A friend recommended Au Lac as one of her fave restaurants in Canberra. It bills itself as a fine maker of “Royal Vegetarian Cuisine”. The restaurant – on the Dickson dining scene since 2000 – is known to be packed out regularly, so it’s doing something delicious on the food front.

Au Lac prepares authentic Vietnamese vegetarian dishes, all without eggs, wine or MSG. When I initially scanned the menu online before visiting, I noticed meat dishes, which I thought strange. On closer inspection I realised these are vegetarian imitation-meat dishes made of soybean proteins.

Au Lac dishes up healthy and low-fat food, but could it prove itself on taste?

It certainly did. Everything is prepared fresh daily with the chefs chopping, slicing, dicing, measuring and making from early in the day.

The shredded tofu rolls with a tangy sauce were delicious. Two rolls cost $5.50 but our switched-on waiter, realising we were a party of three, automatically asked if we wanted an additional roll. Such a simple offer; wish all restaurants followed suit.

The cannelloni, made of rice flour, came with a side of chili sauce ($13.90). One of us didn’t fancy the texture. The cannelloni itself was subtle but the dried mushrooms shredded on top and inviting side salad rounded out the dish well. It’s no wonder this is a chef’s recommendation.

At first, the paw paw salad ($11) seemed bland but as the flavours settled in the interest level ramped up. The dressing ended up offering a nice bite.

The soy chicken on hot plate ($15.90) had chunks of “meat” and was loaded with vegetables quickly stir fried to retain their colour and crunch. Two of us felt the sauce, meant to replicate a peanut sauce we believed, wasn’t the best flavour of the night.

The braised snow peas were bright green and contrasted beautifully with the delicately flavoured, softer, abalone mushrooms ($15.90).

Au Lac, by the way, is considered the ancestral kingdom of the Vietnamese people (about 35 kilometres from Hanoi). For Buddhists, it’s a peaceful and treasured place.

Au Lac, open seven days, lunch and dinner. BYO. 4/35-39 Woolley Street, Dickson, call 6262 8922.