Last night I met up with some friends at Buddha's Vegetarian, a little hole in the wall on Dundas, just East of Bathurst. They had eaten there before and consider it one of Toronto's better kept secrets for cheap and cheerful vegetarian chinese food.

I got there late and by the time I sat down, they were just polishing off a heaping plate of Beancurd Sheets, otherwise know as Imitation Duck ($4.40). I didn't taste it but apparently it's the dish to get on the menu.

We then settled in for mains. I opted for a small Buddha's Special Mixed Vegetables in Soup ($3.70). The photo is above so you can imagine the fun I had locating the soupy portion of the soup.

Talk about a huge mound of the vegetables I always hope not to get when I order "special mixed vegetables". I should know better. I guess I'm just not down with the many varieties of chinese mushrooms and bland bamboo shoots.

I was hungry so I gave it a go but only managed to get through half of it. I imagine the large portion would be suitable for the Argos offensive line.

Elsewhere around the table, my dinner companions dug into a massive plate of Fried E-Fu Noodles with Vegetables ($6.50) and a couple of more soups including the Sweet Corn and Beancurd (Tofu) Soup ($3.20 for a small).

By this time I started to notice how busy the restaurant was. The 5 or 6 tables were full; and about a dozen more customers were waiting by the entrance. It's testament to the popularity of the place. But overall, I'd say Buddha's Vegetarian is more about good value (and huge portions) than great flavours.

Photo by Gary Choo on Flickr