Stumptown Vegans

Date: April 25, 2007
Times Visited: 6

Vegetarian House bestows Portland with a vegan Chinese lunchtime buffet. Recently the restaurant announced they were ridding themselves of the whey faux chicken and going all-vegan (except for the dairy crab rangoons) so I thought I’d give the buffet another try. I have only been a small handful of times, and found it so-so, but I was hoping there would now be new options.

There weren’t any, but the buffet was tastier than I’d recalled. I can’t say that it’s the type of Chinese food that I crave or enjoyed while growing up, or that it filled my cravings like Grasshopper in Boston or New Harmony in Philly, but it still hits a certain vegan greasy goodness spot with its extensive menu and lunch buffet.
The buffet featured ‘beef’ and green beans, spring rolls, fried won tons, sweet and sour dipping sauce, steamed vegetables, lomein , fried rice, tempura broccoli & yam, a spicy tofu dish and a house soup. This was the first time I’d gone that the soup was not hot and sour, but a simple, body-warming soup with a clear broth and veggies. If only I had more room for it.. My favorite dish was the ‘beef’ with green beans, though the green beans didn”t have any crisp left in them, the savory dish works, especially when eaten with the fairly plain fried rice to balance it. I wouldn’t order it as an entree, so it was a nice addition for me.

I actually liked the spring rolls, though hanging out on a buffet and again, lacking ‘crisp’, I enjoyed them for what they were -vegan springrolls sitting on a buffet waiting for me. Being a fan of heat in my Chinese food, I was okay with the flavor of the tofu dish, but not the texture. I would have preferred fried tofu, and this was soft.

Note that the regular menu, home of assorted faux chicken and faux shrimp dishes that Vegetarian House is known for, is also available during the buffet.
I would recommend giving the buffet a try, you could find something you really like - but I would also recommend going for a nice dinner.

Buffet Plate

Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Address: 22 NW 4th Avenue Portland, OR
Buffet Hours: 11am-2:30pm M-F

April 26, 2007
Times Visited: Countless

Blossoming Lotus is not the place to go if you want a lot of food for cheap. Blossoming Lotus is the place to go when you want some great vegan food that makes you feel great and you have a few extra bucks to spend.

Some of the food seems so simple that I could make it at home, like the Monk Bowl ($7) which is just a bowl of rice with a daily grain and lots of great organic veggies and a spicy sauce. Then there are other options like the like live/raw pizza! ($7) Check out their menu for all their delecious options. But no matter how simple or complicated your meal, you’ll always be getting food that’s organic, mostly local, and as silly as it sounds, tastes like it was made with love. It’s that extra ingredient or way it’s prepared, that makes everything taste better.

I usually go for the tempeh salad wrap. It’s similar to a fake chicken salad with crumbled tempeh, a fake mayo mixture with some crunchy vegetables like celery or pickles and some spices, including cumin, all rolled into a tortilla with lettuce and carrots. For an extra $3 a side salad or soup can be added. I rarely take that option because I know that the wrap will leave me pleasantly full, but I could always eat more of their healthy food.

Vegans find it impossible to talk about Blossoming Lotus without mentioning the soft serve soy cream! The flavors change frequently but it’s always great like chocolate-cherry, chai, peanut butter. I love that you can get a small, couple ounce serving that is just enough to finish off a wonderful meal there for only $1. Other dessert options include their moist cookies and bars, juice, raw fudge, cakes and much more.

Seems like there’s always a wait here, it is not fast food. It suits the mood of the location being situated inside a yoga center.

The raw options are plentiful, even in the dessert choices - raw pecan pie. The full juice bar is something to note though I haven’t tried their juices, but they sure do look beautiful and how can you go wrong with organic fruits and veggies?

Blossoming Lotus also provides vegan catering for events! These guys are making being vegan in Portland too easy! We’re spoiled.

If you can’t make it to their Portland location, or their Hawaii location, you can always check out their cookbook. They even offer up a few recipes online. Jess and I cooked up some macnut tofu from this book and it was fantastic with so much flavor.

