Vegan
Buffet
Asian
Vietnamese
Part of international chain of vegan restaurants inspried by Supreme Master Ching Hai, an advocate for veg living. Offers a large selection of food, including tofu, seitan, pasta, rice, casserole, burgers, salad; plus cake, coffee, and non-alcoholic beverages. Also has Vietnamese and Thai dishes, as well as desserts and smoothies. Open Tue-Fri 11:00-20:30, Sat-Sun 12:00-20:30.
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Last update on 20 Jul 2022 by tomahola
Update business info -
Added by Pitaya on 25 May 2012
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59 Reviews
First Review by emilyt_w
na5m2
Points +892
Good - Edit
The food here is okay, nothing special but good value for money as the prices are pretty cheap.
Read moreGuest
Vegangelist
Points +1041
Lovely host, lovely food - Edit
The food was nice but a bit salty and the restaurant lacks comfort. Also it was quite expensive for what it was.
Read moreBut the lady behind the counter (also doing the cooking) was sweet and a genuine vegan believer, and that's what it's all about. I'd probably go back if I lived in Helsinki.
Shame the buffet is no more but I imagine it was quite expensive to do.
Pros: Plenty of variety , Friendly service
Cons: Quite expensive
Guest
Griffous
Points +149
A solid choice - Edit
To start with the most important: the food was delicious and I would go back again.
Read moreThe "loving hut" experience however isn't going to be for everyone though. If you go in expecting a fancy restaurant you'll probably be disappointed.
It's a get-your-own-utensils, water, and napkins affair with basic decor, and the TV constantly promoting the "supreme master". Yes, that's all a bit "off", but if you can look past all of that, the point of these loving huts is to promote veganism and delicious Asian vegan food 🙌
We enjoyed ourselves, and the lovely old lady running the place was delighted to hear that we enjoyed the meals and that we were vegans. In her broken English, she called us "heroes" and thanked us. 🫶
Pros: Delicious food, Quick service
Cons: Very basic restaurant, The supreme master vibe
Guest
dancewithlife
Points +74
Lovely all-vegan buffet not currently available - Edit
Original: Absolutely delicious all-vegan buffet with Asian influences, myself and all my family members are regular customers. I recommend you also try lovely deserts, like vegan tiramisu. Restaurant is also very clean and owners are environmentally concious.
Read moreUpdate June 2023: This is one of those places that have not fully recovered from Covid. There is no longer buffet. The portions sold now are tasty but lack greens. The atmosphere has also changed somewhat. It is still all vegan and promotes vegan lifestyle, so I really hope things will turn better for them.
Updated from previous review on 2023-06-30
Guest
Matt_Schreck
Points +445
Good Asian food! - Edit
I haven't been to the restaurant itself, only ordered takeout but the food is good! Especially the curries and spring rolls! Their tofu is homemade and really good!
Read morePros: Curries, Spring rolls, Tofu
Cons: Location
Guest
olivia_krekula
Points +367
Not impressed. - Edit
Tried their tofu coconut milk noodles. The sauce was boring and the mushrooms were bad. Summer rolls were good.
Read moreGuest
cdrk
Points +837
One of the filthiest places ever... - Edit
As a few people mentioned it in other reviews : this place is not clean.
Read moreThe waitress brut me the cutlery, nothing was clean, there were dried leftovers showing that this had not been properly cleaned.
I thought that it was an accident, didn't make any remark and when she left I went to grab a spoon and a fork... Every single item was dirty, some a bit greasy, in the end I took some chopsticks and a spoon, disinfected everything, rinsed them with water and dried them before eating. I was alone in the restaurant (that was perhaps a warning...).
The cup of tea I got (pretty boring tea bag, they even have some Lipton tea, not only does it taste bad but Lipton is a brand that has been know for testing on animals in the past...
I ordered some fried mushrooms with soya and onions and rice. The meal was ok, nothing special, nothing bad, but, again, as many mention it in other reviews, way too salty.
Yeah... I agree with someone here who says that it seems that when vegans find a restaurant, they feel the need to put four of five stars even when it's a mediocre one. The is the worse Loving Hut where I have been to, together with one in Hong Kong - never again, unless they drastically improve.
Oh, yes, as many people told : no buffet any more, and one doesn't seem to be super welcomed there, I understand that one can have a bad day but because I read a few other reviews telling it, it seems it's the norm there.
Finland lacks of vegan restaurants, apart from the fast food ones that serve burgers, sandwiches and chips that I often prefer to skip and it would be great to see more restaurants that propose a diverse menu (like here) but with a higher quality standard.
