Rating: 4.5/5
When looking for a new takeout place for dinner, I stumbled upon a vegan Taiwanese restaurant called Loving Hut through Yelp, located in the Milpitas Square shopping center near the 99 Ranch Market. I was intrigued by the menu items, which provided alternatives to shrimp, beef, pork, and other meats using tofu, so I made the decision to give the restaurant a try. Luckily, the store was still open when I decided to order, and there was only an hour until it closed at 9:00 p.m.
I was impressed by the easy phone and online ordering processes. The website was easy to access as well, with an assortment of visually appealing foods and ingredients listed. However, the restaurant remains a bit on the pricey side so, if you’re looking for cheap takeout, Loving Hut is not the restaurant. My family and I decided to order bun hue ($13.95), a spicy noodle soup; pad Thai noodles ($13.95); “healthy brown rice” ($13.95), and an appetizer called spicy cha cha ($15.95), which included spicy vegan shrimp with an additional dipping sauce. Service was quick, with the order being completed for pick-up within 15 minutes.
I first tried the spicy cha cha with the dipping sauce it came with. It had a crispy texture, but I couldn’t quite feel the spice. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it with the sauce that added a cool flavor, almost similar to a ranch. There were eight pieces, and the vegan shrimp itself was a little filling, making for a good appetizer. Despite the low spice levels, the crunchy texture of the shrimp made up for it. Later, upon revisiting the website I realized that there is an option to decide the level of spice you would prefer, and because I had not used this option, all of my foods were given the default spice levels because their default is mild. If I had to choose, I would have chosen the medium spice level, as someone who enjoys spicy food but has to consider the needs of other family members.
I especially enjoyed eating the bun hue noodle soup and the pad thai. Both dishes were uniquely flavored with equal parts of saltiness and spice. The vegan meat alternatives were slightly spongy, almost tasteless even, and did not take away from the overall taste of the foods. The noodles were plain, and I was surprised that they came separately from the soup. What I ended up doing was pouring the soup and then the noodles into a large bowl and serving it to the rest of the family. The rice, in comparison, was less flavorful than the other foods, but the pineapples added a good touch.
I am glad I tried out the vegan-oriented restaurant, Loving Hut as it provides a variety of vegan options. The employee I had called over the phone was hospitable, even giving us the option to add pineapples to our fried rice for free. The fact that this restaurant was vegan did not detract from the taste and quality the restaurant holds. As a vegetarian, I am used to looking for vegetarian restaurants, or at least restaurants with an accommodating menu, and this restaurant acted accordingly. While I would have preferred more spiciness in the foods, the overall texture and quality of the food made up for it. I would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a vegan-friendly restaurant to try out Loving Hut’s cuisine; you will certainly enjoy it.