Karmavore

The Thai Peanut Wrap was excellent and the two bites of Kale, called a starter Kale Salad, was great. At 138 lbs, I fill up fast, but this place left me wanting more. The serving was at best a small lunch and definitely not a dinner. You order at the counter and seat yourself; not what I expected given the price and the look of the place. They were closed my first attempt because they didn’t have kitchen staff. Be sure to call before you visit, they apparently don’t open if they don’t have staff. Frankly, I wouldn’t go here unless you live nearby. The trip from downtown isn’t worth it. The food is excellent, but the overall experience just isn’t worth it.

I am a vegan going strong, this is an amazing place with a great new food selection! I live quite a ways away and I love coming here for the convenience of good food when I’m in town :)
The first time I went and notified them of my nut allergy, they were very accommodating and actually looked at the nutrition list that they have in the kitchen and told me what I could have. Very friendly. Their grilled cheese was amazing :) too bad they took it off the menu. Soy soft serve is also rare and a wonderful treat in this city!
They had newly renovated into a new café, the grocery store items are no longer available with the exception of tao’s amazing kale chips. :)
Although the last time I visited, I introduced my two friends to my awesome experience. Except when we went, the lady helping us seemed to be bias towards my nut allergy. I thoroughly read the menu and read the ingredients following the menu item. When I had decided what to order, I told her about my nut allergy in case of contamination or if almond milk was used (In this case, I learned that they used almond milk in their tzatziki sauce). All was great until she pulled the menu out and started mentioning that their major food alternative for being vegan was peanuts/​nuts and gave the attitude that it wouldnt be a good idea that I order anything. She started naming off the peanut items on the menu as if I could not read it myself.
Service is definitely a hit or miss and definitely has gotten busy since it turned into a café only. The last time we went, we ordered and were not warned that there was aprox. a 30 minute wait on food.
Love the menu items, but yes– I feel that they are lacking people skills regarding community support with the plant based diet. I fear that they will turn to welcome a vegan-​only customer base.

My dear saw this while I was driving down Columbia Street, I asked her, «do you want to take a look» and so goes this new adventure into a vegetarian place! When are we in New Westminster, exactly, once in a full blue moon so even though I had other food joints in mind we decided to turn the car around and come on in here. When you see such a cute name, and then see a little drawn cartoon girl as the logo you know there is some character in this place.
We stepped in, and were quickly greeted by the staff there which walked up to us and also presented some menu’s while we were looking around. We were in no means hungry, but since we were here we might as well try some things here, and the place looked cool. We ordered a poutine and an ice cream with brownie bits as our snack at this place, they didn’t come right out which means there was some preparation, so we walked around the store, and went downstairs!
While looking around downstairs, this place was roomy, they sold other animal free stuff, like make up, even shoes, and they allowed us to try some of the brownie that they were about to serve us once we went back upstairs. This place pairs up with Chau Veggie Express to sell their goods out the door, or eat in.
We waited awhile, but were warned well in advance that the poutine would take about 20 minutes, it’s not like we were in a rush. The first thing served to us was actually the sweets, a cup of ice cream with their vegan brownies. It was a good combination of chilly treat with spongy chocolatey cake. The brownie wasn’t as dense as normal ones, and remember this is vegan, so no eggs, no butter, no normal goodness that you (non vegan) eaters might be used to.
Eventually the poutine came, and this was actually quite good (from this meatatarian’s mouth) with a load of fries under a bed of mushroom gravy with some type of soy cheese curds. The vegan-​cheese didn’t melt like normal cheese, but the gravy was quite robust and deep in flavour, almost made you forget that ‘hey dude, there’s none of your favorite meaty ingredients in this thick broth’ in it and I just kept on putting a piece in my mouth, chewing, and repeating the process quite happily.
Eating vegan is not cheap, just remember that when coming here, and also, it’s in New West… not a place I normally come to, but it was a good experience, and if your looking for a vegan place, your in this hood and think it has nothing, think again you will be pleasantly surprised.

