Vegan Shoku - Vegan Japanese Restaurant

Well, it's about time we got ourselves here. Admittedly, it was again, This is Plant Curious that provided at least some of the motivation as Vegan Shoku is included among the many decent offers available to members. So we found our way to 2260 West 41st with high expectations for a cruelty-free sushi lunch.

In addition to the Plant Curious deal, we arrived during happy hour which runs 11:30 to 4:30 from Monday to Friday and happily for us was also applicable on Labour Day!

We started with the Vegan Calamari. This has a base of potato and soy but really does taste more like squid than potato. As far as texture is concerned it wasn't completely squid-like like but we weren't disappointed about that. With a nice creamy dipping sauce, we liked this a lot. 

On the happy hour menu was the Eggplant Salmon. We are glad that our server suggested this. It wasn't overwhelmingly salmon tasting but it was very tasty and included vegan crabmeat, vegan salmon, arburi sauce and a quick sear.

The Salmon Tower was a beautiful thing. More vegan salmon and crab. I did learn that the salmon is made from the root vegetable konjac. I'm not sure what the process is but the result is something that looks very much like salmon complete with fat lines. The taste would fool anyone but it is very pleasant as is the texture. It was much better than some vegan salmon that we have tried. With mango coulis and tobiko made of I'm not sure what, this was an impressive plate.

Our This is Plant Curious membership provided a buy one, get one free offer for Oshizushi (their spelling). We chose the Crab and Tuna Oshi and both were excellent. Pressed, seared and with the house Aburi sauce, this was a rich and memorable version of typical Oshi sushi. We did not miss the dead fish at all.

Finally, we ordered a vegan sushi combo plate which came with California Roll. Since most places serve CR with imitation crab, we thought that imitation imitation crab was just a small step further. I told the chefs that Tojo would be proud but I don't think they understood me. I believe that if you are concerned about authenticity then this is the closest we come in the vegan world to real sushi!

The other part of the combo was the Nigiri. More salmon, tuna but with baby corn and Inari as well. The rice was perfect in everything we ate at Vegan Shoku and I think we all know how important that is in sushi culture.

The menu here is long and tempting. We will be back to try their ramen for sure as well as a few other menu gems and maybe some cheesecake! Our servers were enthusiastic and friendly and made us feel welcome. This is not just a restaurant for vegans but maybe a bit of a gateway drug for the vegan curious. Don't miss it!

Food                       5 out of 5

Vegan Options       5 out of 5

Comfort                  4 out of 5

Service                   5 out of 5

Value                      5 out of 5

Eva's Original - Vegan Options

In a stretch of  5 storefronts in White Rock along Marine Drive near the pier, there are 4 ice cream shops and a souvenir shop. This would be a rip-roaring area in the heat of summer but it was a little sad when we went one rainy Sunday in September. Personally, I have always considered ice cream a year-round treat so when the ambient temperature is low, it means no lineups and you just have to eat your ice cream in a warm place! 

There are 2 great things about Eva' Originals. The first is the chimney cone, and the second is that they have multiple vegan options. You can add to that the fact that they have an offer on This is PLant Curious but I think that might be finished at the moment (not to say it won't reappear later).

Our first choice was the Mango Coconut Chimney Cone. This messy but generous cone with vegan vanilla soft serve, dried mango and mango coulis, and finished with dried coconut was wonderful even on this cold day. Unfortunately, the chimney cone is wrapped in both of my photos but imagine a cone made of roughly apple turnover pastry that has been wrapped around a cone-shaped dowel, baked and then sugared. It is light, flakey, and far better than the basic or waffle cones!

Proceeding on to the even messier side of things, we tried the Oreo Chocolate Chimney Cone. Based on the great accidentally vegan Oreo, this again came in the very good chimney cone but dusted with chocolate. We love their vanilla soft serve and it was made perfect by being drizzled with chocolate sauce. We could not ask for more(except maybe to take a picture of it without an umbrella sticking out the top).

