheVeganProject.com

For us. For them. For the planet.

We're The Vegan Project. Our mantra? We're The Vegan "Project," not perfect.

Restaurant: Shizen Ya, 2 Locations: 985 Hornby St. and 1102 W.Broadway, Vancouver BC, www.shizenya.ca

Eaters:

Bridget Burns: Vegan. Food enthusiast.  Always an optimistic diner. Can scan a menu & put together a vegan meal in less than 12 seconds.

Sam Shorkey: Vegan. Resident fitness freak/bland & healthy dessert addict. Eating anything that isn't plain asparagus, yams or protein powder is a real treat.

Jessica Grajczyk: I'm a pescatarian who's mostly vegetarian at home. When I go out, I like to dine on the finest Ocean Wise seafood options available.

Jen Boyle: Whole foods advocate. An enthusiastic diner with a love of just enough salt.

The Vegan Project gals have been dining at Shizen Ya for years now and have even reviewed it on our own blog. It is hands down, the best veggie sushi in the city. We're talking tempeh rolls, quinoa inari, tofu and avocado salad, and so much more. All of their seafood is ocean wise and their greens are organic. Oh ya, AND they'll make you vegetarian miso soup on request too!

Some of what we ate:

Mango Avocado Roll

This item was on the daily specials board and sounded so delicious, we ordered it right away while we waited for Jen, along with a bottle of Sake (of course). Made with brown rice, cucumber, avocado and slices of fresh mango, this roll was the perfect balance of sweet and savoury. It was served with a ginger-soy dipping sauce and was a perfect start to our pal Christmas get-together over the holidays.

Mango avocado roll

Wild Rice and Tofu Salad with Quinoa

Jessica: The waitress made a mistake and brought us the wrong tofu salad - I am a HUGE fan of their tofu and avocado salad, which has a delicious black sesame dressing, baby tomatoes (I always gladly eat Bridget's), avocado and organic greens. The one she brought with quinoa wasn't as tasty unfortunately, but I do enjoy their other quinoa options, like the quinoa inari pockets. She did end up bringing us the real deal as well, so we were not disappointed.

wild rice and tofu salad

Tofu and Avocado Salad

This is the aforementioned salad that Jessica was raving about in the above. This is our go-to salad, ordered pretty much every time we go to Shizen Ya. The black sesame dressing is insanely good and the creamy avocado and tofu mixed with crisp greens is a always a winner.  WARNING: perhaps not the best thing to order if you're on a date.  Those black sesames can get stuck in your teeth REAL easily.

tofu and avocado salad

Greens Roll

This roll is a pretty unique option being that it doesn't include rice. Instead, it is made of avocado, mango, cucumber, red pepper, sprouts and organic mixed greens, and also served with that delicious ginger-soy dipping sauce. It's light and refreshing and a really good option for those watching their carb intake (aka fitness freak Sam).

greens roll

Organic Vegetable Roll

This is Bridget's favourite roll. It just has everything you want in a vegetable roll, made with fresh ingredients and only $3.95 for 6 generous pieces! Most sushi restaurants have an additional charge for subbing brown rice for white, but not Shizen Ya! All of their sushi is made using brown rice, and that's awesome.

vegetable roll

The Veggie Verdict:

Bridget: I have loved Shizen Ya for awhile now and have never been disappointed. It's perfect for an after workout snack or a nice dinner with friends. And sometimes it takes a while for that special order veggie miso soup - but it's worth it!

Samantha: Oh Shizenya. This little gem has been my vegan-friendly meet-up/date spot for years! I love the brown rice option, their hearty vegan miso soup, all the locally-sourced, fresh ingredients, affordable prices AND it's only a few blocks away from my west end apartment.  10/10.

Omnivore Mention:

Jen: I am sensitive to things like MSG, added sugar and weird additives. I felt great after dinner at Shizen Ya, so I really appreciated their high quality ingredients.

Jessica: I love that they have Ocean Wise sushi and sashimi on the menu, and the organic veggies they use are also a bonus! I also love how you get brown rice, and sometimes quinoa for your sushi rolls and cones. This is one of the best sushi places in Vancouver, in my opinion!