Pros: Food is ok for the few I tried
Cons: Dirty, Too salty, Not feeling welcomed
jasonxkeller
Have you tried Magu yet? It’s not cheap at all, but it’s a quite unique vegan dining experience. Thai Vegan Kitchen is awesome. I’m about to try Sen Viet Vegan. It looks delightful. But you are right I would love to see a vegan restaurant that has Finnish food. That would be a real treat.
Read morecdrk
I don't live in Finland, never tried Magu.
Read moreI'm not really looking for vegan Finnish food, I'm not into northern European food apart from the pastries. Anyway, next time I'll be around, I'll maybe try Magu. Thanks.
Guest
Mekanicapple
Points +83
Food ok, but we are concerned we funded a cult - Edit
Had not heard of the loving hut chain before. We just saw the high happy cow rating and decided to try it. For any others in the same position, Google it, and google supreme master Ching hai, first to make an informed decision. The restaurant had her material at the back, and towards the end of our meal a large TV screen was turned on showing her talking to her 'disciples'. We were the only customers there at this point. Her sermon included the claim that Russia didn't want to invade Ukraine, and that western aggression was behind the tensions there. The date on this sermon was prior to the invasion, which obviously proved her analysis wrong. It was an odd choice of clip to show to potential converts. I'm not sure what the goal of the group is, but according to other happy cow review responses, the staff work for free, so possibly just financial exploitation. Whatever is going on, it made us uncomfortable, and we regret going there. Other people might feel differently, but I just suggest looking it up first so you know what you are getting into.
Read morePros: Food ok, Fresh juice
Cons: Could be a cult
worldveganworldpeace
Hi,
Read moreFirst of all, thank you for your visit and positive feedback on our food and drink, which is significantly encouraging.
Along with your feedback, we would like to clarify slightly bit about our Organization and Loving Hut Chain:
- Loving Hut is a vegan restaurant chain INSPIRED BY SUPREME MASTER CHING HAI. Yes! INSPIRED, NOT FUNDED, or INVESTED. It is aimed at promoting veganism/vegan lifestyle to direct people toward a healthier diet, a more compassionate lifestyle, and more eco-friendly choices. Some said we work for free or volunteer to, well some, but not majority. We individually open Loving Hut restaurant(s) following particular standards instructed by Supreme Master Ching Hai. We earn money for ourselves and thanks to some interest, can pay our employees wage/salary. None of the benefits are returned to Organization or Supreme Master Ching Hai, which means that your comment on 'financial exploitation' is totally incorrect. Thus, you didn't pay for the so-called 'cult' but simply financially supported the restaurant itself and gave a hand in constructing a World Vegan - World Peace.
- SUPREME MASTER TELEVISION: This is our main way to approach people who share the same goals: WORLD VEGAN - WORLD PEACE. It also offers spiritual lectures that cover many moral words that give a lot of insight into world's breaking news, spiritual topics, and current actions that our Organization is taking. Just a friendly reminder: politics are never transparent, and it's hard to say right or wrong at any point. Therefore, we don't want to say too much about it here. To have an objective point of view and full speech, please visit https://suprememastertv.com/en1/v/165055161868.html.
Lastly, only qualified, ethical and warm-hearted disciple(s) is / are given the right to open a Loving Hut. So yes, we are Supreme Master Ching Hai's disciples. However, we have to highlight that we never pursue anyone or talk about any spiritual things except her vision: WORLD VEGAN - WORLD PEACE, which encourages people to live in harmony with other species and never supports any cruelty against humans and animals.
Thanks again for your feedback and your understanding, and sorry for any disturbance caused to you!
Best regards,
Loving Hut Helsinki Team
Guest
medus
Points +756
Not really my taste - Edit
I love Loving Huts and try to visit them whenever I travel. In most cases it is a straight away five-star experience but unfortunately not in Helsinki. We tried lemon grass seitan and eggplant tofu, and both dishes were simply a stew on a side of rice. No salad, no greens, nothing fresh. Furthermore, both dishes were very salty, quite too much even when eating with rice. Overall, neither of the dishes was worth 12 euros. Sorry to say it, but I do not plan to go there again.
