Having completed our 2011 resolution of eating at all of NYC’s vegetarian restaurants, we want to start 2012 with a look back on some of our best experiences. Looking for a good vegan date spot? Wondering where to satiate your vegetarian sweet tooth’s cravings? Here are the Vegiboys’ best restaurant recommendations:
OVERALL FAVORITE
The comfortable elegance of V-Note is only superseded by the outstanding food. Don’t let the wine bar label fool you; this full-service restaurant is now our favorite vegetarian venue in the city.
An Honorable Mention also goes to one of our perennial favorites, Red Bamboo. The atmosphere can be hectic, but the faux-meat meals that fill their menu are among the best New York has to offer.
BEST FOOD
At Kajitsu, every plate is an artistic composition. The intricately designed visual appeal of every course and the entirely unexpected ingredients are enough reason to give their kitchen’s creativity respect, but to blend these components into some of the most unique and delicious creations we’ve ever tasted earns the restaurant our vote for NYC’s best vegetarian food.
Runner-up Punjabi also deserves a shout-out. Though this Indian cuisine venue is no frills (don’t expect a chair if you want to eat at the counter), you can fully satisfy your appetite from their steam trays for as low as $3.
BEST SERVICE
The staff at Oneness-Fountain-Heart possess all of the right characteristics in perfect proportion: professionalism, humor, attentiveness that never feels smothering, and confident knowledge of the menu and their kitchen’s strengths.
We also want to give an Honorable Mention to Bread-A. The servers accept you with the familiarity of family, feeling no discomfort in providing strongly opinionated recommendations (and feeling no compunction in fighting amongst themselves on whose recommendations deserve the highest credence).
BEST ATMOSPHERE
Crossing the threshold of Hangawi has been compared to entering a sanctuary. Entering through the monumental front door and removing your shoes imbue an immediate degree of ceremony to the experience. The long dining room with subtle lighting and sunken wooden tables is simply beautiful; the restaurant’s design offers an unparalleled atmosphere.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | INDIAN CUISINE
Manhattan’s Little India hold’s the city’s highest concentration of vegetarian restaurants, so the neighborhood has no shortage of options for vegi-dining. However, our favorite Indian food comes from the consistent kitchen of the recently renovated Chennai Garden.
Further afield, runner-up Annam Brahma has a broader menu, but the restaurant’s Indian dishes have all proven outstanding.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | RAW FOOD
Their skill with using raw ingredients to mold entirely accurate replicas of complex foods like ravioli, enchiladas, and pecan pie sets Quintessence apart among NYC’s raw food restaurants. This is one of the most talented vegetarian kitchens in the city, and the restaurant demonstrates the incredible potential of raw cuisine.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | ASIAN CUISINE
The Lower East Side’s Wild Ginger offers a full range of Asian dishes, from pad Thai to Korean bi-bim bap. Whether ordering a simple Szechuan-style platter or seasonal special, Wild Ginger provides consistently delicious food in a comfortable atmosphere. (Wild Ginger also has a location in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill, but should not be confused with the restaurant in Williamsburg of the same name.)
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | “FAST FOOD”
Newcomer Blossom Du Jour brings fast food to new heights. With haute-cuisine twists on traditional fast food like burgers, fries, and shakes, Blossom offers vegetarian fast food beautifully done.
BEST PLACE TO BRING YOUR DATE
With dimmed lighting, a rustic dining room, and an overwhelming array of menu options to suit any palate, Caravan of Dreams supplies the perfect setting for a romantic outing. They provide live music every night to help you even further in setting the mood for your next vegi-date.
BEST FALAFEL JOINT
NYC contains plenty of cheap (and not-so-cheap) vegetarian falafel chains, but Soom Soom stands out for us as the best of its class within the falafel joint crowd. Ultra-friendly service, a comfortable venue, and higher quality food all set the restaurant apart from its competitors.
BEST PLACE TO TAKE A VACATION WITHOUT LEAVING THE CITY
Ready to feel transported? The lack of windows at Vatan reinforces a sense of separation from the city, but it’s the Disney Land-esque interior design that really brings your table to another world. If you’re seated upstairs, make sure to take a peek into the Temple of Doom dining area in the basement before departing.
