Be Love

I had the good luck recently to be invited to eat lunch at one of Victoria's newer restaurants, Be Love, downtown near the corner Blanshard and Fort Streets.

Here's what they have to say about themselves: be love is an offering of sustainable organic cuisine to nourish and heal the body, mind & soul. here to honour our earth, community and one another , we mindfully source our ingredients, fostering change to provide a future of health, love & respect for all. everything we serve is wheat, gluten, dairy, meat, additive and processed sugar free. we use 95% organic whole ingredients that are sourced locally and seasonally where possible. everything we serve is made from scratch, with love!

The above sentiments are not so different from most other vegetarian restaurants. What makes Be Love different and outstanding is that the food is extraordinary. Normally, vegetarian restaurants serve hearty, healthy food with maybe a specialty or two - but the experience is like a relic from Haight-Ashbury or 1970s 4th Avenue in Vancouver - experimental food with the emphasis on nutrition rather than flavour. Be Love takes organic, vegetarian cuisine to a new level. This is a mature cuisine. The presentation is lovely, the flavours are superb, the service is great and the food is good for you. Pictured above is what I had, called a Green Bowl on the menu. Wonderful! Fern had the Teriyaki Noodle Bowl - also delicious. For dessert I had a slice of the Daily Cheezecake. Fern opted for a wedge of the Butternut Pumpkin Pie. Again, both were melt-in-your-mouth scrumptious. If you're in downtown Victoria and looking for a truly exquisite dining experience with a difference, drop in to Be Love (click the link to take a look at the menu).