By Bob Townsend

For the AJC

The name conjures an adult toy store. And on a recent evening, most of the people who entered the peculiar realm of Loving Hut in Peachtree Corners seemed to be giggling. But the strangest thing about this chain vegan restaurant is that it's the spawn of a New Age guru, who has bestowed upon herself the title of the Supreme Master Ching Hai.

Love-in

Tucked into the corner of a strip center on Spalding Drive, the entry to Loving Hut is surrounded by mini Asian-style gardens. A small pond, with floating plastic lotus blossoms, emits a soothing trickle of sound. Across the sidewalk, there's a pleasant covered patio, with wrought-iron tables and chairs.

Inside, the atmosphere is less calming, as your eyes adjust to the spacy-bright light and spic-and-span yellow, green and white color scheme. Be Veg! Go Green! Save The Planet! These are the commands of the Supreme Master, displayed as logos on free tote bags and spiritual pamphlets. Supreme Master TV beams in an expanded version of those teachings in the form of cable news-style infomercials, subtitled in multiple languages, and showing nonstop on flat screens in the square, spartan dining room.

Be veg

You order at the counter, in fast-casual fashion, and your food is soon delivered from the kitchen by a cadre of friendly, eager-to-please runners. The mostly Asian menu reflects the Supreme Master's birthplace, Vietnam — or Au Lac ("happiness"), as she calls it — but also includes "Western dishes," such as spaghetti with veggie meatballs, and stuffed zucchini.

Generally, the food is good. But for omnivores, many dishes may appear as replicants of the real thing.

Fabulous faux

The "hamburger" platter is perhaps the most obvious example. It's a soy burger with vegan cheese, lettuce, tomato, ketchup and mustard, served with french fries and a side salad. Somehow, it looks more like a TV dinner.

Fabulous Pho is a big, tasty bowl of rice noodles, mushrooms, green onions and tofu in a vegetable-base broth. But the textured soybean "beef" and rubbery vegan "ham" are just weird. Ditto the oddly smoky "ham" in the otherwise fresh and lightly crunchy spring rolls, stuffed with carrots, glass noodles and mushrooms.

One dish that really works is the mung dahl, an Indian-inspired, nicely spiced combo of split lentils, chick peas and potatoes, served warm with triangles of dense, whole-wheat naan bread.

Which begs the question. Why don't vegan restaurants just cook with vegetables? Why the fake meat? Why not a roasted veggie sandwich on whole-grain bread? Why not some spicy vegetable-barley soup? Are they trying to "convert" meat eaters with these simulated products?

Eying the long drive-through line at the Burger King up the street, it doesn't seem so likely. But as the Supreme Master teaches, "Whatever you have to do in this world, do it, do it wholeheartedly."

Dining out

Loving Hut, 6385 Spalding Drive, Suite E, Norcross 678-421-9191

Signature dish: mung dahl

Entree prices: $6.95-$8.95

Hours: 11 a.m.- 9 p.m. Mondays-Saturdays; 1-8:30 p.m. Sundays.

Reservations: No

Credit cards: Yes

Online: www.lovinghut.us

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