We were a little disappointed that they did not serve french fries here. The website menu indicates that they do at least at their stores in Ontario. Maybe they will expand the menu here one day. These were not cheap cones but they were definitely worth it, especially since This is Plant Curious granted us the second one free! I am not aware of vegan options at the other 3 ice cream shops here so that makes Eva's Original our first choice.

Food                         5 out of 5

Vegan Options         3 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                    4 out of 5

Service                     4 out of 5

Value                        4 out of 5

 

PLNT Burger - Washington, DC - Vegan Burger Joint

On our last day in the DC area, we went for a little stroll in Alexandria (conveniently on the way to the airport) which is a lovely historic area. We walked the waterfront, briefly experienced the local farmer's market and enjoyed the historic buildings.

From there, we went for our last meal in the DVM area and on this occasion Google Maps saved us as I would never have found my way. I am aware of at least 6 PLNT Burger locations in the DC area and this one was located in a Whole Foods in McLean, Virginia.

PLNT Burger is a fully vegan fast food type place with a pretty decent menu of everything you might have ordered if you were in a MacDonalds or Fatburger or whatever mood but without the cruelty or the whole destroying the environment thing! 

We started with the basics, namely a Cheeseburger. I read elsewhere that this was a Beyond patty and frankly it was very goof. The cheese was melty, the potato bun was soft and perfect while the trimmings included caramelized onions and PLNT sauce. An excellent cheeseburger!

Next up was a Spicy Chicken Sandwich. With house-made hot sauce and pepper jack cheese this was a real treat. Served on the same potato bun and this time a garden herb mayo, this was way ahead of McChicken in every way possible.

The Save The Bay Fillet was the real standout for us. Not sure what the fillet actually was but it was just oceany enough and sort of beer battered in the British fish n' chip style. This is definitely one of the best fish burgers we have ever had. Served with tartar sauce, of course!

We had some Crispy Herb Fries which came with an aioli. Really good fries!

And finally a really good milkshake.

All in all, this was some great vegan fast food! I don't usually mention price but this was all really affordable as well. I looked up that a Big Mac is about USD $6 and most of these sandwiches were about USD $7.50 which is so reasonable!  I wish they were available in the west or in the Vancouver area but then, the temptation would be a problem. 

Best vegan fast food chain?

Food                                 5 out of 5

Vegan Options                 5 out of 5

Comfort                            3 1/2 out of 5....fast food digs

Service                             5 out of 5

Value                                5 out of 5

Kokomo - The Best Vegan Burgers?

Our weekends are now lived according to the whims of This Is Plant Curious, but I mean that in a good way! This year our membership (which paid for itself approximately 5 minutes after we got it) is a series of offers which do not run for the whole year but have arbitrary dates for expiration of some while new offers appear. There is a certain amount of calendar-watching and fun juggling involved. Most recently a pop-up offer appeared which was only to be in effect for a couple of weeks! Now understand this, if the pop-up offer was for raw turnips, I would not alter my routine by much (although I love cooked turnips) but in this case, it was for vegan burgers making it hard not to make a little more effort to get in on!

We have been to Kokomo a couple of times before (Port Coquitlam, Chinatown) and enjoyed their bowls and smoothies and other things but this burger menu idea was new to us. Available only at the East Van location, we made our way to Commercial Street (nearby but not to be confused with The Drive). 

We ordered and picked up our order to go. I took a few pics but when we got home, we re-posed the food and mostly got better results except for the Chili Cheese Fries. I think we can probably all agree that CCFs are meant to be melty, and messy but that they remain beautiful just not in the traditional or  Cezanne sense. This was, however, delicious in the traditional sense with excellent faux meat chilli (as opposed to bean) and melty wonderful cheese. I had this all over myself by the time we finished it!

Mharie and I were both enamored of the Onion Rings. Nicely salty and crispy, one highlight is that the onion didn't get dragged away from the batter on the first bite. Mharie pointed this out and I had never really though about it before!