Retail and supermarket are now wiped out. It’s just a café. They have a dedicated dessert chef, and have paired up with CHAU VeggiExpress and have a selection of items from that restaurant as well.
A few leftover retail items may still be in the store, but it’s a 50-​seat café/​restaurant now.
It might look like a diner and you can pay at the counter, but you do get table/​waiter service.
If you have or know someone with a Karma Card from Karmavore, you can enjoy 25% off dine-​in for all of July 2013!

My partner and i often find gems like this when he’s the driver and I am the passenger, having my hawk eyes fixed on the streets, hoping to catch cool places to check out.
On this beautiful Sunday afternoon we striked gold again. Karmavore. The name is just too cute not to park our car and walk in. The first thing I notice on the menu is that Karmavore partners up with Chau Veggie Express. I’ve been there and food is solid.
We weren’t particular hungry but could definitely use a nibble or two. Under the encouragement of the very enthusiastic server, we got a poutine and a soft served ice cream with brownie. We were warned that the poutine can take up to 20 minutes to make because they are baked to order. Since we are in no hurry, we said yes to the poutine.
While we waited for our food we were checking out the downstairs. They had a cold fridge display going with some sandwiches and desserts. They also carry Beauty Without Cruelty products such as lipsticks (I personally have a BWC makeup remover so I am happy to see products of this line being sold here). There are also some vegan shoes, yes, no leather, no animal parts.
After checking out the downstairs we went upstairs to grab a table for two. The soft served ice cream with brownies came first. It was surprisingly good. It tasted like the real thing, but not as sweet. The brownie was slightly on the air-​y side but nonetheless quite chocolate-​y. The crunch of the garnish — the nuts… yum. Everything came together. I like how we get the indulge on desserts without feeling «heavy», that feeling you get when you had too much of the real dairy fat. Next came the porcini gravy-​ed poutine. The fries that were not covered in gravy were perfectly crisp, non-​greasy, and not salty (but still well seasoned). The fries in directly contact with the gravy were on the soft side, but still the flavor was quite good.
This place is not cheap but the food is quite good and the service is outstanding. I’d like to frequent this place more than I would like but New Westminster is just a little too far to commute.

It’s criminal that it took me so long to write a review on this. I like to try many different types of food. My theory is that I will at least try everything once. I’ve eaten vegan before as in salads and some tofu stuff, however, it’s amazing how many things that are commonly eaten everyday can actually be made into a vegan version like poutine, soups, cakes etc. The ladies working there were extremely warm, sociable, encouraging and patient with my questions. It is close to the Columbia train station. This is one of those places that you can only go on the weekends as their hours of operation aren’t user friendly for the 9−5-er. The prices for the meals are very reasonable and there are tons of take away options on the shelves and fridge. I felt healthier eating here. Most things vegan are naturally gluten free, therefore, this was another plus bonus for me. Low in calories as well, therefore, it was Weight Watchers friendly. I ordered the vegan poutine which was amazing. I ordered to phở noodles, however, the broth was extremely over salty. It was sodium suicide. I had to drink tons of water after and even after 2 cups, still tasted the salt in my mouth. Nothing of the soup could be eaten. I am glad that I got two entrees.

My life is complete living down the street from Karmavore. You need to understand they are a specialty shop and can’t have every product in stock all the time. They are not a Wal-​Mart. If you’re coming from DT, do a quick check online for your product. You can set an alert for when they get it in stock. Also the owner has been more than happy to order something for me and include it in the next inventory shipment. This is a great place to grab a quick bite or hang out over tea in the newly redesigned upstairs. Ashley, their baker, creates amazing desserts!
So go and check it out!

Had the Poutine with a BLT sandwich and a vanilla cheese cake for dessert… Heaven!!!

