Part of international chain of vegan restaurants inspried by Supreme Master Ching Hai, an advocate for veg living. Offers an all-you-can-eat buffet with a large selection of food, including tofu, seitan, pasta, rice, casserole, pizza, burgers, salad; plus cake, coffee, and non-alcoholic beverages. Originally was Ho Dai at Albertinkatu 12. Open Mon-Sat 12:00pm-6:00pm.
Categories: Vegan, Buffet, Asian, Vietnamese
26 Reviews
First Review by emilyt_w
Contributions +18
Amazing food!!! - Edit
I am so greatful I found this restaurant on happy cow when we traveled to Helsinki with family from Tallinn. We heard about this place first from local vegan community who suggested to try it out. I couldnt have been more pleasantly surprised about the tastes I experienced, I loved the smell the moment I stepped in, food was so good. We were welcomed very kindly by the owner and on top of all that, restaurant staff was really supportive as after the meal our child fell asleep on the chairs after long hike from the port and we had to let her so ended up staying there few hours. We didnt have more than few portions though as the food was so filling and watched the child sleep and enjoyed a hot drink and a book for some time. Our whole family is looking forward to return when spring arrives and we can travel by bikes. Warming meal to the body and soul on a frosty winter day! So thankful!
Pros: Amazing taste of food, good value, Clean, modern
Contributions +18
Best Vegan Place In Town - Edit
Dirty cheap all-you-can-eat vegan buffet near public transport. Owner is a delight and she does this to save a planet. Tofu is homemade!
Pros: Homemade tofu
Contributions +61
Cheap vegan all you can it - Edit
The lady was very nice but the place lack completely atmosphere and it's a bit wired.
All the food is not very good, the sushi were very dried. But I managed to find some delicious meals and sticked to them to have a good fulfilling meal.
You will not have the best quality but still will enjoy a huge meal for a cheap price.
Pros: Cheap Vegan all you can it, Kind service, Some tasty dishes
Cons: Lack of atmosphere, Lack of quality
Contributions +33
Good value vegan buffet - Edit
The woman who runs this loving hut is a passionate and friendly vegan, if you get talking to her. Also the food is decent and good value for Helsinki lunch.
If you have been to some other loving huts before, I would say this was above average - better food and much better value than the ones in Prague in my opinion, and heaps better than the one in Warsaw (though not as good as the one in Tokyo for instance).
Pros: All you can eat, Quiet
Cons: Not the healthiest, Can feel a bit empty
Contributions +56
Nice buffet - Edit
Lovely place, with nice vegan asian buffet. The price level is great and the location is good as well. Maybe the best vegan buffet in Kallio.
Pros: Great food, Good price, Variety in buffet
Cons: Opening hours
Contributions +145
Loved the food and price - Edit
I'm a sucker for all vegan restaurants and even more of a sucker for all vegan buffets!! There was sushi, rice, tofu meatballs, salad, cabbage, spring rolls, green beans, potatoes, carrots, tofu, cous cous and more. All the food was fresh and delicious. For 10€ all you can eat in Helsinki this place is a must for vegan budget travellers. Only negatives I have was the ambience (maybe just a little bit of music and colour for the place?) and the fact that 95% of the vegans on the wall were men (when there are statistically waaay more women vegans - famous ones too) and one picture was Mike Tyson, a convicted rapist. Guess you can't have everything :(
Pros: All vegan! Owner is friendly and passionate. Fresh
Cons: Bland ambience
Contributions +68
pretty goood - Edit
fantastic buffet, lots of starter/salad options and 5 or 6 options for the main, all for €10
the main thing that let it down was there is only one person responsible for all the cooking and dealing with customers, so when options run out it takes her a little while to refill them
Pros: amazing food, all vegan
Cons: understaffed
Contributions +22
extremely disappointing - Edit
I've been to many "loving hut" chains and I've never been this disappointed. The atmosphere is dead and the food is nothing special. If loving hut is your go-to vegan restaurant - please find somewhere else to go in Helsinki. Unless you're looking for mediocre food. My partner and I ended up going to S - market to pick up some food there which was better.
Contributions +205
all you can eat buffet for low price - Edit
Very delicious Asian food. Self made Tofu, really great! For only 10,- € you can eat a lot of different asian food including one drink (tea or coffee). The owner is a very friendly person and loves her job.
