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The last time we were in Christchurch I saw the sign for Lotus-Heart on the day we were leaving, so this time we made a point of going back to try it and I am very glad we did.
Being a vegetarian means that eating out can sometimes be a difficult experience; or at the very least an often boring one. Many restaurants will only offer one vegetarian option (lasagne anyone!!) and very rarely a vegan option.
But, at a Vegetarian Restaurant, it is so wonderful to know you can eat EVERYTHING on the menu!! This alone got me quite excited!! So in-lieu of a recipe I thought would give you a sample of the lovely food on offer at The Lotus-Heart.
The restaurant is located in Christchurch the biggest city on the South Island of New Zealand. The main restaurant is in Cathedral Square, the central part of the city; they also have a café in Colombo Street not far from the restaurant.
It is independently owned and run by students of the spiritual teacher Sir Chinmoy and the minute you walk into the restaurant there is a sense of relaxation and a somewhat spiritual ambience.
The restaurant is on the second floor and overlooks the cathedral and markets in the square and there is artwork by and images of Sir Chinmoy on the walls; overall a lovely atmosphere.
But now to the food!!
I was incredible impressed by their drinks menu which included over 50 choices, from fresh juices, to smoothies and boosters (with many vegan options), teas and fairly traded organic coffee. I choose the ‘Serenity’ vegan smoothie and Cam decided on their house brewed Ginger Beer.
Their lunch menu was extensive and included hot meals like Dal, Cajun Vegetable Stew and Mushroom Stroganoff, as well as wraps, burgers, salads and a great kids menu.
Cam loves a good burger so decided on their ‘Humming Burger’ a gourmet veggie burger with a deluxe nut pattie, melted vegetarian cheddar, mayo, pickles (Yes pickles!! Yum!!), fresh salad and a great wholewheat bun. The burger comes with chips (cooked in rice bran oil) for $12.
I am a massive falafel fiend so couldn’t go past the Indian Falafel Wrap. Which included a golden falafel, roasted garlic hummus, fresh salad, tabouli and an amazing cashew aioli, on a tortilla it is completely vegan and delicious for $12.
The Serenity Smoothie; a vegan smoothie of almonds, dates and ginger; was super yum!!
The Ginger Beer had that great home-brewed taste that may be a little off putting to those who haven’t tried it but we really liked it, cold, bubbly and not too sweet.
The Humming burger was Y.U.M!! We both love a good veggie burger and this was one of the best we have tried from a restaurant. The pattie was crispy and had loads of flavour, the pickles were great and the bun was almost like a focaccia in flavour with subtle herbiness and very fresh. The chips were super crispy and came with a delicious tomato relish that I would love to be able to recreate. Overall a great burger and fries that is definitely worth going back for.
As I mentioned above I love falafel and I was not disappointed by the Falafel Wrap. It was a good size and packed with lots of yummy ingredients but thankfully not overflowing. The hummus and cashew aioli were so good and the falafel was quite small and crispy golden with sesame seeds, mmmmm. I enjoyed the wrap and was very happy, content and FULL on completion of our meal.
The devotion and care taken to provide a truly spiritual and wholly vegetarian experience was refreshing and very enjoyable. The Lotus-heart is a lovely restaurant with an extensive and appetizing menu; with so many beautiful vegetarian and vegan options I only wished I didn’t live 5 hours away so I could go more often.
The Lotus-Heart Café
595 Colombo Street
(Btwn Tuam & St Asaph)
Christchurch
New Zealand
Telephone +64-3-379 0324
The Lotus-Heart Restaurant
Level 1
Original Chief Post Office Building
15-31 Cathedral Square
Christchurch
New Zealand
Telephone +64-3-377 2727
or 021 277 1327
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