Craving Comfort, Finding Compassion: Filbert & Rosary at Buddha’s Vegan

What do you get when you combine vegan nostalgia, Chinese comfort food, and good company? A warm, flavorful episode of Crave and Company—this time featuring Filbert and Rosary as they dine at Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant, a modest but mighty gem tucked in downtown Toronto.

For Filbert, who has been vegan for over a decade, Buddha’s is more than a restaurant—it’s a safe haven. A place where everything on the menu is vegan, where you don’t need to squint at fine print or quiz the server about ingredients. It’s rare to find a spot that feels both affordable and family-friendly, with flavors that truly hit home—especially for Filipino palates who grew up on dishes like salted fish fried rice and sweet and sour pork.

Buddha’s doesn’t just replicate these dishes—it recreates memories. The salted fish fried rice, though meatless, brings back the smoky depth and umami pang of the original, minus the cholesterol. The sweet and sour “pork”, made from soy-based meat, nails the chewy texture, sweet glaze, and peppery aroma that Rosary fondly recalls from childhood parties.

Filbert opens up about how going vegan saved his life—how plant-based eating helped him regain his health in his twenties. But the journey isn’t always easy. He admits that the early years of going vegan meant missing out on Filipino food traditions, struggling through parties with no options, and getting stuck with overly processed alternatives.

That’s what makes places like Buddha’s essential—not just for vegans, but for anyone looking to eat mindfully without sacrificing flavor or culture. It’s not a flashy restaurant, but that’s part of its charm. With an unassuming exterior, it serves deeply comforting meals that feel like a hug from an old friend.

Craving something hearty but kind?
Buddha’s Vegan delivers—no meat, no guilt, just love on a plate.

📍 Visit Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant at Bathurst & Dundas, Toronto.
💬 Watch the full episode on Crave and Company for more delicious discoveries.