There are so many things to note about this small cafe! Check out the breakfast and chef special dinners in the evening. My only complaint is that I wish the dishes came with a small side dish because of the price, also that there was more seating.

Sample Platter

Garden of Eden Salad:

Tempeh Salad Wrap

BBQ Tempeh Sandwich

Flax Crackers

Salad with Ginger Dressing

Nightly Special - Blackened Tempeh

Chai Soft Serve

Live Fudge

Raw Nachos:

Raw Pasta:

Cashew Hummus with Flax Crackers:


Incan bowl with Sweet Ginger and Peanut Sauce


Chef’s Special: Herb Crusted Tempeh with Garlic & Herb Mashed Potatoes and Sage Gravy

Rating: 4.5 out of 5
Address: 925 NW Davis
Hours: Everyday 7:30am-9pm

CLOSED.

April 24, 2007
Times Visited: 2

This little cart replaced The Divine Cafe The cooks are still friendly, cute and play fun music. At first look it seemed some of the menu items remained the same with added West African dishes: tempeh tacos, smoothies, peanut stew, ginger stir fry, portabella burger. During my first visit I ordered the peanut soup. It was brothy but served over quinoa. It was served with a few freshly fried plantains on top. The cup of stew was flavorful and not too spicy. Without the qunioa it wouldn’t have been enough food for lunch, so I was happy to have the option of rice or qunioa with my dish.

My second visit I ordered the Miso Ginger Stir Fry minus the peppers with quinoa. I love to watch my food be made and the cart makes that possible from any angle. The Miso Ginger Stir Fry was fresh with carrots, cabbage, celery, onions and tofu with lots of ginger and some tofu. I hate to say I was disappointed, but I was. The miso was light and the ginger not enough or too much, I’m still unsure. The tofu was plain and too soft for my liking. Overall, the dish was too bland for my taste buds. Next time I will opt for the peanut soup. (WB)

I was a fan of the creative vegan soups and smoked tofu sandwich at Divine Cafe, and seeing a new vegan operation in its old location gave me hope. As Webly said, the guys are super friendly and they’ll let you sample any soup - both I tried (though they have 3) while walking by one day were tasty. On my first visit, I also had the miso ginger stir fry, and while I enjoyed the fresh vegetables (minus the onions) I have the same feelings regarding the tofu and the lack of miso ginger flavor. Mine required extra tamari and srichi. I would order it again if I was downtown and craving fresh veggies over a grain for lunch. FYI, The grain choices are brown rice and quinoa. I haven’t seen any ’specials’ listed yet, which would be a nice surprise.

During my second visit, I ordered the portabella burger, minus the grilled onions. I don’t know if the portabella was mingling somewhere with green onions that the cook didn’t think about, or if he forgot my request, but my sandwich came with portabella slices, green onions, bell peppers, spinach and vegan thousand island sauce. I annoy myself with my no onions plea, butI’m just not a fan. After peaking in and then even trying a bite, I was unable to enjoy mine. The tastes were mingled. I will say that to its credit it is a large sandwich, served on toasted bread and with a side of quinoa or brown rice as well ($6). I do think it’s misleading that it isn’t an actual whole portabella burger, and I wouldn’t order it again, but I would keep the Lion’s Den open as a downtown lunch option. (JD)

Date: July 18, 2007

Last week, I curiously returned to Lion’s Den. I felt like this vegetarian food cart had so much potential. Upon reading the menu, I was excited: it was updated and expanded to include many of the old favorites of its previous owner, ala Divine Café. The new additions included a bbq and basic tofu sandwiches and fettucine. I ordered the basic tofu sandwich, served on rustic white bread with a decent amount of avocado as well as vegenaise, tomato and vibrant greens – mustard was also available. I inquired as to how the tofu was prepared and was told “as is” or plain; but, if I wanted I could have it grilled. I opted for grilled, and had I not, I do believe I would have gotten naked tofu in the sandwich, to note. I can’t actually complain because nothing was noted on the menu stating elsewise, I was simply surprised at how ‘basic’ it would have been. To jazz things up, I added some soy sauce and nutritional yeast to my sandwich. I was reminded of a similar sandwich I’d had at Veggielicious, though it came with sprouts and faux cheez, and the tofu was pan fried.

