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| - I've loved Hearts Choices, ever since Nan stopped me in Calgary Farmers Market, and asked if I wanted to try a sample of her homemade green curry. They sold the curry and their handmade (hail) seitan frozen, so you could take it with you and have a food coma in the privacy of your own home.
Still, I always wished that I could just sit down and have a bowl of curry right then and there. Especially since the other vegan options in CFM left much to be desired.
You have no idea how excited I was when I read on twitter that they were going to finally open their own restaurant. Vegan options in the city are severely limited and require much research. We have vegetarian restaurants, vegan-friendly restaurants, a vegan restaurant that was forced to start selling meat so they wouldn't go under, and a bi-monthly vegan buffet at a Monastery. The selection is not that great, but the market is definitely there, because every single one of the aforementioned is always packed with long lineups and wait times.
I walked in on a Saturday afternoon for lunch, and they were already doing steady service. You order your food at the counter and they call out your name when it's ready to be picked up. One of my favorite things about Hearts Choices, is that Nan and her husband; Eahly, always remember me. Even with my new hair!
They have combo specials that come with rice and small salad. I ordered the spicy Thai Green Curry, and a Som Tam (green papaya) salad. Most of their offerings are GF, minus the seitan skewers. I upgraded to coconut rice for an extra 75ยข, because coconut rice is probably one of my favorite things in life.
I also got some of their coffee, which is grown in Northern Thailand and is made to order, so it's good enough to drink black. It comes in a french press and a little timer. When the timer goes off, you can push the plunger down and enjoy your coffee. The guy they have working alongside them behind the counter cheerfully told me all about it, as well as how to eat the Som Tam.
The Green Curry did not disappoint. It's just as good as it's ever been, full of lemongrass, ginger, and spicy coconut-y goodness. Coconut on all the things, please. The portion size seems small at first, but it's served with a generous portion of coconut rice and Som Tam, and the broth is so rich, you probably wouldn't want more than what you get. The Som Tam was so refreshing and paired really well with the main. The green curry and Som Tam pack a bit of heat to them, so if you're sensitive to spicy foods, you can try their yellow curry, which I overheard is their best seller.
Off to the side, they have freezers filled with all the things they carried at CFM, so if you were having trouble deciding what to order at the counter, pick one to stay, and take your second choice home with you. Along with frozen versions of their menu, they also carry homemade tofu, tempeh and seitan. Everything that's GF is carefully marked, so theres tons to choose from. They also stock vegan snacks like coconut bacon made by Phoney Baloney, and vegan chocolate made with rice milk. If you spend over $20, they give you a discount.
Will absolutely have to come back. So glad this place exists in Calgary. So glad it's run by two amazing, kind and generous people that deserve all of their success and more. I'm so full of food that I want to take a nap right now, but I still can't wait to come back with all of my friends.
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