On Gobo: Food for the Five Senses

I wanted to take my husband out for his birthday, so I asked him to tell me what his absolute favorite restaurant in New York City is. As he is a meat eater, I expected him to name some Sushi restaurant, and was completely prepared to to chow down on avocado rolls for the night.

He answered: "Gobo." This is a vegetarian restaurant. So that says something.

I can't say enough about Gobo: Food for the Five Senses. I enjoy absolutely everything about it. It's much more in the vein of classy restaurant, compared to joints like Vegetarian Paradise just around the corner, with low lighting and waiters going around with bottles of wine. The dishes are a notch more expensive. But for the food and the atmosphere, it's worth it. My favorite thing about eating there is the communal way it is set up. The tables are all connected, cafeteria style, and the kitchen is open, so you can watch your food being prepared. There is such an openness, a togetherness about it, and paired with the low lighting and friendly staff, it takes on a sort of intimacy I haven't found in other establishments. I take everyone to Gobo when they are visiting the city, and I have yet to hear a complaint.

My favorites? The New England rolls are outstanding, large crisp rolls filled with vegetables that come with this delicious tangy sauce. My husband's favorite dish is also one of mine, the smoked seitan medallions in a sizzling citrus sauce. It comes out actually sizzling, cooked perfectly (which is a hard thing to do with seitan), accompanied by vegetables and a dark citrus sauce. My absolute favorite: I can't get enough of the shitake caps with mashed sweet potatoes and raisins. I never thought that combination would work, but it blew me away- the sharp taste of shitake is leveled by the subtle sweetness of the potatoes. The thing about the menu that impresses me is that they aren't trying to mock meat; they list exactly what you are about to eat rather than saying "chicken," and when they use protein products such as soy or seitan, they do so in such a way as to highlight their unique taste. The menu also features an organic juice bar, although I have skipped that thus far because it is a bit too on the pricey side.

This may be the only place I would say this for: Gobo is a must for any visit to New York City. Whether you're a vegetarian or not, it is the best way to experience urban vegetarian cuisine. Make a reservation, otherwise you aren't likely to get a seat in the main dining room; if you don't care, there is, in lieu of a bar, a cute but cramped little area called the "kitchen" off to the side where you can be served if there is no seating in the main room available.

Gobo is located on 6th Avenue, between Waverly and 8th Street. Many subways in the vicinity, including the West 4th stop for the A/C/E/B/D. http://www.goborestaurant.com/ for menu and information on their other location on the UES. Reservations recommended!! Call 212.255.3902 to make a reservation.

On Dao Palate

The other night I was eating a delicious vegetarian meal and realized I haven't reviewed it here, which certainly needs to be done, since Dao Palate is quickly becoming one of my favorite restaurants in Brooklyn.

Located in Park Slope, Dao Palate offers a lot of pan-Asian soy meat, but is actually quite different from the vegan fare offered at any of the restaurants I consider part of the Vegetarian Paradise Empire. Paying attention to quality, the dishes are smaller in portion and more delicately prepared, in the same vein as the upscale Manhattan vegan establishments (such as Gobo: Food For The Five Senses in the West Village and Candle 79 on the Upper East Side), but the meals are not nearly as expensive at Dao, which pleases my wallet.

What is really exciting to me is that Dao Palate delivers to North Flatbush. I don't know how far down they will go, but I know they deliver to me on Parkside and a friend of mine on Caton, for free. I have found other Park Slope restaurants willing to trek to the other end of the park to bring you your dinner, so it is always worth calling and asking.

I've had many of their dishes; I'm particularly fond of the sweet citrus soy protein, which comes topped with sliced almonds and served on a big bed of kale- the use of healthy vegetables in their cooking sets them apart from the grease-fest that Zen, Vegetarian Paradise, and the like tend to give you. Delicious though that grease-fest might be, I really appreciate the way Dao Palate balances their proteins with vegetables; the other night I had the Tofu Teriyaki which came with a large quantity of marinated bean spouts; it was delicious.

And if you do get to journey out and eat there, the atmosphere of the restaurant is a big plus as well. The decor and low lighting are very tranquil and comforting- while you are there, order a pot of tea; it comes with small metal tea cups that are beautiful and surprisingly heavy, somehow they make me more appreciative and mindful of the whole experience. If you can't get out to Park Slope, you can always try bringing the peaceful atmosphere of the restaurant home; brew some tea, get out the nice plates and chopsticks or silverware rather than eating out of the plastic containers.

