Veganfriendly.com

Stogo

2009-04-17T12:08:00.003-04:00

We went to Stogo, a vegan ice cream parlor on 10th st between 2nd and 3rd.

Coconut and Coffee

I got two flavors in one cup. On the top is Coconut and at the bottom is Coffee. The texture of the Coconut was very creamy and the flavor was more than just coconut-y, it was vanilla-y. Which leads me to wonder if this was actually the Coconut Vanilla Bean, another flavor I see on Stogo's website. Whatever it was, it was good. The Coffee was not as creamy as the coconut but the flavor was great. Just the right mix of coffee flavor and sweetness. And of course coffee and coconut are two thirds of my holy trinity of dessert flavor which inspired a cupcake in a cookbook by our good friends Terry and Isa. -Jim

Salted Pecan Caramel

I've gotten this 2 out of 3 trips to Stogo and I really think this is the best flavor they have. The ice cream at Stogo tends to be very thick and dense, something that is undercut by the gooey caramel. The salt does well to break the sweetness of the cream, and the pecans are provide a nice contrast of texture. Next time I may even add hot caramel sauce for $1.00 more. I know! Craziness! -Ev

The Bottom Line

As summer approaches, I am getting excited about frequent vegan Ice Cream trips to Stogo! So far all the flavors I've tried range from good to awesome. They also sell pints that you can take home with you. At about $9 it's an expensive pint of ice cream. But this stuff beats the heck out of what you buy at your local grocery store. -Jim
Stogo is pretty awesome. The décor is just a sweet as their goods- slick stools inside and welcoming red benches out front. In addition to ice cream they offer Babycakes cupcakes and fine chocolates. I know I stick to one flavor when I order, but the nice thing is you can sample as many flavors as you'd like. Also- they are pretty inventive with their offerings; last night I sampled Goji Berry Crunch and Coconut Mango. And did I mention they have caramel and hot fudge for $1? I cannot wait for the summertime when their soft serve machine is up and running. I've been on the hunt for good soft serve for years and I have faith in Stogo to get it right! -Ev

Veganfriendly on Tour: Portland, Or

2008-07-31T14:54:00.005-04:00

Earlier this month we took a trip to the west coast and visited what might be the vegan capitol of America: Portland, Oregon. There were so many vegan-friendly places to eat that we couldn't possibly visit them all. But here are a few in case you want to visit Stumptown any time soon:

Hungry Tiger

Hungry Tiger is a cute, dark, and pub-like place with lots of light coming in through the windows. I ordered the mac n cheese which had yummy breadcrumbs all over it. It would've been awesome cold because the "cheese" would've been thicker and tackier but I scarfed it all down before I could test that theory. -Ev
I got the Scrambled Tofu with Biscuits and Gravy. The Scrambled Tofu was actually somewhere between a Scrambled Tofu and a Tofu and Vegetable stir fry, but it was pretty good. The Biscuits and Gravy were great. Hungry Tiger was definitely worth the visit. -Jim

Proper Eats

Sometimes when a vegetarian restaurant makes a big deal about being organic and local and healthy, I start to worry that the food is going to be bland. But sometimes I get pleasantly surprised by food that is all of those things AND delicious. This was the case at Proper Eats. I ordered the Nachos with all the fixins, so the chips came topped with rice, barley, black beans, salsa, corn-pumpkin seed relish, vegan sour cream, tempeh and guacamole. Sounds good, right? It was! It fulfilled my nacho craving but at the same time it tasted healthy and hearty. Also, the food at Proper Eats is colorful and pretty to look at. We heard some rumors about bad service, but it was fine when we went. -Jim
I thought Proper Eats was a a great cure for all the junkfood we had be scarfing down elsewhere. I ordered a side salad and the Cornmeal Tempeh Platter which came with with tofu-cilantro sour cream, pinto beans, quinoa, steamed greens, beets & seeds. This was really delcious, but I'd say to get the sour cream on side because it was all over the place. The basics were simple but tasty. The tempeh was yummy too but also very filling. -Ev

Sweetpea Vegan Bakery

When I first stepped into Sweetpea I was amazed at how huge it was inside. The high open ceilings and well spaced seating were a far cry from the claustrophobia of Atlas Cafe in NY. Everything looked so good we didn't know what to get. On our first trip in we split a big, moist and chewy pecan caramel brownie- which may or may not have been called a Derby Brownie, as I had just watched a Sons-of-Paula-Deen special on Derby Cake a few days before. It was a little dense but tasty. On our second visit I tried a little pink cookie like they serve in the Italian bakeries. I loved it, but would love it even more if it had been filled with jam rather than chocolate in the middle. Jim got a cupcake. We also split a strawberry parfait, which consisted of chocolate cake, yummy vanilla pudding and strawberries. It was so indulgent and so huge that we could only eat half of it. Sweetpea also has beverages. I was surprised at how good the spicy chai was. -Ev
Sweetpea seems to be THE vegan dessert destination in Portland. And it's part of the "Vegan Mini-Mall" which includes the Herbivore Clothing shop and Food Fight Vegan Grocery. -Jim

Veganopolis

We went for Brunch at Veganopolis and were greeted by a cute, cafeteria style restaurant where you grab a tray and fill it with all the food you want, and the price is based on the weight of your tray. It was standard brunch fair: scrambled tofu, potatoes, fruit, and biscuit and gravy. Portland seems to be obsessed with biscuits and gravy. I can't think of anywhere in NYC that I can get vegan biscuits and gravy, but you can get it everywhere in Portland! I think the B+G was my favorite part of the meal at Veganopolis. Overall it was filling and good! -Jim
I thought the brunch here was just OK. But I've heard that their other stuff is really good -Ev

Nutshell

Nutshell is amazing! I would put it on par with the high-class vegan restaurants in NYC, but without any gloom or attitude- which is a very good thing! It is a tremendously spacious restaurant. The fuji apple salad was incredible- it had said apples, beets, microgreens and marion berries. YUM! I got the risotto cakes which were also amazing- so creamy and crusty. Probably the best restaurant in Portland. -Ev
I got the green chile and fruit tamales. Very good! Nutshell was probably my favorite out of the restaurants we visited in Portland. -Jim

The Mississipi Pizza Pub

Mississippi Pizza Pub is located on hip Mississippi Ave. We stopped here to grab some Lunch on the fourth of July. Unlike other Pizza places where you need to special-order a vegan pie, MPP has a vegan pie on hand and you can order by the slice. The vegan pie has Kalamata olives, roasted red peppers, onions, mushrooms, roasted garlic, sun dried
tomatoes all on a pesto base. The flavor was great and, I know it's sacrilege for a New Yorker to say this about pizza from another city, but I really liked the crust. It was a really good consistency - crispy but not too crispy. -Jim
I loved this pizza! -Ev

Backspace

Backspace is a sweet place that is again open and warm. I ordered the steak sammich, which had field roast steak, pepperoncini, peppers, and onions with rosemary basil vegenaise on a baguette. I thought it was deeelicious. It was my first time trying Field Roast which is made from veggies and not tofu. I did order pepperoncini on the side though, cause I don't personally don't like the flavor (Jim does). Jim got the El Jefe which had seitan, beans, guac, peppers and couscous inside a wrap. It was yummy but the ingredients weren't distributed evenly so halfway through it just became cold couscous. -Ev
Yeah there was a weird lump of what appeared to be couscous in the El Jefe. Besides that it was great. -Jim

Jáce Gáce

Apparently the cafe/gallery Jáce Gáce was named after a hang glider who really loved waffles, thus their specialty is waffles. I've never been hang gliding, but I do really love waffles. And Jáce Gáce delivers. Not all of their waffles are vegan, but they have several vegan options including a savory, Tex Mex waffle. I'm a waffle purist, so a savory waffle with beans and avocado isn't my cup of tea. But the Apple Cinnamon waffle that I had was awesome. I think I might have to go on a quest to find the best vegan waffle in NYC. -Jim
I loved both the sweet and savory varieties. YUM! -Ev
-Ev

Paradox

The Paradox Cafe was one place we had been to before the last time we flew out to Portland, although with new owners. I had the mac and not cheese with broccoli. It was in a thin, more stroganoff-y sauce but was still good. The biscuits n gravy were delcious and huge. We also split spicy potatoes, chili and cornbread. The cornbread was really sweet, almost like a muffin. I would recommend you eat here if you want large portions and a variety of food with fast service. -Ev
The rumor floating around was that Paradox wouldn't be as good as it was when we visited Portland five years ago, but I liked it just fine! -Jim

The Bottom Line

What can we say? There is just so much vegan food in Portland. I don't know if Portland has more vegan-friendly restaurants than NYC, but it certainly has more vegan restaurants per capita than NYC. Portland is a relatively small, cozy city but it's brimming with vegans and vegan food! Not to mention it's fairly close to other vegan-friendly cities like Seattle and San Francisco. Portland might just be the vegan capitol of the USA. -Jim
We barely scratched the surface of restaurants here. We even went to a vegan waffle cart, had amazing soft serve and curry (separately thank goodness) from Blossoming Lotus at the Let Live Conference, and had slammin' Ethiopian food. I also have to plug Food Fight because it was so awesome to walk into a grocery store and not have to read a single label. Hooray! -Ev

Hummus Place

2008-07-05T12:09:00.002-04:00

We recently tried out Hummus Place at 109 Saint Mark’s Place in Manhattan. Hummus Place is vegetarian and just about everything can be made vegan if you ask.

Health Salad

This was a healthy serving of healthy veggies- tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions in a super light dressing. Although a simple salad, there’s nothing like tiny niblets of fresh cool veggies to balance the face-stuffing that will ensue, what with the piping hot pita bread and ultra creamy hummus. Your tummy will thank you for filling it with some of this. -Ev

Side of Felafel

I've never really had hummus as a meal before, so I ordered falafel to make it feel more like a meal. Well, it turns out hummus makes an awesome meal, but I don't regret ordering the falafel. The falafel at Hummus Place is the kind I like: the moist, crispy ball variety that you get at Israeli places in NYC, as opposed to the dry patty you get at suburban Greek places. You get four balls on a little plate with Tahini and delicious green hot sauce. It's easy to get overly full at Hummus Place, but if you think you'll have room, I recommend the side of falafel! -Jim

Hummus Masabacha

To paraphrase our good friend Eppy, this was the hummus-y nail in the coffin of the Tribe of 40 Sheiks. It was a few years ago that I learned that Israeli-style hummus blew all other kinds away. And after years of enjoyment sampling here and there, the Hummus Place reigns supreme. (Just writing this review has me drooling and wanting some.) The Hummus Masabacha is a large bowl of fresh, creamy hummus with chickpeas and olive oil on top. I wish I could adequately describe how perfect this hummus tastes. Instead, I’ll focus on what it’s not- it’s not dry, lumpy, bitter, overly sesame tasting, overly lemony tasting, heavy or artificial in any way. The chickpeas on top are delicious in their own right, slightly sulfurous, almost eggy but really tasty. FYI, they’ll ask what kind of pita you want: regular or wheat. I always get the regular. Best pita bread evar. You’ll burn your fingers tearing it open but it’s so worth it. Sometimes they’ll ask if you want egg on top of the hummus, so just say no. They also bring out hot green sauce. Slap that shiznit all over. It is so spicy but AMAZING. Hummus is Yummus. -Ev

Hummus Mushroom

I wasn't sure what to expect when I ordered this dish. The menu said it was mushroom stew and hummus, and I didn't understand how those two things could go together. It never crossed my mind that you can take a bunch of hummus and make a bowl-shape in the middle of it and fill that bowl-shape with mushroom stew, but that's exactly what this dish is. And it's DELICIOUS. The mushroom stew by itself is awesome. It's kind of hearty and earthy, but at the same time it's got a tangy, almost pickley edge to it. As for the hummus, well Evelyn already told you how creamy and delicious it is. The two go together wonderfully. -Jim

The Bottom Line

It's so easy to write a bottom line for a restaurant that is so good. The bottom line is you need to get your hummus-lovin self over to Hummus Place and eat. The restaurant itself is really cute and deceptively large. You may think that it's just the small front room but it actually winds back to two other larger rooms. Plus the bathroom sinks are really cool. Not that that should be the reason you go somewhere, but still. OK stop reading now and go. Jim will probably just say the same thing. And we'll be here when you get back. So bring us some hummus. Thanks. -Ev
I have advice and a warning. The advice is that, whether you order The Hummus Masabacha or the Hummus Mushroom or some other Hummus entree, get the health salad and the felafel side, and combine it all together to make one big awesome meal. The warning is that what I have just described is enough food to feed a several people, so I recommend going to Hummus Place in a group and splitting things. Otherwise you will be terribly full of delicious food. -Jim

Vegetarian's Paradise 2

2008-05-04T22:59:00.001-04:00

Here are some more dishes from Vegetarian's Paradise 2. It's located at 144 West 4th Street. VP2 is a vegetarian (almost entirely vegan) restaurant specializing in Chinese Cuisine.

Corn Chowder Soup

Why do I love this soup so much? It's just a salty, starchy broth with bits of corn, tofu and mushrooms. There's not much to it. And yet I can't resist ordering it every time I come to VP2. I always get the small, which is plenty big enough to force me to take some of my entree home with me because I'm too full. I think this soup might not be for everyone, but I have to recommend giving it a try because I love it. -Jim

Siu Mai

Mmmm. I wish I had some of these babies right now. Lately, we’ve been ordering the Siu Mai everytime we come to VP2, and this time the outcome wasn’t any different; they were warm and delicious. They’re little dumplings with an exceptionally tender outside and an open top. Inside are soft and savory veggies and mock meat. I don’t know how else to describe them other than delicious mush with meaty surprises. They’re served with a salty-sweet dipping sauce. Did I mention YUMMMMM? -Ev

Sugar Cane Drumsticks

The Sugar Cane Drumsticks at VP2 are the mellowed-out cousin of the Buffalo Wings served at Red Bamboo. Both are made from the same mock-chicken, which has great texture and is yummy. But while the Red Bamboo wings are covered in rich, messy BBQ sauce and served with tangy dressing, the Sugar Cane Drumsticks are simply breaded and served with a chili sauce. Just because they're more mellow, though, doesn't mean they're not good. And at the core of each drumstick is a piece of Sugar Cane. The Sugar Cane doesn't actually affect the flavor of the drumstick, but it's still a neat little touch. -Jim

Coconut Shrimp

I can’t remember the fancy name for these, but you’ll be able to spot them on the appetizer menu. I always get nervous trying veggie seafood, ever since a particularly barftastic run-in with mock calamari a few years ago. These were mega-jumbo shrimp. The flavor was surprisingly shrimp-like and the texture more so. I enjoyed these, but overall I’d prefer them with a different coating. The coconut was tasty but verrry crispy and crunchy. I appreciate that they were trying something funky and different, but these would rock with the same panko coating that they use on the soul chicken. -Ev

Broccoli with Black Mushroom

This is not one of the more exciting dishes you can order at VP2. In fact, it might be the least exciting. It's just broccoli and mushrooms sauteed in a brown sauce. But after all the fancy, soy-based appetizers, we wanted something light and simple, and this fit the bill. The broccoli was fresh, not to soggy but not too crisp. I don't usually like big mushrooms in stir fry because they can be rubbery, but these were actually a good texture. The sauce was flavorful but not too heavy. If you're going to VP2 you should order the exciting mock-meat dishes, but if you ever find yourself in need of lighter fare, this is a good choice. -Jim

The Bottom Line

We thought we were long overdue for another review of Vegetarian’s Paradise 2, especially since our last one didn’t do it justice. VP2 offers consistently good food, and judging by this last visit, has expanded its menu with some more adventurous fare. In addition to new appetizers, there are some new entrees that sound fantastic. They’ve seem to have struck a nice balance of healthy/junkfoody, simple/daring dishes so you can tailor your meal to satisfy any craving. And their vanilla milkshakes are amazing! -Ev
We went all out appetizers on this visit, which I think is a great option at VP2. I feel like we each ate a pound of soy and washed it down with a soy milk shake. For the record, there are some pretty good not-so-soy-heavy options at VP2 as well, but the most exciting stuff they offer is their mock-meats. -Jim

Wild Ginger

2008-03-15T18:15:00.001-04:00

We recently went to Wild Ginger located at 380 Broome Street in Manhattan. Wild Ginger is totally vegetarian and mostly vegan.

Pumpkin Soup w/ Sweet Potato & White beans

Holy Yum was this soup good. I was expecting a blended opaque orange concoction, but this was in fact broth-based with chunks of pumpkin, sweet potato, onion, tomato and white beans. I loved this soup. It was freezing outside and this completely did the trick. The broth was light but flavorful, without being too salty. The pumpkin and sweet potato were smooth and delicious. The beans were soft but still had some give to them. As Jim said, I won the soup round for the night. I'd go for some of this soup right now. -Ev

Seitan Skewers

This appetizer consisted of two skewers with Seitan, onion and pepper. Texture is very important to me when it comes to Seitan, and while this Seitan wasn’t the best I’ve had, it was pretty good and not rubbery like some Seitan is. The best part of the skewers was the sauce on the Seitan, which was sweet and salty and good. Everything on the skewer is lightly charred and it all went together nicely. -Jim

Tempeh Satay

I'm picky about tempeh, often finding it "footy" tasting, and yet I must've known to trust Wild Ginger because this appetizer had a good taste. These were soft tempeh cubes in a sweet-salty brown sauce. The texture of the tempeh was just chewy enough and the flavor wasn't too strong. -Ev

Malaysian Curry Stew

Wild Ginger is somehow related (same owner? Same chef? Same something) to Zen Palate and Gobo, because I’ve had a dish similar to this one at both those restaurants. At Zen Palate it’s called “Curry Supremo” and at Gobo it’s called “Slow Cooked Malaysian Curry”. I’m not complaining though, because I enjoy it at all three restaurants. This dish is soy protein, carrots, potatoes, broccoli and kabocha squash (those last two ingredients being unique to the Wild Ginger variation of this dish) in curry sauce. I really like it. The sauce is thick but not in a greasy way, and the flavor is rich but not overpowering. If I have just a tiny complaint about the broccoli and kabocha. While the potatoes, carrots and soy all work with the curry sauce and absorb it’s flavor, the broccoli and kabocha stand out in a non-stewy kind of way. But overall I really enjoyed this dish and I’d totally get it again. -Jim

Spinach Salad

This was a basic salad of spinach, pine nuts, beets, chickpeas, and sprouts. The yuzu citrus dressing was tangy and light. I wish I could say more about this dish, but each ingredient tasted like you'd expect. While it was fresh and delicious, I would probably order something a little more complicated next time.- -Ev

The Bottom Line

The bad news is that Wild Ginger is a little on the pricey side and it’s small so you might have to wait for a table. But the good news is that Wild Ginger has a big menu to choose from and it seems like everything on it is good. Also, the décor is fancy in a soothing, zen kind of way. So if you can make reservations (they take reservations for parties of three or more) and you have a few extra bucks to spend, this is a good choice. -Jim
I really enjoyed my meal here, especially the soup. For what it's worth, those Vegan-Haters also known as Time Out NY had voted this the best veggie dining spot. While not the best spot in the city, the food here was absolutely delicious. -Ev

Tiffin Wallah

2008-02-27T21:34:00.002-05:00

We recently tried Tiffin Wallah at 127 East 28th St in Manhattan a cute and cozy Indian restaurant with plenty of vegan options.

Assorted Tiffins for Two

We had a bunch of friends with us on our trip to Tiffin Wallah, so we decided to get the Assorted Tiffins. This large appetizer consisted of a Vegetable Cutlet, a Samosa, and various Pakora and Bajjia. Or, to state it more generally, it consisted of a whole lot of deep-fried stuff. Now I'm all for deep-fried snacks, but this was the least impressive part of my meal at Tiffin Wallah. The Samosa was good. The cutlet was ok but a little too fried for my taste. The Pakora and Bajjia were a little bland. I'm not saying the Assorted Tiiffin was bad, it was just underwhelming. I'd probably go for the Idli or Batata Vada next time we want appetizers at Tiffin Wallah as Southern Indian cuisine seems to be their specialty. I should mention that a friend of ours ordered the Masala Spiced Cashew Nuts and they were great! -Jim
Mmmmm yeah. Those nuts were nuts! The samosa had a nice flaky outside but actually part of it was weirdly cold. The flavor was good though. The veggie cutlet was spicy and savory. The pakora were the best part. -Ev

Mulligatawny Soup

Ever since the Dosa Diner closed down I've been extra critical of Mulligatawny soups. Few places could match the unpredictable spiciness and bold flavor that DD had. The soup here, while tasty, was the furthest from any mulligatawny soup I've ever tasted. It actually tasted like pumpkin or butternut squash soup. It was a thinnish, orange concoction with a very mellow flavor. It was good, but don't go in expecting any lentil flavor. I should also mention the portion was pretty large. -Ev

Onion Rava Masala Dosa

We've been eating a LOT of dosas lately, but it's been a while since I've had a Rava Dosa, so that's what I chose here. It was good, but it was a little greasy and a little too crispy. Evelyn's dosa didn't have those issues, so I think next time I won't order the Rava Dosa. Besides that it was a good dosa experience though. Tiffin Wallah has Dosa Podi and Achar, two accompaniments that we discovered at (the now tragically closed) Dosa Diner in Jackson Heights. You have to order them seperately for a few extra bucks, but it's definitely worth it! Dosa Podi is a paste of delicious chili ground up in oil, and Achar is ultra-pickley Indian pickles. The potato filling in the dosas at Tiffin Wallah has peas in it, which I'm not a huge fan of, but other than that it's very tasty. -Jim

Mysore Masala Dosa

I've said it a dozen times, but to know me is to know I've never met a dosa I didn't like. However, this was a dosa first for me. The dosa was spiced and cooked to perfection. The texture was so perfect (not greasy) and the flavor was amazing. So much so that I, in fact, would get this Dosa without the potato filling the next time. The potatoes were moist to the point of being watery, and while they were tasty, they didn't mesh well with the dosa and actually took away from its perfection. Who knew this day would come? -Ev

The Bottom Line

Even though some of the items we ordered weren’t so great, I feel like Tiffin Wallah still has plenty of potential. Their (non-Rava) Dosas are good. The décor is nice. The prices are decent. They have all our favorite Dosa accompaniments. And there are a lot of items on the menu that we didn’t try that I would like to try. We’ll be coming here again. And we’ll let you know how it goes! -Jim
The amazingness of the mysore dosa was enough to get me coming back (sans potatoes). I agree that Tiffin has untapped potential and I am up for the tapping. -Ev

Counter Brunch

2008-02-07T18:16:00.000-05:00

We finally checked out Counter located at 105 1st Ave in Manhattan. Counter describes itself as an Organic Wine and Martini Bar / Vegetarian Bistro. We went on a Saturday afternoon so we got a taste of their Brunch menu.

Housemade Bakery Goodies

This dish consisted of a basket of muffins and loaf cake and a selection of spreads to adorn said muffins and loaf cake. It was a really fantastic way to start our brunch. We had Apple Muffins and Poppy Muffins and Banana Loaf, but the stars of this dish weren’t the baked goods but the spreads: Strawberry Butter, Sangria Marmalade and Housemade Nutella. My favorite was the Strawberry Butter, which was sooo creamy and delicious and was great on the muffins. But also fantastic was the nutella spread on the banana loaf, which came dangerously close to being more like a dessert than a breakfast. The best part is that this basket of goodies was only eight bucks, but it was more than enough to satisfactorily start the meal for our party of five. -jim
Word. I think it may have been raspberry butter, but nevertheless, it was tasty and deeelicious. The nutella was incredible. All of it was incredible. Yay food! -ev

Country Breakfast

Ever since the fateful day in Austin when we stumbled into Bouldin Creek, brunches in NY have seemed a little lackluster. But lo! My meal at Counter, while texturally different from BC, had the same fabulous brunch star-quality and scrumptious flavor. The tofu scramble was soft without being a personality-less mush. It was seasoned and salted to perfection. The home fries were sizable and had a great fresh flavor. They were hearty and browned on the outside, soft and moist on the inside. The Merguez soy sausage came curiously on skewers, and while mine were a little mashed, they tasted great. In addition to a nice palate-cleansing side of mesclun, there were thicker-than-average slices of whole wheat toast and (mmmm) more of that soy butter. -Ev

Frittata alla Fiorentina

Ok, so Evelyn just told you all about the Scrambled Tofu and how good it was in her Country Breakfast, right? So imagine this: take that scrambled tofu and put it on top of a bed of spinach and then put those on top of a muffin and then cover it all with a fantastic mushroom hollandaise sauce. Sounds good right? Well my description doesn’t do it justice. This was definitely in my top five, nay, top three vegan brunches of all time. The spinach and muffin gave it a hearty foundation. The tofu scramble was great (as Evelyn explained above). And the hollaindaise sauce was just divine: sharp and rich but not too heavy or overpowering. Also, the presentation was great (I always feel so fancy eating ring-molded food), and the home fries were a nice balance to the richness of the Frittata. This is definitely not the last time I’ll be eating this dish. -Jim

The Bottom Line

After months of friends and veganfriendliers suggesting that we try Counter, I have to say I am very happy we finally did it! Not only was the food delicious but the staff was totally nice (and wonderfully mustachioed). It was really affordable too, considering the quality of the food we got to eat (the entrees were around $9). I wouldn’t be surprised if this becomes our regular weekend brunch haunt. Count on Counter for a delicous brunch! -Ev
Counter is a rather fancy, expensive restaurant, so I was ready to drop a fair amount of cash on this meal. But, as Evelyn said, it was only about 9 bucks per dish. And the quality of the food really made it a steal. Also, we don’t know how crowded it is on a Sunday (when most people go out for brunch), but on Saturday afternoon it was nearly empty so we had no trouble getting a table and enjoying a nice, relaxing meal. Great prices + great food + no wait = excitement about getting brunch at Counter more often! -Jim

Better Burger

2007-12-31T13:51:00.000-05:00

We recently checked out Better Burger located at 587 9th Ave (they also have two other locations in Manhattan). Better Burger is health-conscious fast food joint with a decent selection of vegetarian and vegan options.

Homemade Veggie Burger and Smashed Potatoes

I think most vegans and vegetarians will agree that there are two types of veggie burgers out there. There’s the mock meat veggie burger which is usually pure soy and made to resemble an actual meat burger in appearance, taste and texture. And then there’s what I like to call the “health food” veggie burger, which is shaped like a burger and you eat it on a bun, but the texture and flavor and appearance are determined by whatever grains and veggies and other stuff that were used in it’s creation. I wish restaurants would specify which type they serve, as I’m often in the mood for one and I end up getting the other. At Better Burger, they offer both. From what I understand, the Savory Soy Burger is a mock meat burger and the HomemadeVeggie Burger is a health food burger. I ordered the latter. Health food burgers are often too mushy for me, but this one had a pretty decent texture. It was loaded with lettuce, tomato and onion and I applied some mustard and “cajun ketchup” from Better Burger’s extensive condiment selection. The flavor was savory and salty enough for my satisfaction. The Smashed Potatoes were good and creamy. The only thing I didn’t like about them was that the flavor had a hint of sweetness, which was a little weird. -Jim

Jumbo Soy Dogs (NYC Style) and Baked Fries

I was starving when I got to BB, and way full when I left. I ordered 2 Jumbo Soy Dogs topped with BBQ onions and sauerkraut (aka NYC style) and the Baked Fries. I loved the Soy Dogs, because they were indeed jumbo, and they sliced and grilled them so there was no rubbery quality. You can also order your dog Classic Style which comes with sauerkraut and relish, or even "Double the Dog" which gives you twice the dog on one bun. Like I said these were really filling, so I was glad that Jim had half of one. The Baked Fries, as oxymoronic as they sound, were decent alternatives to the fried fries of other places. I think they were best when hot, but when they cooled off they tasted like pure potato sticks and not so much like fries, and thus a little magic was lost. I prefer the smashed potatoes and will get those instead next time. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Eating vegan in the West 40’s isn’t too hard. Zen Palate, Zenith and Meskerem are all decent options. But if you have time constraints or financial restraints, consider Better Burger! My very filling burger and potatoes were less than ten bucks and I got them about five minutes after I ordered. Also, BB has a cute, fast food atmosphere but the food struck me as healthy and homemade. To complete the fast food vibe, you can order a soy milkshake. I can’t vouch for it because I didn’t try it, but I definitely will give it a try next time. -Jim
Better Burger was a delicious delivery treat when I worked in the vegan wasteland known as mid-town. I love their food and their mission. They also have great salad options with tofu or orzo, and usually have some kind of vegan dessert (packaged cookies or brownies). Like Jim, I look forward to trying their milkshakes! I can see what Jim says about the Smashed Potatoes being a tiny bit sweet but they are deeeelicous! -Ev

Dosa Diner

2007-11-30T23:00:00.000-05:00

We reviewed Dosa Diner (located at 3566 73rd St in Jackson Heights, Queens) a while back and had some not-so-great things to say about it. But since then we’ve gone back many times and it’s actually become one of our favorite restaurants! I know, it’s shocking. But read on and we’ll reveal the reasons we changed our mind.