We were most excited about the Nashville Hot Chicken! While it could have been spicier, the chicken patty itself remained wonderfully crispy despite the trip home. It was a white meaty affair along the lines of McChicken but without the cruelty. Add some pickles and other fixins and put it all on a great vegan brioche bun and you have an amazing burger well worth bragging about.

For us, the Kokomo Burger was the highlight of our visit and perhaps the best vegan burger we have had. I confess to a certain amount of recency bias (what I am eating now is the best) as maybe we have had something just as good in the past but I don't remember. This burger started with an Impossible patty, the best of the faux meat burgers and all the fixins including caramelized onions! The same excellent brioche bun and enough Daiya cheese to make it messy and wonderful. I am going to say that since Daiya changed their formula to a base of "oat cream", their cheese has been some of the best of the plant-based cheeses. Top marks for the burger! Go get one of these!

There are a half dozen small tables here and some friendly staff. As I mentioned before, the 4 Kokomo locations are known for their bowls, salads, wraps and so on, and all plant-based. The burgers add a whole new dimension. Hopefully, they will soon be serving them at all their locations!

Food                             4 1/2 out of 5

Vegan Options              5 out of 5

Comfort                        3 1/2 out of 5

Service                         4 out of 5

Value                            4 1/2 out of 5

Vancouver Vegan Festival - Sept 7, 2024

Last weekend, Mharie and I attended the Vancouver Vegan Festival at Kits Beach. This was our second time attending the festival (the first time being last year). We were less thrilled with the location this year, along a stretch of the main pathway of the beach to the north of the Boathouse Restaurant.  It could get crowded. We liked last year's location as it was a little more spread out and in a less crowded park area. That being said, being on the main pathway was better for the vendors who would have interacted more with the public (civilians) rather than just the expected vegans!

Grumbling aside, we managed to indulge in some good plant-based eats to the point of being more than satiated. Many of the usual favourites were there including Chickpea.

They have some impressive items on their menu but we wanted to spread our cash around (does anyone still use cash?) and try out some different vendors. We noticed a few people walking around with their chickpea fries and tried that.

Chickpea fries are not just French fries sold by the Chickpea truck but are actually fries made from chickpea flour and water made into a batter and then cut up and deep fried. This was truly a treat and came with a spicy sweet sauce.

It's not really the fault of anyone (other than people who get bunnies for Easter and then release them...don't do that) that rabbits multiply like...well, rabbits. They could easily overrun us if it weren't for the likes of Rabbitats who gather up populations, fix them (there are some very busy volunteer vets) and provide them sanctuary. We visited a couple of other sanctuaries that were represented and some other vendors such as K-So, Riviera, and of course, the folks from This Is Plant Curious, between snacks (eating being our main goal here).

Kula was represented and we tried some of their tacos. They sell a few African-style faux meat products such as G.O.A.T. Curry and Ginger Beef that we have tried and blogged about and we even have a bottle of their sauce in our fridge at the moment.

Got some tasty dumplings and noodles from House of Yee. Nice!

I feel like we might have eaten too many sweets such as baked goods from Vogue Bakery. This Chocolate Croissant was wonderful!

And cookies from Whisked Away! Now I'm full just thinking about it but these cookies were insanely rich and sweet! There was a lot of ube, white chocolate and macadamia nut on this plate!

So we ate some stuff, met some people and felt good about being vegans. Then we went on our merry way.

We'll probably see you all next year! I think it's a vegan duty to support the festival, isn't it?

ELife Restaurant, Capital Heights, MD - Vegan Soul Eatery

Short for Everlasting Life, I was mildly concerned about possibly being inducted into some kind of cult. The prospect of vegan soul food won out over any concerns in the end and we got ourselves too much food from this takeout place in Kingdom Square (see what I mean?), Capital Heights, not far from our hotel in Largo, MD.

In the end, we found amiable people who were patient with me as I lost my mind due to the multiplicity of choices.

