I’m under no illusions about dining in some of the top vegan restaurants on the other side of the country. It’s highly doubtful I’m going to be at Candle Cafe or Candle 79 in New York City anytime soon. So when I saw their line of frozen food on sale, I jumped on it.
I’ve seen them before in the frozen section at my local Whole Foods, but at a normal retail price of $6.49, I passed. On sale for $3.99 until 10/11/11, and with a $1 off coupon from the Whole Foods website, brings it down to $2.99. For three bucks, I’ll give it a try.
Out of the four varieties available, I went with the Tofu Spinach Ravioli. Nice, melty cheese (I believe it’s Daiya. Tasted like Daiya, even though the package doesn’t say), tender pasta and the flavor wasn’t bad.
Although I can’t say I really tasted the tofu spinach filling, it’s a little on the skimpy side. I suppose that’s to be expected at 340 calories. Like most frozen entrees though, it’s very high in sodium.
I’m sure it pales in comparison to anything at the actual restaurants. But I would get the ravioli again for a quick meal on a busy day. But only if it was on sale.
This is the only frozen Candle entree I haven’t yet tried, but I have to say, I wasn’t real impressed by the other three…
They probably taste a whole lot better if you haven’t actually been to the restaurant. And I haven’t … The salt thing is a problem, but don’t you think the restaurant food would be just as salty? The difference is they don’t list the amount on the menu. If they did, I’d probably be afraid to eat out! :)
Hey Chow V,
I am so excited that there are acutally VEGAN frozen foods in America. I wish it were true to the UK. Shame they don’t taste so good. Have you given Candle some feedback? I guess their products are at least accessible to non-vegans to try (though not at that price and what a shame that is what they experience when they do try…though). Nice honest review..lets hope Candle Cafe take it on board.
i was at whole foods this past saturday, saw these and didn’t make the connection. i’ll keep an eye out to see if they offer any gluten-free dishes because i would LOVE to give them a whirl. i’ve never had a chance to eat at the Candle Cafe, but i’ve heard awesome things and it’s on my “some day” list. sadface on the ravioli being a little disappointing, but having caught them on sale is pretty sweet because i’d have been even more disappointed paying original price.
I like to keep a frozen meal in the freezer for those days when I need to grab something on the way out the door. $7 is too much for sure, but if I saw a Candle entree for equal or less than an Amy’s meal I’d give it a try. I don’t expect all that much from frozen meals, so hopefully it wouldn’t let me down!
I also tried these out the first time I saw them at Whole Foods and wasn’t impressed, especially for the price. But you can only do so much with frozen food, I guess.
i had this for the first time last week. it was almost too cheesey for me to enjoy! but it was good :)
Nice that there are actually vegan options out there- I’m used to seeing vegetarian entrees with dairy, but not vegan stuff.
I stumbled upon these at Whole Foods. I saw the price and then decided to pass. Thanks for letting us know they are on sale. I might be more willing to try them.
Thanks for the review — the ravioli look far better than the Miso Ginger Tofu Candle Cafe dinner I tried today at lunch. I was thrilled by my first meal at the Candle Cafe itself, so when I heard about the frozen line, I jumped on it. Unfortunately, I found the ginger-tofu dish so vile I tossed it into the trash and got greens and beans from my workplace cafeteria instead. It was far too spicy (albeit I have acid reflux issues; but still, I’ve found Candle’s restaurant fare to be very GERD-friendly). I also didn’t like the tofu’s texture, and the overall taste, which was way overseasoned. Not to mention the sodium – yeah, what is WITH that!? 800 mgs — yikes. I think contacting Candle with feedback would be very useful. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to advocate the entire Amy’s line — these are seriously wonderful, whole, tasty, handmade…and the low-sodium series is truly low-sodium. AND the company has a fantastic reputation for its excellent workplace environment. Has anyone LIKED the Candle frozen line?
Cranky Gerd – I still haven’t tried the Miso Ginger Tofu, the ravioli isn’t too bad. I agree Amy’s is the best outta all the frozen foods. I can eat Amy’s any time and they’re pretty much everywhere which is awesome when traveling. :-)