Mulligitawny Soup

This is a great soup to have on a cold day, or when you're coming down with something. Why? Because it is usually supremely spicy and will knock whatever chill or ickiness you're experiencing right out of your system. The level of spice varies from "ooh spicy" to "Womigod that's spicy", as does the amount of rice at the bottom (usually none). Jim and I usually share a soup, not because it's a huge portion, but because it's so spicy and filling and we want to save room for the Dosas. -Ev

Chutneys and Sauces

You might think it’s weird that we’re writing a separate review of the sauces and chutneys, but there’s a reason we’re doing it. And that reason is because they are AMAZING. The discovery of the chutneys and sauces is one of the biggest reasons that Dosa Diner has recently been upgraded from a restaurant that we weren't too thrilled with to one of our favorite restaurants. Ok, let’s start with the dark red sauce. We asked what it’s called and we were told it’s “Malakopita”, but I’m quite certain I’m spelling that wrong. Anyway, we were afraid to try it at first because it looks really spicey, but it’s actually not so much hot as extremely flavorful and rich. It’s chili-ey and salty and hard to describe but really good. Okay, on to the Mango Pickles (the chunkiest one). The Mango Pickles are bits of mango and vegetables that have been pickled so that they have a super-strong pickley flavor. They are so strong that we can only eat a little bit at a time, but we love them! I believe the orangey sauce is Garlic Chutney, because it’s very garlicky. It’s reminiscent of pizza sauce, though that’s a bit ethnocentric of me as I suppose an Indian person might say pizza sauce is reminiscent of Garlic Chutney. I’m not sure what the green chutney is, but I’m pretty sure the main ingredient is cilantro as it’s very tangy. These sauces, combined with the standard Coconut Chutney and Sambar that come with all Dosas, make your dosa experience a super-rich, ultra-flavorful roller coaster ride of deliciousness. My ideal bite of Dosa involves Dosa, Sambar, Coconut Chutney, Malakopita (sp?) and a little but of Mango Pickle. Yes, it’s a lot of work, but oh my god it’s full of flavors! Make sure you ask for the chutneys. We got lucky the fourth or fifth time we went to DD when they brought them out without us asking and we were like, “What is this stuff?”. We’ve been asking ever since! -Jim

Masala Dosa

Mmmm. The good ol' delicious Dosa standby. The Dosa itself is usually crunchy on the outside and slightly more tender in the middle. I find that the varieties of dosas also come folded in a variety of ways. The Masala Dosa usually comes as a large tube or a large triangle. The amount of potato may seem a little small, but it is very filling. The potatoes themselves are smooth and creamy. And of course you get lentil Sambar and Coconut Chutney on the side. Mmmmmm again! -Ev

Mysore Masala Dosa

The Mysore Masala Dosa is very similar to the Masala Dosa, which Ev just told you all about. So I’ll just tell you what makes the Mysore Masala Dosa different: spicey red chutney! The inside of this Dosa is coated in it. It’s actually similar in flavor to the Malakopita (sp?) I described earlier. Or rather the Malakopita that I didn’t describe earlier because it’s hard to describe. It’s a very rich, strong flavor and I love it. I generally order the Mysore rather than the Masala because The Mysore Masala Dosa is like a Masala Dosa only better. A +1 Masala Dosa, if you will. -Jim

The Bottom Line

We figured that since we go to the Dosa Diner almost every Sunday now, we owed it another review to show our love. Our first review was less than stellar owing to slow service and some bathroom issues, but all of that has been resolved. The guests at your table may get their dishes at different times, rather than all at once, but service tends to be fast enough and the food is really really good. Addictive, one might say. Especially with all of those delicious chutneys! See you there Sunday! -Ev
Yeah we’ve had a total change of heart about Dosa Diner. The service still isn’t great and the bathrooms can still be a little bit icky sometimes, but we are utterly addicted to the food. We literally go about once a week. In fact we’re probably going tomorrow afternoon, and I can’t wait! -Jim

Knish Nosh

2007-11-04T18:25:00.000-05:00

Knish Nosh is a famous Queens Knishery located at 100-30 Queens Blvd in Forest Hills. All the Knishes contain no dairy or eggs, so any non-meat Knish is vegan.

Kasha Knish

This was the only knish of the 3 we tried that I had dipped in mustard, although I did like its full nutty flavor. This was definitely the subtlest of the 3. It was hard to compete with the other varieties we tried, but I thought it was a nice palate cleanser, and could definitely see having one of these on a day I’d want to eat something “healthy”. I couldn’t really tell if there was any potato mixed in, or if it was just the kasha alone. The dough was also tougher than the other kinds. I would say, unless you have a pre-existing love of kasha or really want to go the plain route, you should order a different kind. -Ev

Cabbage Knish

The Cabbage Knish was the most unique of the three. First of all, the outside of this knish was more flakey and delicate than that of the other knishes. The inside, on the other hand, was the most moist and creamy of all of them. The potato was mixed with cabbage and red peppers, and the red peppers actually contributed a lot of flavor to this knish. In fact, if I had to name it, I would name it a Cabbage and Pepper Knish. Regardless, this was my favorite and I think Evelyn’s favorite, too. It was definitely the most exciting and flavorful of the bunch. The sexiest, one might say. Especially Ev since I think she has a knish fetish. -Jim

Spinach Knish

Oh YUM! This tasted like my grandma’s spinach pie (minus the sausage). The spinach was blended with potato to a salty creamy consistency. It was really rich and flavorful. The crust was tender and delicious. I’d say this was equal in awesomeness to the cabbage knish. I’m even drooling a little as I write this. Definitely try this one, it’s a winner! -Ev

The Bottom Line

It’s fun reviewing a New York City Landmark. Knish Nosh has been in business since 1952! And they definitely make the best Knishes I’ve ever had. But we did make one mistake and that was ordering three. One knish is more than enough food for one hungry person. We were super-stuffed when we were done eating. -Jim
I love Knish Nosh! I wouldn't say I have a knish fetish per se, but definitely I've been known to get knish cravings that drive me into a frenzy. I think knishes are the perfect comfort food because they're big, warm and mushy like a good hug. Also cute fact: my Mom used to go here when she was younger. I think Cabbage and Spinach are tied for first place so far, mayyyyybe Cabbage has the edge. I can't wait to go back and try the other varieties. Also, we'll have to try Yonah Schimmel for Battle of the Knishes! -Ev

Dojo

2007-10-24T17:24:00.000-04:00

We got some dinner at Dojo at 14 W 4th St in Manhattan. Dojo is not strictly vegetarian but has several vegetarian and vegan options which, we’re told, they offered way back before NYC was the vegan paradise that it is today.

Miso Soup

Until recently I was convinced that I only like Miso Soup if the ingredients are limited to little bits of tofu, scallion and wakame. But I recently had a realization and a change of heart. The reason I prefer it with minimalist ingredients is because the broth is my favorite part and sometimes, when other ingredients are added, they overpower the broth. I’m happy to announce that this isn’t the case at Dojo. Their Miso Soup does have some extra veggie ingredients in it, but the salty, delicious broth still shines. This was the first time I ever tried the Miso Soup at Dojo and I liked it enough that I look forward to ordering it again. -Jim

Hijiki Tofu Dinner with Brown Rice

Whenever we go to Dojo I get the same thing- the Hijiki Tofu Dinner with brown rice (you can choose from fries, homefries, or rice), salad, and an extra side order of Ginger Tahini Dressing. I love this dish. It is hearty, cheap, and filling. The Hijiki Tofu patty is thick and substantial. The Asian barbeque sauce that tops it is thin, and both sweet and savory. None of the elements are overpowering, including the Hijiki. I like the texture of the patty as well; it has a thick outer crust and a crumbly but firm inside. I usually pour the entire contents of the side of dressing on top of the patty and rice, but I make sure to leave plenty of uncovered spaces too. The dressing is simply smooth, tangy and delicious. I wuv it. The rice and salad are both standard fare, but everything combines for a great meal. If you opt for the homefries instead of rice, those too are good. I don't recall ever getting the fries, but I'm sure they're good too. -Ev

Soy Burger Dinner with French Fries

Most of what Ev said about the Hijiki Tofu Dinner applies to the Soy Burger Dinner too, as they are basically the same thing except that with the Soy Burger Dinner you get (surprise surprise) a Soy Burger instead of Hijiki Tofu. There’s really nothing burger-ish about the Soy Burger. It’s just a breaded-and-fried ball of textured soy. It’s kinda mushy but just firm enough not to bother me (I’m not a big fan of mushy soy products). The burger comes pre-doused in the delicious Ginger Tahini Dressing, but I still get an extra order of the dressing on the side just like Ev, because you really can’t have enough. I also like to get avocado in the side, which I chop up and add to the salad. Oh, and I prefer the fries to the brown rice. Not the healthier choice but the yummier one in my opinion. -Jim

The Bottom Line

Dojo is one of those cheap vegetarian staples. I would advise against going there late at night and stuffing your gut, as this could lead to bellyaches, but for a quick, inexpensive meal you really can't go wrong. -Ev
Dojo is so cheap and very tasty. I like how the Soy Burger and Hijiki Dinners are 3 part meals (crisp salad, starchy fries/rice, and soy protein) all on one plate and unified by that wonderful dressing. Did we mention you should always order extra dressing? Because you should. By the way, I’m pretty sure there are other vegan-friendly options at Dojo, but you might never hear about them here because we’re so hooked on the dishes above. -Jim

Pizza Plus

2007-10-17T16:32:00.000-04:00

We tried Pizza Plus at 359 7th Ave in Park Slope, Brooklyn. It’s an old school pizza parlor that recently started offering soy cheese and fake meat options.

Sun-dried Tomato and Pineapple Pizza

Yum! I sustained my first roof of the mouth cheese burn in 12 years eating this delicious concoction, but it was well worth it. pineapple and sun-dried tomatoes are both strong flavors, but they’re on opposite sides of the spectrum and their delicious battle is fought on your taste buds. I also tried a bite of my friend’s Sausage and Pineapple pizza- more timid of a combination, but still delicious. -Ev

Sausage, Pepper and Onion Pizza

The fake meat du jour at Pizza Plus was sausage, so we decided to go all out with a Sausage, Peppers and Onions Pizza. Everybody knows that sausage, peppers and onions go great together, and combining them atop a vegan pizza is no exception to that rule. The variety in texture was nice on this pie. And I think the sharpness of the toppings overpowered the flavor of the Follow Your Heart soy cheese a little bit, which is good, because I like the flavor of Follow Your Heart, but I don’t love it. -Jim

Broccoli Rabe and Caper Pizza

So this one was Isa’s famous combo. It’s weird because I liked it, but it was so strong I could only eat half a slice. The capers were good n’ salty and the broccoli rabe was a nice change from the other textures but it seemed the soy cheese flavor was amplified in this combo and was very heavy. It could be that this was my 3rd slice of pizza and the soyness was getting to me. Or it could be I wanted another slice of the Pineapple Pizza. Who knows? I will say this- it’s a few days later and this is the one I’m craving. Sneaky pizza. -Ev

The Bottom Line

We were dying to try Pizza Plus because we heard really good things about them. We heard that they perfected the art of a vegan cheese pizza, that they melted the cheese just right so that it wasn’t solid but it wasn’t just oily goo (any vegan who’s ever tried to make a pizza with vegan cheese knows what I’m talking about here). Well, I definitely enjoyed my pizza. The crust was good, the toppings were great and super-fresh, the place was pleasant and conveniently located and the staff was really nice. Did the cheese live up to the hype? Not really. It was a little gooey. But no big deal. It was still good and I would definitely eat here again. -Jim
I also enjoyed eating here. The staff was really nice. I think the large pies are the way to go as they are more pizza-y than the smaller ones. The smaller ones are delicious, but a liiiiittle bit thicker dough, where as the large pie had a thinner bottom and puffier crust. Also, I agree about the cheese. Our friends' table next to us got the melted perfection we had heard about. Our table got cheese that was soupier/stringier, although once it cooled off more it congealed into a better texture. All in all, it was great to stuff my face with pizza and I look forward to going back! -Ev

Kate’s Brooklyn Joint

2007-10-01T23:52:00.000-04:00

We finally got a chance to check out Kate’s Brooklyn Joint located at 295 Berry St between 2nd and 3rd in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Kate’s Brooklyn Joint, much like it’s Manhattan ancestor, is all vegetarian and mostly vegan.

Sesame Unchicken Wings

When I go to Kate’s joint in Manhattan, I often get the Buffalo Unchicken Wings, which are basically huge slabs of tofu, fried with a crispy breading, slathered with spicy tangy buffalo sauce and served with creamy dipping sauce. I like ‘em. The Sesame Unchicken Wings we got at Kate’s Brooklyn Joint followed the same formula (dippable slabs of tofu), except that the breading was different, there was no sauce on the tofu, and the dipping sauce was different. As much as it pains me to say anything negative about Kate’s Joint, I didn’t like these so much. While the tofu was very crispy, it wasn’t very flavorful, and while the sweet and savory dipping sauce was good, it didn’t quite make up for the blandness of the tofu. Sorry, Kate’s Joint, I’m just not into this one. -Jim

Country Hearth Salad

Having always gotten the Country Salad at Kate’s Manhizzle, I ventured to new territory to celebrate Kate’s new territory and ordered the Country Hearth Salad. Holy Yum. This salad rocked because it was a delicious combination of warm and cool. Cool crunchy lettuce, warm mushrooms and roasted potatoes, artichoke hearts, some thing tofu-y thingies and maple dressing. What is not to love? Throw in an order of their Unturkey Soup and you’ve got a comfy fall meal. -Ev

Southern Fried Tofu Cutlet Sandwich

This sandwich is one of my Kate’s Joint staples at the Manhattan location, and I’m happy to announce it was just as good at their BK location. At the heart of this sandwich was a tofu cutlet. The tofu itself didn’t have too much flavor, but the breading had great flavor and texture. That cutlet, along with lettuce, tomato and tasty vegan mayo, was put on Kate’s famous focaccia bread, which I really can’t get enough of. It was a darn good sandwich. But even better than the sandwich was the mashed potatoes and gravy, which were just perfect. Here’s a trick I like to do sometimes: get an extra side of gravy, that way you can dip the sandwich in it (yum) and make sure you have plenty of extra gravy for the mashed potatoes (also yum). I’m pretty sure you can get your choice of bread, though I can’t imagine why you’d get anything but the focaccia bread, and your choice of mashed potato vs fries, but you should get the mashed potatoes. I guess what I’m saying is that you should eat this exactly like I eat it, and, more generally, you should like the same things that I like. -Jim

The Bottom Line

So the results are in: whichever borough you venture to for grub, Kate’s Joint will bring you tasty food and swell décor. And now I have a new favorite dish to order. The only factor that remains unsolved in this Manhattan vs Brooklyn battle is the how the hotness of the BK waiters compares to the near solar temperature of Kate’s Joint NYC. We had a waitress. Pretty, but she wasn’t no Jake. Sigh. -Ev
I can’t believe this is the third time we reviewed a Kate’s Joint and we have yet to review their desserts! Kate’s Joint has really good desserts, just trust me. Some day we’ll review them. Anyway, the food at Kate’s BK Joint was pretty much identical to the food at the Manhattan Kate’s Joint, which means it was pretty darn good. It’s nice to have yet another vegan option to choose from when visiting Williamsburg. -Jim

Southwest Fiesta!

2007-09-25T16:17:00.000-04:00

We recently returned from our Southwest Vacation. We Started in Sedona, AZ, drove north to Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon and then east to Santa Fe and Albuquerque, NM. Here are the vegan-friendly restaurants we found:

D’lish

This little gem was in Sedona, AZ. In addition to great food and sweet service, we also got to stand in line behind the local artist whose fantasy paintings decorated the restaurant (no Jeff Goldblum or Ted Danson, but still fun). Our first day at D’lish, I got a huge BBQ Seitan Sandwich that was drenched in sauce. Jim got a Tostada which was barely visible under the fixins that topped it, but was really good. Also they had a fantastic Tempeh Salad. The Hummus was OK, but we're spoiled with our NY Israeli joints. The next day we got massive Burritos. Oh, and did I mention Truffles? How do 5 Spice, Coconut, Ginger, and Curry Truffles sound? They should sound good because they, like everything we tried here, were D'lish! This was my favorite food stop of our whole trip. –Ev
Agreed! D’lish was my favorite joint out of all the joints we stopped at. I loved it. And the outdoor seating was really nice. -Jim

Mountain Oasis

Mountain Oasis was the first restaurant we hit in the college town of Flagstaff AZ. Mountain Oasis is not fully vegetarian but they are vegetarian- and vegan-friendly. It's a cute place right across the street from Heritage Square at the heart of the historical district of Flagstaff. The staff was friendly and helpful. We had the Shiitake Spring Roll appetizer and Veggie Burgers. The rolls were great! The burger was a little mushy for my taste, but I tend to be picky about veggie burger texture. Overall, Mountain Oasis seems to make quality food and there are lots of yummy-sounding dishes on the menu I wish I could have tried. -Jim
This place was really cute. The Burgers, while mushy, were really tasty. They reminded me (in a good way) of meatloaf sandwiches I'd have as a kid. They were even better eaten cold in the hotel room.-Ev

Macy’s European Coffeehouse

Macy’s European Coffeehouse had the most NYC vibe of anyplace we'd been, which is to say it was full of young, artsy, aloof people with caffeine addictions. Our first day here we arrived when the kitchen was closed so we just had some Soup. It really hit the spot! The next day we came for a Vegan Waffle breakfast ($5 and deeelicious), and lo and behold they also had massive Cinnamon Buns which we promptly devoured. We managed a third visit swinging back from the Grand Canyon en route to Santa Fe and I got the Veggie Burger and Jim got a BLT. This place was great. Great food, relaxed atmosphere, and good drinks. –Ev
If I was a college student in Flagstaff I would hang out here often. Good food. Good vibe. -Jim

Dara Thai

We stopped for Lunch at Dara Thai in Flagstaff AZ. As you know if you read this blog, I love Thai food. And Dara didn't let me down. We got Garlic Tofu lunch specials and they were super savory and salty and good. The flavor actually reminded me a bit of Rice Ave in Jackson Heights, Queens, which is one of my favorite Thai places. They had a really decent-sized vegetarian menu in addition to the standard stir-fry dishes that can be ordered with tofu or vegetables, and the staff was friendly and understanding when we told them to hold the fish sauce. -Jim
Really yummy. We also got a noodle dish here to eat later on for dinner which was like a Thai noodle/Chinese Chow Fun mix-up. YUM!-Ev

Aztec Café

Aztec Café in Santa Fe was really cute and hippydippy. We met a really nice guy bundling all kinds of sage in the outside dining area. As for the food, the Salad was really big and tasty. We also split a Pesto Sammich and Hummus Sammich. I'd never had a Pesto Sandwich before, and I really liked it. It was on rye/pumpernickel swirl bread, so how can you go wrong? –Ev
I would have liked to try this place again. They didn’t have a ton of options but I think they had a couple of other vegan items, and it had a cute, laid-back atmosphere. -Jim

Annapurna Ayurvedic Cuisine and World Café

It had been almost 2 weeks since we'd eaten Dosas when we got to Annapurna in Santa Fe NM, which is a long time for us, so we were pretty excited to go to Annmapurna. The first time we were there we ordered a dosa and some Dahl, which is an indian lentil soup. Well, it was nothing like NYC Dosas and Dahl, so that was a tiny bit disappointing, but it was still tasty. Everything seems fresh and healthy at Annapurna, and their Soy Chai is the best I've ever had (like, by far). We went back the next day (that's a good sign) and tried an Uttapam and TLT sandwich and enjoyed them. I'm guessing this might be the place to go if you're a vegan in Santa Fe since the menu is huge and all vegetarian/vegan. Also, it's a nice big space with some cool private booths where you sit on the floor on pillows. Oh, and they have some tasty vegan desserts! -Jim
They also had Masala Fries. So good! One server was not so nice (or just having 2 really bad days), but the owner was really nice. They also have another location in Albuquerque. -Ev

Flying Star

When in Albuquerque, eat all three meals at Flying Star Café. At least, that's what we did. The hours never quite lined up for us to try any other places, but we really enjoyed the food here. For lunch, and breakfast the next morning, we got the Vegecado, which was black beans, brown rice, green chiles, salsa and tofu with a soft tortilla to wrap it in. YUM! For dinner we had the fried Soy Chicken Burger on a roll with avocado and usual burger fixins. We also split the Mediterranean knosh which was hummus, olives, bread, and veggies. Although I was sad that I never got to try the vegan soft-serve at Vitality juice Bar, the Flying Star treated us well! –Ev
Albuquerque has a lot of vegan places. It’s a shame we only got to try one. Flying Star is actually a local chain and they’re not exclusively vegan or vegetarian, but they definitely had some good vegan options. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I can't help but make an unfair comparison between our Southwest vacation and our trip to Austin TX last year. We ate a lot of good food on this trip, but I wasn't quite as impressed with the food on this trip as I was with the food in Austin. But that comparison isn't fair! Why? Because we were jumping from city to city on this trip and didn't have time to explore like we did in Austin. The fact is, we found a lot of great vegan food on our trip despite the fact that we were in a constant rush. Imagine how much more we would have found if we had more time! Overall, I’d say veganism is definitely alive and well in the Southwest, and I would love to go back and find more vegan restaurants that were hiding from us. -Jim
We did a lot of hiking on this trip. I think for a few days we just lived off of Lara bars and water. I remember having an arugula salad at a hotel and thinking "AHHHH! Food with texture and moisture! YAY!" This was a very different experience for us. It was the first time we didn't have a big city as a destination but got to see many smaller ones. Also, we're probably going to make a trip back to the Grand Canyon, but that would just yield a review of Lara bars. -Ev

Madras Mahal

2007-08-21T10:12:00.000-04:00

We got an anonymous comment on our blog a while back saying that Madras Mahal (at 104 Lexington Ave in Manhattan) has good Dosas and implying that it was more authentic Indian food than the Indian places in Jackson Heights. We decided to check it out. Madras Mahal is vegetarian with non-vegan items clearly denoted on their menu.

Katchumber

This was a fresh veggie salad made of cauliflower, cucumbers, carrots, and chickpeas. The menu said that it came with a lemon vinaigrette dressing, but there were just two lemon slices to squirt on top. While the ingredients were all very crunchy and tasty, this was more of an assembly than a dish. Unless you are craving some raw vegetables, I would skip it for something fancier. -Ev

Batata Vada

One cool thing about Madras Mahal is that, in addition to Northern and Southern Indian dishes, they have dishes from Gujurat, which is India’s western-most state. The Batata Vada was from their Gujurat appetizer menu. It was basically two deep-fried, curried mashed potato balls. By themselves they were good, but what made them great were the dipping sauces. They were served with super-tangy mint chutney and sweet date chutney. The date chutney was especially unique and tasty and we saved some to dip our Dosa in. This appetizer was small but good. -Jim

Masala Dosa

Quite possibly the best Dosa I’ve eaten. Also the most unique Dosa I’ve eaten. The Dosa itself had a nice balance of softness towards the middle, crispiness towards the edges. Inside, there were potatoes, onions, nuts and other goodies. The flavor was very savory, almost like hash browns. MMMMmmm. I loved it! Texturally too this Dosa strayed from other “mashed potato” consistencies I’ve had in the past and instead allowed the ingredients to be more true to their forms. Holy cow. I want another one right now! -Ev

Beingan Bharta

One of the reasons I love Indian food is that it’s never bland. It’s always super-flavorful and rich. But I was a little shocked when I tasted this Beingan Bharta. It did taste similar to other Beingan Bhartas I’ve had, but the flavor was more subdued. It tasted more hearty, earthy, homemade even. It was weird. But it was good! I felt like I was eating a healthier, fresher version of Indian food. It even seemed like the ingredients hadn’t been cooked so severely, and they retained some of their original texture and flavor. It was different from other Northern Indian curries I’ve had, but it was definitely satisfying -Jim

The Bottom Line

Well, thanks to a comment on our blog we have found another great Indian spot. Initially I was scared to go here because, while I knew there were vegan options on the menu, I wasn’t sure how easy it would be to pick things out. Happily, the dairy dishes had a little milk jug next to them on the menu. If this is more authentic Dosa, then I say, YUM to authenticity! I would definitely go back here. The menu is huge and I want to try all the vegan goods they have! (well, maybe not the super spicy Vindaloo.) -ev
Everything here tasted more hearty and homemade than other Indian places we’ve been to. Does that mean it’s more authentic? I don’t know. But if you’re in the mood for something a little different, give Madras Mahal a try. We’ll certainly be going back one of these days. -Jim

Vegan Treats Doughnuts at Atlas Café

2007-07-31T00:37:00.000-04:00

Atlas Café at 73 2nd Avenue 2nd Ave in Manhattan is now carrying Vegan Treats doughnuts! So we went down there with our buddies Isa and Eppy and ate some. You can eat some too by going to Atlas on a Tuesday night. That's the day that they're delivered and, from what we understand, they're gone by Wednesday!

Boston Cream

Boston Cream was always my favorite doughnut! With sweet chocolate, tangy custard and fried dough, how can you go wrong? Well, I was nervous that the vegan version might not be the same, but my fears were unfounded. It was awesome and very authentic! They got everything just right, even the custard which seems like it would be tricky to do vegan. -Jim

Rainbow Sprinkled

Mmmmmm. Donuts. This was the simplest and my favorite of the bunch. Good enough to fool Homer Simpson. A classic, undeniably donutty flavor and texture, lightly glazed and topped with colorful sprinkles. I loved it! It even smelled like heaven. (This, of course, is based on my assumption that heaven smells like dessert.) -Ev

Coconut Cream

Ok so imagine this, you take the Boston Cream doughnuts I described above, but instead of chocolate, you put sugary sweet glaze and toasted coconut on top. The end result: an even better doughnut for a coconut lover like myself. Coconut is one of my favorite dessert flavors (as evidenced by the ChoCofCo, my brilliant contribution (ok, not so much a contribution as a suggestion) to Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World), so this doughnut was like heaven to me. The same awesome custard in the same awesome doughnut, but coconutty! Yes! -Jim

Oreo Cream

This donut was ridiculous, and that could be a good thing or a bad thing depending on your stomach (I know the folks at Supervegan rated this one as their favorite). As far as the donut itself, the texture was much thicker/denser than the standard donut. Also, inside was the familiar Vegan Treats frosting that tops many of their delicious cakes, only this time oreos were blended into it. It was almost like an inside out cake that was compressed into donut size and covered with cookie crumbs. Now don't get me wrong, donuts by their very nature are delicious, but this one was a bit too much for me. It was really dense and I personally don't love frosting in donuts. So that's my take-- delicious but not my favorite kind of delicious. If it sounds like your kind of delicious, tear this shizzle up! -Ev

The Bottom Line

True Story: Years ago, the second or third time I ever got Vegan Treats cake at Atlas, I said to the guy behind the counter, "You guys should sell vegan doughnuts. That would be awesome." And now my wish has come true! Doughnuts have always been one of my favorite desserts and now Vegan Treats has brought them to my city, vegan and delicious. Thanks so much, Vegan Treats! You rule! -Jim
Word. These were really good. I can't wait to try the other kinds. I would also like to add my thanks to Vegan Treats and their unflappable commitment to making me die happily of a sugar overdose. Well folks, now we have one vegan donut maker down and one to go. That's right, Mighty O! You heard me. Get your sugary holes over here! -Ev

Buddha Bodai

2007-07-24T10:52:00.000-04:00

We tried Buddha Bodai for the first time yesterday. Buddha Bodai is a mostly-vegan, all-vegetarian Chinese restaurant located at 5 Mott st in Chinatown, Manhattan.

