Becoming vegan isn’t easy. So it helps to have a terrific eatery like the Nature Vegetarian Food Cafe in Lower Hutt to enjoy.
It is an unassuming little spot hidden at the far end of High Street. The decor is perfunctory with little ambience. Yet, it offers a large, delicious menu. Granted, I only tried four dishes, but they were all excellent; indicating a consistency that will have me eating there for many years to come.
The menu is 100% vegetarian with most of the dishes also suitable for vegans. The menu is also clearly labelled to highlight which dishes are vegan.
We started with won-tons and chicken nugget type morsels. The won-tons were the best I have ever had and the chicken type nuggets put chickens to shame! Served with dipping sauce I would have readily eaten many more.
For a main I selected the mixed vegetables served with rice. It tasted like Chinese (food that is!). Very good Chinese food. In fact, if you served it to a non-vegetarian I am sure they would not realise it was a vegan dish. My companion had one of the clay pot dishes which was a more adventurous choice and also delicious.
It was reasonably priced with mains around $15 to $20 and entrees under $10. A full menu for the Nature Vegetarian Food Cafe, and its sister cafe in Christchurch, can be found on their website.
All in all a fantastic find! My only complaint is that they are not based in Wellington City! Worth a look for vegetarians, vegans and omnivores.