the naam

huge portions. made it to naam a few months ago and they are definitely busy, and it must have to do with the potions, the prices and size of plates was for sure a good combo. but man i have never seen so many sprouts in my life! dinner was ok, about average, the best thing were the sesame wedge fries andmisogravy.

slow... servers don't seem to care about customers... been eager to try this restaurant for a while and finally got a chance. restaurant was about 2/3 full. got the menu and was waiting for a server for 10 mins. one guy came with water to our table so we told him we would like to order some food. he said, "i don't take orders. your server will be here." well... ok... our server came and we ordered a sesame fries withmisogravy, one italian melt and a dragon bowl. we waited... and waited.... for the next 35 mins neither our food nor our server reached our table.. server finally brought our appy and told us, "other dishes will come out soon." 35 mins for an appy when the restaurant is only 2/3 full... by this time it was about half empty. 3 mins later, the table behind us with 2 guests who came in 20 mins after us gets their entrée. 15 more mins, we get our entrée. server neither explains nor apologies. food was ok, but nothing very sophisticated in terms of flavour. took us nearly 2 hours to finish our lunch. what you pay at the restaurant does not only cover the cost of food, but should also include good service. it was the first visit, and it will be the last.

meh. this place was okay-ish. the (vegan-ized) stuffed chapati was okay but seemed very very heavy (basically guacamole and melted diaya cheese slapped into a pita-style chapati). my husband had the rueben sandwich but didn't like it or the salad it comes with (i liked the salad). the cup of asian broth soup that i had as a side was really light and yummy though- likemisomeets onion soup. the only reason that i would go back would be for more of the asian broth soup.

the naam is good for vegetarians out there, its also wonderful that it stays open 24/7! ive tried the nam bowls and they are decent but i don't see the hype over themisogravy.. not my number one choice to go to but it does the job for a 24/7 place.

the naam near 4th and macdonald has been around for 50 years now and to my eye has changed little at least since i was first there maybe 30 years ago. this is not a slick modern plant-based restaurant and menu like an arbour or heirloom. it is more of a funky, environmentally conscious (not saying the others aren't) dare i say hippyish, back to the earth humble pedigree. and it was serving plant-based food long before that became a thing. we arrived just at noon on saturday and were seated right away. we did notice that before too long people were waiting for tables given the more limited capacity these days. so we started with stuffed chapati which turned out to be a glorified taco. it was still pretty good featuring avocado and cheese. each dish came with lots of carrot and beets so we felt like we got most of our vegetables for the day here. at each appearance of cheese on the menu, we were given a vegan cheese option (which we chose) so our meal was actually vegan! the chapati had a nice semi-crunchy texture by the way. next up was their thai noodles or vegan pad thai. this was a really enjoyable tasty dish. lots of peanuts but the ginger, garlic, miso, jalapeno flavours really made this dish of noodles, tofu, sprouts and cabbage. we call this dish a winner. somewhere under a well-packed plate of food was a tempeh reuben. tempeh is an indonesian fermented soy product that is formed into a sort of cake or slice. apparently, i have never had tempeh before and i was not enamoured of it. i found it a little dry and too chewy. when folded up into a sandwich, it did not resemble a reuben. as you know a reuben is pan-fried like a grill cheese sandwich and that would have gone a long way towards making me happy. still, when the yellow mustard was added, this was a pretty good sandwich with lots of sauerkraut, cheese, mushrooms, salad and a pretty good bun. it came with potato wedges andmisogravy for dipping. themisogravy might have been our favourite single element and we will definitely be trying to re-create it at home! we love the old wood floors and old mismatched wooden chairs and tables here. it is homey and humble. there are curious nooks and crannies and an eating area outside that is definitely not contrived or stylish but somehow very comfortable. the folks who work here are friendly and somehow seem to match their environs. if you have never been to the naam, you need to make it a stop for the sake of history at the very least..

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. great portions and themisosauce is a unique addition.
i’d recommend this place.

earthy place- inside and out. the interior is very much a reflection if the food they serve. themisogravy is fantastic and my favourite thing about this place. oh and the chili! as for the other dishes... too much vegetable for me. this place is very much a gung-ho vegan place- don't come here if you're looking for something lightly vegan. meet is better for that. i will recommend this to people who are very into eating this specific kind of way but i will likely not be back myself.

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. needmisogravy 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 withmisogravy, 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 themisogravy 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 themisogravy. all six dragon bowls on the menu are great but 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.

i came in at 11 for the lunch menu with my vegetarian bestie and i didn’t realize that they don’t switch over until 11:30. so i ordered the huevos rancheros and it was delicious and i was happy to getmisogravy with the potatoes! the dish was hot and came out quickly-my friend ordered the same thing but with scrambled tofu instead of eggs which i would do next time because the tofu also comes with extra fried veggies! service was fantastic and we got to pick our seats by the window which was nice. i will return again and again for themisogravy 👌

home to the original veggie burger. the naam has been doing it way before anybody as vancouver's oldest natural foods restaurant, open since 1968.
in fact it was here that i had my very first restaurant veggie burger in 1994 and i thought i was accidentally served a meat patty! the naam is still serving solid healthy-hippy vegetarian fare to this day. open 24 hours too. the bottled naammisogravy is delicious and i always have one on hand - my favourite sauce on everything from buddha bowl to burger.

don't risk eating here if you have a gluten sensitivity. girlfriend specifically told her server she had celiac and made sure they double checked the dish she ordered - got assurance it was clean. proceeded to eat her meal, then become violently ill afterward. once home, she called the restaurant again to double check the dish for gluten - again the staff checked with the kitchen and assured her it was. once she told them she had become ill after eating the dish, the staff did a triple check with the kitchen and finally found that themisogravy not at all gluten free. i would expect a restaurant offering vegan and vegetarian fare to be more aware of and have staff properly trained on exactly what ingredients their dishes contain. sadly that was not at all the case since it took three checks with the kitchen before it was discovered that they had served something my girlfriend was highly allergic to. beware of this place if you are sensitive to gluten.

great little vegetarian-friendly gem. looooove theirmisogravy 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 a great touch. and it's open 24 hours!

why is it so often that funky vegetarian restaurants have such poor service. too cool for school with your separate toe shoes? but i digress. we had lunch today, very slow service, my tepid, but tastymisosoup came after the mains were served. our vegetable rice bowls, peanut and curry, had tired vegitables and soggy rice with day old sauce. i had some green tea, would of liked a refill given the time we were there, and perhaps the opportunity for a desert, but just had the bill dropped on us. not sure if the restaurant is run for profit, or a ngo for young folk with bliss issues.

i love the naam. i always seem to get the tofu dog platter; it makes me feel like a kid again. essentially anything with themisogravy on it is amazing. they also have really good enchiladas and burritos. very generous portions and a good atmosphere when they have live music.

the food here is consistently delicious. nothing too fancy but definitely hits the spot (at all hours!!). vegans and vegetarians rejoice because this is a prime spot for you to have some rich comfort food :) the naam dragon bowl is my go to. extramisogravy, you can quite literally never have too much.