by | January 27, 2009

Bete-Lukas Ethiopian

Bete-Lukas Brief Review
Overall Service Food Quality Atmosphere Vegan Options
9 10 9 8 9
Location: Location: 2504 SE 50th Ave, Suite D – upstairs Portland, OR
Hours: Dinner: Tuesday-Sunday 5pm-close
Lunch - weekends only 11:30am-2:30pm		 Times Visited: 3

Truth be told, this review has suffered from exhaustive delay. This can happen with our two visit minimum rule for local restaurants, and this is one place that deserves your hungry attention. The Stumptown Vegans first read about Bete-Lukas opening on Portland Food and Drink, which brought one of us there months ago for dinner, and then busy life and a delayed second visit for no good reason other then, well, busy life, kept us quiet. Recently this restaurant has been receiving buzz in the Portland Mercury and on the Food Fight! blog and that was the kick in the pants this reviewer need to eat even more Ethiopian food on a third visit and discuss.

Bete-Lukas has been open for a few months now on SE Division Street, located next to North Bar across from the possibly world-renowned Los Gorditos cart. If you can hold in your craving for a giant plate of nachos and pull out a couple more dollars, I urge you to walk across the street and to stuff yourself with Ethiopian goodness.

What makes Bete-Lukas stand out from the other Ethiopian restaurants we’ve visited? Atmosphere, for one. There’s an upscale air to the literally upstairs restaurant. There are stairs that lead to the main entrance on the right side of the building, and an elevator available in front. There are fancy white table cloths, glasses and candles on the tables and the wait staff is dressed professionally. The lighting is somewhat dimmed and there’s an honest sense of class about the establishment.  But being Portland, don’t be nervous about going in jeans.

The second stand out is it’s location. The majority of Ethiopian restaurants in the metro area are located in Northeast Portland, and while I’ve been to a few others, naturally as a South East resident I delight in things coming to me. Thirdly, the service is wonderful. Picture yourself practically at a comedy show if the owner comes to your table. His banter is fabulously dry and usually warm-hearted. As Maeve of the Portland-based Strawberryrock and the World of Vegan Food, points out – and I’ve experienced twice – don’t be terrified if he tells you your credit card is declined. I’d go on about his repertoire, but I don’t want to spoil the show.

As for food, the prices are on the lower-end of most sit down restaurant dinners, with my personal bill coming to $11, or so, plus tip on each of my three visits, and everyone leaving more than satisfied. Considering the setting, the menu prices, at $7-8 per vegetarian entree are a nice read.

I don’t know anyone who likes Ethiopian food and doesn’t find him or herself only eating a bit of everything, so go for it and order a Veggie Combo ($11 for one) for yourself, or two for two guests. WIth a party of three, I’d imagine a combo for two could suffice if you keep eating ample injera pieces and order an appetizer to share. After talking with the expert owner, it appears that all but one vegetarian option on the menu are naturally vegan. The Kategna, which is warm injera served with berbere and seasoned butter appetizer is the sole exception. On all of my visits, the Veggie Combo has included a complimentary dish not listed on the menu, the Fosolia green beans and carrots sauteed with a glossy, high quality olive oil. The rest of the platter included a spicy and thick Misser Wot lentil dish, a smoothly flavored and substantial Kik Alicha Wot, Gomen made with Portland’s favorite green, Kale, Tikel Gomen, made of cabbage, potato, and carrot in a light curry sauce and a standard side of house salad with a tangy dressing served on top of injera. Whether you’ve had Ethiopian food previously or not, a combo is the best way to more than sample what the restaurant has to offer. I love variety, but I could sit down to a plate of their Misser Wot and Gomen and be happy.

Their housemade injera is 80% teff, 10% barley and 10% wheat. On my first two visits, a separate bowl of injera was brought to my to table along with the food. While on another night,a busy Saturday evening, this did not happen. There was plenty of injera overlapping the platter and no food remained unscooped and the leftover savory soaked injera on the plate was delicious in itself. As the owner/waiter will advise, injera is filling and expands in your stomach. Take it somewhat easy with injera and water or I can picture you burping berbere for days.