Healthy, delicious, beautifully prepared, vegetarian- what more could I ask for?

Dao Palate is located on 329 Flatbush Avenue, right off the 7th Avenue stop on the Q, across the street from Vegetarian Palate.

The Great Vegetarian Empire Review

I am about to review a whole lot of seemingly independent vegetarian restaurants in New York City that I am convinced are owned by someone who has monopolized the vegetarian restaurant business here. These restaurants are: Vegetarian Paradise 3 (China Town), Vegetarian Paradise 2 (West Village), Red Bamboo (West Village), Soy and Sake (Greenwich Village), Vegetarian Palate (Park Slope), and Zen Vegetarian House (Flatbush!!). I thought I might as well review them all at once since they have such similar menus. (I've never been to Veg. Paradise 3, so I can't offer a review on that, but I'm assuming it's related to Veg. Paradise 2!)

Most vegetarians in New York have heard of Vegetarian Paradise 2 and Red Bamboo since they are right next to each other in the NYU neighborhood, home to many vegetarian and vegan friendly establishments. Here is a hint (and the first evidence of there being an overarching empire): if you want to go to Red Bamboo, but its too crowded, go to Vegetarian Paradise and ask them for Red Bamboo's menu. No kidding. They'll just give you both menus, and you can order whatever you want. I can't certify whether the other restaurants are under the same ownership, but if they aren't, they are plagarising each other's menus to no end.

These restaurants are known for one thing, and they do it very well: fake meat. Everything on the menu is mock meat, so they don't even bother explaining it; it's common sense that it isn't actually duck or beef or fish if it's called Vegetarian Paradise. It's a *great* place for bringing meat-eating visitors and friends who think vegetarians eat twigs and nuts. It's also great if you used to eat meat and miss it. My husband is addicted to these restaurants, and he's a meat eater; he says it has all the flavor of meat but its easier to chew.

Now, these restaurants aren't exactly healthy... it's sort of like chinese food; greasy, fried, battered, saucy... but very, very tasty.

So, since many of these restaurants have the same items on their menu, I'm just going to list my favorite menu items, and list where you can try them out.

Appetizers
**Almond Coconut Chicken: Crispy soy strips, fried with almond slivers and shredded coconut, with a sweet chili sauce.
Available at: Red Bamboo
**Sugarcane Drumsticks: soft shredded soy with a thin fried shell, cooked on a stick of sugarcane, with sweet chili sauce. If you have a sweet tooth like me, press your teeth down on the sugar cane when you're done with the drumstick and suck out the sugar. Mmm...
Available at: Vegetarian Paradise 2, Vegetarian Palate, Zen
**Malaysian Pancakes: Thin crepes with a very sweet (but not tangy) curry sauce. I absolutely love the sauce.
Available at: Zen, Vegetarian Palate (I think Roti Canai at Red Bamboo is probably the same thing)

Sushi
Yes, one of these establishments stands alone in this area: Soy and Sake. Thank you, Soy and Sake, for the most delicious vegetarian sushi experience of my life. The classic rolls are decent but nothing special; I didn't think too much of the spicy salmon roll. But the special rolls are really outstanding and huge, so come with your appetite.
Favorites:
**Hawaii Roll: Big, juicy roll layered with strips of sweet mango, filled with banana, avocado, and Korean pear. Oh, my, goodness.
**House Roll: Well, I never had chicken in my sushi in my meat eating youth, but I've had it in my vegetarian sushi! This roll features fried soy chicken, and has eel sauce on it, a sweet brown sauce usually served with eel rolls, that vegetarians often miss out on! Delicious. I still haven't figured out how to eat this roll. Huge sauced up pieces full of soy and avocado that barely fit in my mouth but don't stay together well when eaten in bites. It's worth the struggle, though.

