Chow Vegan

Deliriously happy to finally have the chance to eat at The Veggie Grill in El Segundo, I pretty much stuffed my face full. Since our whole group went to the all-vegan restaurant (a family first), I actually got to try quite a few items.

Chinese Chickin’ Salad, pictured above – I thought it was great, I usually don’t like getting salads in restaurants since I can make it so much better at home. But this was so nice and fresh tasting. And it wasn’t too heavy on the sesame-rice vinaigrette.

Mac n’ Cheese – I only had a couple of bites of this, but it was enough for me to say it’s yummy. I love how the Daiya cheese is all melty and creamy.

Uptown Nachos, pictured above – Also had just a few bites of this. Oh my gosh, it’s been forever since I’ve eaten nachos. It’s just like how I remember it. Another awesome winner.

Steamin’ Kale – No one else really ate this but I thought it was quite good. The kale was tender and the ginger-miso dressing went well with it.

Sweetheart Fries – Sweet potato fries, just as good if not better than french fries. But really the chipotle ranch that came with it, now that was to die for.

All-American Stack, pictured above – I only liked this okay. It may just be too much for one bite, what with all the onion rings, lettuce, tomato, pickles, grilled veggie-steak pieces stacked on a really thick whole wheat bun. Or maybe it was because I wanted to eat those nachos instead.

The V-Burger – I had about a fourth of this. It was my nephew’s lunch, since he’s only 7, he wasn’t able to finish the whole burger. He likes it with just the bun, grilled veggie-steak burger and ketchup. I liked this burger better. Go figure.

Chocolate Pudding – Delicious end to a great meal. Smooth and sweet, with a nice chocolate flavor. You would never know it was vegan.

The decor is modern-looking, hip and clean. There’s outdoor seating, which normally would have been nice if it wasn’t for the threatening storm clouds. They have four locations, all in Southern California. If only there was a Veggie Grill in NoCal, I would for sure be a permanent fixture there.

Over the holiday weekend, I traveled to Southern California to visit with my brother’s family. While there, we got lunch to-go at Versailles Cuban Restaurant in Manhattan Beach.

Since Cuban food is better known for its meat dishes, I didn’t think there would be much for me to eat besides the typical rice and beans. Sure enough, there was just two vegetarian plates on the menu, both included rice and beans.

I got the Moros, Platanos Fritos Y Ensalada Verde plate – black beans and rice cooked together, fried sweet plantains, mixed green salad and some mystery root vegetable hidden underneath the salad. It’s sorta like a potato but it’s not. I never had it before.

Normally, I’m not a huge fan of beans but moros is delicious! It’s savory and flavorful with just the right ratio of rice to beans. I had no idea rice and beans can be this good.

Recovered from the depths of an iPhone are photos from a Father’s Day celebration back in June. I had forgotten all about them.

Dinner was at Izakaya Raka, a Japanese Tapas Bar in Grover Beach, California. Located south of San Luis Obispo, not far from the Monarch butterfly grove at Pismo State Beach. The restaurant itself took me awhile to find. I must have blinked and missed it the first time around when I drove right past it.

My poor navigation skills aside, Izakaya Raka really is a hidden treasure in this sleepy little town. Especially since they have a vegetarian specials section. I ordered the Eggplant Miso (first picture above) and the Appetizer Sampler: Broccoli Goma Ae, Kabocha Pumpkin and Lotus Kinpira.

And for my main entree, Vegetable Tempura Roll. All of it tasty and well-prepared. I’m sure I’ll be back to try some of the other veggie selections and to check out the butterflies. It should be right around that time of year (late October to February) when I’m going to be in the area again.

I stopped by Loving Hut, an organic, vegan, fast-food chain restaurant in Palo Alto. Don’t ask me why, it’s just what it’s called. It’s a little space with bright lights and a cafeteria-like ambience, where you place your order at the counter.

I got the Crumbed Sensation – deep fried yam flour pieces, served with vegan tartar sauce and a small heap of cole slaw. Not too greasy and it has a firm texture that it reminds me of fried shrimp. I thought it was great, then again most fried food taste good.