Wonton Soup

This soup was very light and mellow. The wontons themselves seemed to be filled solely with spinach, though Evelyn said she detected some mushroom in there. The broth was hearty but not too strong or salty. This was a very simple soup but I enjoyed it. It actually had me expecting a light, simple meal, but it turned out that the soup was very different from the rich, heavy dishes that would follow. -Jim

BBQ Veg Meat

This was a whopping plate of wheat gluten in a sweet barbeque sauce. The strips were soft and chewy, without being gummy. For gluten enthusiasts this was a cross between the super chewy fare at House of Vegetarian, and the compact chew of seitan at Lan Café. This had a really good balance of texture and flavor. Just don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach! -Ev
Yeah this was good but there was so much food! I'd say this appetizer would be appropriate for at least four people. Any less than that and you'll probably need to take some home for leftovers. The good news is it makes a great snack when re-heated! -Jim

Pan Fried Noodles w/ Beef and Chicken in Black Bean Sauce

This was on the “House Special” menu so I don’t know if they offer it all the time, but if they do, I would recommend it. The base of this dish was a heaping pile of crunchy fried noodles. On top of those noodles were sauteed peppers, bean sprouts, mock chicken and mock beef. The mock chicken was tasty and had good texture The beef had a softer texture and a much more savory taste. I think I preferred the chicken, but the beef was OK. All these ingredients were united by a delicious black bean sauce that was salty and a little bit sweet. Overall, I really enjoyed this dish, and then I enjoyed it again for lunch today, and I’ll enjoy it yet again for lunch tomorrow. In other words, this was a LOT of food. And I think it only cost $10, so that’s a pretty good value! -Jim

Mixed Vegetables in Taro Bowl

When you’ve had dim sum in the past, have you ever wished that you could form the dim sum into a crispy bowl and fill it with mock meat and veggies? Well, if you were wacky enough to wish such a thing your wish has come true! Like a delicious Asian cousin of the taco salad, this meal was a culinary party in a hearty, edible bowl. Where to start? There were snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, pine nuts, mock ham, mock shrimp, mock fish, mock chicken, all crammed in a delicious crunchy-on-the-outside/soft-on-the-inside taro bowl. Surrounding said bowl was steamed broccoli in a light and salty ginger sauce. The standouts in this dish were the broccoli, the bowl and the mock chicken, which was thick, savory, and delightfully peppery. This was incredibly filling and could easily be shared by 2 or 3 people. -Ev

Vegan Cheesecake

If you had told me that I could still have cheesecake back when I first went vegan, I would have thought you were lying. But here I am reviewing yet another vegan cheesecake. And this one, like all the rest I’ve had, was pretty good. It was a bit creamier and tangier than others, which actually made it more reminiscent of real cheesecake. I have a feeling that the syrup was just watered-down strawberry preserves, which turned me off just a little. But overall I think this was a good dessert. Not the best vegan cheesecake I’ve ever had, but still good. -Jim
Well I thought it was great! In fact, I think Pukk has competition for best cheesecake. I liked the tang, and it had a great crust. -Ev

The Bottom Line

I’m happy that we finally got to try Buddha Bodai. The menu was a little intimidating with so many dishes. (Oof. I’m writing this 3 ½ hours after dinner and I’m still ridiculously full.) There was a ton of food and it was all really good. Our doggie bag weighed as much as a neopolitan mastiff. I think next time I’ll try to pick out some lighter fare, but regardless, this meal was great! -Ev
Everything we got (with the exception of the soup) was super-rich, super-filling and came in super-large portion sizes. Is that true of everything at Buddha Bodai? It’s hard to say because, as Ev mentioned, there are tons of choices on the menu and we only tried a few things. I would say our first experience there was a positive one. -Jim

New York Magazine “Secret Kitchen” Event

2007-06-14T10:40:00.000-04:00

So a few weeks ago New York Magazine joined forces with our good friend Isa Chandra Moskowitz and the band Man Man to throw a crazy vegan food and rock and roll party. We were there of course, and we took pictures! But the following week was hectic for us and we didn’t get a chance to write a review, and then we figured it would be lame to post a review weeks after the event so we gave up on the idea. But Isa called us up at 3 in the morning last night, yelling and screaming and telling us we’d better “post a fucking review” or else she’d “kill Jim”. And if you know Isa, you know that she doesn’t joke about murdering people, so without further ado, here’s the review:

Shiitake Tempura with Wasabi Mayo

Holy Yum. These were so good. They were crunchy on the outside, chewy on the inside and salty/savory throughout. The Wasabi Mayo was amazing and should be bottled and sold. No joke. It was the perfect blend of thick and creamy with a kick. This dish was tied for my favorite of the night. -Ev
Yeah. These were super good. You really can't go wrong with crunchy, fried goodness dipped in cool, creamy goodness. -Jim

Jicama Edamame Corn Sesame Salad

I do love Edamame. I guess everybody probably does. But not everybody has had Edamame with fresh corn and shredded jicama in a tangy vinaigrette dressing. And they're missing out! This was a great salad. I think my favorite part was how the different textures played off each other. -Jim
I loved the citrus dressing on this. I agree that the texture was great, but also the freshness. This would be awesome on a really hot day. -Ev

Fresh Summer Rolls with Papaya and Avocado

A little birdie told me that these were actually an assortment of fresh summer rolls stuffed with either rice noodles, butternut squash, Thai basil and pumpkin seeds, or rice noodles, cucumber, Thai basil and peanuts, both varieties splashed with soy sauce for good measure. Both varieties were very tasty. I like how there were several different flavors and textures working together. The Thai basil was especially good and I appreciated that the soft noodles were there as a nice backdrop to all the excitement. -Ev

Udon Noodles and Peanut Sauce with Seitan

Yes, yes, yes! More please! I couldn't get enough of this dish. I think I ate more than my fair share and I hope no one at my table minded. Warm, creamy noodles, crisp veggies, crunchy peanuts, and spicy seitan all with a squeeze of lime juice. The textures and the flavors were just awesome. The seitan was just right. This was definitely my favorite dish of the night and I really wish I had some right now. -Jim
Interesting. This was my least favorite dish. It seemed like more of a tahini sauce than peanut, and while I love tahini on falafel, I often find it too bitter for me to enjoy on other things. I guess it's good that I didn't love it, seeing how Jim was all elbowing people in the face and trampling on babies to eat it. -Ev

Miso Matzoh Ball Soup

This was tied for 1st place for me. I love Miso Soup and all the different ways you can serve it. I had never had Matzoh Balls before, vegan or otherwise, but I loved it. Just a big ol' tasty ball of carbs in the middle of some delicious broth. I want to get sick just so Isa will come over and make me some. Then again, I don't want her to be so close to Jim, what with all the sharp knives in our kitchen. -Ev
The Miso vs. Matzoh contrast was pretty intense, and would probably offend Miso Soup purists or Matzoh Ball Soup purists, but I dug it. -Jim

Daikon Latkes with 5 Spice Roasted Applesauce

If there's one thing that Irish and Jewish people can agree on, it's potatoes. The only problem is that we Hibernians tend to eat our potatoes boiled and boring. I think we need to take a lesson from Jewish cuisine, and from Isa in particular. These latkes were potato perfection. Fried and flavorful, I could have eaten these plain and been very happy. But Isa accompanied them with a homemade Applesauce that was chunky and delicious. This dish wins a close 2nd place for me after the noodles. -Jim
True dat! These were awesome. I could've eaten the whole plate. And that Applesauce was incredible. Also a close 2nd place for me. -Ev

Chocolate Cupcakes

Darrrk chocolate cupcakesssss. Yeah! With choc-o-late frikkin' moo-ooo-ooousse. And a little naughty naughty blackberry, baby. Put it in my mouth. Put it in my mo-oo-outh. Oh, I'm sorry. You probably can't tell that that's an awesome R&B love jam I've written to commemorate the deliciousness that was, that is, that forever will be the Chocolate Cupcake. Now that you know, please "read" it again and think about how bad you want one. -Ev
Isa is the vegan cupcake wizard. And I'm not talking about a 1st level wizard who can only cast Light and Magic Missile. She's epic level. She regularly travels to the Elemental Plane of Cupcakes where she rules as queen. -Jim

The Bottom Line

This was a super fun event. The venue (Grand Harmony Palace in Chinatown) was very cool, the band rocked, but most importantly the meal blew me away. I never pass up a chance to eat Isa's cooking because it's always delicious. Even if she does threaten to kill me once in a while, I will never get a restraining order because then I wouldn't be able to eat her food. -Jim
Agreed. What's a little husbandacide between friends, more importantly friends who can cook? My only regret is that we can't go back to Chinatown and order some more of that Miso Matzoh Ball Soup. Achoo! Excuse me. I think I'm coming down with a cold. (Jim, hide the knives! Hide yourself!) -Ev

The First Annual Veganfriendly Awards

2007-05-28T22:55:00.000-04:00

Veganfriendly.com is one year old! We’ve decided to celebrate the occasion by throwing an impromptu awards ceremony. Unfortunately we couldn’t get Whoopi Goldberg or Billy Crystal to host.
All the choices below were hard to make because there’s just so much good vegan food in NYC. By this time next year, I’m sure many of our choices will change. Heck, some of them might change by this time next week. But for now, here are our picks:

Best Vegan Beverage in NYC
EV: It’s a toss-up between the Melon Cooler at Candle 79 and the Summer Thai Iced Tea at Pukk. Both are sweet and refreshing and are indicative of the delicious meals they’ll accompany. The Summer Thai Iced Tea is a milk-less version of the traditional Thai Iced Tea that has lemon added.
JIM: This one is easy for me. I’m all about the Teanychino at Teany. This yerba mate latte with almond, cornflower, vanilla and sunflower is smooth, sweet and delicious. Don’t forget to specify that you want soy milk!
OTHER CONTENDERS: Mango Lassi at Madras Café, Vanilla Milkshake at Red Bamboo, Fresh Complexion at Vegetarian’s Paradise 2

Best Vegan Appetizer in NYC
JIM: What a tough call! There are so many good appetizers out there! I think I have to go with the Unchicken Nachos at Caravan of Dreams. It’s a heaping pile of nachos, guacamole, Pico de Gallo, black beans, a surprisingly good vegan sour cream, and some deliciously seasoned, shredded seitan. Yum!
EV: The Satay at Blossom is a clear winner for me. It has three no-fail ingredients: house-made grilled seitan, soft, chewy noodles, and a peanutty-coconut-curry-esque sauce. Lest I need to remind you: “if I had to swim through a pile of these saucy noodles with my mouth open, yes I would drown, but I would die happy.” It comes with a fiery pepper sauce on the side that helps kick things into the stratosphere.
OTHER CONTENDERS: both the Mushroom Puffs and Spinach Toast at Pukk, Creole Soul Chicken at VP2 and Red Bamboo, Buffalo Wings at Red Bamboo, Avocado Salad at Lan Café

Best Vegan Entrée in NYC
EV: So simple yet so stellar, the Vegan Panini at 'sNice is a staple that never disappoints. Smoked Tofu, Sundried Tomatoes, and Pesto mingle inside the crusty confines of Sullivan Street Bakery’s best bread. You will savor the salty, creamy goodness of each crunchy bite.
JIM: The Seitan Picatta at Candle 79 is an amazing thing. Just amazing. I'm not going to bother listing the ingrediants because that wouldn't do it justice. Just trust me that you need to try it some day. I don't care what state or country you live in. Visit NYC, visit Candle 79 and try the Seitan Picatta.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Steamboat Rice at Hangawi, Veggie Duck Pad Thai at Pukk, Vegan Quiche at Teany, Assorted Tapas at Sacred Chow, Tempeh Reuben at Angelica’s Kitchen, Seitan Baguette at Lan Café, Steamed Lotus Leaf at Vegetarian's Paradise II

Best Vegan Dessert in NYC
JIM: This is a toss up for me. On the one hand, you've got layers of banana, cream and spongecake served cold with cocoa dusted on top (that being the Banana Tiramisu at Kate's Joint). On the other hand, you've got bananas and chocolate deep fried in a tortilla and served with vanilla ice cream (that being the Banana Chocolate Chimichanga at Curly's Lunch). Both banana-y, both friggin' delicious.
EV: The cheesecakes at Pukk are miniature culinary miracles. They taste like “the real thing” without being overly sweet or too heavy. Whether you go with the Thai Tea flavor, or the Blueberry, your mouth will thank you.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Ice Cream Sampler at Candle79, Pineapple Crepe at Blossom, Vegan Treats brand cakes (available at Teany, Red Bamboo, Atlas Café and other locations), Mango Tapioca at Gobo, Cheescake at Kate’s Joint, any cupcakes baked by our friends Isa and Terry

Best Vegan Food on a Budget in NYC
EV: Vegetarian Dim Sum- where else can you order a zillion things that will thoroughly stuff you and rarely cost more than $10 per person?
JIM: While it’s not a vegetarian-specific restaurant, Dojo is vegan-friendly and super cheap. For less than $4, the Soy Burger Dinner is a huge plate of food that’s very yummy. For about a buck more, I recommend getting it with avocado and extra tahini dressing on the side.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Chickpea, Pukk, Lan Café

Best Vegan Brunch in NYC
JIM: Kate’s Joint recently changed their brunch menu, but I’m pretty sure they still have their classics like vegan pancakes, waffles, and their tasty Kate’s Benedict. Kate’s brunch is decently priced and served with your choice of coffee or tea and your choice of juice or a cocktail.
EV: With goodies like Better than Biscuits n’ Gravy, and Savory Tempeh Sweet Potato Hash it’s hard to beat the scrumptious weekend brunch fare at Sacred Chow.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Quantum Leap, Bouldin Creek in Austin TX (Worth the airfare to Austin!)

Best Vegan Comfort Food in NYC
EV: Fried Chicken, Fishsticks, Buffalo Wings, Mashed Potatoes, French Fries, Milkshakes, Cheescakes, Ice Cream and Heroes galore! Whatever wicked, fried, fatty, vegan fantasy you need fulfilled—Red Bamboo’s got it covered. Of course they offer steamed veggies and salads too. But when in Rome… eat like a piggy.
JIM: I’ve heard a lot of different opinions about Foodswings in Brooklyn. Some people love it, others hate it. But I often find myself craving their chicken sandwiches, barbecue wings, perfectly crispy french fries and creamy milk shakes. So they are my choice for vegan comfort food in NYC.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Curly’s Vegetarian Lunch, Kate’s Joint, Vegetarian's Paradise II

Best Vegan Healthy Food in NYC
JIM: We just went to Hangawi recently and it was like zen for your belly. Everything was so fresh, wholesome and earthy. I think if you ate there every day you might live to be 150 years old.
EV: Angelica’s kitchen serves up wholesome meals that are gentle on your belly and make you feel great. They have soups, sandwiches, tons of “basics” to mix and match, and even sweets to truly do a body good.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Sacred Chow, Caravan of Dreams

Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant to go to on a Date in NYC
EV: If you want a special night out with a certain vegan cutie there are two places I can not recommend highly enough: Candle 79 and Hangawi. Both restaurants are beautiful on the inside (hopefully like your date) and will serve up the tastiest goods imaginable (also, hopefully like your date).
JIM: Ev’s choices are great for a fancy romantic date, but if you’re in the mood for something more laid back, I recommend a lunch date at Teany. Teany does a great job of balancing trendy and hip with relaxed and comfortable. The food, desserts and drinks are all great and their outside seating area is cute.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Blossom, 'sNice, Sacred Chow, Angelica’s Kitchen

Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant in NYC
JIM: I should point out that for this category our decisions aren't based solely on the food, they're based based on the overall package. That being said, my pick is a restaurant where the food is consistently delicious, beautifully-plated and inventive, but it's also cheap and the atmosphere and location are hip and cool. My 2007 pick for best vegan-friendly restaurant is New York's only 100% vegetarian Thai restaurant, Pukk.
EV: You know when there’s a whole table fighting over who gets the last brussel sprout, you’re at a good place to eat. Especially when there are a ton of different vegan meals on their way to said table, and there will be a ton of good desserts to follow, and a ton of tasty beverages to wash it all down. To know me is to know I love 'sNice, which is my pick for best vegan-friendly restaurant of 2007. From the vegan panini to their amazing daily sides, from the best cupcakes in NYC to their new quinoa avocado salad, 'sNice has great food in a cute space that you can linger in with your friends.
OTHER CONTENDERS: Candle 79, Sacred Chow, Hangawi, Teany, Lan Café

So that wraps up our award ceremony. We hope you enjoyed it and we hope you enjoy our blog. We're looking forward to another year of reviews!

HanGawi

2007-05-20T23:47:00.000-04:00

HanGawi is a restaurant we’ve always wanted to try and many of you have left comments recommending it to us, so we finally went for it. HanGawi serves 100% vegan Korean food and can be found at 12 E 32nd st in Manhattan. We went all out and ordered the Emperor’s Meal for two. The dishes included in the Emperors Meal vary from day to day, but apparently it always includes 3 appetizers, an entrée and a bunch of other extra stuff.

Pumpkin Porridge and Sweet Corn Spinach Porridge

These were a nice start to the meal. Both had a thick, creamy texture. The Pumpkin Porridge was quite sweet. The Sweet Corn and Spinach Porridge was also sweet but had a more complex flavor that I appreciated more. These warm, mild porridges set the stage for the calm but delicious meal that followed. -Jim

Vermicelli Delight

You know how I love my noodles! These were great. They had a nice chewy texture and were a comforting temperature. The seasoning was perfect- not too subtle, not overpowering. There was a wonderful balance of texture and flavor in this dish. It seemed that with each bite I was falling more and more in love with HanGawi. -Ev

Assorted Pancakes: leek, kimchi mushroom, and mung bean

These were basically fancy versions of the scallion pancakes you can order at most Chinese restaurants. Fancy in the sense that they were fried to the perfect flakey texture and loaded with neat, exotic ingredients. My favorite was definitely the Kimchi Mushroom. The spicy sharpness of the kimchi matched with the earthy goodness of the mushroom matched with the flakey fried goodness of the pancake all added up to something that I really enjoyed. But they were all very tasty.-Jim

Stuffed Lemon Tofu

This dish was presented beautifully and I was surprised to see that the lemon was separate from the tofu, rather than a seasoning. The tofu pocket was deep fried but not heavily so and stuffed with vegetables. It was drizzled with a sweet thin sauce that had great body and full flavor. Very YUM. The lemon was carved-out and stuffed with tiny pieces of bean curd, grains, and veggies that picked up the flavor of the lemon nicely.-Ev

Fried Mushrooms

At this point I was shocked by the amount of food we were getting--all of it delicious. These mushrooms were no exception. They were fantastic. They were crisply fried but not greasy. The texture was still nice and firm and chewy inside. This is how I would’ve loved the mushrooms to taste at Veggie Heaven in Austin. It’s hard to tell how large these portions were, but you have to remember- we EACH got a huge plate (pictured) for each appetizer.-Ev

Steamboat Rice, Eggplant and Mushroom Stir Fry, and a bunch of other stuff

So we finished the porridges and copious amounts of appetizers and thought, ‘That was a lot of food but all we need to do now is finish off our entrees and we're done’. But then they brought out the entrees, which were sizeable, along with two bowls of Miso Soup, multigrain rice and some pickled cabbage. It was so much food! So let's start with the Soup. Best Miso Soup ever. Seriously. I love plain Miso Soup with just miso broth, tofu, scallions and seaweed. And I have found that, when a restaurant tries to add more to their Miso Soup, it's too much and it kills the yummy miso flavor. But Hangawi managed to add veggies to their Miso Soup while still remaining the miso flavor, and it tasted better than any other Miso Soup I've ever had. Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows I’m a big pickle fan, and the Pickled Cabbage was just great. Not too strong but not too mild. The multigrain rice was earthy and delicious. The two entrees were Steamboat Rice and Eggplant and Mushroom Stir Fry. The Stir Fry was very savory and delicious and the mushrooms in it were so good. But the Steamboat Rice was really one of the best parts of the meal. It was so simple, just rice and vegetables, but it was rich and hearty and great. After the meal was over I told Ev that if the only things I could eat for the rest of my life were Hangawi’s Steamboat Rice and Miso Soup, I think I’d be a very healthy, happy person.-Jim

The Bottom Line

I knew going in to this experience that it was going to be a fancy meal, and a pricey meal. I wasn’t prepared for how amazingly beautiful this restaurant is. I also wasn’t prepared for just how delicious and HUUUUUGE the meal was going to be. I felt like I was dining in a half-Temple-half-Elven-Forest. Even the tea we drank- a surprisingly bitter-sweet red ginseng-seemed a perfect balance of the purely natural and the otherworldly. I should mention that by the time we were done with our main entrees I was both intrigued and horrified by the prospect of eating a dessert. Luckily, they served tiny apple chunks in a cinnamon broth. This provided a calming and refreshing close to our experience. (For future reference, I saw on the menu that they have chocolate tofu pudding.) I would highly recommend going here for a special occasion and dressing up for it. I would also highly recommend that you get the emperor’s meal, like we did. It had such a variety of dishes and you certainly got a lot of bang for your buck. Definitely on my list of Top 5 restaurants in NYC.-Ev
I agree with Ev. I could easily imagine being served this exotic yet earthy food by monks at a Korean Buddhist temple or by Elves in Laurelindórenan. It was a very interesting and unique experience, and the food was tasty and seemed very healthy. I’ve heard people complain that HanGawi isn’t as strong and spicy as Korean food should be. But if you go in expecting something a little more zen, you’ll be satisfied.-Jim

Lan Café

2007-05-09T22:46:00.000-04:00

We went back to Lan Café this week for more 100% vegan Vietnamese eats. Lan Café is located at 342 East 6th Street in Manhattan.

BBQ Seitan

This was an amazing appetizer. The seitan had a great chewy but not rubbery texture. It was that perfect level of firmness that was substantial to bite through but was still rippable. They also grilled it so it had a slightly charred flavor. What enhanced this dish was the hot sauce they served it with. It was more of a thin chili sauce with a slight tang and lots of pepper flakes. It’s hard to describe because it is very thin and simple-looking, but trust me- it is delicious. -Ev

Seitan Lemongrass Curry

Last time I was at Lan, I saw someone eating this and it looked so good that I asked the waiter what it was and vowed to try it on my next visit. They brought out the Lemongrass Curry still sizzling in a cute little pot (which is very hot as I found out the hard way). The ingredients were crushed peanuts, shredded seitan and just about every vegetable you can imagine (carrots, broccoli, peppers, green beans, snow peas, etc). I didn't really taste the Lemongrass, but that's ok because what I did taste was a delicious, savory curry stir-fry that definitely met my expectations. One weird (but not necessarily bad) thing about this dish was that, at first glance, there was no starch, just seitan and veggies. So I asked for a side of rice. When I got to the bottom, I realized that the dish contained a very small amount of cellophane noodles; such a small amount that I still think getting the rice was a good idea. I guess another option would be to ask for extra noodles when you order it. Or, if you like your stir-fries without too much starch, just order it as is. -Jim

Avocado Salad

Avocado is one of my favorite foods on the planet, and it really shined in this dish. Avocado, tomato, onion, cucumbers, and veggie ham were all uniformly diced and mixed together. What ensued was a wonderful play of textures and flavors. Like the BBQ Seitan, the sauce, or in this case dressing, really elevated the dish to something spectacular. I want to say it was a lemon-ginger dressing, but it was really hard to pinpoint. It was just a perfect mix of brightness and tartness with added layers of depth from some oil (and the creaminess of the avocado) and a slight savory quality. So YUM! -Ev

The Bottom Line

I have yet to have anything but a good experience at Lan, and I have yet to hear of anyone having anything but a good experience at Lan. The food is consistently good and the prices are consistently low. If you want fancy decor or ambience you might want to go elsewhere, but if you want delicious 100% vegan Vietnamese for a great price, Lan is the way to go. -Jim
I echo everything Jim had to say. Good food, cheap food, not-so-plain and simple. And once you try their Seitan Baguette for $4.50 you will crave it and probably order it with every meal, like I did here. (Shhh. Don’t tell.) -Ev

Dosa Diner

2007-04-30T00:02:00.000-04:00

We recently ate at Dosa Diner, located at 3566 73rd St in Jackson Heights, Queens. The Dosa Diner is vegetarian with plenty of vegan options.

Mulligatawny Soup

I had to take it slow with this soup because it was mighty spicy. But then again, I tend to be a wimp when it comes to spicy food, so you might not want to take my word for it. Despite the fact that it was a bit spicier than I would have liked it to be, I enjoyed it quite a bit. The texture was thick and almost creamy, the flavor was tangy and hearty. It’s a good thing I was hungry, because the portion was large and the soup was very filling. I’ve never actually had a Mulligatawny Soup that wowed me, but I find them to be consistently tasty and this was no exception. -Jim

Pondicherry Dosa

A few weeks ago, Jim ordered the Pondicherry Dosa and I was fortunate enough to try his leftovers. I was treated to an unexpected improvement on the Masala Dosa: the addition of a layer of hot spices that was nestled between the soft inside of the crepe and the mushy heaven of seasoned potatoes. It was with this delicious memory in mind that I ordered one of my own. Unfortunately, while still yummy (because, let’s face it, a Dosa can’t be bad) this one was lacking the delicious spice of the Pondicherry Dosa I had tried before. Whereas the one Jim had ordered had a healthy rust color spread throughout the inside, this one was just a plain Masala Dosa with one or two spots of what looked like accidental droppings of spice- certainly not enough to taste any different from a normal Dosa. I have a reluctant yet nagging suspicion that this had something to do with the fact that I’m female, and I must say I’m afraid to go back and order it again because if I say “I’d like it spicy, please” then I might end up with the Dosa equivalent of Vindaloo. I really should’ve said something, but at the time I kept hoping that it would magically become spicy. So take from this review what you will, a memory of a sublime meal, or a second taste with a side order of disappointment. ::sigh:: -Ev

Special Rava Dosa w/ Chilis and Onions

When ordering a Dosa, always remember: if you want potato in your Dosa, either make sure the menu says it has potato in it by default or tell your waiter that you want potato. Lately I’ve been going to a lot of restaurants where all the Dosas have potato by default, so at Dosa Diner I forgot to specify and got a Dosa with no potato, which was disappointing but totally my fault. But it was still pretty good! It was a Rava Dosa, which means it was made of semolina instead of fermented lentils and rice. The texture was crispy and delicious and I loved the onions and chilis cooked into it. The Sambar and coconut chutney at Dosa Diner are tasty and rich. The only problem with this dish was that it took forever to get to the table. We were waiting for a long time before the waiter finally came by and mentioned that the Special Rava Dosa takes longer to cook than other Dosas. Since this isn’t mentioned on the menu, I feel like he should have warned me of this when I ordered it. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I’m not sure what to say about this one. Pre-meal, I was honestly all set to write a rave review, but the whole not-spicy Dosa snafu left me with (pardon the pun) a bad taste in my mouth. Did the food taste good? Yes. Was the staff nice? Yes. The place looks like a cute diner with awesome copper-topped tables and a small stage set for nightly live music. I have to be honest though, and don’t read this if you’re eating right now. Maybe a poor-pissing convention rolled in, but the bathrooms were nasty. The women’s room was nasty so I used the men’s room and that was nasty too. When I pointed it out and went to use it again, their solution had been to just throw toilet paper across the piss that was pooled at the back of the seat. So bottom line- do your best Dr. Girlfriend impersonation or have a guy call in and order take out for you. I write this regretfully, but I have to write about the experience I had and not the one that could’ve been. –Ev
Between Ev’s lack of spiciness, my long wait and the messy bathrooms, we’re ending up with a not-so-good review, which is a shame because we’ve had good experiences before at Dosa Diner. Perhaps they were just having an off-day, or perhaps our previous good experiences were flukes. I’m leaning towards the former because the food here is usually pretty darn good and the prices are so cheap (the Dosas are about 6 bucks each) that I’m willing to cut them some slack. -Jim

Angelica Kitchen

2007-03-09T01:50:00.000-05:00

We went to Angelica Kitchen located at 300 E 12th St in Manhattan. They are 100% vegan and they guarantee that at least of 95% of all their ingredients are grown ecologically.