On my third visit, my two dining companions and myself shared the Veggie Combo for two and an order of drum-roll, please, my new favorite dish in Portland: the Eggplant Tibs ($8). I must give the credit for the eggplant choice to Maeve. The girl loves that nightshade and it was fun to try something new, which is part of the point of a Stumptown Vegan’s repeat visits, after all. The dish featured small chunks of perfectly sauteed eggplant that were spicy, sensual and neither over nor undercooked. It made me want to return immediately and order it again. I haven’t felt so passionate about a dish out in ages.

Bete Lukas was lovely but far too quiet in terms of customers on my first two visits. This was not the case on the third, and I hope that’s the current situation. It is not a place that local residents should overlook, and if you’re an Ethiopian food lover, you deserve to travel across town for this eggplant dish.  

See our reviews of the obviously more casual Dalo’s and Small World Cafe here.

Veggie Platter for Two, shared with Chelsea of Flavorvegan
Bete-Lukas

Injera
Bete-Lukas

Exterior of the front of the building – walk around the corner and up the stairs for entrance!
Bete-Lukas

Bete-Lukas on Urbanspoon

16 Comments

Filed under African, date, dinner, ethiopian, fancy, jess, lunch, SE, The Management

by | January 14, 2009

Ronald’s Donuts

Ronald’s Donuts
Overall Service Food Quality Atmosphere Vegan Options
8.25 8 9 7 9
Location:

4600 W Spring Mountain Rd, Las Vegas, Nevada 89102
702-873-1032
Hours: Everyday 4am-4pm Times Visited: 1

While Portland is lucky enough to have two vegan doughnut options on Sweetpea Baking and Voodoo Doughnuts menus, they aren’t the the same caliber as Ronald’s Donuts in Las Vegas. Even Mighty-O Doughnuts in Seattle falls short because when you have a craving for yeasted doughnuts, cake doughnuts just don’t come close.

Ronald’s Donuts in Las Vegas is located in an unsuspecting strip mall a couple of miles off of Las Vegas Bld, accessable by bus. The hanging sign outside notes they have been voted the best doughnuts in Las Vegas for a long time running.

Entering the store made me question if I was in the correct location – it was so normal, as if I was at Winchell’s or an independent doughnut shop around the corner. A glass display case runs the length of the store and is filled with a large variety of doughnuts. The store contains an averaged sized seating area with basic tables  and uncomfortable chairs that are often filled with a mix of people, include police officers, reading the paper, drinking coffee, and eating doughnuts. Ronald’s is normal in appearance, this is no Voodoo.

I asked for a variety of 1 dozen vegan doughnuts when I reached the counter. The nice server told me the top two, of three, shelves of doughnuts were all vegan. I didn’t think I had heard her right. 2/3 of the doughnuts in the shop were vegan?! Wow. The vegan doughnuts were not limited to one tray, like Voodoo, or only offered on a certain day like Sweetpea. I ordered a variety including Boston Cream, jelly filled, apple fritter, braid, maple bar, chocolate bar, bear claw,  and a couple of others.

It’s difficult to explain how awesome they all were. These are real yeasted doughnuts. Light and fluffy without any yeasty taste. The filled doughnuts were great but may not have had enough filling for my liking. Though I may have had a special moment with a bear claw, asking me to pick my favorite would be like asking me to pick one child over the other. I often heard omnis say they taste like regular old, vegetarian doughnuts, no noticeable difference. Seeing how they have won the best Las Vegas doughnut shop award for many years, I would say they must be better than other doughnuts. For less than $8 for a dozen – you cannot go wrong.

Ronald’s is a typical doughnut shop. Nothing special about this place, to the eye. But to a vegan with a sweet tooth – Ronald’s is the best place in Las Vegas. There are very few reasons I would vist Las Vegas again, but Ronald’s Donuts is one of them. Just remember that they only take cash and close a little early.

The shop:

Mixed Variety:
Ronalds_Doughnuts

11 Comments

Filed under breakfast, cheap, dessert, travel, webly

by | January 1, 2009

Huong’s Vietnamese Food cart

Huong’s Brief Review
Overall Service Food Quality Atmosphere Vegan Options
6 8 5 5 6
Location: SW 10th between SW Alder and Washington
Hours: weekday lunch Times Visited: 3

Another fairly new addition to a vegan’s guide of the downtown lunch cart scene, Huong’s Vietnamese Food is a pleasantly green cart on SW 10th and Alder.