I also tried the Shepherd’s Pie. That was just ok, seemed a bit on the dry side, like it needed gravy or some sort of sauce. It had soy crumbles, eggplant, carrot and onions on the bottom with mashed potatoes on top. It came with your choice of soup or salad. I got the soup – butternut squash and navy bean. Beautiful color on the soup, but not a real strong squash taste to me. It’s more beany than squashy. At least it wasn’t overly salty like some restaurant soups.

This location has a limited menu compared to the ones in San Francisco and Milpitas. It doesn’t seem like they do much actual cooking. It’s more heat and serve or scoop into a container for to-go. Still it’s nice to have an all vegan place right there in downtown Palo Alto.

What’s a trip to Southern California, without a stop at Disneyland? In the land of the mouse, vegan eating is possible but it’s also a bit “hit and miss” too, depending on where you end up eating.

Miss: After inquiring about vegan options at Tomorrowland’s Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port, the most they can offer is either plain pasta with just the marinara sauce (they won’t add fresh tomatoes or olive oil or anything extra) or a side salad with raspberry vinaigrette (the only vegan dressing).

I went with the salad ($3.99), it wasn’t terribly exciting or super tasty but at least it was fresh. Since it’s counter service, it seemed like they were limited in how much they could customized a dish.

Hit: I had much better luck at dinner over at Café Orléans in New Orleans Square. The pommes frites ($4.99) tossed with garlic and parsley, without the cheese, were awesome. So good! They arrived at the table nice and hot.

The Creole Ratatouille ($13.99) without the corn cakes and cheese is vegan, pictured above. It’s a savory vegetable ragout with tomato, eggplant, red onion, bell pepper, squash, zucchini and fresh garlic. Seasoned to be a bit on the spicy side. The asparagus on top had a smokiness to it – that was my favorite part.

Hit: Almost a miss at Carnation Cafe in Main Street USA, I was going to get the veggie melt without the cheese or mayo, but the pretzel bread that it came on is not vegan.

Happily, the waitress offered a bowl of vegetable soup that is vegan. The soup was pretty tasty with big chunks of vegetables and not too salty at all. Instead of the non-vegan bread roll, I got a bunch of crackers. At $5.50 for a bowl, it was definitely a hit and a way better choice than the sandwich. But since it wasn’t on the menu, I don’t know if it’s a regular offering. It might have been the cafe’s soup du jour.

Hit: A hit over at Blue Bayou in New Orleans Square, located beneath the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. As a kid, I always thought the people eating there were just part of the ride. I never knew it was an actual restaurant where you can eat. You’ll need reservations to eat there, but you can eat there.

The Portobello Mushrooms and Couscous Maque Choux ($27.99) pictured above is the only vegetable entree on the menu and is vegan. Instead of one measly mushroom, it’s a stack of three portobellos marinated in a balsamic vinaigrette and then broiled. Served with roasted corn and bell pepper couscous and sautéed spinach. Delicious and filling but pricey. Then again, you’re probably paying for the ambiance which is very nice but dark.

I would have to say, in all, it was a good dining experience at Disneyland. All of the food service people were very helpful and super nice. I had the best luck and food at the full service places, most likely because the kitchen can cook to order at those places.

My take is if you’re going to eat at the counter service places, you might as well bring your own sandwiches and snacks. If you want the whole experience of dining at Disneyland, enjoy a meal at one of the full service places.

Lately, I been dining at California Pizza Kitchen after a decade long hiatus. I remember back then, I had to quiz the waitperson to figure out what was vegan on the menu. Nowadays, they have a whole section listing what’s vegan, what’s lacto vegetarian, and what’s lacto ovo vegetarian on their website. It’s very handy.

There’s two options for vegan pizza. I always get what’s pictured above – Vegetarian with Japanese Eggplant – baby broccoli, grilled Japanese eggplant, roasted corn, sliced red onions, mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and tomato sauce. Asked for no cheese and on the Neapolitan dough (thin-crust).

I love thin crust pizza. The thinner, the better as far as I’m concerned. CPK’s is so thin and crisp, there’s an actual crunch to certain parts. And I love the flavors of the toppings, they’re not your standard veggie pizza toppings.

The second vegan pizza option is the Tricoloré Salad Pizza – chilled arugula, baby red leaf lettuce, radicchio, diced tomatoes with homemade Dijon balsamic vinaigrette dressing and no cheese – which I have not tried. To me, it just sounds like salad on a pizza crust.

