Garden Cafe

I'm not really sure why it has taken me until the fourth post to write about Garden Cafe; I guess it slipped my mind, which is odd considering Garden Cafe is one of the first all vegetarian restaurants established in Orlando.

Just think-- traditional Chinese dishes except all vegetarian; and they have every traditional Chinese dish you can think of:

• Sweet and sour ribs? Check.
  
• Pepper steak? Check.
  
• Sweet and Sour Chicken? Check.
  
• Kung Po Squid? Check.

Obviously these are all types of meat, but you wont find a single bone in dem ribs, why you ask? Cause it's all made from soy protein!

Yeah, soy protein. I'm not a huge fan; it sort of tastes like funnel cake batter to me, which isn't exactly what I want my sweet and sour ribs to taste like. But, for people like me (who is considered a sinner among the legion of devote Garden Cafe soy protein lovin' followers) there are plenty of menu options that are more traditional.

My absolute favorite dish of all time is the stuffed bell peppers. It's a simple mix of tofu, carrots and mushrooms packed into green peppers but the combination creates something magical; and it's only $8.50!

But, the great thing about Garden Cafe is its awesome lunch special. From open to 3:00 you can enjoy just about everything on the menu for almost half the price.

If you really want to try a meal made from soy protein (which I would suggest), try General Tso’s chicken. This is a favorite among my friends, so much so that they tend to order it each time we go. You can purchase General Tso's chicken for the normal dinner price of $8.95.

All in all, Garden Cafe is an experience that any vegetarian (or non-vegetarian for that matter) needs to have. The food is great and the atmosphere is as traditional as traditional Chinese can get in America.

Garden Cafe is located at 810 W. Colonial Drive.