Now three meals in, I’d call myself a fan of the menu listings, staff, and happy cart vibe.  This silly vegan finally ordered the pho for her third meal from Huong.  After almost enjoying her previous two orders, I knew I had to try the cart’s specialty.  As for what is vegan vs. vegetarian, one vegetarian dish clearly involves egg noodles, but the other vegetarian dishes are prepared with a “vegetarian sauce” instead of fish sauce and oyster sauce.  It is unclear if this is a packaged sauce or housemade like at the adorably vegan-friendly I Love Thai Food a couple carts down.

There is one small table for immediate cart seating, but I prefer to take my food back to my place of employment or to the defunct food court seating across from the lot below the Western Culinary Institute inside the Galleria.   The food is prepared quickly, even for a food cart.  All three of my meals were prepared in less than ten minutes and wrapped in the standard plastic bag with napkins,plastic cutlery, and chopsticks with the pho.  For the more environmentally conscious and prepared – bring some tupperware and personal cutlery!

My first order, the Vegetarian Curry ($6), was a well-cooked sweet potato centric party in some sweet curried sauce (minus the cilantro).  There were about three chunks of dense gluten and a fair share of bean curd sheets, but none of the tofu mentioned on the menu.  The most overwhelming aspect of the dish was the rice.  As you can see below, there was more rice than actual curry.  You could surely stuff yourself with rice or take some home and make another meal with it, like fried rice, but I would have liked to see more sauce in the curry so things could spread out.

The best thing I can say about the Vegetarian Dish ($6) is that it is intriguing.  Basically there are strange objects floating in mellow, yet sweet broth and another side of fluffy white rice.  Think of it as an exploration.  The objects I met included dried plum, more sweet potato, delicate pumpkin chunks, one piece of gluten, and lotus seeds.  For all the intrigue, the dish was lacking intriguing taste.  I just didn’t get it.  I gave my ample leftovers to a friend who agreed with this sad sentiment.

The Vegetarian Pho ($5) is vegan by default and seems to be freshly prepared.  I noticed vegetables and noodles cooking while the contents were dished out.  As lamented on Portland Food Carts, the large paper cup and plastic packed sides are extraneous and I was inspired to portion of pho into a bowl at work.  If I hadn’t done that, I felt like I wouldn’t have been able to properly maneuver the variety the dish offers.  As the cheapest main dish vegan option on the menu, the pho packs green vegetables, diced mushrooms, rice noodles, fried tofu cubes, bean curd sheets, and more into a base cup of bland broth.  This time, there was none of the gluten mentioned on the menu.  You are provided with a prepared plastic bag with a section of lime, fresh basil, two sliced hot green peppers, bean sprouts, a packet of soy sauce, and two tiny plastic containers of chili sauce and what seemed to be a thick dark sauce which I assumed to be a plum/hoisin type.  I did not try that sauce out of vegan suspicion, but will ask next time I go.

Maybe the non-vegetarian pho broth is better, I don’t care, but I did rely on the provided soy sauce, lime, and basil as well as some Sriracha I had on hand to kick some life into it.  I know these are used to add flavor to the broth, but they were really needed here as the base broth was almost flavorless.  It’s sad to think vegans might be missing out on a better broth.  Overall there are worse ways and to spend a mere $5 on a lunch downtown, and dissecting this meal I do find myself reflecting enthusiastically about the volume of warm soup contents, chewy bean curd sheets, and abundance of noodles.  I hate running out of noodles first when eating pho and had plenty remaining when reheating my leftovers.  There are also vegetarian salad rolls available two for $3 and a lemongrass tofu and vegetable dish.

I would like to support this vegan friendly, quick cart, but none of the dishes have yet to have a real hold on me.  I know that vegetarian dishes were added to the original menu, and they are appreciated in concept - but it’s so much tastier to get my Pad Kee Mow noodle on at I Love Thai food next door or a veganized Whole Bowl around the corner.  If you’re a fan of this cart, please share with us!   While my favorite Vietnamese soup is from Van Hanh out on SE 82nd, having another vegan pho option downtown is fun, especially in the wintertime. Admittedly, even Pho PDX‘s namesake is more tempting with more chunks of tofu, indoor seating and a large bowl to eat out of since take away pho loses some of the comfort-food aspect the noodle soup offers.

