the naam

slow... servers don't seem to care about customers... been eager to try thisrestaurantfor a while and finally got a chance.restaurantwas 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 with miso gravy, 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 therestaurantis 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 therestaurantdoes not only cover the cost of food, but should also include good service. it was the first visit, and it will be the last.

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-sizedrestaurantwith 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 were great and the third time around, it was just as good. this time, i ordered the maui maui burger. it’s a veggie patty with

this place has an amazing vibe. music and the theme of therestauranthad a different vibe.
food is even more amazing.
must try: nachos & thai bowl
the staff is very friendly.

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-basedrestaurantand 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 and miso gravy for dipping. the miso gravy 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..

if you were to pick onerestaurantthat 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 vegetarianrestaurantis 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 therestaurantfrom 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 bestrestaurantfor 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 bestrestaurantfor 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 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.

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

this is a popular, casualrestaurantin 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 a great place 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 a great compliment to the cake.

last month i was in vancouver , and decided to go to some vegrestaurantthat i had great memories in .
this place never changing , 8 years ago when i lived in vancouver .. i saw the same people , same staff and same great food!
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 !!

i've been going here off and on for a long time. in the past i found the food overrated and mostly underwhelming. my last visit was a pleasant surprise. i had the veggie burger and it was delicious. service was very fast even though therestaurantwas busy.

the naam is a vegetarian/veganrestaurantthat is open 24 hrs and a cult favourite among ubc students. i went for brunch once and it was pretty bland but this time around was a lot better. i got the golden bowl which had delicious chunks of potatoes inside mmmm carbs. . also i never ever eat sprouts at home that was fun, they tasted pretty fresh. the bowl is really big so there is absolutely enough food. the gravy was surprisingly quite fantastic, i just wished that there were some garlic, which would have made it even more delicious.

busy on a thursday night and had to wait for a table, but the line moved pretty quickly. therestaurantis 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 a great place to eat and i'd definitely come back. they have lots of options, so there'll be something new to try next time!

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 firstrestaurantveggie 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 naam miso gravy 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 therestaurantagain 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 the miso gravy not at all gluten free. i would expect arestaurantoffering 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.

as today is meatless monday, we wanted to try thisrestaurantfor 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, therestaurantwill still open (what's two customers correct?). therestauranthas 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 a great job of highlighting veggies.

btw, i'm being quite generous giving thisrestauranta 2 star rating.

how have i not come here yet?! and the fact that it's open 24/7 is a huge, huge bonus! last night i ordered the naam bowl, which was absolutely amazing. needless to say, i had plans with friends for dinner tomorrow night, and have diverted our initialrestaurantwe picked to the naam. can't wait!

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 tasty miso soup 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 therestaurantis run for profit, or a ngo for young folk with bliss issues.