I was thrilled when I heard that a Loving Hut opened in Arlington, Texas. I grew up in Arlington. It’s full of chain restaurants, and at times there wasn’t even a single independent coffee shop. So a completely vegan restaurant (albeit a chain) opening was a huge deal.
Last time I visited my parents we stopped by. Loving Hut has an interesting business model. It’s a chain of restaurants created by Supreme Master Ching Hai. According to their U.S. website:
Loving Hut is created with a vision that all beings could live in peace, love and harmony with each other and the planet. Loving Hut chain restaurants are newly opening around the world. It is an invitation to gourmet cuisine made with wholesome vegan ingredients, offering an accessible starting point for those making the noble transition to a plant-based diet.
Every restaurant is individually run, so you’ll find a different menu at each one. And every restaurant also has Supreme Master TV playing at all times.
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Loving Hut on Matlock in Arlington, TX. Photo by mollyjade. Licensed under creative commons
The Arlington location is in a strip mall. Everything in Arlington is in a strip mall. It’s very slick-looking inside. The atmosphere is like a Starbucks or Apple store. The sound on the TV was off, and with your back to it, you’d never be able to guess what sort of restaurant you were in. In other words, it doesn’t look at all alternative or crunchy.
My mom got the pho. She really liked it, though was surprised that the zucchini was noodle-shaped and raw. That was exactly what I expected. I think zucchini noodles are pretty common in vegan circles, but haven’t yet gone mainstream. She was happy to find “normal” food on the menu. (More on this later.) I think either my mother has had several years to get used to me and my vegan food since our last visit to Spiral Diner, or, more likely, the crowd and atmosphere at Loving Hut was less intimidating. You’re fairly likely to run into someone with tattoos, piercings, and/or unnaturally colored hair at Spiral Diner. And while someone in my generation wouldn’t blink at any of those, I think for my parents those are still signifiers of counterculture. The crowd at Loving Hut wasn’t any different than the crowd at a Starbucks. A bit young, but otherwise unremarkable. So overall, the food was pretty good, but not exceptional. I’m still very pleased to be able to find so many vegan choices in Arlington. And I’m looking forward to going back to check out their desserts and baked goods. |
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