Agrarian Salgado

These tantalizing treats were little balls of seasoned mashed Yukon potatoes that were breaded, baked, and topped with a garlic/pesto/nut cream sauce. The menu said something about seitan but I didn’t really notice any. I thought this dish was a great appetizer because it was comforting and really got me excited about eating more food. They were served with some garlicky kale that was fresh, crunchy, and delicious. -Ev

Angelica Pickle Plate

Anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis may have figured out by now that I order pickles whenever the opportunity presents itself. I friggin’ love pickles. Who doesn’t, really? According to the menu, these were “garlic kelp pickles”. I didn’t really taste any kelp, but they were delicious nonetheless. The pickled celery, cabbage, olives and carrots sat on a bed of marinated beets. They flavors weren’t super strong, which kind of fits into Angelica’s modus operandi – their food is subtle and light, but still really, really tasty. -Jim

Soup & Half Sandwich w/ Kukicha tea

The soup and half sandwich is a great option because you can get a variety of goodies in your mouth for a decent price. Also, this meal comes with a complementary Kukicha tea which was so delicious that everyone at the table ordered one. Apparently a twig tea, it has such a smooth full bodied flavor, not what you’d think a twig tastes like. I’m no tea snob but that was some great tea! I opted for the soup of the day which was Green Vegetable Lentil Soup with Coconut Jasmine Rice. This soup was amazing. It wasn’t revolutionary or powerful, but just a good hot substantial soup with great flavor and texture. It was a really cold night so this was great for taking away the winter chills. I was worried it was going to be too creamy/heavy but the coconut jasmine rice was subtle and just added a note of richness to the soup (not heavy at all). The Tempeh Reuben was delicious as well. It consisted of baked marinated tempeh, seasoned with caraway & cumin, tofu Russian dressing, sauerkraut and lettuce. It was thick, chewy, and had lots of sauerkraut. The one drawback was I forgot to specify which kind of bread I wanted. You have a choice of mixed grain or spelt sourdough and I would've preferred the sourdough. No biggie though; it was still delicious! -Ev

Hot Open Face Tempeh Sandwich w/ Mashed Potatoes

This dish’s description called to me from the menu: “ slices of sourdough baguette topped with lightly marinated and baked tempeh, napped with savory mushroom gravy. Served on a bed of raw spinach, garnished with ruby kraut”. Sounds good, right? Well, it was! In fact, it was better than it sounds. All the ingredients alone were great. The spinach was fresh, the gravy was savory and delicious, the mashed potatoes were just the right texture, the kraut was tart and yummy, etc. But when you put it all together, it just worked great. I found myself struggling to get a little bit of everything on every forkful. The cool thing about this dish is that it satisfied comfort food cravings without being heavy or greasy. I felt like I was eating something really healthy, but it was tasty and rich at the same time. I would definitely order this again (if there weren’t so many other dishes at AK that I have yet to try). -Jim

Peach Crumb Cake with Cashew Cream

This was sooooo good. It was huge! And by huge I mean a big slice of a thick cake. Even though it was very crumby and crumbly it was not too dry. It might be hard to see in the picture, but there were peach slices baked into the cinnamony sweet goodness. I didn't really take note of the cream on top because the cake was so good. I would definitely order this again. -Ev
Word. This cake was moist and delicious and I want a slice of it right now! -Jim

The Bottom Line

Angelica does a wonderful job of balancing their food, making it rich and flavorful but also light and healthy. There are a lot of great restaurants in NYC offering rich, heavy vegan food, but few with the gentle touch of Angelica. It’s a little pricey but it’s obvious that they put a lot of care into their food so I don’t mind paying a few extra bucks. -Jim
The more I go to Angelica Kitchen the more I appreciate it. My first time there I got something typical like chili, which was good but didn’t showcase this restaurant’s ability to prepare nourishing food that looks great, tastes great, and makes your body feel good. Both of our meals tonight achieved that wonderful balance of delicious and nutritious, and best of all there was room for dessert! -Ev

Quantum Leap Brunch

2007-02-26T23:48:00.000-05:00

We recently sampled Quantum Leap’s brunch menu. Quantum leap is a mostly vegan, almost vegetarian (they serve fish) restaurant located at 226 Thompson Street in Manhattan.

Corn Pancakes Medley

There were so many tasty brunch options I had a tough time deciding what to get, but I finally went with the Corn Pancakes Medley. This came with one blue, one white, and one yellow pancake plus scrambled tofu and a choice of meat. Only the ham was vegan so I went with that. The pancakes were great. They were a good size and nice and fluffy. They even had corn niblets in them! The blue corn, while tasty, was my least favorite because it was more dense than the others. The yellow and white ones were divine- super soft and fluffy. I should mention I ordered a side of mixed berry compote to put on top instead of syrup. It was so delicious! The firm fruit and syrupy sweetness went well with the soft and slightly savory pancakes. The ham was a little scary looking as all veggie ham is apt to be but I was surprised to find that it tasted pretty good. (Still, I think next time I’ll sub hashbrowns for the meat.) The tofu scramble was delicious but it was reeeeeaaaallly salty. Almost too salty to eat and definitely too salty to finish. I don’t know if it’s usually that salty or if it was just a fluke. -Ev

The Vegan’s Choice

Not all of the brunch dishes are vegan at Quantum Leap, but I figured “The Vegan’s Choice” was a pretty safe bet. This dish consisted of scrambled tofu, hash browns, grilled veggies and whole wheat toast. The grilled veggies were just grilled veggies and the toast was just toast. Nothing exciting there. I could also say the hashbrowns were just hashbrowns, but I’m a big fan of hashbrowns, especially this kind, in which the potatoes and onions are shredded and fried into a solid, crispy sheet. So that was nice. What I was really looking forward to was the scrambled tofu but, as Ev said, it was overly salty. I’m convinced they had somebody new in the kitchen who messed up the recipe or something, because if something is too salty for me (I’m a total salt addict), then other people would find it downright inedible. Overall, I wasn’t wowed by this meal, but it was a lot of food for nine bucks and, assuming the tofu isn’t always that salty, I could imagine getting it again if I’m in the mood for a simple, hearty brunch. -Jim

The Bottom Line

Well, Quantum Leap is two for two! This was a biiiig and tasty meal. I was surprised at just how much food and the variety of food I got for a reasonable price ($9.75 plus $1.95 for the fruit). I definitely want to come back and try the buckwheat pancakes. -ev
Quantum Leap has a big brunch menu and I think a lot of it is vegan. It would be nice if they specified what was vegan right on the menu, and I think next time we get brunch here I’ll just ask our waitperson to list all the dishes that can be prepared vegan. If nothing else, the pancakes seemed to be popular and I’m happy knowing there’s a good place to get vegan pancakes in NYC. -Jim

Curly's Lunch

2007-02-19T17:48:00.000-05:00

We went to Curly's Lunch at 328 E 14th St in Manhattan between 2nd and 1st Ave. Curly's has lots of tasty diner fare and a lot of it is vegan or easily made vegan.

Un-Buffalo Wings

These were the least impressive part of the meal, but I thought they were still pretty decent. They were strips of soy meat battered and fried, doused in a very tangy and somewhat spicy sauce, and served with a creamy vegan version of blue cheese dipping sauce. The buffalo sauce was a bit strong for my tastes, but it was contrasted nicely by the cool dipping sauce. -Jim
The taste and texture of the chicken strips were excellent. They were slender, tender, and breaded just right. The only unfortunate thing was the sauce. But before you don’t try these, I’ve come to the conclusion that I just don’t like buffalo wing sauce. I don’t like it on Kate’s wings, I didn’t like it here. The only time I do like it is at Red Bamboo, but that’s because it’s more of a BBQ sauce, which I could drink by the gallonful. So if you like buffalo wings at Kate’s, these are even better. But if the sauce grosses you out, skip it. -Ev

School Lunch –New School

This was an order of vegan Mac & Cheese and a side salad. You could opt to add broccoli for a little extra, but I decided to keep my Mac & Cheese pure. Mac & Cheese is one of the only things I miss being a vegan, so I’m always on the hunt for that perfect fakie version. This was an interesting and delicious surprise. Thankfully, it was not just gobs of fake soy cheese. Instead, this was a hearty almost stewy version with breadcrumbs and nutmeg! Yes, nutmeg! This lent a slight sweetness to the dish and I really enjoyed it. Best of all, it didn’t taste like junk food. The salad was great as well. I had mine with a mango poppy dressing which was light and creamy. YUM! -Ev

Open Faced Turkey Sandwich

I really loved this dish. It might not look like much in the picture, but man was it good. We’re talking seasoned soy cutlets over cornbread stuffing on toast, smothered in savory gravy with sides of cranberry relish and super-garlicky greens. The flavor and texture of the soy cutlets was great and the stuffing was sage-y and delicious. The cranberry relish seemed very fresh and had a hint of ginger, which went great with the sweet tangyness of the cranberry. And did I mention the gravy was super savory? This was comfort food at it’s best (I know I say that a lot, but I have to say it about this dish because it’s SO true). I do have to report one odd thing about this dish, though: there seemed to be a layer of soy mayonnaise on the toast. It didn’t really affect the flavor, but was a bit weird in the context of this dish (“What’s that white stuff?”). Next time I might ask them to hold the mayo. And oh yes, there will be a next time. I’m definitely ordering this dish again. -Jim

Banana Chocolate Chimichanga

Holy crap! Or should I say “Crap Santo!” ? Bananas. With chocolate chips. Wrapped in a tortilla. Deep-fried. Sprinkled with powdered sugar. Served crispy on the outside, ooeygooey hot on the inside. With vanilla soy delicious ice cream. Omigod. The contrast of textures and temperatures was ridiculously good. And there were about 5 different kinds of sweetness going on, but they each had their own things to say. This was so amazing. You must get this. -Ev

The Bottom Line

The first time I tried Curly’s Lunch (shortly after they opened in 2005), I wasn’t really impressed. But they’ve added and taken away some stuff on their menu and I was really happy with my food this time. That turkey dish knocked my socks off and the dessert was just fantastic. And I think there are more vegan options than there were before, though their menu is still weighted more in the direction of lacto-vegetarians. If you haven’t tried Curly’s yet, I recommend doing so. If you tried it when they first opened up and haven’t tried it since, I recommend trying it again. -Jim
This was a great meal. If you’re seeking hearty stick-to-your-ribs comfort food, this is the perfect spot. I loved my dinner (and Jim’s too-YUM!) and I’ll bet their brunch is darn tasty too. Oh, and you can draw on your placemats with crayons. Just sayin’. -Ev

The V-Spot Cafe

2007-02-12T22:08:00.000-05:00

We recently checked out The V-Spot Café. It’s a 100% vegan restaurant in Park Slope Brooklyn located at 156 5th Ave. It was a birthday celebration for our friend Isa from the PPK! Also, big upz to Isa for being guest photographer for this review. Yes, it was her birthday and we made her take all the pictures.

Chicken Noodle Soup

It was a chilly day and I was paranoid I was getting sick so I went with the good ol’ cure-all, chicken noodle soup. Though a little sweeter than most soups I’ve had, I really enjoyed this. The broth was light, the celery was sweet, and the noodles were nice & chewy. The chicken provided a nice heartiness without overwhelming the other ingredients. -Ev

Nachos

Nachos are one of the great inventions of mankind. The chips are salty and crunchy, and the toppings can be savory, sweet, sour, creamy, saucy, chunky or pretty much anything else. I love ‘em. So when I review Nachos, the question I’m asking isn’t “Are these Nachos good?”, because the answer is almost always yes. I’m asking, “Are these Nachos especially good?” Well guess what? The Nachos at V-Spot are especially good. They’re topped with salsa, guac, sour cream, beans and ground veggie beef. The toppings are pretty standard and they’re pretty decent, but they are not what make the V Spot nachos stand out. It’s the homemade chips. They fry their own at V Spot and it shows. These three-color chips have the perfect crunchiness and a wonderful toasty flavor. I could definitely see myself ordering nachos again next time I’m here. -Jim

Breaded Chicken Cutlet

I really enjoyed this dish. The mashed potatoes were chunky but not dry at all. They had great texture and flavor. The spinach was absolutely delicious, especially when mixed with the other parts of the meal. I liked how it was soft but still really green and fresh-tasting. Also it was well oiled without being greasy. The chicken was really crunchy and almost flaky inside. I want to say it was more reminiscent of fish than chicken, but maybe that’s because I was more used to fried fish dishes growing up. Regardless, it was delicious and made a great snack later on in the car ride home and again at midnight. Yum. -Ev

Chorizo

The Chorizo entrée is the most expensive item on the menu at $14. In addition to the Chorizo, you get brown rice, beans, plantain and avocado slices. I wasn’t particularly keen on the chorizo itself. It was smoky and salty, but texturally it was a little tough and chewy. The rice and avocado were pretty basic. The real stars of this dish were the beans and the plantains. V-Spot’s homemade black beans are cooked with tomatoes, peppers, cilantro and spices. Very tasty. And the plantains were deep-fried to sweet perfection. Overall, this dish was decent, but the awesomeness of the beans and plantains doesn’t quite make it totally worthwhile. I sampled other dishes that our friends got and I’d say there’s definitely better food to be had at V-Spot. So I recommend getting a side of the beans and/or plantains but maybe passing on this entrée. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I didn’t know what to expect coming to the V-spot, having heard mixed reviews from friends. I was first surprised by the really cute décor- high ceilings and funky art in a warmly painted space. I was also surprised by the variety on the menu- you could get staples like fried chicken dishes and burgers, or empanadas, plantains, and even pastas. I really liked everything I tried here. Especially, those slammin’ nachos and plantains. They even stuck a candle in Isa’s brownie (no, that’s not a euphemism) and sang Happy Birthday. YAY! -Ev
I’ll be a little more blunt than Ev: when V-Spot first opened up, we heard it was really bad. We heard it from first-hand accounts and internet reviews. This made me sad, because anyone who opens a 100% vegan restaurant obviously has a passion for vegan food. And that means that, if they were indeed really bad, it was probably just as disappointing for them as it was for their customers. But the good news is that we recently heard reviews that they’d gotten better, so we gave it a shot and I think it was pretty good. The food was tasty, and I definitely see myself coming back here again next time I’m in the neighborhood (probably ordering what Ev got, or maybe the Meatloaf that Isa got, with a side of those plantains!). -Jim

Pukk

2007-02-04T02:48:00.000-05:00

This is our second review of one of our favorite restaurants, Pukk. Pukk is a trendy, all-vegetarian (almost all vegan) Thai place located at 71 1st Ave between 4th & 5th in Manhattan. We ordered a ridiculous amount of food, fortunately we had our buddy Eppy (creator of ENnie award-winning roleplaying game, Dread) along to help us eat it all.

All Green Salad

This delectable salad was chock full of so many different ingredients I wrote them all down…and then promptly lost the list. Please excuse the abbreviated list that follows: lettuce, mushrooms, corn, beans, tofu, tomato, cucumber, mandarin oranges, red onions, ummm…that’s all I can remember. But they all worked really well together and the peanut dressing was perfect- not too peanut butter-tasting and not too oily. The combination of the dressing and the mandarin oranges was especially good. -Ev

Duck Salad

This is one of my favorite dishes at Pukk, even though it’s so spicy I have trouble eating it. Also, I’m not sure why it’s called a salad. If it was served warmer with rice, you could easily call it “Spicy Sweet and Sour Duck”. The key players in this dish were veggie duck, cashew, pineapple, a small amount of lettuce and, of course, the spicy red dressing (which I want to call a “sauce” since this salad was so un-salad-like). I think the great thing about this dish was the contrasts. The dressing was tangy and spicy, but this was contrasted by the earthyness of the duck, cashews and lettuce and the sweetness of the pineapple. The mix of textures is really satisfying, too. Overall, there’s a lot going on in this dish but it adds up to a very satisfying (and filling) starter. -Jim

Spinach Toast

Just when I though the mushroom puff was my favorite appetizer here, there comes along the spinach toast. This was somewhat of a misnomer because I was expecting something toast-like. Instead I was greeted by crunchy little fried goodybags full of spinach that were in a mildly spicy/sweet chili sauce. They were so YUM and almost creamy tasting. These are my new faves and you should definitely try them.-Ev

Watercress Duck

This is actually my favorite entrée at Pukk, but before you run out and order it for yourself, be forewarned that it might not be what you expect from a Thai restaurant. First of all, there are three ingredients besides the sauce: watercress, mushroom and veggie duck. That’s it. And the sauce is not your typical Thai sauce. It’s super savory and mushroomy, almost like a salty mushroom gravy (but not thick like a gravy). I think this dish has a very gourmet vibe to it. If the duck, mushrooms and watercress were separate on the plate rather than stirfried together, this dish could easily be something you might order at Blossom. But I’m glad it’s at Pukk, where gourmet only costs eight bucks. -Jim

Duck Massaman Curry

Jim always gets Massaman curries and they smell so good (and taste good too) but they’re usually too rich for me to get a whole order. Pukk’s Massaman was not only light but they give you a nice amount. Not too small, but nice. The curry was creamy and dee-licious and all the bits inside soaked up the flavors well. I especially liked the potatoes. If you’ve been curious about Massaman curry, but have been scared to try it, I think Pukk is the safest bet.-Ev

Apple Fritters

This dessert was, to be quite frank, a little weird. It was apple slices. Ok, that’s simple enough. And there was a light caramel sauce. So far so good. But the batter… very interesting. It was sesame-flavored, and somehow it just didn’t taste like something you’d expect to find in a dessert. That being said, it wasn’t a miss, it just wasn’t a hit for me. It was just… interesting. Not bad. But if I had the opportunity to order these again, I’d order the Thai Tea Cheese Cake instead. –jim
It tasted like a chicken nugget that the chicken fell out of so they jammed a squishy hot apple up there. Go with the cheesecake. -Ev

Blueberry Cheesecake

Speaking of heaven in your mouth, the Blueberry cheesecake is mayyyybe, just mayyybe better than the Thai Tea cheesecake. Maybe? I don’t know. It’s too soon for me to commit. I’m going to need several orders of both to reach my final verdict. In the meantime, order this and decide for yourself. If it was better, and I’m not saying just yet that it is, but if it was better, it would be because it had the same light yet uniquely flavored taste of the Thai Tea cheesecake, and had blueberries and whipped cream on top. Oh my god I just looked at the picture again. I want to lick the screen. This was really good. Possibly the best cheesecake in the city. -Ev

The Bottom Line

We looove Thai food, and Pukk is a staple for us. It’s veg, it’s tasty, it’s inventive, it’s cheap, the menu is huge and they have surprisingly good homemade desserts. Ok, the Apple Fritters were a little weird, but I think we can excuse them for that since everything else was pure awesome. Go to Pukk! And if you’re ready for a super-savory masterpiece, try that Watercress Duck. –jim
Pukk is one of my top five favorite restaurants in NYC. It’s a fun place to order lots of things and share. I think we should go there more often, Jim. -Ev

Lan Café

2007-01-03T20:48:00.000-05:00

Hi everybody! Hope you all had a happy holiday season like we did. Now, back to the reviews! We recently tried Vietnamese food for the very first time at one of NYC’s newest vegan restaurants: Lan Café. Lan Café is 100% vegan Vietnamese located at 342 East 6th Street in Manhattan.

Vegetarian Ham Salad

This salad tricked me! When it got to the table, it looked like a light, subtle coleslaw-esque dish. But when I got it in my mouth it was like a slap in the face. This dish was simultaneously tangy, hot, sweet, sour, salty and more. It was just jam-packed with a ton of flavors. I wonder if someone with a more sensitive palate than mine might say it was too strong, but for my jaded taste buds it was really quite enjoyable. I also liked that it had just the right amount of veggie ham, which added a mild saltiness to balance this piquant salad. And there was plenty of cilantro, which I’m a big fan of. -Jim

Eggplant Salad

This salad was very unique. The texture of the eggplant was wonderful; it was soft but still had a nice chew to it without being rubbery. The flavor of the eggplant was subtle and delicious. Some people don’t like eggplant because it can be bitter, but there was no bitterness in this case. The sauce was interesting, a blend of sweet and salty flavors but at times it was a little too salty for me.-Ev

Lightly Fried Seitan

This dish consisted of strips of seitan sauteed with scallions, onions and ginger. That might not sound like much, but I really liked it a lot. It struck me as a cross between Chinatown Chinese food and really good Thai food. I say that because it had the earthy, home-cooked goodness of Chinese food from Chinatown, but the strong flavors and seasonings of good Thai. All the ingredients seemed really fresh and they were cooked just right, not too crisp but not too soft. I seem to remember this dish being a little bit spicy, but not too bad, which is good because I needed a break after that salad. -Jim

Baguette W/Seitan

The baguette here was thin and airy. It was toasted and spread with oil or margarine for more flavor, or maybe it was just the juices from the seitan. The seitan itself was chewy and savory. I liked the cucumber and other vegetables on this. I even liked the cilantro, although I pulled some off cause there was a lot of it. This sammich was especially delicious when dipped in a hot sauce that provided a fiery counter to all the savory comfort. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Since this is a newer restaurant and it’s located in the East Village, I was really expecting a chic, trendy décor and maybe a big price tag. Well, the décor was pretty plain and drab, but don’t let that scare you away. Lan Café is good stuff. They have a big menu and everything is vegan, so I can’t wait to come back and try some other dishes. And as for the price tag, I don’t think there was anything on the menu for more that nine bucks, so Lan Café is the place to go if your bank account could use some relief (and whose couldn’t, really?). -Jim
I agree that the restaurant was a little cramped, but the food was tasty and my baguette was a steal at $4.50. I definitely want to come back and try their other seitan dishes. -Ev

Austin Tex-travaganza

2006-12-05T10:01:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody! Sorry we haven’t posted in a while, but we just got back from a trip to Austin, Texas. We had a great time and we ate a lot of great vegan food. So here’s our little guide to Austin’s vegan-friendly restaurants (or at least the ones we went to):

Bouldin Creek Coffee House

We went to Bouldin Creek for breakfast on our first day in Austin and came back just about every day after that. Bouldin Creek is a hip, artsy, yet down-to-earth coffee house and everybody working there seems really nice. They have outdoor seating available, which was great because the weather was gorgeous for most of our trip. They seem to be totally vegetarian with lots of vegan options. We both liked what we got on our first visit so much that we got the same dishes every time we went. My dish of choice was “El Tipico”, which consisted of scrambled tofu (it comes with real egg by default, so you have to specify the vegan version), tomato, lettuce, salsa, tortillas and potato hash browns. That probably doesn’t sound like much, but it’s a contender for the best vegan brunch I’ve ever had. Their tofu scramble was just amazing, the hash browns were exactly what I think of when I think of good hash browns, and the salsa was fresh and delicious. It was a really hearty, tasty breakfast with a Tex-Mex twist, and I wish I had it in front of me right now. My only regret about Bouldin Creek is that we never tried any of the other dishes on their menu, many of which sounded really good. -Jim
I got “The Predictable” every time which was scrambled tofu, hash browns and choice of toast (delicious marble rye). I’m pretty sure their tofu was local made. Whether or not this was the case, it was deeeelicious. We should’ve eaten there for dinner too but we didn’t want anyone to think we were stalking them. I wish I could order breakfast from them everyday. OK, so maybe I’d order from Sacred Chow a few days too. -Ev

Nu Age Café

The Nu Age Café was a little gem that had to have been a diner in a previous incarnation Even though the fixtures were all diner-esque, the décor and the menu were sophisticated, inventive, and delicious (the food was delicious not the décor, silly). We started with appetizers of Orange Spice Avocado dip with tortilla chips and mango-salsa-topped scallion pancakes. YUM! For din-din proper I ordered the Spinach Linguine with Pesto. The linguine was homemade and it showed. The texture was incredibly soft and light. The pesto was delicious too and to top it all off (literally) there were pine nuts, avocado, and vegan parmesan. I loved this dish. And I loved eating the leftovers the next morning. For dessert I got an amazing vegan mango gelatin with fresh fruit and whipped cream. I was thoroughly impressed with every dish here (holy crap, Jim’s dish was good). And the waitress was really helpful and sweet. -Ev
It was weird how much this place looked like a suburban diner! When you live in NYC, you expect your vegan-friendly restaurants to be claustrophobically small and this place was hugemongous. I got the Lily Mushroom, which was oyster mushrooms, asparagus and lily bulbs, topped with jackfruit and accompanied by a mango dipping sauce. What made this dish wild was that the mushrooms were seasoned and grilled in such a way that they were VERY reminiscent of steak. Like, almost to the point of being weird. But it was very good. Also, for desert I had a homemade pumpkin cheesecake which was divine. If I lived in Austin, I’d definitely come back here and check out all the other vegan dishes on their menu (most of their dishes are vegan). -Jim

Veggie Heaven

Veggie Heaven seems to be one of the most well-known, popular vegetarian restaurants in Austin, perhaps due to it’s proximity to the University of Texas campus. It’s a Chinese restaurant with a huge menu of vegetarian, mostly-vegan food. On the front page of their menu, they list their five most popular vegan dishes, which I think is really neat as it helps newbies like Evelyn and I to find something good. I forget the name of the dish I ordered, but it was one of the top five. It was basically soy protein and broccoli in a brown sauce. The soy protein was a little tough to chew, but other than that, my dish was good but not great. Veggie Heaven reminded me a bit of Zen Palate in NYC, in the sense that it’s very popular but probably not the best vegan food in the city. -Jim
I think Jim got the Protein 2000 or something like that. I got the Fried Button Mushrooms & Broccoli in Tangerine Sauce which was marked as a spicy dish. They asked if I wanted it spicy or medium. I said medium but it was still too spicy to eat. Seriously, this dish was too hot and I just ate about 3 mushrooms but mostly the plain steamed broccoli and the rice with selective portions of the sauce. The good news is I was already almost full from the delicious steamed curry bun we ordered as an appetizer (not pictured) which was humongous and only $2.75. I also got a delicious mango juice bubble drink. I would try something else here. Oh and we scored really cute T-shirts here for $5 each. -Ev

Mother’s Café and Garden

Mother’s was another cool find with delicious food and unique atmosphere. I ordered the Veggie Burger, voted Austin’s Best Veggie Burger, which came on a whole wheat bun with plenty of fixings. I added guacamole & vegan cheese. The burger was huge, thick, and chewy with great flavor. It was made even tastier by the best (and chunkiest) mustard I’ve ever had. Sadly, we were too full to try dessert here, but it was great filling up on such delicious fare. -Ev
Mother’s is a vegetarian restaurant that seems to specialize in Tex-Mex cuisine. I enjoyed my Artichoke Enchilada, but I made the mistake of asking for it with soy cheese. I generally don’t like soy cheese and this time was no exception. The funky, gooey stuff nearly ruined the dish for me. We also split a soup and a salad before our entrees and they were delicious. They have a Cashew Tamari salad dressing which was just fantastic. Mother’s is another restaurant that I would love to go back to and try their other vegan dishes, but I would definitely ask them to hold the soy cheese! -Jim

Dog Almighty

Dog almighty is pretty far north of downtown Austin, and it’s kind of hidden in a farmer’s market. In fact, when we called there they basically told us “We’re really hard to find”. But they really deserve a better location because they were awesome. Specializing in Hot Dogs, Dog Almighty isn’t specifically vegetarian but you can order any of their Hot Dogs with vegan dogs, and their vegan chili has apparently won some prestigious Texas chili award. We ordered a dog each, “Frito Pie” which consists of chili on a bed of Fritos, and some French Fries. I ordered the “Dot Com Dog” which was topped with mustard, relish and chopped onion. The food was great (I especially loved the Chili) and the restaurant itself was pretty cool. It had a foosball table and a ping pong table, the staff was nice, and it had picnic table seating out front. -Jim
I ordered my scrumptious doggie with BBQ sauce and caramelized onions. The food was delicious here and the atmosphere was really cute. The good dogs and sunshine made me feel like it was the middle of summer. -Ev

Dhaba Joy

We went to Dhaba Joy (connected to the amazing toy store, Toy Joy) for some Oatscreme soft-serve. I have been on a quest for years now, trying to recapture the childhood joy of eating a soft-serve vanilla chocolate swirl cone with rainbow sprinkles. I came the closest yet with my Oatscreme cone (see maniacal smile in photo). What’s that? What’s Oatscreme you ask? Why it’s a delicious frozen vegan concoction made from pure oats with no sugar added. I was so happy it was a break from Soy and sugar. It had great texture and thickness. Unlike other vegan ice creams though, I preferred the flavor of the chocolate to the vanilla. Sadly there were no rainbow sprinkles but still this was delicious and the toys next door were so much fun to gawk at. And they had a Unicorn Christmas tree. With real live Unicorns! Texas is Magic! Hooray! -Ev
Though I have yet to experience the perfect vegan softserve, the Oatscreme was very good and probably really healthy. In general, we were really happy with all the food we ate in Austin. It was wonderful to discover that the capital of Texas (a state that I have always associated with beef and BBQ) would be so vegan-friendly. Texas is, indeed, magic. -Jim

rice: mott street

2006-11-18T12:16:00.000-05:00

We checked out Rice: Mott Street at 227 Mott st in Manhattan. Rice is not specifically vegan but it has a decent selection of vegan dishes.

