I wanted so badly, for this to be our favourite vegan meal in Seattle. Makini Howell, at the head of this small empire, is featured in a New York Times article as one of 16 African American chefs who are changing food in America. It's behind a paywall and I am too cheap to pay for news but I think she is the only one who is vegan. She grew up in a family that was vegan and was the personal chef to Stevie Wonder for a year (Wow). Her cookbook, Simple Goodness, is available for pre-order now! Everything aligned for us to be so impressed!
We made a reservation, even though there is some confusion about whether they even accept reservations... but we really didn't need one! Located on 12th Avenue near East Pike, we were early enough on a Sunday evening that things were quiet.
We started with their famous Mac & Yease. We assumed that the name is a play on the inclusion of nutritional yeast, the vegan secret weapon! In fact, the yeast was a wonderful accent to a very satisfying dish. Our friends at Vegan Twosome found the dish to be a little expensive but considering the substantial (and delicious) nature of it, we didn't mind the price. It was certainly not your typical Kraft Dinner so don't expect that. This was much more casserole-like (?) with evidence of baked breadcrumb topping.
Next up were the Chipotle Plant Beef and Refried Bean Tosatdas. At $26, this was the dish that might be overpriced but we enjoyed it anyway. Pretty much what would you expect from vegan tostadas? They were flavourful, fresh, and had some crunch and a beefy taste. 
We liked Baba's Tofustarami Reuben as well. It was a little on the greasy side when I picked it up but it was an excellent Reuben. Using thinly shaved tofu with pastrami spices is a creative and successful way to arrive at this sandwich meat. Vegan provolone cheese, Thousand Islands, grilled onion and pickled cabbage (instead of sauerkraut) made for a complete treat. The fries were meh.
This experience would all have been great but we had one problem with Plum Bistro. They pay their staff a living wage (Good God! That is not what we object to!) just like Folke in Vancouver, BC. When you go to Folke, you know in advance that tipping is not expected and that the restaurant prices cover the living wage. Here at Plum Bistro they pay a living wage but it is covered by a 20% service charge (so says the small print) on top of the restaurant prices. The explanation of the living wage does not really suggest tipping is not necessary but explains that if you leave a tip it goes directly to your server. Our server was a good guy and I felt obliged to tip him in addition to the 20%. Later, I felt a little bad about being generous (kind of a stupid way to feel) because I felt a little, like I was suckered a bit. My problem was that I did not think it out in advance.
Good food. Shitty tipping policy explanation.
Food 4 out of 5
Vegan Options 5 out of 5
Comfort 4 out of 5
Service 4 out of 5
Value 3 1/2 out of 5
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