the naam

the naam is probably one of the most popular vegetarian restaurants and for good reason. front of house, vines and all give it that home-y, vegetable-focused feel the naam is a medium-sized restaurant with a really cramped opening and homely decorations. it feels quite hipster but i feel that it suits the concept of the restaurant. food-wise, the first time i went, i had one of the naam dragon bowl and i split their tuscan nachos with two other people. the second time, i had the tempeh reuben and my friend and i split a cocoa hemp ball. both experiences weregreatand the third time around, it was just as good. this time, i ordered the maui maui burger. it’s a veggie patty with

karen and i decided to catch up one day over brunch. i always suggest brunch when we meet up because i love brunch but little did i know that karen hardly even ate breakfast! thanks karen for indulging me in my brunch outings and for somegreatconversati

absolutely loved this menu. good mix of burgers, mexican with some japanese inspired tastes. i got the naam burger with the sesame fries and salad.greatportions and the miso sauce is a unique addition.
i’d recommend this place.

if you were to pick one restaurant that represents kitsilano as a whole, it would have to be the naam. kitsilano's past, present, and future exists in this very special space. this legendary vegetarian restaurant is everything that you want it to be - and it's open 24/7. need miso gravy at 3am? they've got you.

lucky for me, the naam is located right outside of my front door. literally. i can see the restaurant from my living room window. this makes it very easy to consider it an alternative to eating at my own home. because of this, i have eaten here many times! and it's not just me, it's a major community favourite. the georgia straight voted it #1 best restaurant for a 3am meal 2017 and #1 most vegan-friendly 2017. westender chose it as the #1 best late-night eats 2017. and the georgia straight again picked it as #1 best restaurant for a 3am meal 2018. the point is clear: if you're hungry late at night, this is where you come (and you don't need to be stuck eating greasy fast food garbage late at night either).

the naam opened in 1968 which makes it vancouver's first vegetarian restaurant. kitsilano used to be a hippy haven and this is a place where you can still see remnants of that time. the vibe is extremely eclectic! you'll feel warm and comfortable, whether inside or outside on their beautiful patio. they feature interesting art exhibits that are ever-changing. their roots run deep and you'll feel as if you're a part of something when you visit.

i stopped in on a sunday evening and was immediately seated at a table in the middle of the room. our server was upbeat and friendly. there is live music every evening from 7-10pm (we were treated to a duo of guitarists), which always adds a special element to the experience. does it feel like home? that's because it is.

i started with a chai latte ($3.95). chai lattes are my #1 hot beverage to order and this version is one of my favourites. i like that it isn't too sweet, it's perfectly spicy, and it tastes fairly close to what an actual indian chai is supposed to taste like. sometimes i pop in and order one to go.

the food menu is vast! on this particular evening i was dining with a vegetarian friend of mine, and i asked her "don't you love coming to places where you can order anything off of the menu?" her response was that she's not used to having this many options! they've got pizza, mexican, burgers, asian dishes, pasta... and the list goes on. it's all vegetarian and in many cases vegan and/or gluten-free. the food is just good, down-home cooking with absolutely no pretension.

on this visit, i wanted to go full-on classic and ordered the naam dragon bowl (steamed veggies on organic brown rice with miso gravy, tofu, peanut sauce, grated carrots & beets, organic alfalfa sprouts & wakame - $11.75), the restaurant's signature dish, if you will. this bowl screams freshness on every level. the gorgeous colours alone can tell you everything that you need to know about this offering of goodness. every veggie was living up to it's full potential, the rice and tofu were cooked to perfection. but let's just talk about the miso gravy for a second. this is the thing. it's famous. you want this. it tastes incredible and boasts a wonderful umami that will fill you with happiness. (the naam sells their sauces, including this one (there are six in total), at many grocery stores around the city.) i often base my order on whether or not it includes the miso gravy. all six dragon bowls on the menu aregreatbut this one is truly a classic.

the service got a little bit slow and can sometimes tend to be a bit patchy. we finally got an order in for dessert, the hot apple crisp (served with pride since the naam opened. it doesn't get any better - $6.25). this is a must-try and yet another classic. warm, gooey, sweet. tart juicy apples. a nice crunch from the granola. plus creamy ice cream on the side! share it with a friend!

the naam is like going home. the food is reliable and pleasing to vegetarians and non-veggies alike. the prices are reasonable and their breakfasts are delicious as well. (you'll often see people lined up out door during weekend brunch time.) this is your neighbourhood place.

disclaimer: i've only tried the dessert items from this restaurant, so my review is purely based on their desserts.

this is a popular, casual restaurant in kits that specializes in vegetarian/vegan food. during my visit there, i sampled their carrot cake, double fudge cake, and raspberry chocolate cake. i found their desserts to be generally pretty good, albeit a bit bland and too "healthy" tasting for my liking. the service is a bit disorganized, but the staff are very friendly. all in all, this seems like agreatplace for some good vegetarian fare.

raspberry chocolate cake ($6.75):
3.5/5
this is vegan, and apparently contains cashews, and is served with a side of raspberry sauce.the cake was quite soft and moist, and contained a layer of fudge, which was dense but relatively light. although chocolatey, i did find the flavours to be a bit muted and bland; i personally would have liked the cake to be a bit sweeter. i quite enjoyed the raspberry sauce however, which had a intensely tangy flavour that paired well with the chocolate.