Butternut Squash Chowder

Rather than get an entrée, I decided to get some chowder and a “small bowl” for my meal. The butternut squash chowder was light and had a subtle curry flavor. I liked it's consistency; it wasn't too thick or too thin. I also liked that there was some basmati rice mixed in. It was one of those nights were I was in the mood for uber-healthy veggie meals and this satisfied that craving. -Ev

Vegetable Dim Sum

I was a little underwhelmed by this dish. It consisted of about 5 steamed dumplings, each filled with a small amount of mushrooms and veggies. They didn’t really have much flavor by themselves. As a result they were overwhelmed by the very strong flavor of the dipping sauce, which was a very salty, tangy soy sauce. I do like saltiness and tanginess, so that was nice for me, but the dipping sauce shouldn’t be the best part of dim sum. The dim sum should be good on their own and the dipping sauce should make them even better. I don’t think I’d order these again. -Jim
I completely disagree. I thought these were awesome. I liked how strong the mushroom was. Also the skin was really tender. Sometimes dim sum can be thick and gummy or pasty but these were thin and delicious. -Ev

Ratatouille w/ Brown Rice

The "small bowl" of ratatouille was actually a decent size. This was a very simple dish of squash, onions, carrots and other vegetables in a tomato sauce. You could choose from several varieties of rice. I went with good old brown rice. I liked this dish, especially the tomato sauce, but at the same time I felt I could've easily made it at home. However, at $5 and the chance to be out with friends at a cool place, I think it was worth it. -Ev

Vegetarian Meatballs w/ Rice and Peas

When you order this dish you have a choice of sweet or spicy sauce. I chose spicy and it was REALLY spicy. If I ordered it again I’d choose sweet, but I don’t think I would order it again. First of all, the vegetarian meatballs weren’t very impressive. The menu claimed that they are “firm tofu with miso, scallions and red peppers”, but all I noticed was the firm tofu. Deep-fried, flavorless balls of firm tofu. Also, underneath the meatballs was a pretty thick bed of lettuce. To be fair, the lettuce is mentioned on the menu, but I didn’t think there would be so much. It seemed to me that the only purpose of the lettuce was to give me less soyballs, which was a little annoying. I did like the rice, though. I chose “Rice and Peas” from their special rice menu, which is rice and red beans steamed in coconut milk. I didn’t really notice the coconut flavor, but the rice was nonetheless hearty and satisfying. -Jim

The Bottom Line

This wasn't a mind-blowing experience, but the food was healthy, hearty, and reasonably priced. The restaurant itself was very cozy and dimly lit. There are a few other vegan options on the menu and I think it's worth another look. We also went to the PPK's Vegan Cupcakes Take Over the World cupcake celebration at Freddy’s Back Room Bar in Brooklyn. Sorry to say you can’t go out and get these beauties, but if you buy the book you can make them whenever you want. -Ev
As you might have noticed, I wasn’t too thrilled with my dishes. But I would be willing to come back and give it a second chance. Why? Because I feel like this place has potential. The dishes weren’t too good, but they were almost good, and it makes me wonder if there are good dishes hiding on the menu, waiting to be found. Also, we learned that the small bowls are really not much smaller than the large bowls, and they only cost $5. Which means this might actually be a good place to go for cheap eats. -Jim

Quantum Leap

2006-11-10T10:57:00.000-05:00

We checked out Quantum Leap at 226 Thompson Street. Quantum leap is a mostly vegan, almost vegetarian (they serve fish) restaurant in Greenwich Village, Manhattan.

Sweet Yam Tempura

I’m finding it difficult reviewing an appetizer whose name spells in out for you: Sweet? Yes. Yams? Uh-huh. Tempura? Mmm-hmm, crunchy. I guess the only important bit is whether or not they were good so I won’t hesitate to tell you that yes, these were very scrumptious. So scrumptious that we wolfed down every last one even though we had 2 huge meals on the way and the appetizer could’ve easily fed three if not four people. -Ev
Yeah, this appetizer is too much food for two people, but I digged it. The sweetness of the yam did indeed shine through, even after dipped in soy sauce, so there was a sweet/salty combination that was very tasty. -Jim

Seitan Satay

This dish was great! There were seitan skewers covered in spicy chili-peanut sauce with oriental veggies and rice on the side. The seitan was thick and chewy, airy almost, and reeeeaally filling. The sauce was a nice combination of sweet and salty and creamy and spicy. The oriental vegetables were sliced really thin and had really good crunch to them without being raw. My favorite part was definitely the basmati-lentil rice. Oooh boy was it good. It was so simple but really comforting and full of flavor. It was also cool that the dish came with a choice of soup or salad. I got the pumpkin soup and it was YUM! There was a subtle creamy-curry flavor to it. The best part was there was so much food I had a nice lunch the next day. -Ev

Chick’n Fajita

Rice, beans, protein, veggies, guacamole, vegan sour cream. You really can’t go wrong with that combination. It’s one of the easier things to cook for yourself at home. I know because I’m a bad cook and I can do it. So why would I still order it at a restaurant? Two reasons. The first reason is that having the opportunity to do so is a rarity. Yes, you can go down to your local Mexican restaurant and special-order a vegan dish, but I doubt they have tofu or seitan or vegan sour cream. And are you sure there’s no pork fat in the beans? Or chicken broth in the rice? I think it’s a special treat to be able to order a big, vegan Mexican dish at a restaurant, so I enjoy doing it on occasion. The second reason is that maybe it will be better than the stuff I cook at home, and I think this was. While the guac, sour cream, salsa and beans were pretty standard (good, but standard), I was happy to find that the rice was nicely flavored with some veggies mixed in, and the mock-chicken, peppers, onions and mushrooms were delicious and sautéed to perfection. Quantum leap has a whole section of their menu dedicated to Mexican items. So if you’re in the mood for vegan Mexican in NYC, it’s is a good destination. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I know Ev has been dying to make some Scott Bakula jokes, so I’ll leave that up to her. I will just say that I really enjoyed eating here and I look forward to coming back and trying some other items from their sizeable menu. I wouldn’t say the food was “awesome” or “amazing”, but it doesn’t have to be because the majority of the items on the menu were reasonably priced. I would say the food was "pretty darn good". Also, the atmosphere is cozy and the staff was extremely friendly.-Jim
I’m so happy Sam and Al were able to open a restaurant to commemorate their wacky adventures through time. The décor was Bakulactacular and the food was so good I wanted to say “Hey! Give me Sam-more!” God that was awful. I apologize. Joking aside, this was an excellent meal at a really cute place (that has nothing to do with the TV show). I can wait to leap back there time and time again. OK I’ll stop now. Really. Go eat some food. -Ev

Zen Palate

2006-11-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

We visited the Zen Palate at 34 Union Sq E in Manhattan. Rather than order entrees we ordered some appetizers and smaller dishes and shared everything.

Taro Spring Rolls

I liked these because they had a deeper flavor than your average spring roll. Yes, there was the requisite cabbage inside, but the taro and other flavors made the rolls taste heartier and more substantial. These rolls often come on the side in entrees and I think I prefer them that way because somehow they are softer. These were still yummy though. -Ev

Steamed Vegetable Buns

These were the low point of the meal for me. Inside of each of these hot buns was a tiny amount of veggies and seasoning. It was almost like someone had taken a little spoonful of soup and poured it into the center of each large bun. The end result was something that mostly flavorless and underwhelming. I guess it’s a matter of expectations. When we ordered steamed Steamed Vegetable Buns I was expecting a bun chock full o’ vegetables. But it was 90% bun and that was a little bland for my taste. -Jim
I thought these were alright. There wasn’t a lot inside but I still thought they tasted good. -Ev

Stir-fried Spinach Linguine w/ Vegetables

This was not my favorite dish here. It was aiiight. The noodles had a nice subtle flavor and texture but the dish was too oily and the mushrooms were a little strong and not balanced by anything else in the dish. If these were in a soup or had some other element to it I'd like it better. I'd skip ordering this. -Ev
I liked this more than Ev. It was a bit oily but it was nice and salty and the bean sprouts and carrots gave it a satisfying texture. -Jim

Grilled Sesame Tofu Salad

I’m not generally a salad person, but this is actually one of my favorite dishes at ZP. They started with Watercress, which I’m a big fan of. They added strips of crispy, fresh napa cabbage and crunchy, fried rice noodles. Around the edges of the dish were cherry tomatoes and marinated tofu. The tofu was mild and salty and had an interesting layered texture with just a little crispiness around the edges. Some sesame vinaigrette dressing pulled it all together. This dish is deceptively simple, but the combinations of flavors and textures are just right. It probably wouldn’t be so good if you were expecting really strong, bold flavors (which is what I usually hope for when I order food), but if you want something simple and light, I’d recommend it. -Jim
This was really fresh and amazing. I especially liked the lightness and crunch of all the ingredients against the thick tofu. And the dressing was really tangy and interesting. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Most NYC vegans know about Zen Palate. It's a vegetarian staple in NYC. Up until recently, we were lead to believe that most of the things on the menu were vegan with the exception of one or two dishes. The HUGE bummer was that this time around we got an updated menu and discovered that some of our old faves were not vegan after all. That made ordering even harder because I find I already have to be selective when ordering here. That's not to say this is a bad place- they have yummy things. But I'd definitely recommend going with someone who can suggest their favorites and get the menu that denotes dairy and whatnot to be safe. You can't go wrong with the Curry Supreme. –Ev
If you look at other reviews of Zen Palate on the web, you will find that people tend to either love ZP or hate it, and rarely will you see a review in the middle. I think these mixed reviews accurately reflect Zen Palate. Some of their dishes are quite good, but some are just plain bad. It’s true of their service too, sometimes you can have a really good experience, sometimes not so good. I definitely agree with Ev that you should bring a friend who can make recommendations. Don’t just order at random or there will be decent chance of getting something crappy.-Jim

Jackson Diner Lunch Buffet

2006-11-01T12:16:00.000-05:00

We decided to hop the subway to the famous Jackson Diner for their all-you-can-eat Indian lunch buffet. The Jackson Diner is not specifically vegetarian but has vegetarian options. Located at 37-47 74th St in Jackson Heights, Queens, the Jackson Diner does a lunch buffet every day from 11:30 to 4:00 for $8.95 on weekdays and $9.95 on weekends.

Aloo Ghobi, Channa Masala, Potato Fritters, Rice

The vegan options at the JD lunch buffet vary from day to day. In addition to Masala Dosas (which Ev will tell you about in just a minute), they always have Channa Masala and Basmati Rice, and they usually have one or two other vegan dishes. On this day there was also Aloo Ghobi and Potato Fritters. The Potato Fritters were lightly-fried patties of spiced potato and onions that were great for dipping in tamarind sauce. The Aloo Ghobi was really delicious with just the right texture to the potato and cauliflower. The Channa Masala was rich and savory. I really dig how you can have different textures and flavors all on one plate at the Jackson Diner buffet, and the quality of the food is great. -Jim

Masala Dosa

As if all-you-can-eat Aloo Ghobi wasn’t enough, the Jackson Diner also had a man on hand to make you as many Masala Dosas as you wanted. I imagine there’s a similar set-up in Heaven, except maybe the man making them looks like Johnny Depp and calls you “Sugarbuns”. But I digress. The size of the dosa was a little smaller than usual, but every bit as delicious. The potatoes were creamy and spiced just right and the dosa had a perfect texture. They also had lentil sambar for dipping, but alas there was no coconut chutney to be found. Even coconutless though, this was one tasty dosa. -Ev
It's neat that you get to stand there and watch someone make a Masala Dosa for you, and it's even neater that you can go back and get as many as you want. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I'm bad at Indian buffets. I usually eat about three overflowing plate-fulls of food and get so full that I feel like I'm going to die. Die happy, perhaps, but still die. Fortunately that didn't happen on this visit. I had one plate and half a dosa and I felt fine. Getting lunch at JD is a bit of a gamble because you never know how many vegan options they'll have. But they always have Channa Masala and Dosas, which is actually enough to satisfy me, and plus they usually have one or two other choices. If you find yourself in Queens and you love Indian food, you have to try the Jackson Diner. -Jim
I, too, was happy I didn't overdo it today, though believe me the Aloo Ghobi was so good I was tempted to eat more. While the Jackson Diner has a great buffet, their regular menu options are also delicious. I especially love their Uttapam.-Ev

Sacred Chow Brunch

2006-10-22T10:42:00.000-04:00

We liked our dinner so much we decided to return to Sacred Chow to try their brunch. It’s located at 227 Sullivan St in Manhattan.

Better Than Biscuits & Gravy w/ Tempeh Strips

Wow. This dish knocked me off my feet. I mean, not literally, because I was in a chair when I ate it. But it was really, wonderfully good. The bottom layer consisted of flakey, delicious biscuits. Above that was a layer of steamed collards. I mentioned in our last review that Sacred Chow gets the texture of their collards just right, and that's true again here. The next layer up was scrambled tofu. Now, I'm not a scrambled tofu connoisseur, so I can't really compare this scrambled tofu with any other, but I can tell you that I really liked it. It was flavorful and there was chopped onion in it and the texture was satisfying and it really kind of reminded me of eggs, but in a good way, not a gross way. The next layer up was a white gravy sprinkled with some paprika. The gravy wasn't too strong or overpowering, but it added just the right creaminess and savoriness to the dish. Combine all those layers on one forkful and you have soul, comfort-food brunch at it's finest. You also get a choice of salad, greens or fruit, and I picked the fruit. I think that was a good choice because the sweet freshness of the fruit offsets this dish nicely. And I also got a side of smoked tempeh which was good but in retrospect the dish was good enough on it's own that I didn't even need a side. -Jim

Banana Bread French Toast w/ Home Fries & Tempeh Strips

I don’t know why I wasn’t expecting actual banana bread. I mean they said so right there on the menu, but did I pay attention? Noooo. So I was surprised when I got a big ol’ cakey hunk of banana bread. Not that I minded. At all. The banana bread was warm and delicious and the blueberries on top were really good with it. What made everything better was a sprinkling of cinnamon. It was a small and subtle addition but it made this dish taste fantastic. Also wonderful were the home fries. They were perfect all around- golden and salty and seasoned just right. I’m not the worlds biggest tempeh fan, but I really enjoyed the tempeh strips. They too were seasoned just right and they were sliced very thin so they crisped nicely. All in all, this was a perfect way to start the day -Ev

The Bottom Line

It’s official. I’m a Sacred Chow stalker. I daydream about all the delicious things I can eat there, and wonder if the Tapas ever think of me (even though we’ve only met once). Even when we were eating brunch I couldn’t help but spy on what the dinner specials were going to be. Dinner was great the other night, and Brunch today was amazing, maybe even better. ::sigh:: I wonder what Sacred Chow is doing right now… -Ev
Is it a little weird that we reviewed ths same restaurant twice in a row? Yes. But it’s also a testament to how good it is. We enjoyed dinner so much on Monday that we were dying to come back and try their brunch, and rightfully so because it was amazing. This is one of the top three vegan brunches I’ve ever eaten, and one of them was in Portland and another one of them was cooked by our friend Isa at her apartment, which means this is the best vegan brunch I’ve ever had at a New York City restaurant. -Jim

Sacred Chow

2006-10-18T22:29:00.000-04:00

We got dinner at Sacred Chow before attending the NerdNYC Boardgame Night on Monday. Sacred Chow is a vegan bistro specializing in heroes and tapas and it’s located at 227 Sullivan St in Manhattan. The funky, colored lighting at Sacred Chow caused our photos to come out a little weird, but you get the idea.

Spicy Pickled Vegetables

I love pickles of all shapes and sizes, from Kosher Dills to Japanese Oshinko. So when I saw that Sacred Chow offered a side of Spicy Pickles, I knew I had to try it. I wasn’t disappointed. The side consisted of cauliflower, carrots, bell pepper, jalepeno pepper and more, all spicy, sweet and strong from the pickling process. The mild veggies were kicked up by the pickling while the spicy jalepenos were cooled down enough to the point where I could eat them, and I’m usually a wimp with hot foods. It was a light, tasty way to start a meal. -Jim

Four Seasons Salad

Given the fact that lately I subsist on fruit and oatmeal at work, and the fact that I had my eye on a seitan sub for din-din, I thought it would be a good idea to throw some veggies up in the joint. I decided to go with a small Four Seasons Salad which consisted of greens, beets, carrots, apples & crunchy yuba strips topped with a dijon vinaigrette. I am a salad lover, especially when said salad has a unique combination of ingredients. This salad was highly loveable. The ingredients were all very fresh and flavorful. The mix of textures was fantastic as was the play between sweet and tangy. The yuba strips were excellent. I thought yuba was some kind of root vegetable, but Ms. Terry Hope Romero was kind enough to inform me of its real nature; it comes from a film that forms on top of hot soymilk and then is dried or what-have-you. The yuba tasted surprisingly like Bac-Os, or Bacos, or Scott Bakula, or however you spell it. (Strange but little known fact Scott Bakula indeed tastes like Bacon Bits). Also, the dijon vinaigrette was a sassy change from my usual Balsamic traditions. And Bakulic traditions. -Ev

Tapas Plate: Mama’s soy meatballs, Steamed Sesame Collards, Sauteed Shiitake Mushrooms w/Toasted Sunflower Seeds

Sacred Chow offers a wide variety of Tapas, and in addition to what’s on the menu they have several specials every day. The Tapas come in two varieties: “Protein Rich” (tofu, seitan and the like) and “Complex Carb” (veggies and grains and stuff). For $12 you can get a plate of three Tapas, and that’s what I did. The Mama’s Soy Meatballs were off the “Protein Rich” menu, in case you couldn’t guess, and they were mighty fine. The texture was slightly on the mushy side but still very satisfying, and they were covered in chopped tomatoes, onions, garlic and herbs, kind of like an Italian salsa. The collards were a special that day. I’m used to the garlicky collards at Kate’s Joint, so the more subtle flavor of these collards was disorienting at first, but I enjoyed them nonetheless. Also, they were just the right texture. The mushrooms were good and very plentiful. I had to give away some of my mushrooms because I was getting full. Overall, the tapas I chose had a very fresh, healthy vibe to them. Which was great, though between you and me I might order some more exciting tapas next time I go (and there are plenty of exciting-sounding tapas on the menu). -Jim

Orange BBQ Seitan Sub & Roasted Black Olive Seitan Sub (w/vegan cheese)

What’s better than a seitan sub??? Two different kinds of seitan subs that you share with your friend! (I really hope Paula thinks we’re friends.) There are a few key words that get me excited about eating. Among these are “Seitan” and “BBQ”. Throw in a fruit and I’m really excited. String these words along in a description such as “sliced chunky orange-molasses seitan, ginger BBQ sauce, onions, cheese” and it’s pretty much going in my belly. I opted not to get the cheese on this one. It was a great sub. The seitan was thick and chewy, salty, flavorful. And yet, this sub was blown out of the water by the Roasted Black Olive Seitan Sub. Holy crap, was this good! We got vegan mozzarella on it, and thankfully it wasn’t swimming in fakeness. The olive flavor was fused - scientifically fused! - into the Seitan. It was so… GOOD. It had that nice olive-y tang and then the creaminess of the cheese was there to cradle it into submission, and then there were green leafy things nestled against the delicious bread. Double YUM. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Just when we thought we’d been to every good vegan joint in NYC, we find another one hiding somewhere that knocks our socks off. I really enjoyed my experience at Sacred Chow. The food was great. The location is great. The atmosphere is great. But the really amazing thing about Sacred Chow is the variety of food to choose from. They have soups, salads, heroes and 19(!) tapas, not to mention a large selection of daily specials, and it’s all vegan. Plus they have eleven homemade desserts, which we didn’t have time to sample but I’ve heard they’re very good. This was only my first time trying Sacred Chow, but I think it’s safe to say that they’re awesome. And even though they’re a couple of bucks more expensive then I generally prefer, I could see them becoming a staple in our neverending NYC restaurant crawl. Oh, and one more thing: their brunch menu sounds really good. Don’t be surprised if you see a Sacred Chow Brunch review on veganfriendly in the near future. -Jim
Word. I found myself wanting to go back the next day. Everything was delicious- especially Jim’s Mushrooms and Terry’s Pumpkin Tapas. I was expecting boring hippy-dippy food and was pleasantly surprised to find really delicious and nutritious fare. Plus the restaurant itself is cute with its window of glowing red lights. So what if our pictures came out weird? I seriously want to go back there. Like right now. -Ev

Ghenet

2006-10-14T23:59:00.000-04:00

We recently went to Ghenet, an Ethiopian restaurant located at 284 Mulberry St & Houston St in Manhattan. While not strictly vegetarian, they have amazing selctions for vegans, whether ordered per dish or part of a combo meal.

Engouday Tibs

Oh boy, was this delicious! The Engouday Tibs (aka spiced mushrooms) at Ghenet satisfied so many hard to define cravings it was wonderful. The mushrooms were soft and savory as were the onions and peppers that were sauteed with them. Everything was spiced to perfection, both taste-wise and kick-wise. The flavors were very strong but worked well together, especially when wrapped in the Injera bread. It’s so hard to describe Injera bread to the uninitiated. Made from a nutritious grain called Teff, the taste is both wholesome and a little tangy. It resembles a half-cooked pancake- smooth on one side and bubbly on the other. The texture is soft, moist, and cool to the touch. The bread actually does double duty: Yes, it’s delicious and you eat it, but it also takes the place of utensils. You rip and scoop to eat your meal. This was our first food of the day and it couldn’t have been tastier. -Ev
There was something Fajita-esque about this appetizer, only it was better than the best fajita I’ve ever had. It was really delicious and probably my favorite thing at Ghenet. -Jim

Vegetarian Combo for 2

The best way to go at Ghenet is the combo meal. The combo meal for two was about 30 bucks and it consisted of a small amount of every vegetarian dish they offer at Ghenet (except the Shimbra Asa). That’s nine different foods packed into one dish, served on Injera bread with more Injera bread on the side. About half of the items in the combo were legume-based, with variations on seasonings, texture and spiciness (my favorite of these was the Shiro Wett, which was the most rich and spicy). There was also a cold potato, carrot and beet salad, spiced collard greens, a string bean and carrot dish and (my favorite) Atkelt Wett, which was cabbage, potatoes and carrots cooked in a mild caramelized onion sauce. I can honestly say that everything in the combo was delicious, and I loved the variety of dishes and how they worked with eachother. And it was SO MUCH food. Frankly, I think the Vegetarian Combo for Two might be a little too much for two people, as every time we’ve had it we’ve left the restaurant painfully stuffed with food. -Jim
I agree that the cabbage/potato dish was amazing. My other favorites were the green bean/carrot, and the yellow spilt pea. They were all so comforting and delicious. Oh, and there was a spicy lentil one that was really good too. You can also order the combo for 1 and have your choice of any 4 dishes. -Ev

The Bottom Line

I was 17 the first time I tried Ethiopian food & I was in Washington DC. I thought it was the best food I’d ever had. For years I clung to the memory of the unique flavors of the dishes and the amazing texture of Injera bread. I thought I would have to travel back to DC if I ever wanted to taste that goodness again. I am so happy that Ghenet is in NYC. The restaurant is beautiful and the food is so yummy you owe it to your tongue to try some. Ghenet (meaning “Paradise”) has a cute slogan that this is “Where Angels Eat”; well vegans should eat here too! -Ev
If you’ve never tried Ethiopian food, you’re really missing out. The spices are reminiscant of Indian curries but the food is very unique and the Injera bread is addictively good. Ghenet is definitely my favorite Ethiopian restaurant. Their food is just a little more fresh and flavorful than other Ethiopian places I’ve tried. -Jim

Nana

2006-10-11T23:39:00.000-04:00

We went to Nana at 155 5th Ave in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Nana is a Pan-Asian restaurant that isn’t specifically vegetarian, but has a decent amount of vegan-friendly options.

Vietnamese Salad

I’m not usually a big fan of salads, but this is one that I can get behind. It consisted of mango, jicama, fried rice noodles, crushed peanut, jalapeno and cilantro piled on top of chili dressing. What really stood out about this salad is that they were able to make it light and refreshing but also packed with flavor. There was a great combination of sweet and spicy ingredients, and the textures were all very satisfying. I’d definitely order this again. -Jim
I loved this salad. Everything was so fresh and cool. And the sweet chili dressing was the best! -Ev

Roti Canai

Much like my love of Dosas, I not only love the taste of Roti Canai but also the wonderful variations to be found in restaurants around the city. The Roti Canai here wins the presentation award, because the colors of the soup were so high-contrast and trippy. The soup itself was rich, mild, and creamy and the two bits of potato inside were divine. The bread was chewy, soft, and flaky. I also loved that the size of the bread was perfect to the amount of soup. I recommend ripping some bread off and submerging it a few seconds before eating it because you soak up a lot more flavor than if you just dip it. It's not often you can get something this tasty for $3. -Ev
Word. This is my favorite thing at Nana and we always order it when we come here. The soup is coconutty and curry-licious. Some day I might just order three of these and that will be my meal. -Jim

Fried Mei Fun w/ Tofu

This was on the Noodle menu and I think it normally has chicken in it or something, but you can ask for it vegetarian (and hold the egg!) and ask them to add some tofu and they hook you right up. The dish consisted of Mei Fun noodles, scallions, bean sprouts and tofu lightly fried in a savory, Asian brown sauce. Very simple but it definitely works. I loved the texture and flavor of the tofu, and scallions and bean sprouts are two of my favorite ingredients, so I really enjoyed this dish. I also felt like it was just the right amount of tofu, which was nice. There’s nothing worse than ordering a tofu dish and getting only a couple of little pieces of tofu, or having your plate overflowing with nothing but tofu. Okay, I guess there are things worse than that. My point is you don’t have to worry about it at Nana. -Jim

Tofu Pad Thai

This was a really great Pad Thai, on account of the fact that the sauce was very tamarind-y (which is my preference) and because of the tofu. The tofu at Nana's is the best because it has just the right amount of crispness to the skin, but the inside is so soft it practically melts in your mouth. I do think, however, that next time I’ll order the Vegetable Pad Thai and ask to pay extra for some Tofu. The waiter assured me there were vegetables in the Tofu Pad Thai. To his credit, scallions and bean sprouts are vegetables, but I would've loved some broccoli and carrots too. The Pad Thai is listed only with the standard choice of meats, but a side note on the menu mentions that it can be made vegetarian. Obviously, you also have to request that they omit the eggs. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Nana might not look too vegan-friendly when you first see the menu, but they do have a decent selection of vegan dishes and the atmosphere and the quality of their food makes them worth checking out. Also, It’s important to keep in mind that they can make a lot of their non-vegan dishes vegan by request. Both of our entrees above are normally meaty and we asked them to hold the meat and egg and add some tofu. In my experience, special-ordering off the non-vegetarian menu at Nana yields tastier results than ordering off their vegetarian menu. Oh, one more thing: Nana is cash-only for some reason, so hit the ATM before you go. -Jim
YUM. The tofu rules here. Nana has a lot of great options for vegans from inventive appetizers, to Thai standards, and all-vegetable entrees. Plus the restaurant itself is beautiful (and has a really cool lower level where the bathrooms are). -Ev

Caravan of Dreams

2006-10-08T11:32:00.000-04:00

We recently went to Caravan of Dreams, located at the corner of 405 East 6th St street in Manhattan.

Unchicken Nachos

Best Nachos ever. There, I’ve said it. And I’m not going to take it back. CoD started with a bowl of blue corn tortilla chips and they piled on (and I mean “pile” in a very literal sense) the fixings. To start with, there were black beans, salsa, and guacamole, all of which were fresh and delicious. Then there was vegan sour cream. Some vegan sour creams are too thick or too grainy or too sour tasting. This was perfect. But the best part of this dish is the un-chicken, AKA seasoned, shredded seitan. A simple addition but a brilliant one, the seitan really makes this dish awesome. It doesn’t take much effort to make good nachos, but CoD makes the extra effort to make really excellent nachos that should not be missed. -Jim
I agree the Seitan took this dish to the next level, but what really got my attention were the blue corn tortilla chips. They had an incredible lightness about them but were still really flavorful and packed a good strong crunch. I thought it was a great example of the skill and care used at Caravan of Dreams. -Ev

Angels’ Pesto Pizza

This dish was a punch in the kisser, but I mean that in a really good way. There were so many flavors and each one held its own wonderfully. First, our friend Seitan was back in all its savory, chewy glory. Then there were tons of veggies that were cooked perfectly and had such pure flavor. I always love it when I’m reminded that veggies have taste. There were so many veggies they were spilling out off of the pizza onto the plate. Hiding underneath was a thick and incredibly potent pesto sauce ( I think that’s what punches hardest). So YUM. And the sourdough pizza dough underneath was thick, soft and deeelicious. This dish was also really good cold the next day. Just sayin’. -Ev

Tempeh Reuben

I know it’s not fair, but I can’t help but compare every vegan Reuben I eat to the awesome one that our friend Isa from the PPK makes (you can find her Tempeh Reuben recipe in her Vegan with a Vengeance cookbook). So how does Caravan’s measure up? It’s good, but not awesome. They have the standard Sauerkraut and tangy dressing, which is always good (I love Sauerkraut). And they’ve added a tomato slice, which is cool. But it seemed that the Tempeh was just Tempeh, which wasn’t too exciting. Isa marinates her tempeh for at least an hour before crafting her sandwich, and I think that’s wise. It occurs to me now that I’m not a huge fan of Tempeh in it’s plain, un-altered state. If you are, you might enjoy this sandwich more than I did. -Jim
Don’t listen to Jim, this was awesome. It was really thick and as you bit through you could taste all of the textures and varying temperatures of the ingredients, all of which were really fresh and tasty. -Ev

The Bottom Line

What strikes me most about Caravan of Dreams is not only the amount of TLC and skill they use in preparing their dishes, but how evident this is in the flavor of the dishes. The restaurant itself is really cute and cozy, with tables out front and wacky décor way in the back. All of these things, not the least of which was the delicious food, made for a great night out. This is a mildly pricier restaurant where appetizers range from $5-$13, and the entrees are $11- $17, but it’s perfectly possible to keep things reasonable. I should also mention that Caravan of Dreams has an extensive Raw/Live foods menu. -Ev
My meal tonight was pretty indicitive of my usual experience at CoD: some of the food is great, some of it is not so great. CoD has a lot going for it. They have a conveniant location, cool décor, polite waitstaff, live music and amazing nachos. But many of their dishes are a little bland for my taste, which wouldn’t be a huge problem if they didn’t cost so much. Overall, CoD is a good restaurant, but I’m not sure it’s good enough to justify the extra bucks you spend when you go there. -Jim

Vegetarian's Paradise 2

2006-09-25T22:33:00.000-04:00

After being closed for renovations for over a month,Vegetarian's Paradise 2. is back in business. Located at 144 West 4th Street VP2 is a vegetarian (almost entirely vegan) restaurant specializing in Chinese Cuisine.