Great food for sure, great service upstairs at the café — everyone needs to mellow out with their reviews. 5 stars for their soups alone. I’ve been twice this week. And the store needs a bit more stock but it’s a small store. Their bakery is pretty good and I’m not even a vegan or a vegetarian.

i have been coming here since they opened as the little shop closer to braid station but it has been awhile since my last visit! so i was surprised today to see the upstairs transformed into more of a restaurant dining area (featuring chau veggie express menu items) and downstairs having a till with the grocery and clothing and deli all combined.
recently, i’ve come across ads on craigslist to work here that give off the vibe that they have had trouble keeping friendly staff here. today, we were served by super friendly and helpful people so hopefully they stick around!
what kept me from coming here for over a year and a half (probably?) is weird feelings i have over a contest they had to get photos for their website. maybe i am being petty, but my boyfriend and i rushed to enter on time when we found out about the contest but then the store extended the deadline at least 2 times, probably to get more entries. the part that stung was we were the only people ending up not winning anything! and karmavore is using at least one of my photos. so yeah, it seems dumb to hold it against them as really, contests are just for fun and a bonus to win, but it felt weird to see the store trying to get more entries and then rewarding everyone else but us!
in terms of being a vegan store, i am super grateful something like this can exist and continue. i like that they continue to find new products and get things in that other stores don’t have. (they were the first canadian retailer to have daiya!) it seems to be frozen/​deli and chocolate/​marshmallow items that i can’t find elsewhere. the clothing and shoe departments seem to be disappearing. i hope they somehow get bold native and vaute couture tees and tanks again. i wish they carried more stock in general so there would be more to choose from when i do make the skytrain ride out but it’s still pretty good for a fully vegan lil shop! and it’s grown so much in the last number of years! i hope it will continue to grow!

Delicious food, over priced for what you get but I wouldn’t mind paying more if the service was friendly. Ho hum type of service.
They have something here, great food, willing to pay extra for this unique fare, but drop the attitude, smile and greet your customers with a willing-​to-​help attitude.

I often refer to Karmavore as a vegan heaven on earth. They have everything a vegan could want — cosmetics, accessories, groceries, bakery items, and a small café with delicious offerings. Vegans and vegetarians alike LOVE Karmavore. I have even brought some of my not-​so-​vegan-​friendly friends with me and they, too, have enjoyed the Karmavore experience!

Honestly, I was disappointed when I first checked out Karmavore. I don’t know what it is, but the website seriously made it seem like it was going to be a lot more amazing than it actually is. I’d suggest trying to order things online instead of actually dropping by the store, but it seems like most of their online products are also out of stock.
There’s a small rack of clothing on the top floor, shoes, cosmetics, condoms, etc, but definitely not a lot of stuff displayed.
Downstairs is the grocery section, the freezers, and the deli. As it turns out, most of the baked goods (croissants, donuts, muffins, etc) were all from other various vegan bakeries in Vancouver. They had a decent little chalkboard menu, so my boyfriend and I tried ordering a couple things. Most of it they didn’t have made, or any left, or none of that item for the specific day. Okay… don’t have it on the menu then?
I was most excited to try the soft serve ice-​cream. Menu listed vanilla, chocolate, or a swirl of the two. I ordered a swirl, found out they didn’t have any chocolate ice-​cream, and so got vanilla ice-​cream with some chocolate sauce on it. Tasty, but a bit of a let down.
I mean, it’s nice having a lot of products all organized together in one store, and because I’m in Burnaby it’s a really close stop for me, but if you’re further out in Vancouver it’s probably not worth making the trip. Everything else is available to be purchased in other stores closer to you.

There’s nothing proprietary about Karmavore. I was excited to finally make it all the way out to New West to check out a store that seemed so promising online, yet failed to deliver in person. The store was sparse, scattered with products you can find elsewhere for a better price. The grocery section was more than half empty, again with products you can find elsewhere for a better price. (seriously, if you look for it, you can find all that stuff elsewhere). A new vegan might appreciate having things all in one store, but I was disappointed with the selection.
I also tried the deli, and found the food lacking in flavor. My husband did enjoy his meal, however. I wish I could have had a better experience.