Meals
I should note that it's hard to go wrong. The only thing I haven't enjoyed so far is the duck l'orange at Vegetarian Palate. But, especially in the beef and chicken sections of the menu, it's really hard to go wrong. Here's some stand-bys:

**Hawaiian Chicken/Sweet and Sour Chicken: Deep fried soy strips, Chinese style, with a thick, goopy, tangy, wonderful sweet and sour sauce. Most locations (not Zen) jazz up the sauce, adding lychees and pineapples. Very yummy dish.
Available at: EVERY LOCATION :)

**Mango Chicken: A ridiculous amount of sweet mango comes with this dish, making it a great value. It's definitely a mango-lovers delight. Chicken strips slightly healthier in cooking style, marinated in a mildly sweet sauce and the juice of the mango.
Available at: EVERY LOCATION :)

**Double Delight: A great combination of soy beef and soy chicken in a nice mild sauce, with lots and lots of steamed vegetables. I get this dish when I want a balance rather than an overload of fake meat. It is great for variety and comes in a nice, light sauce that tastes like thick sugar water. It's a great fall back choice for when you can't decide.
Available at: Vegetarian Paradise, Vegetarian Palate

So, go find the location nearest you, and enjoy a really indulgent, can't-believe-this-is-vegetarian meal.

Vegetarian Paradise: 144 W 4th St, Between 6th Ave & Macdougal St (near the BD, West 4th stop)
Red Bamboo: 140 W 4th Street, next door to Veg. Paradise
Soy and Sake: 47 7th Ave S, Between Bleecker & Morton St (near the 1, Christopher Street stop)
Zen: 773 Flatbush Ave, Between Clarkson Ave & Lenox Rd (near the Q at Parkside)
(Btw, Zen is a really delightful addition to this neighborhood. It seems a little out of place where it is located in Flatbush, but it seems to get good business. They have really fast delivery!!)
Vegetarian Palate: 258 Flatbush Ave, Between St Marks Ave & Prospect Place (near the Q-B at 7th avenue)

On Love For Rastafarianism

When I first moved to Flatbush, my first thought was, "Dear God. I will never make it here." The reason? I was overwhelmed by bakeries and shops advertising Jerk Chicken, Beef Patties, Curry Goat, and Oxtail Soup. It's a Caribbean/Jamaican neighborhood, and I quickly doubted if I would ever take part in their culture in any way, at least from a culinary standpoint. It was sad, because I really wanted to get myself mixed into the culture, learn about the music and the traditions (actually, as I write this entry the West Indian Day Parade is happening around and about the neighborhood, celebrating heritage and culture in a bold, boisterous, and colorful way. Check out the beautiful costumes!)

Then I read about a place called Strictly Vegetarian on a great blog I stumbled upon, Flatbush Vegan. And I discovered my culinary niche in this neighborhood: Rastafarianism!

Now, I don't entirely understand the religious backdrop to the Rastafari movement, but according to Wikipedia they believe the last Emperor of Ethiopia was an incarnation of God. Anyway, whatever the deal is, the ones in my neighborhood are fierce vegetarians, and follow an Ital diet, which is pretty exciting, given all the deep fried chicken shops around here:

Though there are different interpretations of ital regarding specific foods, the general principle is that food should be natural, or pure, and from the earth; Rastas therefore often avoid food which is chemically modified or contains artificial additives (e.g. color, flavorings, and preservatives.) Some also avoid added salt in foods, especially salt with the artificial addition of iodine, while pure sea or kosher salt is eaten by some. In strict interpretations, foods that have been produced using chemicals such as pesticides and fertilizer are not considered ital.

Awesome.

So, here are my reviews of the three Ital stops in the area I've eaten at.

Four Seasons: Four Seasons is probably my favorite Ital stop. From the outside it looks like a big Rasta clothing store, but don't be fooled; they have a full juice bar, baked goods, hot foods, bulk foods, and frozen fake meat products to cook with at home. I am a big fan of their dried mango. The small mixed plate of hot food is $7, and it's more than enough for two people. Menu changes all the time; when I ate there we had soy meat, lomein, some sort of chopped greens, rice, beans, etc. They just layer it all, one thing on top of the other, which is a little strange at first, but since all the food is mild it works fine; we asked for a paper plate and scooped things onto that to make more sense of the mountain of food. It's healthy, filling, and delicious.