World Famous Crispy Soul Chicken Appetizer

If you’re a New York vegan, you might as well skip over this part, because you probably know everything there is to know about the Soul Chicken at VP2 and their sister restaurant, Red Bamboo. You’ve probably ordered it many times. So many times, in fact, that perhaps you grew sick of it, and then didn’t order it for a while, and then found yourself craving it and went back and ordered it again and then got sick of it again and this became a vicious, Crispy Soul Chicken cycle. If you’re not from New York, you have no idea what I’m talking about. You’re probably thinking, “it just looks like fried chicken with some dipping sauce, what’s so great about that?” But it is great. It’s vegan, deep-fried, chickeny goodness done just right. The chicken is incredibly crispy and the sauce is wonderfully sweet and tangy. It’s simple but it really works and it can be pretty addictive. -Jim
This dish pleases meat-eaters and veggies alike- for reals. By no means is this health food, but hot damn is it tasty, crunchy, rip-your-teeth-through-it, good food. And the dipping sauce is soooo good. -Ev

Scallops in Black Bean Garlic Sauce

I've always been hesitant to try vegan seafood ever since I'd had a particularly violent encounter with mock calamari in 2000. ::shudder:: I was looking forward to trying this dish though, because I'd enjoyed scallops in my fish-eating days and I loooove black bean sauce. Unfortunately, I wasn't crazy about this dish. I loved the sauce. It was incredible. The broccoli was good but I would've preferred to have it stir-fried with the sauce. The scallops were OK. They weren't overly fishy tasting but they didn't have any real flavor either. I don't think I'd get this dish again, but I'd definitely try to get some kind of veggie/black bean stir-fry. Did I mention the sauce was really good? If you're going to order this, make sure you double check that they'll bring the veggies because I was surprised when the waiter brought a plate of just the 6 scallops in sauce. (the menu says it comes with broccoli and maybe other mixed vegs too). He brought it back with some steamed broccoli. I'm thinking things were hectic because they've only just recently re-opened. -Ev

Steamed Lotus Leaf

Lo Mai Gai is a Southern Chinese dish which normally consists of chicken and mushrooms surrounded by glutinous rice and then wrapped in a lotus leaf and steamed. VP2 offers a vegan variation of this dish which is filled with various mock meats, mushroom and chestnuts. I loved this dish. The mock meats and stuff inside were very yummy but the best part was the rice, which was subtly yet deliciously flavored by the lotus leaf it was steamed in. The dish was served with a salty, brown sauce which was great to dip everything in and fulfilled my salt addiction. They also served it with steamed broccoli, which was a little bland but it was a nice break from all the starch and protein. -Jim

Banana Split

The ice cream at VP2 and Red Bamboo is the best vegan ice cream I’ve had. It’s insanely creamy without being too heavy. In fact the ice cream is somehow fluffy. As you could imagine, the banana split, being made with the best ice cream, was divine. It wasn’t huge and had just enough toppings to taste great without drowning the vanilla, chocolate, and strawberry goodness. You get to choose any 3 flavors (including cherry vanilla, butter pecan, & mint) but this time we stuck with the basics. So good! -Ev
Dessert is one of the reasons to come to VP2. It wouldn’t be too hard to duplicate this dessert at home, but the ability to order a sundae is a rare treat when you’re vegan and Ev is right that their ice cream is better than what you’d get at the store. This is a great dessert that I get whenever I have enough room left after a meal here. -Jim

The Bottom Line

They did a nice job renovating. Colorful lights dangle from the ceiling and they’ve pulled out all the booths and replaced them with nice tables. It’s still not as pretty as Red Bamboo, but I like it. The food, on the other hand, remains the same. You can still count on VP2 for some delicious comfort food. Like their sister restaurant, Red Bamboo, VP2 has some items on the menu that aren’t as good as others, so it pays to do some research or come with a friend to make sure you order the good stuff. -Jim
I agree. The place looks great and there are many tasty meals to be had here. So I didn’t love my scallops as much as I’d hoped, but everything else was incredible. -Ev

Gobo

2006-09-14T00:10:00.000-04:00

We went to Gobo at 401 6th Ave in Manhattan between Waverly Pl & 8th St. Gobo is almost totally vegan (there are just a couple of dishes on the menu that are not. We decided to order and share three dishes off the “Small Plate” menu along with an appetizer and two desserts (we couldn’t help ourselves).

New England Rolls

These were delicious, as usual. Those of you who’ve been to Zen Palate before would know these as Autumn Rolls. Whatever you call them, they were delectable. These had a crunchy outer shell and were filled with strips of soy protein, mushrooms, and carrots. There was a delicious chili sauce to dip them in, not a thin clear hot sauce but rather a creamy, tangy one. They were at once both light and savory and I highly recommend you try them. -Ev
The New England Rolls are one of the reasons we come to Gobo. It’s hard to describe why they’re so good, but they are really, really good. When we come with other people we usually get at least two orders so there are plenty to go around. -Jim

Pine Nut Vegetable Medley Lettuce Wraps

This dish consisted of sauteed, diced veggies and soy protein along with crispy noodles and pine nuts. It came with leaves of Butterhead Lettuce to be filled with the veggie mixture and eaten as a wrap. This was a surprisingly light dish. The veggies were very crisp and offset by the saltiness of the soy protein. -Jim
I think we could’ve used one more lettuce leaf and I wish we’d kept the sauce from the New England rolls to dip them in but this was still good. There was a lot of salty/savory flavor in this dish which was nice because the lettuce toned it down. There was also a great play of textures. I dug it. -Ev

White Beans & Cremini Mushroom Casserole

I was expecting a rectangular beige layered thing to arrive at our table. Imagine my surprise when we were presented with a small round green-topped gooey thing. I cut a chunk out and tasted it. The beans were brown and savory. The mushrooms…I didn’t know where they were, maybe blended into the beans or the topping? I don’t know. The topping was thick and creamy- like a tangy tofu pesto concoction. I liked this dish, but because it was so far from what I was expecting it threw me off and kept me from loving it. Maybe I should report back tomorrow after I’ve finished it for lunch. -Ev
Yeah, this was the only part of the meal I had mixed feelings about. It was almost like a chili with sour cream on top, but the topping was a little too tangy and the “chili” underneath was a little bitter. I’m tempted to try some of our leftovers to see if I like it more the second time around. I might have just been turned off by the bizarre, bright-green appearance of the dish. -Jim

Slow-Cooked Malaysian Curry

They’re not kidding when they say “slow-cooked”. It took them a while to get this dish to the table. When it did get to us it looked a bit familiar. Gobo is run by the sons of the owners of Zen Palate, another popular NYC vegetarian restaurant. One of my favorite dishes at Zen Palate is the “Curry Supremo”, which consists of potatoes, carrots and soy protein in a curry sauce. The Malaysian Curry at Gobo has the same ingredients, but I think the sauce was a lot more complex at Gobo. It seemed to have sweetness, saltiness and curryness (that’s right, I made up yet another word. You got a problem with that?) all at once. Of course it’s also possible that I’m imagining things and it was exactly the same as the dish at Zen Pal. Regardless, it was very tasty and you get a pretty large portion, which means this $10 “Small Plate” item is a good bargain if you’re doing Gobo on the cheap. -Jim
This dish was YUM. I agree with Jim, it had that familiar Zen feel but stepped up a notch. I’m pretty sure it was an addition of coconut milk, or the fact that we put it over coconut rice. I loved how the potatoes and carrots soaked up all the flavor and got soft. It was like a really good stew. So good I’m going to say YUM again. -Ev

Mango, Coconut and Tapioca Pudding topped with macadamia nut brittle

The way I see it, any dessert that has you scraping the sides of it, full of hope that there will be more even after you’ve long finished it, is a good one; this was one such dessert. We’ve gotten it many times before and it’s always delicious. Part of the fun lies in taking those first few bites; You dip through the mango fruit sauce into the deliciously creamy tapioca below, being sure to take a little crunchy nutty morsel down with it before heading mouthward. The varieties of texture and the strength of the individual flavors are what make this dish a knockout. Definitely try this. -Ev
This dessert is probably my favorite thing at Gobo. The fruity, mango area has a zing to it (I suspect this dish is made with some sort of alcohol) that contrasts wonderfully with the sweet, creamy goodness underneath. -Jim

Hazelnut Napoleon with raspberry sauce

We were trying to keep our trip to Gobo as inexpensive as possible. We failed and ended up ordering two of their $7 desserts (all of the desserts at Gobo are vegan). The Hazelnut Napoleon consisted of layers of pastry coated with nuts with a sweet cream between them and a tart syrup drizzled over the top. I really love desserts with nuts so I really couldn’t go wrong with this one. It was sweet and delicious, but even better was the texture. The flakey pastry layers and the crunchiness of the nuts contrasting the cream was great. The only strange part is that I didn’t really taste any hazelnut. I mean, I guess the nuts were probably all hazelnut. But usually desserts with hazelnut have a very distinct flavor, and this didn’t have that flavor. No matter, though. It was still great. -Jim
At first I was scared because this looked like triscuits covered in ketchup. Thankfully, this wasn’t the case. The nutty layers were so thin and flaky but had really sweet, rich flavor. The cream was delicious. I liked how destructive this dessert was, which is to say, it came as this perfect, stiff, angular, package but then you got to mash things up and swirl them around and everything was sweet and gooey. I’m glad we got 2 desserts. -Ev

The Bottom Line

This was a fun meal. I felt like we branched out and got to try things other than our Seitanic staples. I’m also glad that we were served the lighter dishes first so we’d have the hearty stuff to take home as leftovers. Gobo is unique because it has a nice balance of playful healthy food and swank service. Plus they give you delicious bread with sweet potato spread before you order. Always a good thing. -Ev
I recommend asking your server what they recommend. I’ve found that there are some great dishes at Gobo and some not-as-great ones, and the wait-staff tends to know which is which. Gobo can be a little bit pricey with “Large Plates” ranging from $11 to $20, but a lot of their food is worth it and some of the small plates (like the Malaysian Curry) can be very filling for less dough. -Jim

Candle 79

2006-09-10T18:16:00.000-04:00

We went back to what might be the best vegan restaurant in NYC, Candle 79, located at 154 East 79th Street near Lexington Avenue. Candle 79 is 100% vegan.

Chickpea Cake with Elf Mushrooms

This appetizer was a special the day we went and I really liked it. It consisted of a fried Chickpea Cake topped with salad, elf mushrooms, and a lemon aioli. The Chickpea Cake was great and it made me think of a big, tasty Falafel ball. But the star of this dish were the Elf Mushrooms. They were seared and the flavor and texture were perfect. It was definitely the best mushroom experience I’ve ever had, and I’ve had some pretty good mushroom experiences. -Jim
Word. These mushrooms were amazing. They were plump with a chewy texture and incredible flavor. The aoili was really thick and delicious. This whole dish was superb. -Ev

Grilled Caramelized Onion-Merlot Seitan

Praise Seitan, this was good. This was better than good; this was insanely good. What made it so good, you may ask? Well, first let’s take the corn. This corn was the corniest corn I’ve ever had. Every little perky kernel had so much sweet, crunchy deliciousness I wanted to kiss each one. (I opted to eat them instead.) Then there was the sauteed baby spinach that was so fresh I felt the nutrients hopping onto my tongue. Lurking about, there was a mysterious wonder known as Lemon-Watercress Aioli- potent, creamy, tangy, YUM. But what about the key player? What about the Seitan? The Seitan at Candle 79 is perfect in both texture and taste and they give you just the right amount of it; there is enough for your dining companion to steal a bite or two and you can devour the rest without feeling unsatisfied or over-stuffed. In this meal, the seitan was seared perfection. But wait! There was more. Resting upon all of the aforementioned goodness sat a delectable peach half basking in all it’s balsamic-glazed glory. It was both tart and sweet and was incredibly soft. As if that weren’t enough, on top of that was a heavenly cluster of caramelized onions adding sweet and savory notes of their own. Each of these ingredients, perfect in their own right, worked together to elevate the whole dish to Masterpiece status. This was definitely as good as the Seitan Piccata so have fun choosing! –Ev

Pecan-Crusted Seitan

This dish was another item from their specials menu. It consisted of Pecan-Crusted Seitan on a stew-like mixture of beans, spinach, onions and (I think) watercress. It was topped with a roasted fig, which was pretty neat. Everything at Candle 79 is great, and this was no exception, but I will say that this was a little bland compared to some of the other dishes I’ve had at Candle 79. It was plated wonderfully, and all the ingredients were very fresh and healthy and probably local and organic, but the flavor left me wanting just a little bit more. It was a little better when I stopped thinking of the fig as a separate entity and started eating some fig in every forkful. The sweetness of the fig somehow brought out a slight saltiness in the Seitan. Overall, this was a very hearty, well-crafted dish and it was really good, but it didn’t have a very strong flavor. And I like strong flavors. –Jim
I thought this dish was great. Whereas my dish had a variety of contrasting flavors dancing around each other, this dish had flavors that all worked together to achieve a uniform level of savory comfort. The market beans in particular were amazing, as was the fig. I think this dish would be perfect on a cold/rainy day. –Ev

Blueberry Tart w/ Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

I almost passed out eating this. Seriously. I practically hyperventilated and Jim shushed me to calm me down. Let it be known I am a huge fan of Dulce de Leche Ice Cream. Plop it on top of a barely contained Blueberry Tart and drizzle intense berry and caramel sauces and fresh berries all around and I’m a beyond-happy camper. What was amazing was how subtle the blueberries were; they were fresh and soft but not too sweet or tart. The crust of the Tart was rich and savory, but again subtle. This subtlety allowed for an all-out brawl between the rich, creamy decadence of the ice cream and caramel sauce against the super-tart berry sauce and fresh berries. With each bite the winning side of the battle changed, but in either case the victor was clearly my mouth. YUM! –Ev
Yeah, this was really good and Evelyn was totally freaking out when she ate it. –Jim

The Bottom Line

Candle 79 is amazing. That’s nothing new. I’ve made an interesting observation, though. Both this time and the last time we ate here, my dish was good but Evelyn’s was better. Both times, I got the special and she ordered off the menu. So it occurs to me that, while the specials are cool because they’re something new and unique and (often) seasonal, the best dishes are the ones that have been tried and tested and have earned a place on the menu. So my advice to you when you go to Candle 79 is to order off the menu. And yes, I said “when you go to Candle 79” instead of “if you go to Candle 79” because every vegan needs to try Candle 79 at least once in their lives. –Jim
Once again, Candle 79 has blown me away. I cannot stress enough how much I love this restaurant; it’s vegan heaven, plain and simple. The dishes are extraordinary, the restaurant itself is beautiful, and the staff are not only friendly, but they have great recommendations too. You have to try the Summer Melon off of their beverage list; like the food, it is divine. -Ev

Pukk

2006-09-02T13:16:00.000-04:00

We went to Pukk at 71 1st Ave between 4th & 5th in Manhattan. Pukk is a vegetarian Thai place owned by the same people who own SEA, another yummy (but not specifically vegetarian) Thai restaurant.

Thai Iced Tea

By the time I started eating Thai food, I was already a vegan. So whenever I would get Thai with a non-vegan friend, I’d watch them drink their Thai Iced Tea and jealously wonder what it tasted like. Pukk has changed all that. I’ve heard that Pukk makes their Thai Iced Tea with soy milk by default, but I specifically ordered a “Thai Iced Tea with soy milk” just to be careful. Did it live up to the wild expectations I’d created over years of watching people drink it? Actually yes, it did. Pukk’s Thai Iced Tea was very sweet and very delicious. You could really taste the fresh, earthy tea flavor which was the base of this drink, but on top of that base there was sweetness, coconuttyness (yes, I know that’s an awesome word and yes, I did just invent it) and creaminess. I actually liked it so much that I ordered two! -Jim

Herb Brown Rice Salad

This was an amazing dish full of lemongrass, lime leaves, ginger, mint, onion, and peanuts over a bed of brown rice on lettuce. The dressing was tangy and refreshing. The rice was cushy and chewy. There were also crispy clumps of rice that had be fried and browned together almost like a hashbrown. I’m usually not a fan of lemongrass but here every ingredient worked together to please every taste bud. So yum! -Ev
I expected the huge strips of ginger to be too strong but all the different flavors, textures and colors combined to make a really great, really original salad. -Jim

Mushroom Puffs

The outside of these deep-fried puffs was soft with just a little crunch. Inside was a super-hearty mix of potatoes, onions, mushrooms and herbs. It was like a soup, only better, and not wet. I was worried this appetizer might be a little bland, but it was quite flavorful. It also a came with a tiny amount of cucumber salsa, which was very tangy and sweet. It was a good match of flavors and it actually turned out to be just the right amount of salsa. Overall, this was a very good, original appetizer that had a Winter/Autumn feel to it, though I’d order it again in any season.. -Jim
The earthy flavor of the mushrooms and the super-soft outside were amazing. I liked putting the salsa on top because the crunchy texture and sharp taste contrasted really well with the puff. Mmmm. I want some now. -Ev

Duck Pad Thai

The Pad Thai here was more on the tamarind-y side which is just how I like it. There were all the standards on board- scallions, bits of smoked tofu, peanuts and bean sprouts. The veggie duck at Pukk is my favorite veggie duck. Veggie duck at other restaurants tends to either be thin and slimy or fat and grisly. This was the perfect in-between. It had enough bite to be satisfying but was not greasy or slimy at all. It had a rich savory flavor and good chew. I would have prefered some veggies in there with it but that would have just added to an excellent meal. -Ev
The night before we went to Pukk I was watching Iron Chef and thinking, “I love ring-molds. Why don’t more restaurants use them?” And then we go to Pukk and Ev gets ring-molded Pad Thai. Awesome! -Jim

Spicy Tamarind Tofu

This was the least impressive part of the meal for me, but it was still really good. The veggies were nice and fresh and the tofu was good but soft. I was hoping for more crispy tofu, which is what I prefer in Thai food (and in general, actually). The sauce was good and distinctly Thai. It was sweet and tangy, almost like a sweet and sour sauce, but I tend to find sweet and sour sauces to be overbearing and this was not. The reason I say it was the least impressive part of the meal is because I find that food at Pukk comes in two varieties: there are dishes that are really good and inventive, and then there are dishes which are really good and not so inventive. This was just really good and not so inventive. But it was still really good! -Jim

Thai Tea Cheesecake

What I liked most about the cheesecake was how light it was. The cake itself was thick but it wasn’t overladen with sugar or a fatty taste. It was exceptional with the strawberries. It just may be my favorite cheesecake in NYC. -Ev
I was really impressed with this. It seems that Pukk home-makes all their desserts and most (if not all) of them are vegan and delicious. This was a GREAT cheesecake. It was small, and I didn’t taste any tea flavor, but it was great and really well presented. -Jim

The Bottom Line

Pukk is awesome. I guess I’ve been to slightly better Thai places, but I’ve never been to a better vegetarian-specific Thai place because I think Pukk is the only one in NYC. In the past, I have gotten maybe one or two dishes at Pukk that I didn’t love, but I’d say 95% of their food is delicious, 50% of it is very inventive and original, and 100% of it is beautifully plated. Also, the restaurant itself is gorgeous in a very modern, cyberpunk kind of way. I heart Pukk. -Jim
Pukk is perfect for a nice night out when you want inventive dishes that look great & taste great but don’t want to empty out your wallet. The food is delicious and full of surprising combinations. And every dish is plated beautifully. We’ve been to Pukk a few times and I have no idea why it’s taken us so long to go back and do a review. It is one of the best restaurants in NYC. Oh, and it has a really cool bathroom. Two words: holographic lightbulb. -Ev

Kate's Joint

2006-08-27T20:35:00.000-04:00

We recently went back to Kate's Joint, located at the corner of Avenue B and 4th street in Manhattan.

Unturkey Soup

I was so happy that this was the soup of the day. The broth was salty, thick, and comforting and had great bits of celery and veggies in it. The Unturkey was tasty too; having soaked up all the broth, it was tender and plump and really savory. This is my favorite soup at Kate’s, so whenever they have it you should order it. -Ev
This is a really satisfying soup. The broth isn’t too strong but also not too subtle. The veggies and Unturkey are tender and flavorful. -Jim

Ballpark Dawg

Kate’s offers a selection of vegan Hot Dogs in the “Dawg Pound” section of their menu. While the Dawgs themselves seem to be Not Dogs or Tofu Pups or some other store-bought variety (which I can’t hold against them because I’m sure it would be a pain in the ass for a restaurant to homemake their own vegan hot dogs), they spice them up with cool toppings. You can get them with barbeque sauce and onion rings, you can get a Chili Dawg, or you can get them with good old-fashioned mustard and kraut. I wasn’t starving on this trip to Kate’s, so I figured the inexpensive Ballpark (mustard and kraut) Dawg would be just right. Little did I know that it was a bargain. For about 6 bucks, I got a dawg on Kate's famous Focaccia bread with a mountain of sauerkraut plus mashed potatoes and gravy (you can also get it with French Fries). The Dawg wasn’t amazing (I wasn’t really expecting it to be), but it is relatively inexpensive, very filling, and it comes with really awesome mashed potatoes. -Jim

Tasting Plate

I didn’t know what I was in the mood for so I ordered the Tasting Plate. It had a little bit of everything- Jamaican “Beef” Patty, Salad, Grilled Veggies, Garlic Toast, and Hummus- so it was bound to hit on whatever un-nameable craving I was having. The Jamaican Patty was delicious. The crust was soft and flavorful and the filling of “beef” and veg was hearty without being just one flavor. It was the ultimate comfort food and was reaaaally yummy. Also yummy was the Salad; it had sliced Portobello mushrooms and a sweet, thick, warm maple dressing. The combination of warm and cool worked really well together as did all the different textures. This dish satisfied several cravings in one shot. The Grilled Veggies were typically tasty; I particularly liked the carrots because they were perfectly firm and really sweet. The Garlic Toast was delicious as usual- crunchy, carby, salty, & garlicky. The one disappointment of the night was the Hummus; it was really peppery and spicy. I don’t mind spicy as long as it enhances the flavor or contributes a little something extra to a dish but in this case the spice was all there was. I’m guessing it was just an off night because I’ve had the Hummus at Kate’s before and I’ve liked it. -Ev

The Bottom Line

I love Kate’s. I really do. It upsets me that we’ve reviewed them twice and my love for them hasn’t really come across in either review. Obviously I can’t be amazed by a store-bought vegan hot dog. But they really do have some amazing stuff at Kate’s. And when I say amazing I mean it in a greasy, southern-fried, one-in-the-morning craving kind of way. And the desserts are really good, too. Crap, we need to come back here again when I’m really hungry so I can give them an awesome review. -Jim
I love Kate’s too. The Un-turkey soup rules and, weird Hummus aside, the Tasting Plate is almost always perfect. Also, you should get the Garlic Fries. -Ev

Madras Cafe

2006-08-17T23:18:00.000-04:00

We recently visited one of our favorite restaurants, Madras Cafe at 79 2nd Avenue in Manhattan. Madras is an Indian restaurant which is totally vegetarian and almost totally vegan.

Masala Dosa

This was delectable. The potatoes were soft and spiced just enough and there were little bits of onion and cashew nestled in there with them. I liked the Dosa here too because it was just crisp enough to hold it’s shape but had almost a layered texture when you bit through. It’s hard to describe but there was a slight crunch to it and then it was very giving once it was in my mouth. The Lentil Sambar was very spicy (not too painful but pretty hot) and the Coconut Chutney worked beautifully with everything else to cool things down and add major creaminess. This dish was perfection and I could probably eat it everyday. O how I love my Dosas. -Ev
They do make a pretty good Dosa at Madras. It’s not the best Dosa I’ve ever had, but it’s good enough that this is a good place to come if you’re in the mood for Dosa. I suggest getting one to go and eating it for breakfast. Masala Dosa for breakfast is a wonderful thing. -Jim

Yogi Thali

Madras Café has only one vegan Thali, the rest are only vegetarian. This meal consisted of rice, Onion Pakora, bread, Mulligatawny Soup, TVP Curry, Saag, and Rice Pudding. The Mulligatawny Soup at Madras is probably my favorite Mulligatawny soup in NYC. Also, the dessert was delicious and I’ve never had anything like it anywhere else. But what made this dish awesome was not the quality of the individual foods in it (though they’re all very good), but the variety of it. I really like variety in my meals, and this dish has soup, appetizer, bread, rice, chunky Curry, saagy Saag (I can’t think of a good adjective to describe Saag) and dessert all mixed into one. It’s a little pricier than other items on the menu, but I think it’s worth it since it is a lot of food. -Jim
The Pakora was sublimely fried and very salty (I recommend dipping it in the soup). The TVP Curry was hearty without being too oily or stew-y and there was a nice balance of textures between the protein and vegs. The dessert was so delicious; the base texture was really soft and then it was great because you’d get nice bits of crunchy cashews and moist raisins. The other dishes were stellar as well but these were the three I picked at the most. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Madras is one of our staple restaurants; we can always count on getting good food there and friendly service. Sometimes the dishes take a while to reach your table, but be patient, the food is worth it. I also recommend you try the homemade Ginger Lemonade. It is chockfull of fresh ginger and very spicy and refreshing. The vegan mango lassi is also incredible but pretty filling so you may want to share with someone to save room for dinner. -Ev
Yeah, everything here is pretty filling, so make sure you’re hungry. I might be able to think of an Indian restaurant or two where the food is slightly better than Madras, but overall this is my favorite Indian restaurant because it’s not only delicious, but it’s almost all vegan (they specify which items are vegan on the menu) and the prices are reasonable and it’s in a fun neighborhood and it’s never too crowded and they have a wide variety of dishes from both Northern Indian and Southern Indian cuisine. Also, Atlas Café (which carries the largest stock of Vegan Treats in NYC) is just a few doors down in case you still have some room left over. -Jim

'sNice

2006-08-10T23:24:00.000-04:00

Last week we went to ‘sNice with some folks from the PPK again. ‘sNice is located at 45 8th Avenue in Manhattan.

Israeli Couscous

I liked this dish. The couscous was fat and chewy. The veggies were cooked perfectly and had great flavor. This dish was really, really subtle (some would say bland but not me) and had a nice oil/lemon flavor. Sometimes it's nice to get a comfy, quiet dish. Or should I say "snice"? Har har. What? I shouldn't? Oh. OK. -Ev

Lentil Soup

I was feeling under-the-weather on Friday so I just got a soup. It was very sad, because going to ‘sNice and not getting a sandwich is like… um… going somewhere that has something really good and then not getting that really good thing. Anyway, it’s ok because the soup was just what I needed. It was rich and hearty. There were some chopped carrots and onions and stuff, but overall it wasn’t a very chunky soup. It was a thick, soupy soup almost like split pea, except it was lentil instead of split pea and it had a slightly spicy tomato base. I liked it and it was surprisingly filling. -Jim

Sesame Chicken Wrap with Thai Salad & Spicy Peanut Sauce

This was a dish I've always wanted to try but was too tempted by other things to get. Well, temptation lead me into its juicy, salty, loving arms this time around and I was happy it did. The chicken was firm, chewy, and cut into teeny pieces. The peanut sauce was thin but creamy and found its way in between the little spaces of the chicken so that every bite you got a good mouthful of it. I was glad that there was salad in the wrap because the chicken was really salty and the freshness of the veggies helped to balance things out. I was surprised how filling this was. I could only eat a little more than half of it. I was also surprised that my side salad had no dressing, but I was too smitten with my wrap to ask for some. I would definitely get this again. -Ev

Turtle Bar

Like I said, I wasn’t feeling well. But I guess I was feeling well enough for a dessert and a Soy Chai Latte. The Turtle Bar was interesting. It was dense and chocolaty with a caramel-flavored icing. The weird thing was that it wasn’t very sweet. The icing was, but the bar itself (while chocolaty) wasn’t that sweet. It wasn’t bad, though. It was just different. I think if they served this dessert on the original Japanese Iron Chef, the judges might say, “This is a very sophisticated dessert for adults” or something because that’s what they always say when desserts aren’t very sweet. On the other hand, I guess it could just be that my wicked summer cold was messing with my taste buds and I couldn’t detect the sweetness. -Jim

Vanilla Cupcake

And in this corner, the undefeated cupcake victor, ‘sNice! I wish I could paint a picture of the happiness these cupcakes bring. Although, I took a picture so you could probably surmise the happiness they'd bring. All that thick creamy icing that melts on your tongue. The cute little stars. The moist cakey heaven. God, I want one right now. How about this: next time I'll take a picture of me eating the cupcake so you can see how happy I am? But then again, pictures of people eating are rarely flattering. Pictures of me in general are rarely flattering. So I guess you'll just have to get your very own cupcake from ‘sNice and see for yourself how utterly wonderful they are.-Ev
I would just like to add here that Ev is very pretty and pictures of her, flattering or not, make me happy. Maybe I should take a picture of me looking at a picture of her eating a cupcake. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I was disappointed that I was sick and thus I couldn’t eat a lot of food, but I did learn that they have good soup at ‘sNice. I should note that I think ‘sNice has a soup-of-the-day kind of thing going on so I don’t know how often they actually serve the exact soup that I had. After dinner we met the owner outside. He was nice and Isa and Terry from the PPK talked to him about making vegan marshmallows. -Jim
I feel silly writing a bottom line because it’s apparent how much I enjoy going to ‘sNice. Instead I’ll use the space to shout out to Paula, and Eve, and Sarah, and Michelle, and the twin dudes, and our usual suspects. Thanks for a fun night full of eating and shoeless furry talk under the stars. Hugs to all. -Ev

Vegetarian Dim Sum House

2006-08-04T11:52:00.000-04:00

Sorry about that folks. We’ve finally started settling into our new apartment. Let the reviews resume! We recently ate at the famous (amongst NYC vegetarians at least) Vegetarian Dim Sum House in Chinatown at 24 Pell Street in Manhattan.