An Honorable Mention in this category also due to Franchia. The amazing interior design extends vertically to three steep tiers of dining spaces, keeping your attention away from the streets of Park Avenue outside, and instead drawing you into their perfectly crafted Korean tea house for the length of your meal.
BEST PLACE TO TAKE YOUR MEAT-EATING FRIENDS
The mock meat concoctions at Red Bamboo will delight even the most intractable omnivores. The taste and texture of some items (like the restaurant’s buffalo wings) are perhaps even an improvement on the meat-based variety.
The prix fixe weekend brunch at Rockin’ Raw spins raw ingredients into amazing traditional brunch items like raw interpretations of fried eggs and hashbrowns. Sundays also offer all-you-can-drink mimosas and Bloody Marys. During warmer weather, the great seating on their Bohemian backyard offers dining underneath fruit trees.
The price tag alone may dissuade many NYC vegetarians in the lower 99% wealth bracket, but a meal at Kajitsu transcends the typical restaurant experience. The service has been refined beyond perfection, and the experience is more akin to a performance than a meal. Rarely used ingredients like the finger lime may offer you flavors you would never otherwise experience. It’s perfect entertainment when the taste buds grow bored with more proletarian cooking.
Got another restaurant superlative for the Vegiboys to answer? Have a NYC vegetarian restaurant you think should be making the cut in one the categories above? You can comment below, or start a discussion on our Facebook page.
Vegiboys’ Best of NYC | Restaurant Edition
Having completed our 2011 resolution of eating at all of NYC’s vegetarian restaurants, we want to start 2012 with a look back on some of our best experiences. Looking for a good vegan date spot? Wondering where to satiate your vegetarian sweet tooth’s cravings? Here are the Vegiboys’ best restaurant recommendations:
The comfortable elegance of V-Note is only superseded by the outstanding food. Don’t let the wine bar label fool you; this full-service restaurant is now our favorite vegetarian venue in the city.
An Honorable Mention also goes to one of our perennial favorites, Red Bamboo. The atmosphere can be hectic, but the faux-meat meals that fill their menu are among the best New York has to offer.
BEST FOOD
At Kajitsu, every plate is an artistic composition. The intricately designed visual appeal of every course and the entirely unexpected ingredients are enough reason to give their kitchen’s creativity respect, but to blend these components into some of the most unique and delicious creations we’ve ever tasted earns the restaurant our vote for NYC’s best vegetarian food.
The time intensive (and resource intensive) techniques used in vegetarian raw food kitchens usually give the cuisine a high price tag. While any 3 course meal under $20 is a bargain, Raw Star Café provides a great experience and outstanding raw food for that price, making it the city’s best value.
Runner-up Punjabi also deserves a shout-out. Though this Indian cuisine venue is no frills (don’t expect a chair if you want to eat at the counter), you can fully satisfy your appetite from their steam trays for as low as $3.
BEST SERVICE
The staff at Oneness-Fountain-Heart possess all of the right characteristics in perfect proportion: professionalism, humor, attentiveness that never feels smothering, and confident knowledge of the menu and their kitchen’s strengths.
We also want to give an Honorable Mention to Bread-A. The servers accept you with the familiarity of family, feeling no discomfort in providing strongly opinionated recommendations (and feeling no compunction in fighting amongst themselves on whose recommendations deserve the highest credence).
BEST ATMOSPHERE
Crossing the threshold of Hangawi has been compared to entering a sanctuary. Entering through the monumental front door and removing your shoes imbue an immediate degree of ceremony to the experience. The long dining room with subtle lighting and sunken wooden tables is simply beautiful; the restaurant’s design offers an unparalleled atmosphere.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | INDIAN CUISINE
Manhattan’s Little India hold’s the city’s highest concentration of vegetarian restaurants, so the neighborhood has no shortage of options for vegi-dining. However, our favorite Indian food comes from the consistent kitchen of the recently renovated Chennai Garden.
Further afield, runner-up Annam Brahma has a broader menu, but the restaurant’s Indian dishes have all proven outstanding.
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | RAW FOOD
Their skill with using raw ingredients to mold entirely accurate replicas of complex foods like ravioli, enchiladas, and pecan pie sets Quintessence apart among NYC’s raw food restaurants. This is one of the most talented vegetarian kitchens in the city, and the restaurant demonstrates the incredible potential of raw cuisine.