Vegetarian Pho:
Huong Cart - Vegetarian Pho

Vegetarian Pho – portioned into a bowl:
Huong Cart - Vegetarian Pho

Vegetarian Curry:
Huoang Pho, food cart

Vegetarian Dish:
Huong Pho cart

Vegetarian Dish Contents Close up!:
Huong Pho cart

Exterior:
Huong's Vietnamese Food cart

4 Comments

Filed under cart, cheap, downtown, jess, quick, soup, SW, to go, vietnamese

by | December 23, 2008

Daphne’s Greek Cafe

Update: Daphne’s closed Winter of 2009.

Daphne’s Greek Cafe
Overall Service Food Quality Atmosphere Vegan Options
3.0 5 2 3 2
Location: 538 SW 6th Portland, OR 97204   503.222.5758
Hours: Saturday – Sunday 11am-7pm
Monday-Friday 10am-8pm		 Times Visited: 1

Allow me to waste no more of my time on this restaurant. Eating at Daphne’s Greek Cafe is like eating in a mall food court, without the mall. Greek fast food, at a high price.

My first, and last, meal at Daphne’s was half price thanks to their mass mailing coupons announcing their new location, and a kind co-worker. Upon arriving we were met with a long line, cafeteria-style seating, and multiple large images of their meal options plastered around the space. The menu looked promising, but not too exciting - hummus, pita, falafel, and even a Vegetarian Lunch Plate containing hummus, salad, bread, spanakopita, and rice. At $7, it seemed expensive for a lunch I probably couldn’t eat much of, but I did it for the review. I held my breath and ordered the Vegetarian Lunch sans dairy, hoping they knew what that meant.

After ordering and paying at the counter, we grabbed some seats and drinks, and before we knew it our food was served. A full plate of Hummus, falafel, pita, rice, spanakopita, and salad were served. Having asked for no dairy I was interested to see what would be presented. Apparently that meant serving fewer  fried spanakopita pieces that did not show feta from the outside. Upon dissection, of course there was feta inside.

I was skeptical of my meal and only felt comfortable eating the hummus, salad, and bread. Good thing, because according to the allergy information on their website, only the following foods are vegan-friendly: Dolmas, salad with dressing, and rice. After an email to company, they guaranteed that the Hummus, Dolmas, Salad (except the Feta), and Salad Dressing do not contain any animal or dairy products.

This doesn’t really matter because the food isn’t a good choice for downtown Portland lunch because we have better, cheaper options available just blocks away. Stay away from Daphne’s somewhat-garlicly hummus, and sad lettuce salad.

If you’re looking for Greek food downtown, good luck. The Greek Cuisina has a decent, but pricey vegetable sandwich, and most Alexis meals are drenched in dairy products.

The image of the meal was so disappointed with itself it walked away.

10 Comments

Filed under catering, chain restaurant, dinner, downtown, Greek, lunch, not vegan, quick, SW, updated, webly

by | December 3, 2008

Tao of Tea – Original Teahouse

Tao of Tea Teahouse
Overall Service Food Quality Atmosphere Vegan Options
8.75 8 8 10 9
Location: 3430 SE Belmont St. Portland, OR 97214
Hours: 11am-11pm daily, final seating at 10:20pm Times Visited: 2

 

UPDATE 12/30/2008 – We have been notified that the great Green Tea Tofu is not vegan!  We intend to look into this and report back, but for now – be aware!  

There is something that makes me feel special while sitting in the Tao of Tea. Maybe it’s that I finally decided to become a loose leaf tea person a couple years ago and the menu makes me swoon with choices.  Maybe it’s that the majority of the food is vegan and the aromatic interior pulls you in from the moment you open the door on SE Belmont.   Or maybe it’s the fact that it’s so damn peaceful with wood carved seats and I feel like a fancy elf sitting near their in-house mini waterfall.  Yeah, it’s all of the above.

Just like a cup of from their expansive tea menu, the Tao of Tea provides a calming environment to relax with and in.  It’s a spot to go by yourself and a book or with one other person and chat softly.   Naturally, order yourself a cup of hot or cold caffeine-friendly or herbal tea from their twelve varieties, including multiple selections of Chai, Japanese Greens, South American Yerba Mate, Taiwanese Oolongs and more.   This Stumptown Vegan was at peace with her Roasted Green tea and Coconut Mint iced blend on her visits. The iced tea was cool with the refreshing taste of coconut water and pure mint leaves, noted for the warmer weather.