Spinach Dumplings

So YUM! These had a chewier/gummier outside than most dumplings. Inside they were filled with seasoned mock shredded chicken and veggies. They tasted like a dry pot pie, that is to say, all the delicious flavor of a pot pie without the soupy stuff. -Ev
From the outside, these looked like they’d be similar to the veggie dumplings you can get at most Chinese places, but the filling was unique and tasty. -Jim

Buddha’s Bean Curd Rolls

The texture of these rolls might be a little bit odd to someone who’s never had them before. They were basically veggies wrapped in bean curd skin and soaked in a somewhat slimy sauce. If you can get past the sliminess, though, you will be rewarded with a delicious, super-savory experience. -Jim
These are a little awkward to eat but you just gotta shove ‘em in and chew, chew, chew. They were really tasty. -Ev

Treasure balls with Assorted Flavor

Often referred to (by us anyway) as Chinese knishes, these are flaky/crunchy on the outside and had soft and smooth taro goodness inside. I definitely recommend that a) you eat these and b) you eat these with hot mustard. -Ev
They’re also good with soy sauce. In fact, I discovered that they are good with soy sauce and spicy mustard at the same time. I think they’re called “Treasure Balls with Assorted Flavor” because sometimes they cook things into them, like little bits of mock ham or whatever. But even when they’re plain, they’re still good. -Jim

Mini Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf

For those of you who have never had sticky rice in a lotus leaf, the general idea is that they take some fillings, surround them in sticky rice, and then wrap the rice in a lotus leaf and steam it. This was a miniaturized version of that and it was delicious. The fillings here were little bits of mock meat and veggies. The earthy flavor and moist, sticky texture of the rice was what really made this dish fantastic, though. I enjoy this dish with a good amount of soy sauce, but I am a salt addict so others may not need the soy here. -Jim
These ruled. The rice was definitely the best part because it was so thick and sticky and had the subtle flavor of the lotus leaf. I also liked how the filling didn’t overwhelm the rice. -Ev

Fried Turnip Cakes

One of my favorite dishes here! While the consistency was a little gummy, they had enough flavor to give the dish some weight, especially when combined with the rich sauce. Jim thought the sauce tasted too fishy but I thought it worked perfectly with the turnip cake to optimize its saltiness and flavor. -Ev
Yeah, the sauce that they come with is a little gross to me. But I just put a little soy sauce on these babies and they become salty, starchy goodness. -Jim

Vegetarian Mock Roast Pork Buns

These were white, fluffy pastries filled with somewhat sweet mock pork. They were tasty but I found them to be a little dry. -Jim
I usually don’t like dumplings with soft, bready outsides but these were really tasty. The sauce was a thick bbq sauce that was a little sweet. The bready outside sucked up the sauce and complimented the chewy texture of the pork. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Vegetarian Dim Sum is on of the best places to eat when you're not sure what you want but you want it to be hot, good, and cheap! In other words, this is one of the best Vegan restaurants in NYC. I have yet to get a dish here that I didn't love. As an added bonus you can also order tons of mock-meat Chinese dishes (like Sweet and Sour Chicken, Mock Iron Steak, etc) in addition to the Dim Sum. We love the Dim Sum so much we usually just stick to that menu, but maybe we'll review some Chinese dishes in the future. -Ev
To give you an idea of how cheap it is, we ordered everything above plus an additional order of the treasure balls plus a Sesame Paste Bun that we forgot to take a picture of, and the bill came to less than $25. Very cheap! One thing I noticed on this visit was that there are still a lot of items on the Dim Sum menu that we’ve never tried. I find that to be unacceptable and we’ll need to come back soon. -Jim

We'll be back soon! Promise!

2006-07-31T14:39:00.000-04:00

::nervously approaches stage::

::taps mic::

::clears throat::

Uh...Hi, everyone? I've been meaning to put a notice like this up for a while now, but we were under the delusion that we'd be able to throw another review up. The thing is, we just moved into a new apartment. Hooray for us, but not so hooray for the current state of veganfriendly.com. BUT! Now that we are living by a superdeluxe subway station we will have even more access to all of NYC's great vegan restaurants. Which is very hooray news for the future state of veganfriendly.com.

::audience marvels at "the future"::

We will have internet access at our new place (crosses fingers) tomorrow so then we can start posting more reviews. Thanks for your patience and we will be back soon and better than ever!

love,
Ev & Jim

Red Bamboo Brooklyn

2006-07-16T15:30:00.000-04:00

We checked out Red Bamboo’s new Brooklyn location at 271 Adelphi Street at the corner of Dekalb Ave. As you might know if you’re familiar with their Manhattan location, Red Bamboo is vegetarian (mostly vegan) and specializes in Carribean and Soul food. We forgot to grab a take-out menu or write anything down, so we’re doing our best to remember the exact names of the dishes, and they might be a little off. We’re slacking!

Sweet Potato and Broccoli Tempura

This dish was light, crunchy and refreshing. If I’m not mistaken, the batter was the same one they use to coat their famous Creole Soul Chicken. The sauce was a sweet soy-based sauce. I think my favorite was the broccoli, but I’m not sure. Red Bamboo is pretty good at deep-frying things without over-doing it. I’ve never really gotten a deep-fried dish from them that was greasy or gross, and this was no exception. -Jim

Korean Scallion Pancake

I was expecting the usual flat scallion pancakes with a thin slab of fake mystery meat in the center; this was a pleasant surprise. It was one round pancake that was fluffy and chock full of veggies- almost like an Indian Uttapam. The pancake itself tasted very much like an omelet and the dipping sauce was nice and savory. Yummy! -Ev

Jerk Chicken

I really enjoyed this dish, so let me get the bashing out of the way first: the mashed potatoes were lame. They were very dry and I didn’t like that they came with the gravy pre-applied. If I could order it again, I’d get the gravy on the side. Ok, now the good parts. The chicken was good. It was pretty much their standard soy chicken, with a little bit of flavor and seasoning on it, and served with a great onion dipping sauce. But the best part was the soup. Note that the soup does not come standard with this dish! The third element of this dish is normally steamed vegetables, which I find boring. So I asked the waiter what I could substitute and he suggested the Calaloo soup (a traditional Caribbean soup that they don’t have at the Manhattan Red Bamboo). It sounded interesting so I went for it. I’m so glad I did. The soup was very simple and the flavors were mild, but it tasted very hearty, earthy and almost creamy. I could imagine not everyone enjoying this soup as much as I did, but I really enjoyed it. -Jim

BBQ Seitan Kebab

I was excited to try this dish because I love seitan. I was happy to see that the portion size of the steamed veggies was smaller than the Manhattan Red Bamboo. Also different was the lack of corn in the mashed potatoes. The potatoes were a little lumpy but good. The seitan itself was big and dense; it was very thick and had a lot of chew. Texture-wise, it wasn’t the best seitan I’ve had, but it had good flavor. The sauce was good too and wasn’t too thick or sugary. -Ev

The Bottom Line

I felt that the food I ate here was better than the food I usually get at the Manhattan location. It seemed a little more rich and homemade. The appetizers were light and delicious and the entrée was great. Did I mention I love their Calaloo soup? -Jim
I agree that this Red Bamboo was a little better than it’s Manhattan sister. I also felt that there were more entrees to choose from. My meal wasn’t mind-blowing but was really tasty and a good size. The sad part was that they ran out of desserts. But their lemonade was divine. This is a really pretty restaurant too with nice outside seating. I look forward to going back. -Ev

teany

2006-07-11T16:14:00.000-04:00

On Friday we went to teany at 90 Rivington st in Manhattan. Teany is a vegetarian café. We’ve been there plenty of times for dessert, coffee and tea, but this time we decided to see if the food was any good.

Iced Teas

I ordered the Vanilla Sencha Iced Green Tea. This tea was very mellow and soothing. I was surprised at how strong the vanilla flavor was, considering it wasn't syrup. This is one of my favorite teas at teany and it's good to know it's yummy hot or cold. -Ev
I got the black iced tea of the day, which was Coconut Iced Tea. I grew up on the super-sugary iced tea that you make from a mix, so I’m not usually a big fan of unsweetened iced teas. I must say, though, that I really enjoyed this. Although it wasn’t sweet per se, the coconut gave it a quasi-sweetness and it tasted great. It was very cold and refreshing and was the perfect thing to drink with my dinner. -Jim

Tomato and Pasta Soup

This was the soup of the day. It was tasty, if somewhat of a misnomer; the soup was so thick it was more like pasta in a cup full of marinara sauce. A very good marinara sauce mind you, but still it was a little strange. -Ev
Yeah. Not very soup-like. It was good if you think of it as a pasta appetizer. -Jim

Turkey Club on Marble Bread

I wasn’t expecting much from this sandwich. When I think of vegan Turkey Clubs, I think of the one at Kate’s Joint, which never really did anything for me. But the Turkey Club at teany is awesome. They give you a choice of bread, which is neat. I chose marble bread and it was fresh and delicious. It wasn’t too hard or too soft. On the upper level of the sandwich was tomato, mixed salad greens and vegan mayonnaise. I wonder if the vegan mayonnaise is home-made at teany because it was really good. On the lower level was the standard vegan turkey slices, but also some really delicious smoked tempeh. Or at least I think it was smoked tempeh. Whatever it was, it was the MVP in this sandwich. It made every bite crispy and flavorful. I will definitely come back and get this again ASAP. -Jim

Vegan Quiche

This dish was amazing! I was expecting a square of mashed tofu with veggies baked in. Thankfully, this was not the case. The quiche was made of bread crumbs and soft veggies like zucchini, carrots, and onion. It was deliciously spiced, almost like a stuffed mushroom. They also gave you a tomato cream sauce w/sausage bits to eat with the quiche which gave it a more Italian flavor. The sauce was good, but the quiche itself was so delicious that I liked it better plain. Also great was the side salad that came with it; it had a really creamy, blue cheese-esque dressing. Our waitress mentioned that they often don't have this dish available. When they do, I highly recommend you try it. -Ev

Teanychino

A few months ago, teany took all their special coffee drinks (including the "Almond Joy", a mocha coconut almond latte) off their menu, presumably to focus on their specialty: tea. At first I was heartbroken about this decision. But now I’m glad, because in the void they left behind I tried a Teanychino, and it totally kicks the ass of any coffee drink I’ve ever had. Now I get one of these every time I go to teany and so should everyone else. According to the sign on the wall, the Teanychino consists of Yerba Matte, sunflower, cornflower blossoms, almond and vanilla bean steeped in your choice of milk (obviously vegans should choose soy milk). Put it all together and you’ve got a drink that’s sweet and rich yet earthy and delicate. Yum. I want one right now. -Jim
UPDATE: since this review was written, the good people at teany have put the delicious coffee drinks I mentioned back on the menu. Thanks, teany!

Strawberry Shortcake

For those of you that don't know, Vegan Treats is a Philly-based vegan bakery that makes all the cakes you thought you'd said goodbye to when you went vegan (and they're all heavenly). Teany is one of the locations in NYC that gets their desserts from Vegan Treats. Their Strawberry Shortcake is one of my all-time favorite desserts. The cake is moist and spongy but still thick. The icing is just sweet and creamy enough without any weird aftertaste. And the strawberries provide a sharp tartness that cuts through all the sugary heaven. So YUM! The best part is the slices are big and very filling -Ev

Chocolate Macaroon Cake

Another delicious Vegan Treats cake. This one is chocolate and more chocolate with shredded coconut on top. It’s a very heavy, decadent dessert (which you know if you’re familiar with Vegan Treats). You don’t taste a lot of coconut, but that’s ok. The chocolate cake with chocolate icing makes up for it. God Bless Vegan Treats. -Jim

The Bottom Line

This was one of my favorite nights out. I knew teany had great desserts; I had no idea their food would be so delicious. -Ev
Agreed. This was one of my favorite dining experiences in a long time. The atmosphere at teany is always so laid back and pleasant, the wait staff is usually very nice (our waitress this time was particularly polite and helpful), you’ve got about a million teas to choose from, not to mention the Teanychino, and the Vegan Treats desserts, and now we’ve discovered that their food is good too. I think I might be in love with teany. -Jim

Quintessence

2006-07-07T16:45:00.000-04:00

We checked out Quintessence at 263 East 10th St between 1st Ave and Ave A in Manhattan. Quintessence is 100% vegan, raw and organic.

Pizza Crackers

This appetizer was my favorite part of the meal. The base was indeed cracker-like, presumably consisting of nuts and/or grains. The next layer up was some creamy white stuff which didn’t taste like cheese, but it did serve the purpose of cheese with a strong, sharp taste that contrasted the flavors of the other layers. The layer above that was a rich tomato-based sauce that had a spicy flavor almost reminiscent of sausage. On top of that was some parsley and (I think) some dried red onion. This was a great, well-constructed appetizer. The flavors in this dish really came together to create something delicious -Jim

California Pizza

This had a softer version of the crust used in the appetizer. However, this time it was topped with avocado, sprouts, yellow peppers, caramelized onions, pesto, ricotta cheese and sour cream. This dish was very cool, crisp, and creamy. The caramelized onions were fantastic and provided a smoky sweetness. The pesto was also delicious. The sour cream was intriguing because I couldn't figure out what they used for it. Oh well. Whatever it was, it was really yummy. I would have preferred these same toppings on an actual pizza crust, but overall this dish was good. -Ev

Spinach Gnocchi with Pasta

If you look at the picture of this dish, your first thought might be, “That looks kind of weird”. That was my first reaction. On top of the creamy pasta sat 5 mysterious black lumps. But, being the courageous eater that I am, I dived in. Did my bravery pay off with deliciousness? Not exactly. The lumps had a strong flavor and a very mushy texture that didn’t quite suit me. They seemed to consist mostly of spinach and avocado, but there was a bitterness to them that overpowered the flavors of the main ingredients. I found they were best when cut up into small pieces and eaten with the pasta. The pasta, by the way, was decent. It wasn’t so much pasta as it was soft strips of squash (I assume real pasta can’t be made raw) and covered in a very creamy, rich sauce. I had mixed feelings about this dish. I wouldn’t say this was bad, but I wouldn’t recommend it to a friend either. -Jim

Dessert Sampler

When you order the dessert sampler, you get to choose 4 of their 5 dessert options. I assume the servings of each are smaller than what you’d get if you ordered it alone, but I’m not sure of that. We got the Strawberry Ice Cream, the Pumpkin Pie, the Banana Cream Pie and the Tiramisu. My favorites were the Banana Cream and Pumpkin Pie. Both were very sweet and yummy. The Ice Cream was ok but the texture was almost more like Italian Ice than ice cream. I thought the Tiramisu was very bitter and didn’t actually enjoy it at all. -Jim
The Pumpkin Pie was OK. The pumpkin had great flavor, but the crust had a mysterious bitterness to it. This has happened before with Raweos, so maybe my body is off balance. Or something. The Banana Coconut Cream Pie was so YUM! It was the best of the four - smooth, creamy, delicious and the crust was perfect. The Strawberry Ice Cream was more like a sorbet but it had intense strawberry flavor. The Tiramisu was better after the second or third bite. The coffee flavor was very strong, but mellowed after time. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Overall, I’d say our first Quintessence experience was good, with a little weirdness here and there. One thing we noticed was that the menu was rather limited. There were maybe five or six entrée choices, and then four or five pizzas to choose from. If you’re not in the mood for a pizza, this could be a problem. My entrée wasn’t great, but I’d go back and try something else here. I should also note that this is another pricy-ish restaurant (we’ve been going to too many of those lately), so be prepared to pay a few extra bucks for the organicness and the rawness. -Jim
It's been a few days now and I still don't know how I feel about this dinner. Everything tasted good, the presentation was beautiful, I was definitely full afterwards, but still it's hard to pinpoint why I wasn't blown away. I guess I was expecting some kind of loud, raw, revolutionary moment where I would be converted to eating like this all the time. This experience was very simple and gentle and worth a second visit. -Ev

Radha

2006-07-04T12:55:00.000-04:00

We recently went to Radha at 173 Ludlow St between Houston and Stanton in Manhattan. Radha is a vegetarian (mostly vegan) restaurant offering dishes from a wide range of cuisines.
UPDATE: We're very sad to announce that Radha closed down. So enjoy the review, but unless the owners open up another restaurant (we hope they do!), we're sorry to say you'll never have a chance to eat any of this or any of the other yummy food that Radha offered.

Savory Samosas

So yum! These Samosas were savory indeed, as the amount of potato was less than your average Samosa. These were mostly filled with fake meat and peas. The outside was wonderful- soft golden layers perfectly fried so they flaked a little when I bit through. Also the tamarind sauce was delicious; it had that perfect balance of sweetness and tanginess. -Ev

East Indian Dahl

The Dahl at Radha is different from the Dahl you get at Indian restaurants. In fact, the Dahl at Radha is more like a Mulligatawny Soup. It was a lentil-based soup with a very rich, complex flavor: spicy and salty and sweet all at once. It was very tasty and perfect for a rainy day (and it was a very rainy day). Also, For five bucks, you get a lot of soup. So much, in fact, that it could probably be a meal on it’s own. -Jim

American Classic Veggie Burger

Radha makes the best veggie burger in the city, if not ever. The burger itself was thick and firm and had great bite to it. I’m always disappointed when I go to other places and get some thin, mushy patty or a Boca Burger on a bun and everything falls apart in your mouth. This was a burger you had to open up for and chew. They topped it with lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and vegan mayo, and I stole some of Jim’s yummy ketchup for dipping. Another nice touch was that they toasted the bun so there was even more chomping pleasure. It normally comes with fries, but I asked them to sub veggies. They gave me a small bowl of the spring green salad which was incredibly delicious. It had mixed greens, tomatoes, sprouts, pine nuts, and an amazing almond dressing. The contrast of creamy and crispy was beautiful. -Ev

Soychicken Tortilla

You can’t really go wrong with this combination of ingredients. They started with very tasty and nicely-textured soychicken, and put it in a wrap with sauteed peppers, onions and a vegan mayo. It was a very simple dish but it totally hit the spot. You also get some fries and ketchup. I wasn’t wild about the fries (they weren’t bad, but plain fries tend to bore me a little bit). The ketchup, on the other hand, was really good. I don’t know if they home-make their own, or they get some really good pre-made stuff, but it was very fresh and sweet. One warning about this dish: it might not look like a lot of food, but it’s deceptively filling. -Jim

The Bottom Line

One of my favorite dinners. I get the veggie burger almost every time I go to Radha because it’s that good (and consistently so). The staff is really nice too, which always is a plus. -Ev
I was sooo full after this meal! Radha is just a bit pricier than the average restaurant we visit (the entrees range from $10 to $13), but you get a lot of food and it’s very filling so you can easily bring some home for lunch the next day. I like Radha a lot and everything we ate this visit was delicious. -Jim

Home on 8th

2006-06-30T12:50:00.000-04:00

We recently went to Home on 8th at 391 8th Ave between 29th and 30th St in Manhattan. Home on 8th is a Chinese restaurant that isn't strictly vegetarian, but has a vegetarian (mostly vegan) menu that's as big as (if not bigger than) their non-vegetarian menu.

Soy Drumsticks

These were okay. They were softer than usual and had no seasoning- just lightly fried soy meat on a stick with duck sauce. Nothing extraordinary but still inherently tasty. I remember liking them better before; maybe this was just an off day. -Ev
These were similar to most fake drumsticks you can find at NYC vegetarian restaurants. Their outer texture was extra crispy, which was cool. Their inner texture was a little more soft and mushy than most fake drumsticks, which I wasn't into so much. It seemed to me like they tasted more like chicken than most fake drumsticks I've had, which was actually a little weird. They were good, though. I'd order them again. -Jim

South Asian Red Curry

What my appetizer lacked in fireworks, this meal made up for. That's a little misleading because you're probably expecting me to say how spicy and fiery this was, but it wasn't spicy at all. This was a delicious, comfy, coconut curry. I usually can't handle the idea of finishing coconut dishes because they can get heavy, but this was perfect. The veggies were soft but still had good bite. There was the perfect amount of soy meat. The best part was the broccoli- specifically how well the broccoli soaked up all the delicious sauce. The sauce was at once pot-pie-ish and cheese-like, all with an undercurrent of coconut goodness. I would definitely get this dish again. -Ev
This was like Thai comfort food. Really good. -Jim

Ginger Spiced Soy meat with Fresh Garlic & Sautéed Spinach

This dish was a spinach-lovers dream. Like, to the point where you might not like it if you're not a hardcore spinach-lover. The dish consisted of some pieces of ginger chicken, which had a very satisfying texture and a sweet flavor, and about a pound of spinach. There wasn't really a sauce or much added flavor in this dish, which worked for me at first because I was in the mood for something simple and light. But halfway through it got a little old and I started adding soy sauce. To be fair, I have jaded, salt-addicted taste buds, so you might not need to add soy sauce like I did. This was a good dish, but it was a lot of the same thing. Terry from the PPK was with us and she got almost the same dish only with bok choy rather than spinach. Personally I prefer large quantities of bok choy to large quantities of spinach, so I would probably get what Terry got if I could do this over. -Jim

The Bottom Line

From their Mexican wrestler decor (mixed with an impressive Bruce Lee doll collection) to their wide variety of soy stylings, Home on 8th offers yummy, filling food for a decent price. I order lunch from them all the time and have yet to be disappointed by a dish. It's also convenient for going out with people because they have both a vegetarian and meat-eaters menu. You should know they give you a choice of white or brown rice, but the brown rice is $1 extra. I should also add that Home on 8th is all about the soy- pretty much every dish has some type of soy meat, bean curd, or tofu in it. Lastly, ask your server if there is egg in your dish. They specify in most cases, but we've been surprised before so it's better to be safe than hungry. -Ev
Home on 8th isn't fantastic, but it's consistently good and there's a nice selection of vegan options. The best part about this restaurant, though, is the location. It's tough eating vegan in midtown, and this restaurant is an oasis of soy for vegans who are working or hanging out in that area. -Jim

Peking Duck Forest

2006-06-23T10:08:00.000-04:00

We recently stumbled upon Peking Duck Forest in Forest Hills, Queens at 10712 70th rd. As you can probably guess from the name, this is not a strictly vegan or vegetarian restaurant, but the dinner menu had a whole page of vegetarian entrees, so we decided to give it a shot.

Bean Curd & Corn Soup

It was a hot, humid day, not the kind of day on which you find yourself craving soup. Nevertheless I ordered some and I’m glad I did. There’s not much to say about this soup because it was so simple. It was corn and soft tofu in a starchy, salty (but not too salty) soup. That might sound boring but it wasn’t. It was extremely satisfying and I could see myself ordering this again next time I’m there. -Jim

Steamed Vegetable Dumplings

These dumplings were amazing, I liked that I could perform my usual dumpling-eating ritual (take a little bite off the top, pour sauce in, and eat the rest) and the dough was thick enough to keep everything inside. Even better was the fact that what was inside was delicious. What stood out most was the seasoning; each bite was a different taste. I think I detected fennel, but whatever it was, it was yummy. The veggies were super-shredded and very fresh. Even the dipping (or in my case pouring) sauce was of a higher quality than those found at other Chinese restaurants. -Ev
Yeah, I loved the flavor of the filling too. It was almost like a curry flavor. Very unique. -Jim

Bean Curd and Cashew in Spicy Sauce

This delicious stir fry consisted mainly of tofu, mushrooms, cashews, peppers and pineapple. The sauce was like a thick, spicy sweet and sour sauce only it was also very savory at the same time. It was almost like they took all of the different Chinese sauces that I like and combined them into one, only I would expect that to be gross and this totally wasn’t. Also, I’m usually not too into pineapple in a stir fry, but it really worked here. The pineapple matched with the sweetness of the sauce but also contrasted the savoryness of the sauce. The combination of textures and flavors in this dish really worked and I was really happy with it overall. -Jim

Sautéed Dried Bean Curd and Vegetables

So good! I was expecting your run -of-the-mill shredded stuff with brown sauce. Boy was I surprised. Right away I could see how fresh and tasty this dish would be. There were black beans and a variety of spices to really kick up the flavor, which changed with each bite- sometimes sweet, sometimes spicy, sometimes savory, sometimes all three. The bean curd was very firm and cut thin. Again, the veggies were fresh and cooked perfectly. I thought the mushrooms were especially incredible; they were fat, firm, and soooo flavorful. It will be hard to resist ordering this again next time. -Ev

The Bottom Line

We literally went into this restaurant on a whim, and I’m so glad we did. I definitely look forward to coming back here. Everything was fresh and delicious. Nothing was oily or gross. Peking Duck Forest is Chinese done well. You can certainly find more authentic Chinese cuisine down in Chinatown, but I do feel like this was probably more authentic and definitely more tasty than your average American-Chinese cuisine. Another nice thing about this restaurant is that the portion sizes are tremendous. We ate with two friends of ours and, out of the four of us, three of us brought home food that we had for lunch the next day. -Jim
A great discovery. This was the first time I felt I was eating Chinese cuisine rather than Chinese food. The dishes were fresh and delicious and had exciting flavor combinations. I've been craving it since we've eaten there. -Ev

Blossom

2006-06-20T00:17:00.000-04:00

We went to Blossom for lunch on Saturday. Blossom is located in the Chelsea area of Manhattan at 187 9th Ave between 21st and 22nd. Note that some of the items we ordered for lunch are also on the dinner menu, but the dinner versions of these dishes might be slightly different.

