A good way to gauge how good a vegetarian restaurant is by how much meat-eaters like it – seriously. This is the case with Padmanadi; herbivores love it, but so do people with carnivorous diets, since the faux meats taste just as good as the real thing. These aren’t your run-of-the-mill grocery store faux meats either – the Padmanadi chefs are scrupulous with their dishes, molding soy into chicken, mutton and ribs. Try the Kung Pao Chicken, which is a favourite dish among my family of meat-eaters, where veggie chicken pieces are stir-fried in a mild spiced sauce with celery, bell peppers, carrots and roasted cashew nuts. Just don’t be alarmed when you start contemplating adopting a vegetarian lifestyle after the first bite. –Jasmine Salazar
10740 101 St., 780-428-8899, padmanadi.com
The former hole-in-the-wall vegetarian and vegan eatery went under some major renovations in 2015, which also included a revamp of the menu. Some of the favourites have stuck around, but have been slightly modified for some additional nutrition, like the green onion cakes that now have roasted flax seeds and hemp hearts in them. The menu offers a variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner dishes that are hearty and creatively healthy. The Stay Gold Pony Boy, Stay Gold is just that – a spicy pumpkin mac ‘n’ cheese with a crispy top layer of baked kale and bread crumbs. It’s a tasty dish that oozes with flavour, from the spices to the pumpkin, but never becomes too overbearing. –Jasmine Salazar
10844 82 Ave., 780-433-9702, cafemosaics.com
Since this food truck opened back in 2013, it has secured itself a place on either the Best Vegetarian or Best Food Truck list every year. In any placement, Sailin’ On is recognized for its easily accessible vegetarian street food. Though the menu changes regularly, some of the staples like its take on the B.L.T. (using the truck’s own signature Sailin’ On coconut bacon), and Drunken Chicken Sandwich are always available, while the city’s only vegetarian corn dogs make sporadic appearances – leaving the clientele always wanting more. –Cory Haller
