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Another day in vegetarian paradise >> The "cool" Krishnas serve wholesome meals at Govinda Jaya Jaya by SPANKY HOROWITZ Last week I was walking along Duluth thinking about how there aren't nearly enough restaurants in the area, when I passed by what used to be L'Insolite, the UFO conference centre. It's now closed, which means that either the UFOs never came and the folks got tired of waiting, or the UFOs came and, well, I have no idea what could have happened, but it doesn't really matter because I'm talking about food, not aliens. On my way down the street I noticed a new restaurant called Govinda Jaya Jaya, which offers all-you-can-eat vegetarian food, six days a week. The menu is not very extensive, but it changes on a daily basis. Lunch costs $5.95 and dinner runs only $7.95. They offer no alcohol, but for a good reason, which I'll get to later. I visited the restaurant several times and each visit offered me an array of new and exciting meatless dishes. There are always two soups on hand, one of which is always a chickpea dahl and the other is usually some kind of freshly made vegetable-based soup. My favourite was the beet soup, a bright and creamy pink broth loaded with solid chunks of beet. Among my favourite main dishes were the chickpea balls: humongous meatball look-alikes swimming in a tangy tomato sauce, which I mopped up with a piece of organic bread. I never would have known what they were made from, so I asked one of the extremely courteous staff members, who were all more than willing to answer my questions and give any paying or potential customer a full gastronomic tour of the restaurant's current offerings. I also enjoyed the eggplant stew, a rich and hearty stew filled with pieces of eggplant and other vegetables too numerous to recount. I went back several times (I love all-you-can-eat) for the tapioca, which was sort of a giant couscous type side dish laced with cauliflower and whole almonds. I always started my plate with a firm foundation of basmati rice, wild rice, couscous or whatever starch they happened to be serving on that particular evening. Dessert was usually pretty boring, but I was too full to give a damn. And oh yeah, they had salad too, but who the hell eats salad at a buffet? The decor is serene and very, very relaxing. The place gives you the impression that you're paying much more than eight bucks to be there. Warm shades of yellow and orange colour the walls, which are adorned with portraits of Govinda, which is an alias for Krishna. I made an inquiry with my friend Dave at Je L'ai (a Duluth street hemp store), who informed me that Govinda Jaya Jaya is owned by the Hare Krishnas. "But the cool ones," added Dave. I asked the staff at the restaurant and sure enough, they were all devotees of Hare Krishna. They were not wearing robes, they did not have shaved heads and they were not pushing the Krishna on me. They only want to serve low-cost vegetarian food, and they are doing just that. And they do not drink, so no booze--but they carry a non-alcoholic apple cider which is superb, and made from Quebec apples. When Krishna devotees cook, they cook with devotion, which results in some tasty food. I'd definitely eat there again because it sure beats buying a flower at the airport!
Govinda Jaya Jaya Address: 263 Duluth E. Phone: 284-5255 (they take reservations)
Hours: Lunch Mon-Sat 11:30am-4pm; Thurs-Sat 4-10pm; closed Sun Best features: Cheap and tasty vegetarian food in a relaxing atmosphere Alcohol: No Vegetarian friendly: Yes Credit cards: Yes
Wheelchair access: Three steps Rating: *** out of **** |