Satay

The Satay is definitely a contender for the best appetizer. The seitan was grilled to perfection; it was juicy, tender, and had delicious deep-charred bits. The sauce was a rich curry and worked especially well with the super-hot chili sauce on the side. Speaking of the super-hot chili sauce, it tasted like the most perfect, sweet, fresh, red pepper you’ve ever had only liquified and made really fiery. So yum! But the highlight of the dish, for me, were the noodles. The noodles were soft, chewy, delicate, and drenched in the most delicious sauce that tasted just like coconut curry. There is no way any description I write can do justice to it but know this: if I had to swim through a pile of these saucy noodles with my mouth open, yes I would drown, but I would die happy. Thankfully there are no villains forcing me to do such a thing and I can just order this every time I go to Blossom. You should too. -Ev
I agree that this was a totally bitchin' appetizer. The combination of creamy peanut sauce and smokey, grilled flavor made the skewered seitan really mouthwatering. It was tender but not too tender, and the pieces were small enough that I didn’t get the sense of rubberyness that can be a problem sometimes in huge chunks of seitan. The sesame noodles were fantastic too. They were creamy and tasty and they had some scallions mixed in to give them some bite. -Jim

Black-eyed Pea Cake

This tasty appetizer was a fried cake of yukon gold potato & black eyed peas. It had a very indian flavor to it which was contrasted by the tangy sauce underneath. The texture was great as it was crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. -Jim
A comforting dish with flavors made even comfier by the chipotle aioli (a.k.a. creamy mayo-like substance). This dish would be perfect at Thanksgiving dinner because it’s really heavy and starchy and savory. –Ev

South Asian Lumpia

This dish was excellent. The outside was so flaky and tender, like the batter of a mozzarella stick. Inside was more like a good samosa. The textures and flavors were all very smooth and comforting but then the mustard and the mango salsa cut in and perked things up. It was like a party in my mouth! Wouldn’t you like to eat a party? -Ev
I can’t help but compare this dish to the Pea Cake. The consistency and flavor was similar in many ways. Texture-wise, this dish had a crispier outside, and the textures of the filling ingredients were more pronounced. Flavor-wise, this dish was slightly less curry-ish and I swore I tasted a fishyness to it, like they had used sea weed in making it. Evelyn and my brother and sister-in-law (who we were lunching with) said they didn’t notice the fishyness, so maybe I was just hallucinating. The lumpia were served with mustard and a mango salsa, which gave the dish a tang and sweetness that worked well. –jim

Tofu Basil Polenta Mini-Tower

This attractively plated meal consisted of a layer of polenta upon which was stacked a layer of tofu upon which was stacked a layer of basil polenta. The tower sat in puttanesca sauce and there was some more sauce up on the top. The sauce was my favorite part as it was very olivey and capery (which I’m a fan of) with just a touch of spicyness. My only complaint about this dish was the lack of variety, both in texture and flavor. The tower had a pretty consistent texture despite it’s three separate layers. It didn’t have have much flavor so it basically served as a vehicle for the sauce. One small saving grace was the beans, which I eschewed at first thinking them to be just plain steamed string beans, but it turned out they were warm , crisp and a little bit salty and oily. Overall, this was a good dish but it wasn’t perfect. -Jim
This was really delicious. The olives in the sauce packed a real punch and made the basic fresh tomato sauce into something rich and intense. It reminded me of my grandma’s sauce. The polenta was very mellow and I found the tofu surprisingly ricotta cheese-like. -Ev

Seitan Medallions

I’m a big fan of the seitan at Blossom and this dish is a goodie but the other players in this dish are equally important. The broccoli rabe was delicious- not too bitter and cooked just right. The caper sauce was INCREDIBLE- thin with a ton of salty/savory flavor. And the mellow polenta was my favorite part. Polenta always throws me off because I expect to be eating mashed potatoes or couscous, but it’s really just so smooth and relaxing to taste. When paired with the caper sauce, I even liked it better than the seitan. -Ev
This was good. The only issue for me was that the seitan pieces were on the large side, so they didn’t absorb as much flavor from the sauce as they could have and a very slight rubbery consistency was noticeable. -Jim

Pineapple Crepe with Coconut Infusion & Vanilla Ice Cream

Terry & Erica (yay PPK!) & I were fortunate enough to try this earlier in the week. Considering the three of us were licking the plates and came short of mounting them in a fit of oral ecstasy, it’s not surprising that I ordered this again. The crepes were small and thin and filled with teeny tiny chunks of grilled pineapple. Resting on top was a perfect little dollop of vanilla ice cream. But underneath it all was the coconut infusion and two little dots of super-flavored pineapple syrup. The combination of all the textures and temperatures and flavors got my whole mouth involved; every little tastebud had something to savor and comment on. The coconut sauce was hot and silky and a little salty. The crepes were tender and chewy. The soft pineapple was both sweet and savory. The ice cream was so cold and creamy and smooth. And that sneaky pineapple syrup was rich and tart. I’ve joked around about the term mouthgasm before, but here it was really true. Especially following so many other delicious courses. -Ev

Chocolate Ganache Torte

Wow. Chocolate overload. It was like they took a cake with a decadently thick frosting and they switched the frosting-to-cake ratio. So there was a thin layer of cake on the bottom and a huge, ridiculously rich layer of frosting on top. But the word “frosting” doesn’t really do it justice. Eating this dessert was basically like eating a big truffle with a fork. And, just in case you need more chocolate, there’s chocolate ice cream. This dessert was delicious but HEAVY, so if you’re full from dinner, this might not be the dessert for you. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I’ve heard it said that Blossom is good but not quite worth the money (it is on the expensive side with lunch entrée prices in the low teens and dinner entrée prices in the high teens). Personally, I think there are other vegan NYC restaurants in this price range that are a little better, but I wouldn’t write Blossom off completely. They have some pretty unique dishes and I think that many of them are worth the price. My entrée wasn’t extraordinary, but I enjoyed the appetizers and desserts and I’m sure this isn’t the last time I’ll be eating at Blossom. –Jim
A fantastic meal. Not only did the flavors of the dishes match well in and of themselves, but the courses also worked nicely together. Blossom=awesome. -Ev

'sNice

2006-06-14T21:49:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday we went to 'sNice at 45 8th Avenue in Manhattan to hang out with a bunch of folks from the PPK community. We ate and were merry.

Side of Coleslaw

Jim was jealous that my sandwich was going to come with slaw so we got an extra side order of it. So frikkin’ good. It was just the right balance of creamy/vinegary flavor and the cabbage was crunchy and fresh. –Ev
I found it to be good but not great. My favorite thing about Coleslaw is the texture, and this didn’t disappoint in that department, but I thought the flavor wasn’t anything special. On the other hand, looking at the picture I find myself craving more, so I guess it couldn’t have been too bad. -Jim

BBQ Seitan Sandwich

I got the BBQ Seitan Sandwich with coleslaw. It came with salad on the side. ‘sNice has the best bread. It’s so yummy and they grill it so it’s all warm and toasty. The BBQ sauce was good but the seitan was a little tough. I think what saved this sandwich for me was the coleslaw on it. The pairing of the two worked well. I liked Jim’s Philly Cheesesteak better, though. -Ev

Philly Seitan Sandwich

As you can probably guess, this sandwich is a vegan take on the traditional Philly Cheesesteak sandwich. I agree with Ev that the toasted bread is one of the highlights of ‘sNice’s snandwiches (snorry). It seemed slightly denser than regular hero bread, but not too dense, and they toast it just right. The seitan was very satisfying and the onions and peppers were yummy. The soy cheese they use at ‘sNice seems to be your standard vegan soy cheese, meaning it “melts” a little weirdly and smells a little funky. If you’re used to vegan cheese, though, it won’t bother you. The only weird thing about this sandwich was the “salad” on the side. I felt like it couldn’t make up it’s mind whether it wanted to be a salad or a garnish. It was basically some mixed lettuce topped with red cabbage and a tiny amount of dressing. Not much flavor there. -Jim

Red Velvet Cupcake

I’ll say it now, ‘sNice has the best vegan cupcakes in the city. Though the chocolate cupcake with vanilla icing is still my favorite here, the Red Velvet is a close second. It tastes like a homemade cake only cup-sized, which I would imagine is the whole idea behind a cupcake. Their icing is hands-down the best I’ve had. Just thick enough, sweet enough, smooth enough. YUM! And they sprinkle on cute widdle baby stars. Make sure you grab some napkins though because these cuppies are big and there is no graceful way to eat them. -Ev

Ice Cream Sandwich

‘sNice not only makes you a vegan Ice Cream Sandwich, they let you choose the cookie. I went for the “Kitchen Sink” cookie, which had walnuts and chips and a bunch of other stuff in it. I’m not sure what to say about this except that it tasted like vanilla ice cream between two awesome cookies. If you can imagine that taste, then you can imagine this dessert, and you can understand why I’m getting it again next time I’m at ‘sNice. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I love ‘sNice. It has a nice open layout, yummy food, and friendly service. It’s one of those feel-good places you want to come back to again and again. They have tons of vegan food and great options for beverages. The one disappointment was our pre-dinner milkshake. It was meh. It was like your ice cream melted and you added some soymilk to it- not thick at all. But everything else was great and you should definitely brave the confusing streets of the West Village to check it out. (FYI- It’s counter service, so finding a seat can be tough.) - Ev
Word. I totally wish ‘sNice wasn’t way over on 8th avenue because I’d like to go there more often. The food is good, but what I really like is the laid-back, coffee shop vibe. They have everything from meals to snacks to desserts to coffee and tea, so ‘sNice is a good place to hang out no matter how hungry you are. -Jim

Rice Avenue

2006-06-14T00:35:00.000-04:00

Last week we went to Rice Avenue at 7219 Roosevelt Ave in Jackson Heights, Queens. This Thai restaurant is not exclusively vegetarian, but you can get some great vegan dishes here. Don’t forget to ask them to hold the fish sauce.

Thai Spring Rolls

Most spring rolls I've eaten have the prerequisite shredded cabbage, maybe some carrots and mushrooms. These were instead filled with savory glass noodles. I've only really had glass noodles in summer rolls before so I'm used to them cold and chewy. These were hot and soft and whatever else was in there with them was YUM (I think mushrooms). The rolls themselves were perfectly fried and not too big. And as if that weren't enough the sweet/spicy chili sauce was AMAZING. It was perfect on that cold rainy night. -Ev
I wasn’t expecting much from these, but they were a pleasant surprise. The filling was surprisingly savory and flavorful and the dipping sauce was light but very tasty. -Jim

Mango Avocado Salad

We had a scare when this got to the table. The entire dish was sprinkled with white grainy stuff resembling cheese. We asked the waiter and found out that it was rice that had been toasted and ground, a unique touch for this unique and delicious salad. The three main ingredients were avocado, mango and onion, which is a simple but brilliant combination. The onions were sharp and crisp, the mango was soft and sweet, and the avocado was smooth and… um…. whatever word you’d use to describe the flavor of an avocado (all I can think of is “good”). The whole thing was pulled together by a sweet and tangy dressing. Overall, this was a creative and tasty salad. -Jim
The different flavors and textures worked well together and the ground rice in particular provided a nice grainy crunch. It was at once tart and sweet, crunchy and creamy. This would be really good on a hot day. -Ev

Tofu Ginger

The Tofu Ginger at Rice Ave is one of my favorite things. Not just one of my favorite foods. One of my favorite things. I know, you’re thinking, "I’ve had tofu ginger at Thai places before, what’s so special about this one?" My answer: It’s perfect. That sounds like I’m dodging the question, but I’m not. The unique thing about the Tofu Ginger at Rice Ave is not that there are unique ingredients or flavors, it’s that they get it just right. The tofu is fried to perfection. The veggies are tender but still very fresh and flavorful. The sauce (oh, the sauce!) is savory and salty and exploding with flavor and yet still somehow light and simple. Even the jasmine rice served with the dish has just the right amounts of fluffiness and stickyness. If I absolutely had to find something about the dish that I didn’t like, I’d say I could do without the carrots. Their sweet flavor clashes a little too much with the rest of the dish. I’ve found a workaround, though. I just eat all the carrots first. -Jim
This is one of those meals where every bite is a different explosion of flavors and each one of them is delicious. So good -Ev

Vegetable Pad Thai

A tried and true dish at Rice Ave. You have to specify no egg and no fish sauce but there is no sacrifice of flavor. This dish has a lot of great veggies- scallions, broccoli, bok choy, carrots and little bits of firm bean curd. The sauce is more on the tamarind-y side which I like and there are tons of fresh bean sprouts and yummy crushed peanuts to go on top. Not only is Pad Thai one of my favorite dishes, but Rice Avenue is one of my favorite places to get it. (You can order Tofu Pad Thai as well which has soft-fried tofu cubes in it like in Jim's Ginger dish). -Ev
I'm not a huge Pad Thai fan (weird, right?), but the Pad Thai at Rice Ave is some of the better Pad Thai that I've tried. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I’ve been to a lot of Thai restaurants and Rice Ave is my favorite. The menu is a standard Thai Restaurant menu, so don’t come here if you’re looking for something wild and experimental, but do come here for food that is consistently outstanding. -Jim
Agreed. Not only are their dishes delicious, but the staff is super-friendly, and the food is cheap. Hooray for cheap! -Ev

Red Bamboo Manhattan

2006-06-08T23:28:00.000-04:00

Red Bamboo recently opened a new location in Brooklyn that we’ve heard good things about, but it was rainy on Sunday night so we didn’t feel like making the trip. We went to the Manhattan Red Bamboo at 140 w 4th street instead.

Tomato Soup

The soup of the day was a Tomato Soup, and we figured it would be the perfect thing for a rainy night. We were soo right! The flavor of the soup was salty and rich and just a little bit spicy. In the soup was onion, squash, celery and soy chicken and they were all just the right texture. A simple but excellent dish, I will definitely order this again next time it’s available. –Jim
I loved it too. I really enjoyed the thickness of the soup. -Ev

Grilled Bourbon Chicken

This is one of the top three best dishes at Red Bamboo. The soy chicken has the perfect texture and its taste is brought out by the grilling. The sauce is sweet, spicy, and smoky. The rice has immense flavor even though it’s just plain steamed basmati rice. The greens are tasty and keep things fresh. I have to confess, being the carb addict that I am, I asked for mashed potatoes instead of the steamed veggies that usually come with this dish. I recommend you do the same. The mashed potatoes here, while a little sweet, are delicious. They have bits of corn in them and the consistency is perfect. As a side note, if you don’t want all the extras, they offer the Grilled Bourbon Chicken alone as an appetizer. Any way you get it, it will be delicious, I promise. -Ev

Black Bean Ginger Stir Fry with Chicken

I wanted to try something new but I didn’t want to get too experimental, so I ordered the Black Bean Ginger Stir Fry and asked the waiter to add some soy chicken to it. Just look at that picture. Looks good, doesn’t it? It looks like it’s just bursting with Chinese stir-fry flavor. Sadly, it wasn’t. The mix of vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, onion, pepper, zucchini and carrots) and soy chicken tasted like… well, vegetables and soy chicken. There didn’t seem to be any sauce or additional flavor. There were black beans in it, and just a touch of spiciness, but otherwise it was very flat and bland. After eating for a few minutes, I asked the waiter for a side of soy sauce. I was excited when, instead of just bringing out the regular bottled soy that I expected, he brought me a small dish of a sauce that seemed slightly thicker and sweeter than regular soy sauce. It was almost like he was bringing out the sauce that was supposed to go in the dish in the first place. Once I added the sauce, I enjoyed it more. Unfortunately, it still wasn’t great. –Jim
Yea. Pass on this one. It was bland. -Ev

Soy Milk Shake

Red Bamboo and (sister restaurant) Vegetarian’s Paradise 2 both have the best milkshakes. Vanilla is my personal fave but you can also get chocolate, strawberry, or better pecan. You know how, when you watch Pulp Fiction, you really want to taste that frikkin’ milkshake? Now’s your chance. YUM! –Ev
Word. I love milkshakes and this was a good one. Good flavor, good consistency. -Jim

The Bottom Line

I’ll say about Red Bamboo what I just said about Kate’s in our last review: it’s a good restaurant and it has the comfort food I crave, but it’s hit-or-miss. In this case, Evelyn hit and I missed (though we both hit with the soup and the milkshake). The safest thing to do when you go to Red Bamboo is order things that you’ve heard good things about. Trying something new and exciting can sometimes lead to disappointment. -Jim
Red Bamboo is famous for its fake meats. They do ‘em up in different ways and they do ‘em up right. Fortunately, the grilled bourbon chicken is one of the healthier dishes here, especially if you get the steamed veggies that normally come with the meal. -Ev

Kate's Joint

2006-06-07T11:58:00.000-04:00

On Friday night we went to Kate's Joint at 58 Avenue B and 4th street in Manhattan. Kate’s Joint has been around for a while and any NYC vegan worth their weight in tofu has been there at least once. We weren’t too hungry so we just ordered two entrees.

Fettuccine Forrestier

Whenever I go to Kate’s I get the same exact thing- Country Salad and a cup of soup (the Unturkey Soup is da bomb). This time, armed with the newfound adventurous spirit of a food blogger, I thought I’d try something completely different- specifically the Fettuccine Forrestier. It’s pasta with spinach, tofu “pancetta”, and sliced grilled mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce. This was one of those meals that I liked more the more of it I ate. I don’t know how to explain it but it went from “meh” to “mmm” by meal’s end. I had to salt it a good seven or eight times, mind you, but even so I’d get this dish again. The spinach was tasty. The sauce was creamy but not too heavy. At first I thought the pancetta was too sweet, but as time went on it really tasted like ham. The mushrooms were the best because they were sliced reeeeallllly thin and even had char-grilled edges. That’s not to say this was a mind-blowing experience, but for a cold rainy night it was a good stick-to-your-gut kind of meal. -Ev

Tofu Francese

I was not as adventurous as Ev and I ordered what I usually order from the Kate's Friday specials menu: the Tofu Francese. This dish consists of large chunks of tofu, lightly battered and fried and covered in a delicious lemon and caper sauce, served with mashed potatoes and collard greens. Like I said, I've had this before, and it's actually one of my favorite meals in all of NYC, but this time I didn't enjoy it so much. The collards were good, garlicky and fresh as ever. The mashed potatoes were also good, especially when dipped in the Francese sauce. But the tofu wasn’t up to par. Usually it’s battered and fried very lightly, giving it a soft texture and allowing it to soak up the sauce. But this time it was thickly battered and deeply fried so it had a much tougher consistency. Was it good? I guess. Was it better before? Absolutely. I'm hoping this was just a mistake or a one-time thing and not the new way they'll be preparing this dish from now on. -Jim

The Bottom Line

You don’t go to Kate’s for amazing food. You go for the junk food, the best lemonade known to man, the cute waiters (where o where did you and your sideburns go, Jake?), and the security of knowing that you can eat almost anything on the menu and it will all taste aiight. -Ev
I am a little perturbed that my wife knows one of the waiters by name (though I do know the one she's talking about and he was very cute). Also, I disagree about everything on the menu being aiight. I think the food is hit-or-miss. Also, the décor is shabby and the lighting is nearly non-existent. So why do I keep coming back? Because when the food hits it really hits, and I crave the deep-fried, comfort-food goodness that Kate's offers. I was really disappointed that my favorite meal was substandard, but even if the Tofu Francese is never returned to the glory that it once was, there are plenty of other items on the menu that will keep me coming back to Kate's Joint. -Jim

House of Vegetarian

2006-05-27T12:44:00.000-04:00

Last night we went to House of Vegetarian at 68 Mott Street in Chinatown, Manhattan. HoV is one of the oldest vegan-friendly restaurants in NYC. We went with a few friends, including Isa from the PPK, who remembers coming here in the early nineties when there were few other options for New York vegans.

Cold Sesame Noodles

I love carbs. I love peanut sauce. Therefore, I loved the Cold Sesame Noodles- with the exception of one or two bites that were mysteriously bitter (the sesame?). I didn’t remember there being lettuce in it last time I had it but I though it provided a nice cold, crunchy contrast to the creamy, carby goodness.- Ev
I like Sesame Cold Noodles when they’re done well. These were not. They were basically spaghetti with a sauce that I’m pretty sure was just watered-down peanut butter. It tasted exactly what you’d expect spaghetti, peanut butter and lettuce to taste like. If that sounds good to you, by all means order this dish. If it sounds weird and not so good to you, then we have something in common and you should probably stear clear of this one. - Jim

Assorted Wheat Gluten

People often say that the Chinese food you get at American Chinese food places isn’t real Chinese food. Eating in Chinatown, sometimes I feel like I’ve caught a glimpse of what Chinese people actually eat, and I wonder if this dish is one of those glimpses, because it’s nothing like anything I’ve eaten anywhere else. If you’ve had wheat gluten before, you know that it can be a little slimey and a little rubbery. The Assorted Wheat Gluten at HoV is extra slimey and rubbery, but once you get used to it it’s really quite good. The four flavors are savory, sweet and sour, curry, and a sort of barbequed beef that also has a more firm texture. Despite the odd texture, I highly recommend this dish for the delicious flavors. My favorite is the curry, but they’re all good. - Jim
The beefy nibs were the firmest of the bunch and matched well with the deep gravy flavor of the sauce. Equally delicious were the savory gluten pieces . These were softer in consistency but still had enough chew to them. These two were my favorite because there was a good partnership between the gluten and the sauces. While still yummy, I thought the sweet and sour and the curry glutens were the softest and slimiest of the bunch so if it’s your first encounter with gluten these are the ones that may take some getting used to. - Ev

Sweet and Pungent Mock Pork

So I ordered the "Sweet and Pungent Mock Pork", and when the waitress handed it to me she said, “Sweet and Sour Mock Pork”, and there was nothing pungent about it. So I’m not sure if they brought me the wrong dish, or if "sweet and pungent" is synonymous for "sweet and sour" at HoV. Whatever it was, it was decent. The mock pork was heavily deep fried in a soft batter. The sauce was pretty standard American-Chinese sweet and sour sauce. Also in the dish were bits of red and green pepper, carrots and pineapple. If I had just gone vegan yesterday, I’d probably be ranting and raving about this dish. But I feel like I’ve had this dish many times at many veg restaurants and it always tastes pretty much the same. It’s good, but pretty familiar to someone who’s been vegan for a while. - Jim

Beef with Broccoli

Having already gorged myself on the gluten and noodles, my friend Eppy and I decided to split an order of Beef w/ Broccoli. Although the waitress specified garlic sauce, it was your basic brown sauce, only it wasn’t cornstarchy & goopy like some other chinese restaurants. I usually stay away from veggie beef dishes finding them too thick/salty/fried/gummy/etc. but I had sampled this before and new I’d like it. The veggie beef was very thin and flat, almost like steak-ums. It was seasoned just right and had a good chew to it. The broccoli was cooked perfectly and kept its own; it wasn’t gooped up with too much sauce. -Ev

The Bottom Line

HoV was serving vegan food before I even knew what veganism was. They deserve my respect and my gratitude, and they definitely have it. As for the food I ate on this visit, it was good but not great. I feel like I copped out by ordering a boring American-Chinese food standard. There are more exotic (and probably more traditional Chinese) dishes on the menu, and next time you see HoV on Veganfriendly, I’ll be reviewing one of them. - Jim
A decent, simple meal. HoV offers a wide variety of mock meat options and is a few notches higher in quality than your average local Chinese restaurant. The food tastes more fresh and less -word of the day- goopy. It helps to go with someone who has been there before to help you order because the mock meat dishes have such different tastes, textures and consistencies and come with varying amounts of veggies. We’ll do our best to recommend more dishes here. - Ev

Candle 79

2006-05-25T19:59:00.000-04:00

We went to Candle 79 located at 154 East 79th Street near Lexington Avenue, one of the top-rated vegan restaurants in NYC. And when we say vegan, we mean pure vegan. Everything on the menu is vegan. It’s also pricey (the items below plus our beverages added up to almost $100), but we’d heard so many good things about it, we had to give it a try.

Appetizers

One cute thing about Candle 79 is that you get complimentary Hushpuppies, one per person. They’re topped with an extremely tasty lemon aioli sauce. After we finished our Hushpuppies, they brought out the Crispy Dumplings we ordered. I think these deep-fried dumplings contained seitan and cabbage, but it was hard to tell. Whatever they were, they definitely satisfied my craving for something fried and salty. The twist was that they were served over a sweet balsamic reduction with tangy mustard sesame dipping sauce. The combination of flavors was complex and very yummy. - Jim
The highlight of the dumplings for me was the mustard sesame sauce. I also really enjoyed the hushpuppies. The lemon aioli was a thick creamy sauce and the flavor was just so strong. - Ev

Seitan Picatta

Ohmigod. The best meal I have ever eaten. Ever. I don’t even know where to begin. The seitan was perfect- soft, chewy, savory, just… perfect. The creamed spinach was so fresh and tender and nourishing. I don’t know what kind of mushrooms they used but they were scandalously scrumptious. The roasted new potatoes were full of salty-seasoned flavor. And, to top it all off, there were capers, a thin but rich lemon sauce, and an olive that just exploded and melted in my mouth and made me wonder, Oh my god how can an olive taste so good? Have I ever even tasted an olive before? Really? I actually said “I love you” to my empty plate when I was finished (I really did). But don’t remind Jim, I think he got a little jealous. - Ev

Cashew-Crusted Seitan

This was the daily special. It consisted of fried cashew-crusted seitan on top of a layer of asparagus and greens, which was on top of a layer of quinoa, all resting in an almond cream sauce. Reading that description, you might be worried that this dish falls on the blander side of vegan cooking. Personally, I like food to be rich and flavorful and when I see the word "quinoa" I usually get a little nervous, but I ordered this anyway and I’m glad I did. It wasn’t boring, it was perfect. The fried seitan reminded me of a chicken cutlet, but in a good way, not a gross way. The quinoa actually had a lot of flavor. The almond sauce was creamy and yummy and added just the right amount of saltyness to the dish. Combined with the greens and asparagus, it all added up to a dish that tasted healthy, but also tasted delicious, which in my opinion is an impressive and rare combination. - Jim

Ice Cream Sampler

These were like jellybellies- lots of flavor in little packages. I thought the chocolate chip mocha was the lightest of the bunch- almost more like a sorbet than an ice cream. The dulche de leche was really strong and creamy. The lemon chamomile was my favorite. It was really inventive and fun to eat. The contrast between the ultra rich cream taste and the tang of the lemon was subdued by the chamomile and made this really exciting for me. - Ev
All the sorbets and ice creams at Candle 79 are homemade, and it really shows. The lemon chamomile was actually the only one I didn't like. It’s not that it tasted bad, it was just a very flowery flavor that didn’t really work for me in a such rich, creamy ice cream. - Jim

Tahitian Vanilla Cake with Coconut Sorbet

Holy crap this was good. The cake alone would have been pretty good, it was almost more like a fluffy muffin in shape and consistency, but then they topped it with pineapple rum sauce, chopped pineapple and raisins, coconut flakes, and (the best part) homemade coconut sorbet. I love coconut and coconut sorbet, and this was hands-down the BEST coconut sorbet I’ve ever had. One of my common complaints about vegan desserts is that they tend to be very heavy, but this wasn’t. It was light but still absolutely delicious. - Jim
I tried the coconut sorbet first. It made my head fall to the table. I couldn’t help thinking that this was a very “adult” cake. Then I got mad at myself for thinking something pretentious like that and my usual thoughts came back and said “MMMM. Cake YUM!”. The simplicity of the cake with its perfect texture and the heat of the syrup and the sweet/sour of the fruit and the cool creamyness of the sorbet was just so good. So so good. - Ev

The Bottom Line

Wow. After dinner we took a walk down Lexington and it was like we were high on the food. The serving sizes were just right so we were full but not too full. And the food was decadantly delicious but still tasted healthy and hearty and didn’t leave us feeling bloated and gross. This restaurant is definitely out of our price range, so we should really only eat there on special occasions, but it was soo good… don’t be surprised if you see another Candle 79 review on veganfriendly.com soon. - Jim
An amazing dinner. It will be really hard to top this experience. This will be the standard that I’ll hold future meals up to because it was the first time I felt truly nourished by food, and the flavor and freshness was beyond anything I could’ve imagined. - Ev

Saravana Bhavan

2006-05-24T22:52:00.000-04:00

On Monday night we went to Saravana Bhavan, which is located at 100 Lexington Ave between 27th and 28th street in Manhattan. The cuisine is vegetarian Southern Indian, serving various dosas and utappams, but with a separate menu of curries for those who prefer Northern Indian cuisine. We ordered an appetizer and two entrées and shared everything, plus we had some of our friend Eppy’s appetizer and entrée.

Appetizers

Medu Vada are deep fried lentil flour donuts, in this case with cilantro cooked in for some extra flavor. They were served with the usual sambar and coconut chutney, along with some tomato chutney. I liked how light these were. They tasted just like idli but with a perfect golden crust. The sambar was great- comforting and starchy, not too oily or spicy. The only disappointment was that there was a lot of squash in it that I kept mistaking for potatoes. It was good squash, mind you, but I love my potatoes. - Ev

Eppy ordered the Bhel Puri, and it was the most unique thing I ate at Saravana Bhavan. I’ve never had anything quite like this, and I'll definitely try it again if I come back. It’s basically a bowl of fried noodles and puffed rice with onion and tomato, all mixed in a sweet and sour sauce. I really liked the texture. The noodles were crunchy and the tomato and onion were fresh. The flavor was complex and a little spicy. – Jim
The texture reminded me of Thai Mee Grob. I also liked the way it started out sweet but then suddenly it was like you raided your spice cabinet and licked every Indian spice you had in there (including the fiery ones). - Ev

Utappams

We ordered a Peas and Onion Utappam and our friend Eppy ordered a Dosa Podi Onion Utappam, which is basically an onion Utappam sprinkled with chili powder. Like the Mada Vedu, these were served with sambar and chutneys. There wasn’t much flavor to the utappams themselves, so I found they were best when I spooned the sambar and chutneys on top and ate it with a fork, as opposed to the traditional rip-and-dip method. They were good but not extraordinary. - Jim
I liked ours well enough until I tasted Eppy's. The salty/savory quality of the chili powder made this ten times better than the peas & onion one. – Ev

Onion Rava Masala Dosa

Very light & moist. The potatoes were amazing because they had a creamy mashed potato flavor but they were still chunky. The tomato chutney seemed spicier than in earlier dishes. I thought this dish was best with everything piled on top of it. - Ev
I loves me some Dosas, and this dish didn’t let me down. It wasn’t the best Dosa I’ve ever had, but it was pretty darn good. - Jim

The Bottom Line

Overall, I wouldn't say this was a mind-blowing experience but these were good standbys that were tasty, comforting, & not too heavy. - Ev
I feel the same way: not amazing but definitely good. If I went back I’d probably order another Dosa, as the Utappams were a little bland for my taste. By the way, one cool thing about this restaurant is that the menu indicates which items have dairy with an asterisk. - Jim