I’d probably be the first person to tell you that I’m a “meatatarian” by nature. I like steak. I like bacon. I like great southern BBQ. At the same time, I’m also the kind of person who is open to new culinary adventures. Under most normal circumstances, it would be unlikely to find me at a vegetarian restaurant by choice, let alone one that’s vegan. But hey, I’ve heard good things about Sweet Cherubim and it’s got to be worth a shot.
Make your way up and down Commercial Drive in East Vancouver and you’ll find an increasingly eclectic group of people, businesses and restaurants. The old Italian traditions are strong, but they’ve become intermingled with Greek restaurants, independent coffee houses, fresh shucked oysters, and plenty of young hipsters.
Everything on the menu at Sweet Cherubim is vegan friendly. Most of the items have a decidedly Eastern inspiration to them. You’ll find vegan desserts, vegan snacks and vegan hot food, as well as vegan baked goods. Some of these are a little off the beaten path, like the tofu pakora and the lentil pakora.
The display cases wrap all the way around the front counter, making it easier to visualize some of the more unfamiliar items. Seating is limited inside the restaurant. Head over to the adjoining organic food store and you’ll find a few seats on the outdoor patio as well. We weren’t here for a full meal that day, so we just grabbed a few quick snacks.
Small Veggie Pakora: $4.50
The vegetable pakora at Sweet Cherubim is different from we find at most Indian restaurants around town. There’s much more variety in the vegetables used, including what appeared to be kale and cauliflower. The cut on the veggies is also chunkier than normal, which results in a more crumbly pakora. Very tasty though.
Chick Pea Rice Samosa: $3.95
Compared to the random East Indian grocery store samosas or the little triangular ones you find at little takeout places, the samosas at Sweet Cherubim are much bigger. Available in baked and fried varieties, the samosas are stuffed with your choice of filling. It’s mostly filler, of course: rice or potato. The chickpea rice samosa was a little on the bland side and could have used a more aggressive punch of flavor.
Potato Pea Samosa: $3.95
We preferred the potato pea samosa between the two. The seasoning was better and each bite offered just a little bit of heat. Originally, we had wanted the spinach and feta samosa, but they were sadly sold out.
Tamarind Chutney and Green Salsa
Most of the appetizers (like the pakora) and the samosas come with your choice of tamarind chutney, green salsa or hot sauce. We opted for the first two and preferred the slightly sweet heat the green salsa provided. Perfect for dipping.
We didn’t try any of the hot food combos and it seemed like they weren’t nearly as popular as the desserts, samosas and appetizers among the other patrons too. I’m still not sold on the whole vegan lifestyle and I don’t intend on giving up meat any time soon. For my part, Sweet Cherubim doesn’t live up to the hype; it’s just a decent choice for a hearty snack on the Drive.
While I could eat something like what you describe above, I would end up having to get a burger afterwards. Would probably have to get double bacon on it.