naam carrot cake ($6.75)
3/5
the cake contained walnuts, carrots and raisins. although not dry, it did have a crumbly texture that i was not the biggest fan of. i did also find it to be a bit bland. however, it did have a nice bit of spice, a well as a good amount of nuts, which i really enjoyed. i quite liked the cream cheese frosting, which was creamy and tangy: i only wish there as more of it present.

double fudge cake ($6.75)
3.5/5
this was my favourite of the three desserts. the cake was quite moist and chocolatey, although it was a tad bland on its own. fortunately, it was coated in a layer of chocolate icing, which was rich and sweet, and provided agreatcompliment to the cake.

last month i was in vancouver , and decided to go to some veg restaurant that i hadgreatmemories in .
this place never changing , 8 years ago when i lived in vancouver .. i saw the same people , same staff and samegreatfood!
salads are amazing , veg burger , its a real taste of heaven and feels like home where employees has no uniform , and 24hrs opening is amazing , so i came here at 2 am , still crowded as usual  .
who would not recommend the naam !!! its heaven !!

best food ever
and healthy
never knew it was vegan until after i was told

tastesgreat......

the experience definatley depends on server

if you get the obnoxious rude bald guy that wears a baseball cap and worn out suit
you migth give 3 stars

the gentle man with the ganish t shirt
you give 6 stars
the perfect waiter  ......

food is 10 out of 10

and healthy and reasonable priced

everything
i mean everything
is unreal /../....
and 24 hrs   wow

blows whole foods   away

busy on a thursday night and had to wait for a table, but the line moved pretty quickly. the restaurant is pretty big with indoor and outdoor seating.

i ordered the chili burrito which came with salad. i liked how half the plate was salad and the other was the burrito. it was a very balanced and filling meal. i opted to have the vegan daiya cheese instead of regular cheese. i enjoyed it. it had a different taste and slightly different texture but still looked like cheese. also, there was no additional cost for it! the portion is definitely worth the price. i wasn't able to finish my burrito and packed it for home. i also tried their chai latte with almond milk. i liked the amount of spice, but i wish it was sweeter.

overall, service and food was good. even though it was really busy, i still felt the servers were attentive. this is agreatplace to eat and i'd definitely come back. they have lots of options, so there'll be something new to try next time!

excellent place if you love veggie food. affordable price butgreattaste of food. dragon bowls weregreatin both quantity and quality. but it gets crowded during peak hours. better plan ahead and enjoy thisgreatplace

nice vibes and very aesthetically pleasing.

10/10 would recommend their tuscan nachos & naam nachos.

quick service and agreatplace for late night eats!

i'm not a veggie but the food here is amazing. the vegetables are so fresh and flavoursome. i've never been disappointed by the quality, choice or service. it's alsogreatvalue for money.

as today is meatless monday, we wanted to try this restaurant for the first time. we had made two other attempts to try this place, and the third time is the charm.

unfortunately we found this place to be lacking in service and flavor of their food. i was kind of grateful that no one came by to ask how the food was, because i might have told them about my experience. so, i guess i'll just write about it.

this establishment has been around for so long now that, maybe they have forgotten what customer service is about. yes, we know that you're busy, but say "hi" when someone comes in. yes, i know that if we weren't here, the restaurant will still open (what's two customers correct?). the restaurant has a long history as "the best" vegetarian which completely baffles me. the food we had tonight was plain sloppy. over cooked veggies is enough to make anyone hate vegetarian food.

yes, you have lots of regular customers who are telling you not to change. but you must change and try to get new customers and update your food. vegan food, vegetarian food, any food doesn't need to be covered in sauce. you shouldn't be hiding the ingredients , but enhancing the flavour of the ingredients. there are many new vegan and vegetarian restaurants that are doing agreatjob of highlighting veggies.

btw, i'm being quite generous giving this restaurant a 2 star rating.

great little vegetarian-friendly gem. looooove their miso gravy and thick potato 'fries' (more like wedges). if you love strong flavours, however, you might want to lower your expectations. this place is full of excellent but very mild-tasting vegetarian items.

they also host live music featuring local artists, which is agreattouch. and it's open 24 hours!

excellent food, served around agreatambiance, and at reasonable prices. amazing how veg*n friendly it all is. and the live music in the evenings really adds to the experience as well. i can see why this place always has significant waiting before one can be seated.

the naam is perfect because they are open 24 hours. they’re agreatalternative to eating at mcdonalds or pizza at 2 in the morning because you don’t come out of there feeling like you’ve polluted your body. that’s not to say that they’re only good in the middle of the night, that’s just a perk. the food is really good, always flavourful. i’m not vegetarian and don’t often seek vegetarian food but i find that the naam has a very diverse menu and their dishes are very flavourful, and the portions of aregreattoo. i never come out of there feeling too full or unsatisfied. their miso gravy is amazing, if i could bathe myself in it i would. the only problem i have with the naam is the duration of time it takes for the food to come. by the time the food actually comes i’m not even hungry anymore. then i actually see the food and i’m hungry again, so it’s definitely worth the wait! definitely recommend it!