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| - I hadn't been to Lola Rosa in a few years, before tonight. You would think that as a vegetarian, how can I pass this place up? I'm somewhat sad to say that I'm just not that impressed. My mixed feelings are not due to a negative experience, but rather to mediocre ones.
On paper, Lola Rosa is doing everything right. A great selection of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free menu items, even a poutine! A bunch of great sounding desserts. I've been conceptually enthused ever since I first heard about the place.
Unfortunately the culinary experience I've had on my several visits simply has not lived up to this promise. The food isn't bad, but I just find it lacking, in a way that's difficult to quantify.
I'm leaning towards the hypothesis that they are a little too ambitious in throwing in ingredients. This is something I'm guilty of in my own cooking, the difference being I don't operate a restaurant - I only need to please myself.
Some dishes don't have enough flavour, take the veggie burger and the dessert, while others like the poutine have so many competing elements that it's hard to isolate the signal from the noise. I'm left with a feeling that something is lacking.
All this being said, it's very likely that I'll come back because I still can't resist the sound of some of these dishes! I just need to remember to manage my expectations.
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