Today we were on a tour of Chinatown in celebration of the yet to open Fred Herzog photo exhibit, within the newly renovated Chinatown Storytelling Centre. A fact highlighted by their new trademark blossoms punctuating the exterior.
Each invitee was assigned two restaurants to visit. Each participating in the weekend opening launch of the centre, by offering ticket holders specialty discounts. Each proclaimed gems of Chinatown, and within walking distance of the centre. My first stop was Virtuous Pie, a beloved destination for their all plant-based menu featuring pizzas and a fare bit of desserts.
A casual pizza shop where everything is made to order with dough rolled, thrown, and topped. Their menu doesn’t omit meat and cheeses, but lists them as being made from nuts, tofu, and other non-animal products.
We started with an order of Garlic Knots, a pizzeria classic. Warm hand knotted dough infused with savoury garlic spread, sprinkled with parsley and plant-based parmesan. A wonderfully dough bite with plenty of herbed seasonings. The nutty Parmesan offered little salt, but added substance. The dip is what made the dish complete. A runny
garlic ranch dressing that is familiar, somewhat tangy as I know ranch to be, but something all it’s own; so don’t come in comparing.
We enjoyed it with their new peach iced tea. Syrupy and thick with a bold punch of baked canned peach. A great refreshing beverage to have in between bites.
For pizza the Stranger Wings came recommended by our server. It comes with a creamy bianca sauce, spicy buffalo cauliflower, and tangy vegan blue cheese.
Basically their vegan take on Buffalo chicken wings with their usual blue cheese dip, served on a flatbread crust. Understandably they could only do some much with nuts, but I was disappointed to not get the same pungent flavour of blue cheese here that I expect from the real deal. That would have given me the acidity I was missing. The side of sauces you can order as an add on did help, they had variations of ranch spicy and cheesy. A generous dunk in either was balanced by the freshness of the raw green onions and crispy shallots on the pizza.
Between the two pizzas we had I enjoyed the Sweet Mary Jane with rich tomato sauce, caramelized onion jam and creamy cashew mozzarella. Topped with hot honey, plant-based smokey bacon and parmesan. It was the ideal merger of salty and sweet. The smokiness didn’t have me longing for real bacon and the hot honey had me licking my lips. Great with their ranch that contrasted. I would order this again.
Virtuous Pie also has a great dessert program. Like their pizzas they didn’t avoid dairy by using coconut and nut milk substitutes. There are a good amount of options for those who are dairy intolerant and are often left struggling to find something sweet to end their meal on.
The Tiramisu Cannoli is their seasonal cannoli. A waffle cannoli shell filled with their creamy cashew filling and topped with shaved dark chocolate. Cracking into the crispy waffle, I used it as a spoon for the filling. The texture was unique, like a pasty ice cream, but not cold. It played with my mind and had me going back for more scoops.
Between the two, my favourite was the Cookie Sandwich. Their house made chocolate chip cookies filled with your choice of cannoli filling or ice cream. The ice cream selection includes Vanilla Bean, Buttered maple pecan, Cookie dough, and Chocolate caramel shortbread. Although the latter three sounded interesting, we went for the vanilla bean for a more clean pairing. A creamy vanilla coconut that is not too sweet or too much of a standout, to equally give the double cookies their time.
In short, Virtuous Pie is a great spot for vegans and those with dietary restrictions. Highly recommended for their great plant-based options and diverse menu of options. They are a Vancouverite favourite for a reason.
Virtuous pie
583 Main St, Vancouver, BC V6A 0C8
(604) 620-0060
virtuouspie.com