We ordered 2 mains each with 2 sides starting with a Sausage Etouffee, with rice and greens. I'm not sure what the sausage was (I didn't ask) but it was very good. Could have been aa Beyond or Impossible product. Rice as a side was the right choice here (doesn't etouffee always come with rice?).There were 2 kinds of greens and I'm not sure if this was the kale or collard but we asked for one of each. Delicious!

Pulled Jackfruit in Barbeque Sauce was our second main this time with Mac n' Cheese and the other greens. Again, this was delicious as well as hearty and dare I say, soulful.

Chick'n drums or whatever you care to call them were next and excellent. There were two sauces and one was a lemon pepper and the other a spicier version. Since we're not keen on eating things with bones, I'm surprised that we are so amused with the little piece of dowel that served as the bone for the drumstick. Probably because it served as a way to hold it and keep our fingers clean! Something serves as skin as well which was tasty and a little creepy! Loved these!

We grabbed a trio of salads; macaroni, potato and a chick'n spread kind of thing. These were all quite good being rich and creamy yet refreshing and felt like soul food to us (we are really not experts).

Finally, there was ice cream and since I was feeling like a kid, we tried the birthday cake flavour. I don't recall the brand but I had seen it before I think. It was very sweet! Since there was no freezer in our hotel room, we couldn't keep it long but that did not create a hardship!

It would be amazing to have something like this close by us. The cost would have been quite reasonable if I had exercised some restraint (and it was in Canadian dollars). I assume they get a lot of non-vegan customers so that would be good for everyone. This is a great local business and eatery! It wasn't too flashy but provides a wonderful option to fast food for dinner!

Food                        4 out of 5

Vegan Options         5 out of 5

Comfort                    NA

Service                     5 out of 5

Value                        4 1/2 out of 5

Ben's Chili Bowl - Washington, DC - Vegan Options

It was our second day to tourist around Washington, DC. Again we took the Metro from not far from our hotel which dropped us right in the middle of the Mall. The Mall is roughly the stretch between the Capital Building and the Lincoln Memorial encompassing the Smithsonian Museums (of which we toured 2) many war memorials and presidential memorials. There is probably a better definition of what it encompasses but for the purposes of this blog, that is where we spent most of our day. On day 1 we went east from the Smithsonian Metro Station and on the second day we went west.

To my chagrin, the memorial to the greatest president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, was deep in renovation. The mass of hoarding and scaffolding made it less of a photo op than usual but we spent some time in reflection there just the same. 

At about lunch time, we hoped the Metro to visit another DC landmark, Ben's Chili Bowl. The history of this place is rich having opened in 1958 and survived good times and bad, including the 1968 riot that followed the assassination of MLK Jr. when it stayed open and fed both police and black activists. There is a lot more. Google it!

The walls are decorated with memorabilia of many notable people who have visited. We sat at the presidential table apparently!

So we came for the history and stayed for the vegan eats. This is not a vegan restaurant but they have options! Of course, we had their Chili Dog and Fries which was pretty good. The chili was of kidney beans and some kind of soy protein. It was rich and tomatoey and there was hot sauce at the table if you wanted it. The dog itself was not that memorable but it was really only a vehicle in this case. Great fries! 

We had an Impossible Burger which was also OK. To be honest an Impossible patty needs a really good sear and this one could have used a little more. The bun was nice like you'd expect on a fast food burger.

And we ordered a Chili Bowl with rice so my wife would get her rice quota for the day. I'm starting to have fond memories of the chili. They didn't have vegan cheese which might have been a big step up.

So the food was pretty average but really, they don't have to offer anything vegan. We came for the vibe and would have been happy with fries and a Coke. Counter service but they were quick and friendly.

Food                                   3 out of 5

Vegan Options                   3 1/2 out of 5

Comfort                              4 out of 5

Service                               4 out of 5

Value                                  3 1/2 out of 5

Historical Value                  5 out of 6