Is this the world's best vegan joint? You be the judge

Jetlagged and exhausted in Vancouver after an epic 30-hour trek across the world, I've ventured out at 9.30pm to see if anywhere is still open for dinner. MeeT in Yaletown looks welcoming, with late-night happy-hour specials, an open-air terrace and well-dressed patrons.

Scrambling to get my order in before the kitchen closes, I order steak tostadas and a side of steamed cauliflower.

I ask for a Coke, but they don't have any sodas. I switch to an English breakfast tea (in a bar! I really must be jetlagged), but there's no cow's milk, just the oat or soy varieties. The only sweetener available is raw honey. I wonder if there's a supply chain issue in Vancouver.

This is a vegan restaurant, I'm informed. Oh. Wait, what? How are the steak tostadas on the menu?

It's soy-based "steak", the waitress tells me, with a smile. Sounds about as tempting as a plate of breaded cardboard with a sprinkle of sawdust to me. Too late to change my order?

"Just try it," she says. "If you don't like it, I'll take it right off the bill."

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It should come as no surprise that one of the most popular restaurants in Yaletown serves vegan fare. It's the kind of trendy neighbourhood district where you can shop for chakra-balancing potions and book a kinesiology session. Fantastic cuisine from all corners of the globe is available, representing the influence of the city's dynamic immigrant community.

Committed now to my faux-steak dinner, I inspect the plate that's put in front of me with the precision of a forensic pathologist. I take a tentative bite. And what do you know? It's absolutely delicious. I polish off every bite.

See eatmeet.ca