Food choices are from around the world as well, with nearly all menu items suitable for sharing.   Order two or three dishes from the “Bite” section to share, or one for yourself and then see if you’d like some more.  There are also entrees and desserts, and most dishes are served with a small portion of steamed and salted edamame.  And like tea, the dishes are generally warming to the palate with East Asian spices and loads of ginger across the menu.   It is not a place to go if you’re hungry for a veggie  burger with fries type of meal, it’s a restaurant where smaller appetites have many options and those with a larger hunger should opt for an entree and “bite” or two. 

There are two dishes that vie for most memorable: the Green Tea Tofu ($4) and the Spinach Rolls ($7).  The stand out is the definitely the tender, thinly sliced, tea’d tofu.  The light flavor combination of green tea (from matcha powder), lime and cayenne joined with freshly grated ginger on top of each bite makes it unforgettable.  I first tried it months ago and can still taste the memory.  If you are into tofu and trying new things, you can’t hold back the $4.  The Spinach Rolls can be easy to overlook on the menu, but their novel enjoyment lies in their simplicity.  Try thinking of it as a deconstructed spinach stir fry.  The small platter comes with spinach leaves, minced red onions, peanuts, toasted coconut, grated ginger, a delicious mango chutney and minced lime.  The menu recommends trying a different flavor combination with each roll, and I’ve found my favorite to be ginger, peanuts, lime, and a drop of chutney.  You can try to roll the leaves but don’t feel bad if you find yourself making pockets or folds .

The Yam with Lime and Black Sea Salt ($4) was intriguing.  It is one steamed and peeled yam at room temperature, decorated with dried cranberries, cilantro, and and a dusting of eggy, sulfuric black salt, which is really pink.  I knew I could handle black salt but didn’t know how it would sit with the naturally sweet yam, but silly me to doubt, because it worked.  I have mixed feelings on the temperature of the dish and found it on the unexciting side of simple, but it had character.  The Lemongrass Age ($5) was another dish with no surprises, once again served at room temperature.  It consisted of fried tofu triangles, cut in half, smothered with shredded lemongrass, and served with a soy ginger dipping sauce.  Overall a very tasty dish but I couldn’t get the celebrated Green Tea Tofu out of my head while sampling.  The final dish I tried was the Somosas ($6).  Sadly, these came with a non-vegan dipping sauce beside the vegan chutney that my dining companion and I ushered to the side.  The menu describes them as ‘mild’ but there was a bit more spice to that.  They were basic fried somosas with an earthy, potato filling, and were the warmest (and least healthy) item to grace my plate, but not something I’d specifically order again, as I prefer the bad boys at India Chaat House.

While you dine and sip, you’ll likely find yourself satisfied, I know I have – even while hopped up on caffeined tea.  Certainly don’t go with a large group, as service is not what I would call speedy and the seating is just not there.  Go with one or two others and cherish some special tea time.  If you don’t like tea, I’m sorry.  I hope you’ll at least consider trying the Green Tea Tofu.

This is the original Teahouse and sole food serving location of the Tao of Tea.  There is also a Tower of Cosmic Reflections Teahouse inside the Portland Chinese Garden and a Tea Bar at Whole Foods in Bridgeport Village.

Green Tea Tofu:

Above Photo by Katie Jane.

Lemongrass Tofu:
Tao of Tea

Spinach Wraps:
Tao of Tea

Samosas:
Tao of Tea

Yam with Black Sea Salt:
Tao of Tea

15 Comments

Filed under all vegetarian, date, dinner, Indian, jess, lunch, SE, snack, updated

by | November 7, 2008

Watercourse

Stumptown Vegans Travel!

WaterCourse Foods
Overall Service Food Quality Atmosphere Vegan Options
8.5 8 8 8 10
Location: 837 E. 17th Ave, Denver, CO 80218
206 E. 13th Ave, Denver, CO 80203
Bakery: 214 E. 13th Ave, Denver, CO 80203
Hours: Mon – Thur 7am – 9pm, Fri 7am – 10pm,
Sat 8am – 10pm, Sun 8am – 9pm		 Times Visited: 1

Watercourse is a well known vegetarian restaurant in Denver, Colorado. Every time I visit Denver, Watercourse is on my list of places to eat but I’ve never made it there. After having visited for the first time, Watercourse will not be forgotten on my future Denver journeys.