Bwaaa! Dairy free soft serve ice cream! And it was delish! It reminded me of when I was young and used to go to DQ. Can’t do that anymore so I’ll definately be back for more of the next best thing! Seriously. it’s genius. If you can’t have regular soft serve this is the greatest discovery EVER.
The grocery selection is fairly limited — I can find all that stuff on the Drive closer to home. I would only come for an Ice Cream fix.

Awesome vegan store in a very convenient location (on the popular Columbia St. between New Westminster and Columbia skytrain stations) although I wish it were closer to home.
Karmavore is 2 level store with all things vegan including shoes, purses, belts, clothes, makeup, condoms (yes, condoms!) human AND animal food, and cleaning products. The basement level is like a mini grocery store with a deli where you can veggie burgers, sandwiches, salads and all sorts of treats including vegan soft serve ice cream!
I was elated when I took a look at their menu and had to sample a little bit of everything. I went a little overboard and was a little excessive with the desserts but I regret nothing… Here’s what I had:
–vegan burger with glutefree bun option: yummy burger with a meat-​like tasting patty, loaded with daiya cheese, veganese and fresh sprouts.
–mushroom croissantwich: good tasting mushroom patty, croissant was nice and flaky but didn’t have that buttery/​greasy feel and a nice vegan cheese that was not daiya.
–vanilla soft serve ice cream with chocolate sauce: delicious, and very creamy. I wasn’t a huge fan of the chocolate sauce but I have pretty high standards when it comes to chocolate.
–ridiculously chocolate cake: OMG, it really is ridiculously chocolately and so rich. I highly, highly recommend!
–chocolate donut: okay, a little dry but not too sweet. It resembled an old fashion chocolate donut.
–tiramisu: lots of layers and quite cakey. It reminded me of the generic vanilla birthday cakes everyone has as a child. It had a layer of icing of the outside with slivered almonds. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this dessert but it wasn’t bad either.
Pricing was very reasonable. Food was all prepared for you in compostable take away containers and after you order at the counter, you have to go upstairs to pay… There was also very little seating, about 2 small tables with seating for about 8 so it made you feel like they didn’t want you to stay and eat (dining area was comfortable but not a place I would want to hang around).
Overall a wonderful place for vegans. I love it… I wish they had a washroom so I could stay longer and eat more desserts!

I could have sworn I already reviewed this.
Love love love the cakes from here. Seriously I come here for the baked goods.
Also like that I don’t have to read labels. May seem a bit pricey but if you consistently buy these products at other stores you will see that prices are at par even with the «discount» grocery stores.

An inspiring, however empty looking store with super pleasant staff and an almost hidden grocery section downstairs? With food items readily available elsewhere at more reasonable prices and non-​leather belts over sized (as if for larger girthed persons), other than a few semi interesting items, sadly all I felt this store had going for it is for what it stands for.

Very interesting store indeed. This was one of the only places that sound vegan dog food. Yeah, our dog is allergic to meat… So they carry the made in Italy food. Baller…
The store was very nice and we were both greeted by the employees of the store. They carry a wide variety of vegan products from fresh food, bakery goods, to clothes, and cleaners.
Very chic store indeed, we’ll probably be back for some more dog food if it works out.

I’m conflicted about giving this shop the «I’m a fan» rating because it’s a vegan store and I’m an unrepentant meatarian, but for those of you on vegan, gluten-​free or soy-​free diets, this place is like a mini-​superstore.
Karmavore is very small, with a boutique feel to it, yet they manage to stock items in every category of ethical, from leather-​free shoes and bags, vegan condoms (!) and cruelty-​free cosmetics to vegan chocolate bars, marshmallows (wow, those weigh a ton) and ice cream bars made with coconut milk. There’s even vegan pet food, including what I’m told is the only vet-​approved vegan cat food on the market.
They also carry gluten-​free BBQ sauces and gravies (just in time for Thanksgiving) and dairy-​free mac and cheese, among other prepared food items. I do like that they donate a portion of profits to animal charities such as the SPCA.
Yes, Karmavore Vegan Store is in the depths of New West — but almost everything in the shop is available in their online store and they ship everywhere.