At $5.75, I comfortably ate my sandwich and extremely moist and tasty side of quinoa at a table right outside the cart. The quinoa seemed to have a spicy peanut flavor, and I would have gladly eaten a bowl of it. Throw some cooked tofu on top, and they’d have themselves a devoted regular. I find myself wishing their veggie stir fry had this sauce. Almost taken aback, as I was eating the cook had a cigarette within a few feet of the cart which he was also doing in the area before I came. I hesitate to even mention it, but it did affect my overall experience. Prior to eating and experiencing this, I would have returned within a week or so try another new option. As it stands now, I’m in no rush and it will probably be at least a month before I go back.

Overall, it’s easy to compare Lion’s Den to the previous incarnation, Divine Café (whose passionate owner/chef Rose moved on to cook elsewhere) but now, even with a similar menu, I’ve again found the cart quite less than impressive. The all-vegetarian options and premise have wonderful promise, but I honestly haven’t experienced it fulfilled yet. (JD)

Miso Ginger Stir Fry

Portabella Burger

Tofu sandwich with a side of quinoa

Rating: 2 out of 5
Address: SW 9th Ave., midway between Washington and Alder
Hours: 11am-4pm, weekdays

Date: April 22, 2007
Times Visited: 20+

When I first lived in Portland 7 years ago I was never given a chance not to like Dots. It was THE place to get fries with a tofu dipping sauce. Dots is a dark, sometimes smoky bar and restaurant in Clinton. I was finally given a chance to make my own opinion. We ordered almost everything marked vegan on the menu: Spicy Fries with tofu dipping sauce, Vegan Greek Salad and the Sandwich, leaving off the Vavoom, which I hear it great.

I enjoy thicker French fries than the skinny fries they serve here. The spiciness of the fries are good and the tofu dipping sauce is mild until you dip it into the hot sauce on top.

The salad seemed odd when I first read it, Geek salad with Italian dressing. Nice crunchy lettuce, with tomatoes, olives, cucumber and warm tofu on top. I enjoy different things in my salads, but the once frozen, then fried tofu on top of my salad turned me off a bit since it wilted the lettuce right away. Other than that, there were a perfect amount of olives. The pita n the side was perfect, but I didn’t understand it until I was almost full. This is what I will do next time I buy this salad: Fill the pita with the contents of the salad and then dip it into the tofu dipping sauce - wonderful! (WB)

~

I’m not a fan of smoke, but other than that I’m a loyal fan of Dots. The food is reliable, there are not only vegan appetizer options, but main courses and specialty salads. I was told it was Portland institution when I moved here, and have certainly found that to be true, especially since moving into the neighborhood. The booths are spacious, the walls feel like velvet, and Elvis and clowns stare at you while you eat.

There are many beers on tap, good cocktails (Willamette Valley Martini and Strawberry Lemonade are two favorites) and well drinks and my sandwich featured here, the Vegan Deluxe, which I swear is better every time. Even with a glass of water. The Vegan Deluxe comes on rye bread, and is FULL of house made hummus, sautéed spinach and mushrooms, tomato and onions, if desired. Served on the side are carrots, celery, cucumber and pepperocini. The pepperocini aren’t the crispest around, but they are really spicy in a sharp way, not for the faint of heart. Other vegan options include a falafel wrap, the Greek salad and a black beans & tortilla plate.

But, you’re at Dots – odds are you’ve ordered the house cut fries – or should have. Typically fresh and hot, these fries come small or large with ketchup or the highly recommended spicy tofu sauce. A small can be shared between 3, but so can the large.

The bottom part of the sauce is savory and creamy, while the hot sauce on top is gradually mixed in while you dip. Dip the hot sauced fry into ketchup and you’ve got a content reviewer… They’re not the best fries in Portland, but who else has this sauce? (JD)

Vegan Deluxe Sandwich

Small Handcut Fries with Hot & Spicy Tofu Sauce

Greek Salad

Rating: 4 out of 5
Address: 2521 SE Clinton St. Portland, OR 97202
Hours: Daily 12pm-12am