Pros: self made tofu, very friendly staff, cheap price
Cons: only instant coffee
Contributions +22
Excellent - Edit
Well located, very close to a metro station. Food is very tasty. All buffet choices are vegan. Price is very low.
Pros: Great value for money, Good location, Friendly staff
Cons: No desserts
Contributions +342
open on holidays - Edit
Tasty buffet. Wish they'd had desserts!
Contributions +333
One of the few vegan places in Helsinki - Edit
The menu of the buffet is kind of cross kitchen. Quality of the selection varies a bit - for example hummus is nothing special but warm dishes are tasty. They have quite "meaty" dishes and they are well seasoned.
Little minus of the instant coffee. I understand that since the flow of customers is moderate and there are quiet times, coffee on the heater would taste bitter. But maybe a thermos?
Pros: Vegan place, Fulfilling buffet, Nice owner
Cons: Instant coffee
Contributions +20
So loving vegan restaurant in Helsinki - Edit
Food are so amazing. Price are cheap with quite a lot of options. Buffet style. The owner is super inspiring. 100% vegan.
Pros: Perfect Asian vegan food, Clean, Relaxing
Contributions +18
Hungry vegan in Helsinki. - Edit
As a person, who works hard in construction, and burns a lot of calories - the buffet type of restaurant sounded the most appealing. And since I am a whole foods, oil free vegan - I decided to just go, and eat anything, that is oil free. So glad I did! Tina's English was good to communicate, and when she found out that I eat oil free - she gave me the most pleasant surprise of a lifetime! She said - just sit down and wait a moment, and I'll make for you the food without oil. While I was enjoying the salad, which already was oil free...after ten minutes I had a large sushi roll...and after another 10 minutes - absolutely delicious fried rice with veggies, and fried tofu in an amazing sauce, which gets delivered there from Holland by Tina's friends. She is such a fast and excellent cook, and such a friendly and welcoming person to talk to! Tina has gained her experience also working in vegan restaurant in France for four years, and her delicious tofu she makes of her own, on the spot (you can even by it). I was worried that I got there too late (half an hour before closing time)...but, no worries - you can easily, stress free finish you meals, even if you get there a few seconds before six. The food totally "hit the spot", and the warm welcome put a smile on my stone cold face :D. So, in conclusion, if you are a whole foods oil free vegan - don't hesitate, just get your ass over there, and enjoy the most delicious, costume made food by a real pro. This is the most affordable, underrated place of awesomeness in Helsinki - the simplicity, warmth, the joy of sharing and making others happy. Definitely a regular costumer, whenever I'll be in Helsinki!
PS. Half of the four Tina's tofu pieces, that I bought yesterday, are already gone - they taste so fresh and pure! Thank you, Tina!!! :) :) :)
Pros: Friendly, higly skilled, vegan cook., Delicious food, Very affordable.
Cons: I live too far.
Contributions +43
A bargain - Edit
Cheap vegan buffet. Most places in Helsinki seem pretty expensive so this gets top marks for value. Staff were friendly. Food was tasty and varied.
Contributions +79
Happy I tried Loving Hut. - Edit
Loving Hut will be my go to eatery in Helsinki now. The food, 100% vegan, was delicious. The buffet was a nice mix of sushi, couscous w veggies, potatoes, cabbage and then the cooked veggies with tofu and seitan with a seasoned rice and white rice to accompany. Tina lovingly makes her tofu fresh everyday being mindful and caring for the health and well being of her customers. There is a carafe of water to drink and several hot teas to choose from. I enjoyed eating here and talking to Tina. The restaurant was very clean and comfortable. I especially like the pictures of famous vegans on the wall as elite plant based athletes encouraged me to choose this lifestyle.
Pros: Healthy delicious food., Great conversation., Excellent value.
Cons: None.
Contributions +327
Buffet bien de precio - Edit
Comida asiática vegana a buen precio. Llegamos muy tarde y parecía que faltaban cosas, con un poco más de variedad merecen las 5 estrellas.
Pros: precio , comida
Cons: variedad
Contributions +27
cheaper alternative to silvoplee - Edit
This restaurant is one block behind silvoplee which is the probably best vegetarian restaurant in town. The buffet in this one wasn't as good but it was cheaper at around 10 euros. The food was a bit hit and miss, but in a buffet this isn't a problem since you can choose what you like.
The staff was friendly. They would probably have more business if they weren't so close to Silvoplee.