I’ve also tried the two vegan soups, the Asparagus Soup with no croutons and the Dakota Smashed Pea and Barley Soup, pictured above. They’re both alright, kinda on the salty side though.

I usually get the soup just to round out my meal but I might try a salad or an appetizer next time instead. I heard about their Menu Adventure Guarantee as I was leaving – try something new, if you’re not thrilled, they’ll replace it with one of your usual favorites. I might have to take them up on that.

Continuing in my gluttonous ways, I recently dined on a very lovely 8 course Japanese vegan meal at Kaygetsu in Menlo Park, California. This style of meal service is called kaiseki. It has its origins in tea ceremony, where small multi-courses was served to compliment the tea.

The menu is carefully selected to reflect the season and is changed monthly. For the vegan/vegetarian menu, the restaurant requires 3 days advance notice.

The first course (pictured above on the left) is tomato water, mochi with grated cucumber, tomato marinated in kelp and pear with sesame cream. It’s a great beginning. I love tasting menus where you get a little taste of everything.

The second course (on the right) is a slow-cooked dish. Kabocha squash, wheat gluten, carrot, taro and spinach cooked in a clear broth. Very tasty, I ate everything including the broth (I want to make sure I get the whole experience).

The third course (above left) is tofu “sashimi” along with yuba and avocado rolls topped with seaweed “caviar”.

The fourth course (above right) is an amazing assortment of flavors: avocado, mizuna green, shiitake, tonburi and chrysanthemum in oshitashi sauce. Salad with avocado, orange, cucumber and wakame seaweed. Gingko nut and red bell pepper on skewers. Eggplant with miso sauce. Minced tofu ball cooked in soy based sauce. Once again, I devoured everything. Even the ginko nut and bell peppers which I am not a big fan of, but I ate it anyways.

The fifth course (above) is a steamed dish. Yuba stuffed with lotus root, shiitake, romano beans and topped with wasabi. It came with a lid on the bowl. My absolutely favorite course, so very flavorful. I would be happy to eat this everyday.

The sixth course (above left) is the fried dish, think tempura. Corn and onion, somen pine needles, potato gingko nut, seaweed, shiso, served with green tea salt and lemon. The waitress said the somen pine needles were for decoration and not meant to be eaten. I ate them anyways, they were actually quite good. I also really like the green tea salt which I never even heard of before.

The seventh course (above right) is the rice dish. Rice mixed with shiso served with house pickled vegetables and a clear soup with vegetables. Compared to everything else, the rice wasn’t anything special and probably the weakest dish. It’s also the only course where I didn’t clean my plate.

The final eighth course was dessert. Two different desserts. And it’s not either or, it’s both! A pear compote with sweet gelatin (above left) and house made sorbet (above right). It’s a nice, light, refreshing end to an awesome meal.

I had no idea there’s a restaurant serving this caliber of vegan food right here in my own backyard. Kaygetsu is now my new “go to” restaurant for special occasions as it’s a bit pricey. But it’s so totally worth it.

While in Carlsbad, I stayed at the Four Seasons Resort Aviara. Living up to the Four Seasons reputation, they had some very good vegan and vegetarian food options.

Over at the pool (pictured above), one can order a Gardenburger, among other things from the Ocean Pool Bar & Grill. Imagine that – a veggie burger with fries poolside, and you can get it “to go” as well. I had it twice and both times the burger was nicely done with fresh tomato, red onion, lettuce and alfalfa sprouts on a fluffy toasted bun.

I also had an opportunity to dine at their signature Italian restaurant, Vivace. I wasn’t sure what to expect as I haven’t had much luck with Italian places besides the typical Angel Hair Capellini something or other pasta dish. Boy, was I in for a surprise.

Vivace serves its food in the Italian style of separate courses; they printed out a whole separate vegan menu for me. It actually says “Vegan Menu” on the printout. That blew me away, that I could actually pick from two different options for each of my courses.

For the insalate course, I chose the spinach with peaches salad. For primi (first course), I had the mushroom risotto that was so good – it’s my favorite dish of the entire trip. For secondi (second course), I had grilled vegetables with farro. And for dessert, a selection of various sorbets.

Sadly, I didn’t bring my camera to dinner so no pictures of the meal. But what a great and delicious surprise to find that they had already planned a vegan menu for anyone who asks (it was a last-minute decision to eat there). I would happily eat here again.