When entering Watercourse their signature sweet treats greet visitors, making it difficult to want to order “real food” with their alluring beauty. The restaurant is casually decorated with bright colors and clean lines. The concrete floors oppose the pressed, unpainted, metal ceiling tiles contrast in a pleasant way with the colorful room dividers. Watercourse offers both booth and table seating. I was happy to see that they have many large tables to be able to accommodate large groups. Since the wait can often be long, even after the lunch rush, you can enjoy the view of the kitchen, bar area, and those beautiful cakes, pies, and cookies while waiting.

Watercourse reminded this reviewer of Portland’s own Vita Cafe from the decor to the menu. The menu contained comfort foods seen in many other vegetarian restaurants like various vegan burgers, tofu wraps, faux chicken fried steak, and burritos. They also offer dishes I have not seen at many other vegan restaurants like Tempeh Scallopini and Setain Au Jus. All entrees are served with two side dishes ranging from various potatoes, salads, and grains. Everything on the menu can be made vegan. Breakfast is served all day and I hear their pancakes are the best.  The beverage menu is expansive with a beer and wine selection that appears to be selected by someone who enjoys good alcohol.

Despite the slow service, the waitstaff were very friendly and helped my dining partner and I select both the Cesear Wrap with Blackened Tofu and the Setain Au Jus.

The Cesear Wrap was crunchy with crisp lettuce and crunchy carbon crusted firm tofu (burnt.) The wrap was very light on the dressing. What I did taste of the dressing I really enjoyed and almost asked for a side of it to dip my wrap into. The dressing was creamy with a light flavor of dulse to give it a taste of the sea. I’d suggest adorning this wrap with the various Watercourse brand hot sauces at the table to bring out the flavors of the dressing.  My side of coleslaw was one of the best coleslaws I’ve had since being vegan. It was sweet with the tang of slaw that I remember in a traditional cabbage coleslaw. The other side was “side vegetables” which ended up being corn and peas. Since I do not eat peas I cannot comment on them, but the corn tasted as it was once frozen. I should have tried the potato salad.

The setain in the Setain Au Jus was light and fluffy, almost as if there was active yeast in the setain dough to add more air to the mixture. The pieces of setain were thinly sliced and  texture was perfect without the too-chewy texture that often comes from over kneading the dough. The French bread used for this sandwich was not as crusty as I would have expected to be served with au jus, but it did hold up when dipped. Au Jus dipping sauce is not for everyone. I know many people who have nightmares about dipping their bread into a liquid and eating a soggy sandwich. The Au Jus sauce was wonderfully flavored, possibly a mushroom based broth with just enough salt. The sides we choose for this dish were disappointing as the side salad came without dressing and the greens were a bit wilted.  The tomato soup was creamy, with a bit of sweetness, and no acidic taste that sometimes accompanies tomato soup.

Watercourse is also a bakery with many vegan options which they also serve at their restaurant. I ordered a Wheat-free Devils Cake with cherry. The chocolate cake was very dense but moist with a light flavor of cherry. The Peach Milkshake was tempting because they used Temptation ice cream but I found it disappointing because there were not chunks of peaches, but little pieces of ice or frost, not even frozen peaches. It wasn’t the happiest ending to a a great meal, but the Devils Cake made up for it.

Watercourse is on the higher end of an average lunch option at $9+ a meal, but it’s worth it to eat a great vegan mean while traveling. They have two restaurants and a bakery so you should find time to visit if you’re in town.

Cesear Wrap:

Setain Au Jus:

6 Comments

Filed under all vegetarian, breakfast, business lunch, catering, date, dessert, dinner, lunch, raw, soup, The Management, travel, webly

by | October 9, 2008

Vegetarian Bistro in Seattle

This restaurant has closed.

Vegetarian Bistro Brief Review
Overall Service Food Quality Atmosphere Vegan Options
7.25 7 6 6 10
Location: 668 S King St. Seattle, WA 98104
Hours: M,W, Thurs & Sun – 11am-9:30pm
Fri & Sat – 11am-11pm		 Times Visited: 1

The Stumptown Vegans Travel!

