Here’s a review I’ve been meaning to do for sometime now and it was from a place I always wanted to try. It’s better late than never especially because they should be open to dine in. Mind you, when I had their food it was take out and it was a few months prior. Nonetheless, enjoy the review below, and if you want to check out more food reviews click here.
Background
Bo Tree Plant Based Cuisine specializes in vegetarian and vegan dishes and it makes sense since “Bo Tree” is named after the bodhi tree which is referred to as a sacred tree and the tree enlightenment. Most pictures you see of Buddha, you would see the bodhi tree in the background.
Location
The restaurant’s location is 568 Hwy 7 Unit 3, in Unionville, Ontario, Canada. Unionville, is pretty much downtown Markham (a little outside Toronto).
Taste
In terms of taste there were definitely some items I enjoyed more than others. They all had flavour but some were a bit harder to digest and really indulge into than others. For instance, I really liked the initial taste of the Crispy Chickenless Sandwich but maybe it because of the size and amount of seitan it was a bit tough to enjoy. That’s the case with some of the vegan food but nonetheless, something I did enjoy fine was the Crispy Imitation Chicken Nuggets especially with the ranch sauce. Good flavour and the ranch provided a nice contrast as well.
When it came to the BBQ Pull Porkless Sandwich, it is vegan and the “pulled pork” is made out of jackfruit (commonly used for vegan pulled pork) and what I found that complemented the sandwich great was the brioche bun, and it was more complimentary in this sandwich compared to the chicken sandwich. I did enjoy the side salad as well.
Something that surprised me in taste were the Buffalo Mushroom Wings because firstly, it wasn’t what I expected as the buffalo sauce was on the side but I was happy that the ratio between the dough and the mushroom (see below) was pretty much equal and the buffalo sauce had the right amount of kick. There was only so much wings I could eat which is why it is great to share with others. Speaking of surprises, the pineapple creme brûlée was something I didn’t expect to look like but I did enjoy the creativity and I am curious to know how it would be presented in person. It tasted just like I expected, creme brûlée with a pineapple aftertaste, and it was great. The mocktail was also pretty good and it did help wash down some of the items. Unfortunately, it was not something I thoroughly enjoyed for the price for me to try it again but I am curious to try their other flavours.
Price
In terms of pricing, it is definitely on the more pricier side as expected with vegan and vegetarian restaurants but for the portions it is pretty fair. For instance, the Crispy Chickenless Sandwich & BBQ Porkless Sanwich is $14 CAD, but it does come with the sides. However with the buffalo mushroom wings and the nuggets they just come with a sauce at $11.99 CAD and $9.99 CAD respectively, yet for the amount you get I do think it is worth it. Something I would say is priced a bit high is the mocktail at $6.99 CAD. Although they are available on popular food delivery sites such as door dash and ubereats, they do have special promotions with sites like Groupon. I did use it for this order and definitely recommend looking out for it, and to see more options check out their menu here.
Overall
All in all, it’s great to see another vegetarian restaurant that are willing to be creative and offer a variety of different options. I really did enjoy the special gift of miso soup that they provided along with a nice message because it is the little things that do go along way. I enjoyed the different options they have and even if I didn’t personally enjoy all of them, they are definitely items I want to go back and try, especially in person. For me, I recommend the nuggets and the buffalo mushroom wings as appetizers to be shared, along with the pineapple creme brûlée. If you enjoy more of a sweeter type of meal then the BBQ pull porkless sandwich is for you. Once again the Chicken sandwich tasted great but I couldn’t eat much of it because to me it was a bit harder to digest, so if you don’t find yourself to have that problem or would like to split it with others you should be good! I am also curious to try their other mocktails in the future! Remember some options are vegetarian and some are vegan, and some can be made vegan so it is definitely something to look over and reach out to them if you had any questions!
Let me know what you think, what are you more curious to try, and if you did have their food what your thoughts are. Leave a comment below and don’t forget to follow the blog via email or on Instagram and Facebook for more content and food reviews!