Chow Vegan

Good Eat • No Meat

Bouchon Las Vegas Review

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Bouchon | Chow Vegan

A couple of weeks ago my siblings and I were in Las Vegas to surprise our Mom for her 70th birthday. Mom and Dad love going to Vegas; it’s like Disneyland to them.

For the celebratory birthday dinner, we had a reservation at Thomas Keller’s French bistro Bouchon. Now, traditional French country cuisine is not exactly known for vegan fare, so I was a little apprehensive about the whole thing. So much so that I had packed a Clif Bar in my backpack just in case I needed something else to eat as I was flying home right after dinner.

To ensure that everyone enjoyed their meal on this happy occasion, my sister must have told the Bouchon people at least three times that there will be a vegan in our party. I thought I would have to remind them again but after we were seated, our waiter beat me to the punch and asked who was the vegan? And then proceeded to ask what I could and could not eat.

The meal started off with warm, crusty, French bread shaped to look like a wheat stalk and sparkling or flat Evian bottled water. I won’t bore you with the details of what the rest of my family ate. I had a beet salad without the cheese. Normally I don’t like beets but I figured it’s the world-renowned Thomas Keller, of all the times to really try beets, this would be it. The beets were delicious and that’s saying a lot from a former beet hater.

My main course was whatever the chef was willing to put together for me; it’s pictured above. A plate of vegetables exquisitely arranged, it was very tasty. But the portion seemed a little on the small side for just being vegetables. Hello, just because I’m a vegan doesn’t mean I’m on a diet. Oh sure, I see you piling on the pommes frites (french fries) with the steak entree like there’s no tomorrow. But you’re stingy with the veggies? And it’s not just Bouchon, other fine dining restaurants are the same – delicious, expertly cooked vegetables, just not very much of it and not exactly cheap.

For dessert, everyone else had the birthday dessert plate – an assortment of miniature cakes, ice cream and cookies with a candle. I asked about the sorbet but the waiter said it had a little cream in it but he offered a bowl of fresh berries instead. Good enough for me.

Overall, a great experience for everyone – the decor was beautiful, the ambience was relaxed and the service was impeccable. It may sound like I’m complaining a little but I’m not. I’m happy and grateful that I was able to enjoy a nice dinner with my family at a famous restaurant. As it turned out, between the bread, salad, vegetables and berries, it was just the right amount of food. I didn’t even eat the peanuts on the flight home and that Clif Bar is still in the backpack.

Veggie Tomato Beef

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Veggie Tomato Beef | Chow Vegan

This is one of my all-time favorite comfort dishes – it’s sweet. It’s tangy. It’s got great flavor unlike anything else – a little sweet and sourish yet somehow different – more of the savory sweetness and less of the sour.

I can’t quite figure out what to call it though. It definitely has its roots and flavor profile in the Chinese-American Tomato Beef dish but the veggie meat doesn’t look like beef (not that it has to). It’s pale like chicken but not really chicken-tasting. But what kind of name is Tomato Veggie Chicken? Tomato Fake Meat? Tomato Soy Protein? You see, it just doesn’t have the same ring to it, not to mention no one would know what the heck I’m babbling about.

As I’m writing up the recipe, I just noticed it’s not even vegan. How can this be? Apparently, I’m going blind and didn’t see “whey protein” in the ingredient list of the veggie meat when I bought it. But it’s still a very tasty dish, I just need to find a vegan replacement for the “meat” part that would work in the recipe. Stay tuned for the answer to “Where’s the (veggie) beef?”

Chinese Noodle Soup

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Chinese Noodle Soup | Chow Vegan

Noodles make for a quick lunch whenever I’m in a time crunch. Easy to make and in about the same amount of time it takes to run out for fast food but so much better. The quickness comes from using pre-cooked noodles. You can find them in the refrigerated section of the Asian supermarket or at natural food stores for organic versions. For this recipe, I used Ohana House Chow Mein Style Noodles. They’re organic, vegan, fully cooked and have a relatively long shelf life in the refrigerator. They also make buckwheat soba and udon noodles. I didn’t mean to sound like a commercial; I now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Chinese Noodle Soup
Serves 1

3 cups water or vegetable stock
3 small fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced
2 slices 1/4″ round fresh ginger
Salt
2 cups sliced baby bok choy or spinach or other greens
6 ounces cooked noodles
2 slices veggie bbq pork or baked teriyaki tofu julienned
Cilantro for garnish
Soy sauce (optional)

In a wok, add the water or stock, mushrooms, ginger and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Meanwhile, wash and slice the bok choy into 3/4″ pieces. Add the greens to the wok and bring up the heat to medium. Cook for about a minute. Add the noodles and cook for 3 minutes or according to the package directions. Spoon into bowl and top with the veggie bbq pork or tofu and cilantro. Drizzle with soy sauce if desired.

No Croutons Required is a new monthly food blogging event hosted by Lisa’s Kitchen and Tinned Tomatoes. Each month bloggers are invited to submit a vegetarian soup or salad recipe; this month’s theme is vegetarian soup. My entry is the noodle soup which not only is no croutons required but you don’t need a spoon either. I like to eat my noodles the old-fashioned way with chopsticks or if I’m in a real hurry with a fork. I usually don’t drink the broth but if you must, go ahead and use a spoon or go old school and slurp from the bowl.