Read morePros: 100% vegan, Large menu
Cons: Not a good deal, Very salty, No greens
Guest
TheBlackCat
Points +1117
Lots of vegan options - Edit
The menu comes as a book will all vegan options. The fried noodles and yellow curry were very good and quite affordable
Read moreGuest
Kykykäkä
Points +1265
Delicious noodles! - Edit
Came here for the buffet but unfortunately it wasn’t available today. But the noodles that we ordered were still very delicious😄
Read moreGuest
Lefa
Points +413
Tasty food and lovely staff - Edit
Great soul food, nice atmosphere and the owner is the best!
Read morePros: Lovely staff, Great food, Inexpensive
Guest
KickyS
Points +13
Absolutely love this place! - Edit
Never been sitting in the restaurant but I had take out many times. Never disappointed! Always fresh, always great taste!!!
Read moreGuest
_Anni._.m_
Points +415
No buffet, no personal that seemed to care about customers - Edit
Very disappointing, I didn't try the food because I was standing in the restaurant for several minutes without any staff visible. There is no buffet since the beginning of covid but still it is not said so online
Read moreGuest
ValentineCR
Points +1138
Nice food - Edit
I ordered a Pad Thai which was tasty. Not the best food in Helsinki but really nice if you are craving for this type of cuisine 😊
Read moreGuest
psykloz
Points +275
Delicious food! Cozy atmosphere! - Edit
A comida é incrível e ótimo preço! Paguei 10.90€ para buffet livre "tudo o que você pode comer"! Existem opções de saladas, pratos com preparos mais elaborados e também comida cozida. Eu realmente amei o tempero de tudo! E a senhora proprietária é muito gentil! Também o lugar é muito aconchegante para ir em grupos.
Read more[Visited in November 2019]
Guest
l_ucek
Points +439
Good food - Edit
Big portion and tasty
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
KanervaViitanen
Points +18
Good and friendly - Edit
Good food, friendly owner and a possibility to buy vegan banana split ice cream. The selection of food is quite small.
Read morePros: Good food, Vegan ice cream, Friendly owner
Cons: Small selection
Guest
Jule(TrailTofu)
Points +810
We did not eat here - Edit
We visited because of the good reviews but after we saw the buffet we went to a different place.
Read moreSo I can not rate the food taste but it did not look very appealing for the price... the location did not look inviting neither, the women behind the counter very grumpy. There are other, better, nicer places in Helsinki to go for lunch
Guest
tsuminyaa
Points +316
Awesome! - Edit
One of my favourite places in Helsinki!
Read moreIt's an all-you-can-eat style place where you pay a bit over 10e (during the weekends it's cca 2e more expensive).
They offer asian food such as fried noodles or rice, veggies and mock meat in different sauces, plain rice, spring rolls etc. It's super delicious and amazing for the price!
The lady working there is really friendly and she's a true gem!
Pros: Amazing food, Good price, Lovely worker
Guest
carolvegan
Points +3724
Simply A M A Z I N G - Edit
Really a bargain paying only 10,80€ for the vegan week buffet! Everything was simply DELICIOUS! I ate more than 1kg of food for sure! Loved the sushi, spring rolls, rice with vegetables, steamed tofu, seitan... the worker is very sweet, friendly and talkative. And I also ordered a banana split for dessert, was a little bit pricey (9,80€) but big enough for 2, and was simply wonderful, because since my childhood I’ve never eaten it anymore! I was really happy! Unmissable!
Read morePros: Staff is very friendly , Tasty and cheap, Wonderful banana split
Guest
hapa21
Points +212
Delicious vegan buffet - Edit
Loved everything on the table, good deal at 10,80 eut for buffet table on weekdays, 12,90 eur on weekends.
Read moreGuest
LisaSpykers
Points +7337
Value for money - Edit
€10.80 for lunch buffet. Bargain for Helsinki. 6 hot dishes and a few salads and sushi too. A simple and smaller buffet but I think that's a good thing as we didn't overeat. The salads were really flavourful and the tofu curry and spring rolls were my favorite. My only suggestion would be that it might be nice to have some quiet music in there. The silence is kinda awkward.
Read moreGuest
AnnaKiuttu
Points +18
What a treat! - Edit
I had lunch for the first time at Loving Hut and I must say the food was excellent! They keep the prices low although the ingredients are of great quality. They also make the tofu themself. You can eat all you want for a very fair price. Desserts and drinks are paid separately. Because they are animal lovers, all pets are welcome inside the restaurant, too. This is a restaurant I would like to see growing into a chain, so that I would get it also in the country where I live!
Read morePros: Very tasty food, Decent price, Pet friendly
Guest
vmaelstrom
Points +969
Would give 0 stars if possible. - Edit
This is the WORST loving hut outlet I’ve ever been to, and possible the worse outlet in the whole world. I have NO clue how the * this place can have so good reviews here?