Pros: same price as non vegan lunch places, fully vegan
Cons: tables didn't seem clean, not exactly the most pleasant looking interior, location not easy to get to unless you live nearby
Contributions +729
Not for me - Edit
If you want to eat a cheap all you can eat vegan food, this is a perfect place for you.
It was unfortunately a big disappointment for me.
Food was not good (over cooked, not warm enough, and found a hair in the food).
The place was cold and the food was also not warm, so left me cold in a mid winter...
The staffs do not speak English but friendly.
Pros: Cheap, Friendly staff
Cons: Not good food, Cold place and food, Away from city center
Contributions +3396
Great value buffet - Edit
Very nice fully vegan buffet, which included three hot dishes - during my visit a tofu curry, imitation beef curry, and paella-type dish, as well as sushi, a selection of salad items, potatoes, sauces, and hot drinks. Refills of food and hot drinks were allowed, so all in all it was very good value at 9,80 Euros per person. There doesn't seem to be a non-buffet menu or cakes etc, but at that price I'd just go for the buffet anyway - everything was delicious and after two plates I was full for the whole afternoon.
Pros: inexpensive, tasty, free refills
Cons: no toilets
Contributions +111
Excellent lunch restaurant - Edit
Lunch contains two warm dishes, a salad table with sushi collection and coffee/tea and everything is vegan. I had vegan "beef" and noodles which were both super delicious. Sushi rolls were a little bit dry but otherwise everything else was fresh and tasty.
Pros: Good fake meat selection, Fusion kitchen (hummus & sushi lunch), Beautiful interior and friendly staff
Cons: Cash only but this will be changing soon
Contributions +246
Friendly Asian, like Loving Hut - Edit
While visiting Finland in May/June 2012 I ate with HoDai people about 3 times: once I went to their restaurant in Helsinki and a few times I ate with them in festivals.
It was a nice experience meeting the friendly staff, receiving good service and yummy food.
They were not 100% vegan by the way, since they offered dairy milk and cream with coffee in their restaurant but they told about it and offered also soy milk.
Pros: Friendly staff, Good food, Good service
Cons: Unclear opening times, Sometimes crowded during lunch hour
Contributions +134
Nice asian buffet - Edit
We visited this little restaurant during a short stop in Helsinki. Staff was very friendly and the food was nice. Some hot dishes including vegan fish (which tasted a lot like fish if you like that) personally i perfered the other hot dishes since i'm not a big fan of the fish taste but still a fun thing to try. They also had some cold dishes like sallads, sushi and such.
Pros: Nice food, Friendly staff, Easy to find
Contributions +151
The restaurant I have been waiting for - Edit
My first taste of the cuisine of this venue was at a fast food stand some years back at a music festival. Their spring rolls were big and tasty. Then I found out that they have the Loving Hut restaurant chain and I've been wishing they open a restaurant near me. Now I'm very happy Ho Dai opened in Helsinki. Not only do they have fast food spring rolls but a really great buffet with various dishes and salads and it was really really good. I'm not a friend of faux meat dishes but their "duck" and "fish" (vegan, of course) were interesting and good. I really support their philosophy too, saving the world by going vegan. I wish their restaurant succeeds in business and they can expand to other cities. Helsinki now has almost as many vegetarian restaurants you would expect in a capital city.
Pros: variety, taste, pure vegan
Cons: I don't live next door to it
Contributions +17
You better hope they are open or can be contacted - Edit
My family and I had one day to spend in Helsinki and we thought this would be a great lunch restaurant based on a previous review. We could not reach them by phone internationally, there was no e-mail address and when we got there after walking for a while with kids from the ship terminal, they were closed at lunch time on a Wednesday. It was not a Finnish holiday, they were open the day before. There was no notice on the door or anything. We came back an hour later in hopes that they would be open, and they never were. It sounded like a great place, however since there seems to be no way to contact them internationally we'll never know. Needless to say we were very dissapointed.
Pros: hip neighborhood, looked decent from outside, friendly neighbor
Cons: closed midweek on lunch, unreachable by phone, unreachable by e-mail
Contributions +38
Fresh, asian & lovely service - Edit
Glad we ventured to find this small, quiet place. Buffet style with fresh mainly asian feel vegan (run by vietnamese family who speak finnish and vietnamese only - really lovely, they insisted we take food take away because we didn't go back for seconds, because we were so full!). Cheap meal for a buffet - $7.90 euro. Well worth it for a lovely meal with vegan and non-vegan friends would enjoy if you're in Helsinki :)
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