Amaranthus is a new plant-based eatery inside River Market in New Westminster. The restaurant’s name is the Latin word for amaranth, a type of grain used to make alegrías – a popular Mexican sweet.
We were invited to have a sneak peek of the space and try some of their signature items.
They specialize in vegetarian and vegan cuisine with a charitable focus inspired by a chance encounter with Michael J. Fox. Proceeds from select items on Amaranthus’ menu like the Amaranthus veggie burger will be donated to IMPACT Parkinson’s, a New Westminster-based non-profit that supports people living with Parkinson’s disease.
Menu
Beverages
The beverages on the menu are excellent and they did a fantastic job at putting these flavours together. They are essentially zero proof cocktails. It feels like you’re drinking an alcoholic beverage but not.
Juniper and Tonic
The juniper and tonic tasted like you were drinking a gin and tonic but you aren’t. It was refreshing and not too sweet.
Beet Cream Soda
This drink surprised me. I expected it to be much sweeter than it was. It had the least sweetness out of the three drinks we tried. The beet flavour stood out quite a bit in addition to a mild cream soda flavour. It was delicious, but maybe it needs a touch of sweetness. Again another refreshing beverage.
Basil Shrub
This had the right amount of sweetness, ginger and basil flavours. It was very refreshing as well.
Fried Brussel Sprouts
These were amazing! One of the dishes we would love to have had more of.
The flavours were a perfect combination. Another thing that makes these sprouts so different than others is the addition of a poached egg.
Wilted Ridicchio
Another tasty dish. Loved the addition of the fig and fennel in this combination. It has very fresh flavours.
Wild mushroom risotto
The nice creamy texture and made just right. A bit of a heartier and comforting dish.
Amaranthus Veggie burger
This isn’t your ordinary veggie burger and very different than any other veggie burger we have had. A combination of roasted celeriac, Swiss card, blue cheese, and shallots make up this delicious burger.
Rosemary Salt Churros
These are a must try! It has a perfect touch of rosemary and salt with just the right crisp texture to these churros. They were spectacular and weren’t very sweet either. Will for sure be back for these.
Final Thoughts
Overall, it’s a great addition to River Market along with all the other eateries there. It definitely stands out and gives customers more options. Everything we tried at Amaranthus was great. They did a fantastic job of incorporating all the flavours with one another in each of the dishes. The dishes also tasted super fresh. We will definitely be back.
Address:
12 – 810 Quayside Dr, New Westminster, BC
Website:
http://amaranthus.ca/