Read moreI have a theory that vegans automatically give good reviews to vegan buffets without paying attention to the actual quality of the food and I think there reviews is the proof of that.
I stayed pretty far away from this place so I emailed and asked if they always serve the buffet (because that’s what I wanted to try). They answered that they always serve the buffet. At midsummer I would have expected the place to be closed but it’a Facebook page had updated that it was open like usually. I arrive and there’s no buffet, not even any actual options from the menu. I believe there was 3 options to chose from? I feel that this is pretty relevant information to write out clearly when you write that you’re open as usual.
Anyhow, I ordered summer rolls as entree and wonton soup as main. The summer rolls arrived after the soup even though they were ordered as a started, and contained a LONG and thick black hair really baked into them. I commented to the waiter and she gave me a really nonachalant “sorry” and asked if I wanted it exchanged. Umm yeah?? She gave me a new one (I had even finished my main dish st this point) and they were really not good anyway. The wonton soup was really bad and didn’t taste anything at all.
I took for granted that they, out of normal restaurant curtesy, wouldn’t charge me for the roll but they did anyway and I didn’t want to fight about it. If that wasn’t enough they forgot to charge me for my drink, and the waitress runs AFTER me on the street (several minutes later, luckily I wasn’t too far away because I went right but then turned around and walked back and then the other direction down the street) and forced me to go back and pay. It was HER mistake and I feel that she could have let that pass since they literally gave me a disgusting entree.
I decided to give it one more try anyway and went back for the buffet with a very enthusiastic vegan friend. There was 3 options and some very boring salad. No drinks included and desserts not included either, even though lots of reviews here seems to say that.....? There was no sushi, meat balls or spring rolls either like some people claim to have gotten. Maybe we had bad luck. All of the 3 options was completely tasteless and both of us felt ill after eating there.
TLDR Stay away
worldveganworldpeace
Dear vmaelstrom,
Read moreI am the owner of Loving Hut Helsinki. First of all, I would love to thank you for your feedback, and for coming to our restaurant even twice! I am honestly sorry for hearing your bad experiences at our restaurant, and that our food did not satisfy your expectation.
I have one of my friends administering our facebook page, but that day she did not know I would offer menu only, that was why she replied you we had buffet the whole day. At this point, once again, we apologise you for it! And for rarely do we carry out menu services, we are lack of experience for this type of service though, I could not disagree with you on this!
Secondly, I need to clarify the reasons why our custormers rated us this high:
1. They are Asian-food lovers
2. The price is quite fair
3. They have the same desiration as ours that to make this world better, more compassionate and more noble, which keeps this planet away of climate change by saving animal friends.
Thirdly, I read that you thought the buffet was supposed to include drink and dessert, as SOME of our custormers addresed so. I had gone through every single comment, but no one ever said so. One of them (Ricardo, FYI) even shared that they are NOT included. Adding to the fact that, we have never ever advertised dessert and drink would be included in our buffet! I think nowhere in this expensive Helsinki could offer you vegan buffet + drink + dessert with 10.8 EURO, or maybe there is misunderstanding somewhere?!?!
Lastly, we do change our buffet options frequently, that was why when you came, there was not any meatball or spring roll. They were already replaced with something else :)
Though we have tried our best, sometimes, problems do happen and we know we need to take it as a lesson and move on. Just to let you know, together, I and couples of people volunteer to work for this restaurant without asking for any benefit, but at least, we need enough money to keep this restaurant stable and pay the bills for it monthly. So, please be more understandable that we could not offer you more affordable price with more options, because we just want to keep it fair for people to approach veganism! Vegan people with compassionate heart, they come and totally understand that only me, or sometimes, two of us, make this restaurant work, so they are OK with self-service and just enjoy our food!
I wish you all the best in the future, and thank you for being vegan anyway!
Best Regards,
Tiina
Guest
J-P
Points +30
100% vegan buffet lunch - Edit
I have been here several times and i'm always happy with their food.
Read moreGuest
Georgina
Points +345
Delicious food at fantastic price - Edit
This was easy enough to find in the Hakaniemi area and was a decent buffet with about 12 choices. I tried them all and loved them all – quite unusual for me! They were really flavoursome without being too spicy. I had seconds😄It was also really great value for Helsinki! I’d eat here all the time if I were local.
Read morePros: Super tasty food, Great selection, Great value
Guest
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