Vegetarian House in Portland’s itty bitty Chinatown can be decent enough, but it pales in comparison to the vegan Chinese food the Stumptown Vegans have eaten in Seattle at the lovely Teapot and even Bamboo Garden. When traveling to Seattle, this Stumptown Vegans puts Chinese food high on her priority list. My recent visit found me stopping at Vegetarian Bistro in Seattle’s International District.  The other Stumptown Vegan had raved about a previous meal there, so how could I pass it up?  Well, the alarm bell rang when I walked in and it was empty for a weekday lunch at noon, and only one other table arrived during my lunch with a friend. Despite the emptiness, what followed was a standard though enjoyable lunch experience.

If you’ve been to Vegetarian House, imagine the food being one step up in quality, minus the Supreme Master brainwashing. For starters, this reviewer had read on Yelp about dim sum offerings. The menu had eight or so offerings, only a smidgen of what I was hoping for. The dim sum menu was literally an appetizer list of a handful of steamed or fried veggie dumplings, spring rolls, a couple buns, and bean curd rolls.

The three bean curd rolls ($3.50) were a pan-fried, gelatinous and thin fold filled with cabbage, mushrooms and greens. They were not traditionally appealing in looks and clearly in my description, but proved to the be tastier and fresher of the two dim sums my table ordered. The actual bean curd was the skin of the roll, enveloping the filling ingredients.

The second dim sum we ordered was the fried veggie dumplings ($3.50).  These were an oily, deep fried departure that led the way for the remainder of the really fried meal. Basically, the restaurant took three dumplings that you can find sold frozen in packs of 12 for $2 in an Asian market, turned to the deep fryer, and charged $3.50. You bite into one, realize it was a huge mistake to do so quickly and to order something so utterly fried, and reach for your water. Swallow, give yourself a few minutes, and proceed to eat a bombastically deep fried dumpling that you’ll later regret, but will enjoy for the time being. They’re still tempting dumplings, but next time I’ll opt for steamed, thinking about all the oil involved.

It was a surprise to not see a Lunch Specials menu, so my dining companion and I choose two ‘chicken’ entrees for our main courses: the General Tso’s and the Orange Chicken ($9.95 each). Both dishes featured batter fried 3-4 inch round nuggets of tender soy chicken covered in sauce.  We knew what were getting into – another battered entree – and looked forward to it. Standard sides of white or brown rice were complimentary with non-noodle dishes, we chose brown. For an entree, the portion size was smaller than expected, but adequate. Both sauces were again, standard. The Orange was a sweet and obviously citrus based sauce, and the General Tso’s was a more compelling, though expected, spicy meets sweet combination.  General Tso’s is a meal that I always want to order off of regular Chinese restaurant menus with tofu, but I’m terrified of the guarantee of it being actually vegan and have a hard time resisting at vegan Chinese establishments.  The Orange entree was served with pineapple and a few chopped bell peppers while the General’s came with a small side of nearly warm steamed broccoli.  The General Tso’s was the best variation of that dish I’d had since at New Harmony in Philadelphia a couple years ago.

Across the board, the physical dishes, presentations and service were all cordial. Frustration stuck when stepping out of the restaurant after dining. Posted on the window was the lunch specials menu – to think we could have ordered enough for one, with soup, for cheaper! Why was this menu not on the table, or taken off the window if it’s no longer offered? My seeking of deals at lunchtime made this even more tragic than the lack of dim sum. The meal itself wasn’t one that I’d plan into my next trip up north, but a destination I’d keep in mind. Vegetarian Bistro served us a meal that tiptoed above it’s counterparts in Portland, and is worth checking out one day to explore their additional menu options, and a dose of comforting General Tso’s.

Tofu Rolls
vegetarian bistro, seattle

Veggie Dumplings
vegetarian bistro, seattle

General Tso’s Chicken
vegetarian bistro, seattle

Orange Chicken
vegetarian bistro, seattle

Steamed Dumplings

Beef and Broccoli

Moo Shoo Tofu

Place Setting

5 Comments

Filed under all vegetarian, chinese, closed, dinner, jess, lunch, seattle, travel, updated