Eating Edmonton: Cafe Mosaics

Though Whyte Ave is known for its variety of amazing non-vegan restaurants, there are still quite a few hidden vegan gems — one of which is a restaurant called Cafe Mosaics. With its high turnover with staff, and constant adjustments to the menu, the restaurant seems ever changing. However, what hasn’t changed is the artsy and rustic interior, the great service, and delicious food. To my dismay, they only ever seem to accept debit or cash. Their motto hasn’t changed either: We love music, we like it loud, and we don’t take requests.

I have been to Cafe Mosaics before, and so this time, I tried to order items from the menu that I’ve never had before.

Okay, I said tried, because for my drink, I ordered a hot chocolate. I’ve had it a million times before. But it was really cold outside and I needed something sweet, creamy, and comforting. Regardless, I highly recommend it. If you are ordering the hot chocolate vegan, then ask for it to be made with a fattier milk such as macadamia. It will make the hot chocolate incredibly creamy.

For my main course, I ordered the Bahn Xeo. The experience was interesting. On the menu, it is described as an open faced crepe with a blend of lentils, mungbean, cabbage, daikon, carrots, greens, and mint. It’s served with vegan “fish” sauce on the side. While I don’t normally like things like salad, I especially enjoyed the fresh vegetables on top. They were crisp, fresh, and had salty hints of pickled daikon. Every so often, I would get a bite of mint leaf (the kind you’d find in a Vietnamese pho). Unfortunately, the crepe was my least favourite part of the whole meal, as it got very soggy from the “fish” sauce and vegetables. To be honest, I don’t know if I would order this dish again. 

I find Cafe Mosaics incredibly frustrating, mostly because of the constant adjustments to the menu. There have been many times where I find a favourite dish and get excited about it. But when I return, I find out that the dish has been changed dramatically, or it’s no longer on the menu. I will admit, I’ve never had bad service or a bad meal at Cafe Mosaics. Even the Bahn Xeo was a decent dish, though I was not a fan of it. If you’re wondering what to order, I would recommend the Mosaics Pho, The Jackfruit Basil Fettuccine, and the Laughing Monkey Hot Pot. Hopefully these dishes won’t be gone or changed by the time you read this review.

Saltiness aside, I would recommend this restaurant to anyone, especially to those who are new at or just trying a plant-based diet. Just don’t get too attached to the menu.