Lunch at 3G Restaurant on Cambie Street

After it was announced that the Lotto Max $50 million winning ticket had been purchased at a convenience store in Vancouver, my father-in-law made the assumption that he had won the Lotto Max jackpot.

Assuming that he was now a very wealthy man, he called to invite us to a special lunch. Keep in mind that this was before anybody had checked to see if in fact he was holding the winning ticket.

As it turns out he did not (nor did we) have a Lotto Max winning ticket. However, we decided to enjoy our lunch date anyway. So we headed over to Cambie Street, to what is now known as the Cambie Village. That is the stretch of shops on Cambie between King Ed and 12th Ave. Our destination was the oddly named 3G Vegetarian Restaurant.

When we got to the restaurant there were only two other tables with people at them. We took over the big round table at the back of the restaurant with three adults and high-chairs for the twins. I especially like the feeling of a round table with the large “Lazy Susan” on the table to share dishes. The round table makes conversation so much more enjoyable.

All of the menu items at the 3G Restaurant are vegetarian and many are vegan. We decided to go for the dim sum menu so that we could sample a number of the food items.

First to arrive was the congee.

We always order the congee because the twins seem to enjoy it. Not so much today. It lacked the complexity of flavours that seem to come from the addition of seafood. I liked it, didn’t love it.

Next was another soup, the Dumpling Soup.

This soup was a hit. The twins liked it and even more importantly, their mother liked it. The broth had a complex and very rich flavour and the dumplings had a perfectly soft mouth feel. Loved it.

Next came the shrimp pockets.

Another hit. These are my Sweethearts favs from the now closed Dragon Palace. The 3G Restaurant’s veggie alternative was a very close second.

Spicy Pork Buns arrived next. Unfortunately they were devoured before I could even snap a pic. A little too much bread and not enough spicy pork filling for my liking. Keep in mind that none of the food had “real” meat. It is all simulated meat. And it is typically delicious.

The stir-fried veggies and chow mein were add-ons to our meal. When the server took our order he asked if we wanted it spicy or not-so spicy because of the kids with us. We chose the not-so spicy. I have to admit that I would like to return and try the meal with the more spicy option.

The chow mein noodles were fried to perfection. Not at all greasy. I prefer them with a greater variety of veggies cooked into them but overall, they were good.

The bottom line? I would like to return and try a greater selection of dishes with the full-on spicy option turned on. Good so far, maybe it will be great after our second visit. And there will be a second visit.