The Lower East Side’s Wild Ginger offers a full range of Asian dishes, from pad Thai to Korean bi-bim bap. Whether ordering a simple Szechuan-style platter or seasonal special, Wild Ginger provides consistently delicious food in a comfortable atmosphere. (Wild Ginger also has a location in Brooklyn’s Cobble Hill, but should not be confused with the restaurant in Williamsburg of the same name.)
FAVORITE RESTAURANT | “FAST FOOD”
Newcomer Blossom Du Jour brings fast food to new heights. With haute-cuisine twists on traditional fast food like burgers, fries, and shakes, Blossom offers vegetarian fast food beautifully done.
BEST PLACE TO BRING YOUR DATE
With dimmed lighting, a rustic dining room, and an overwhelming array of menu options to suit any palate, Caravan of Dreams supplies the perfect setting for a romantic outing. They provide live music every night to help you even further in setting the mood for your next vegi-date.
BEST FALAFEL JOINT
NYC contains plenty of cheap (and not-so-cheap) vegetarian falafel chains, but Soom Soom stands out for us as the best of its class within the falafel joint crowd. Ultra-friendly service, a comfortable venue, and higher quality food all set the restaurant apart from its competitors.
Ready to feel transported? The lack of windows at Vatan reinforces a sense of separation from the city, but it’s the Disney Land-esque interior design that really brings your table to another world. If you’re seated upstairs, make sure to take a peek into the Temple of Doom dining area in the basement before departing.
An Honorable Mention in this category also due to Franchia. The amazing interior design extends vertically to three steep tiers of dining spaces, keeping your attention away from the streets of Park Avenue outside, and instead drawing you into their perfectly crafted Korean tea house for the length of your meal.
BEST PLACE TO TAKE YOUR MEAT-EATING FRIENDS
The mock meat concoctions at Red Bamboo will delight even the most intractable omnivores. The taste and texture of some items (like the restaurant’s buffalo wings) are perhaps even an improvement on the meat-based variety.
We also want to provide an Honorable Mention to Café Viva. This vegi-venue draws a diverse crowd by marketing itself as a typical NYC pizzeria, and only with careful attention do you notice that the menu options never include real meat.
The prix fixe weekend brunch at Rockin’ Raw spins raw ingredients into amazing traditional brunch items like raw interpretations of fried eggs and hashbrowns. Sundays also offer all-you-can-drink mimosas and Bloody Marys. During warmer weather, the great seating on their Bohemian backyard offers dining underneath fruit trees.
BEST PLACE TO ZEN OUT WHILE YOU EAT
Even aside from sharing a space with a yoga studio, JivamukTea Café has a serene atmosphere with calming, comfortable colors to help re-center the mind. Sitting above Broadway just south of Union Square, the restaurant seems to slow the pace of the surrounding world, offering the perfect corner to clear the mind while filling the stomach.
MOST SATISFYING DESSERTS
Pure Food and Wine creates amazing raw food, and the kitchen’s desserts are no exception. Drawing on seasonal ingredients, the restaurant crafts brilliantly designed sweets that exceed the tastes you’d expect. Rather than treating dessert as an afterthought to the main dish, the experience at Pure continues building after the entrée is done to crescendo with the final course.
The price tag alone may dissuade many NYC vegetarians in the lower 99% wealth bracket, but a meal at Kajitsu transcends the typical restaurant experience. The service has been refined beyond perfection, and the experience is more akin to a performance than a meal. Rarely used ingredients like the finger lime may offer you flavors you would never otherwise experience. It’s perfect entertainment when the taste buds grow bored with more proletarian cooking.
MOST SURPRISING
Hidden among the crowd of restaurants in the East Village, Lan Café is unassuming in its atmosphere and service, but the modest facade hides a very talented kitchen. As the only vegetarian Vietnamese venue in the city (and with plenty of French-inspired flairs on the menu), the food is surprisingly unique and well worth the attention of New York’s vegetarians.
Got another restaurant superlative for the Vegiboys to answer? Have a NYC vegetarian restaurant you think should be making the cut in one the categories above? You can comment below, or start a discussion on our Facebook page.