Vegan food find: Lua’s Luscious Lime at Golden Aura

However you feel about raw food, we can probably agree on one thing: the desserts rule. At Golden Aura (2680 West Broadway) in Vancouver, four raw vegan cakes and pies are on the menu.

During a recent visit, I enjoyed a slice of Lua’s Luscious Lime ($7). This lovely lime-flavoured avocado-coconut pie is sweetened with date and coconut nectar. The crust is made from macadamia nuts and pumpkin seeds.

Like everything at Golden Aura, Lua’s Luscious Lime is gluten-free and made from organic ingredients. Most of the Kitsilano eatery’s menu is vegan, with just a couple of items labelled with a B for beegan (meaning they contain bee products and, therefore, are vegetarian).

I also tried a cup of Pho-Ever Yum Yum ($7). Although I prefer a steaming bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup (see Three Jewels and Veggiebowl), I found Golden Aura’s room-temperature version—featuring kelp, zucchini, and carrot noodles in a zesty miso broth—to be quite tasty.

Founded by yoga teacher Mahan Khalsa, Golden Aura started up in March. The restaurant is open Sunday to Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Thursday to Saturday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.