Strictly Vegetarian: The guy that runs this place is really nice. It's right across the street from Four Seasons, and has a limited bakery and a nice hot bar. Same deal as Four Seasons, except $6. We liked the variety at Four Seasons a little more, but both places are great. Not so keen on pictures of half naked women on the walls, but if you can handle the atmosphere, it's a great place to stop in for a cheap, hugely portioned meal.

Scoops: Scoops is actually in Lefferts Gardens, but its totally worth the trip. Isn't open on Mondays. Like Strictly Vegetarian, it always seems to be the same Rasta guy in there running the shop. The food was great, $7 for a small mixed plate, portions slightly smaller, but the quality on par or even a little better. We had beans, rice, noodles, really great mango flavored hot sauce, and this amazing stuff they called "soy chunks" that was covered in some sort of barbeque sauce. The unique thing about scoops is the ice cream; they offer half a dozen flavors of Non-Dairy tofutti. I recently had the chocolate and thought it was very good, although the cone was a little stale, so you might go for a cup. Tiny, but there is a little bit of seating in there. Altogether, really great place.

So there you have it! Thank you Brooklyn Rastas, for bringing vegetarian culture to Flatbush!

Scoops is on 624 Flatbush Avenue, right near Fenimore Street, down from the Q-B Prospect Park stop or up from the Q Parkside stop.

Strictly Vegetarian is on 2268 Church Avenue, between Flatbush and Bedford, across from the post office.

Four Seasons is on 2281 Church Avenue, across from Strictly Vegetarian, next to the post office.

Trekking for Tofurky

Instant gratification. I like it.

Lately, I can't get it in two areas of my life, and it's making me think that the conscious process towards gratification that often is undervalued and overlooked.

Usually, if we have a food need, the solution is quite simple. Need ketchup. Go to grocery store. Buy ketchup. Satisfied. One of my little vegetarian needs is Tofurky sandwich slices. They're delicious, come in a wide variety of flavors (My favorites are Italian and Hickory Smoked), and they give me another option besides a garden burger or a hummus sandwich for lunch. But the problem is, I can't find a grocery market near me that sells Tofurky. Even at the big Stop and Shop 15 minutes away from me sells only Smart Deli slices, which, as someone who remembers the taste of meat from younger years, taste like bologne no matter what flavor you get. Yum. Except not. Not yum at all. (What is in bologne, anyway?)

So I trekked to Whole Foods in Manhattan recently to pick up some Tofurky, and felt Flatbush had let me down. I had to go all the way to Union Square for deli slices?

But the thing is, not having it immediately when I wanted it didn't hurt me. I got to have my favorite Wheatberry Waldorf Salad while I was at Whole Foods, and in the meantime, I just had a hummus sandwhich, and I happen to have my hummus sandwich recipe down: since I'm not vegan, I just put a layer of shredded parmesan cheese on the hummus, layer it with sliced cucumbers and shredded carrots, or, as I had the other day, carrot chips for a nice crunch. It's a killer meal. And anyway, now that I have to trek for Tofurky, I find I appreciate it more. I prepare my sandwich more carefully, and enjoy it more slowly. So, Flatbush not carrying Tofurky, in a way, helps make me a more mindful eater.

It's like the guitar I'm trying to learn lately. As I type this, the four fingers of my left hand feel like they have third degree burns. I've been told that as soon as I get calluses, it will be clear sailing. But for now, I'm consciously pushing down my raw fingertips on thin wires. Ouch. I know the calluses are coming in, but slowly, nearly as slowly as my skills (my husband had to deal a couple days ago with hours on end of me singing "Let It Be" and twanging away at what are supposedly the chords to the song.) But trust me, I won't take those calluses for granted when they do come in. Not for a second.

I guess the summary of it is: never settle for instant gratification, don't take a good thing for granted, and be mindful of the end in the beginning. Or, in simpler terms: Don't buy Smart Deli. Trek for Tofurky.

Vegetarian Dim Sum House

Yesterday my husband and I trekked into China Town in search of a bonsai tree for the living room. We're almost done putting up all the earthy-toned, Asian inspired decor we chose for the room, and its finally coming together. But I wanted a bonsai tree to top it all off before I host a gathering Wednesday night in my home, so I had to go searching, and China Town seemed like a good first stop.

Sure enough, we got our bonsai tree. More importantly, I had been dying to try dim sum for a while after it had been strongly recommended to me, so before we left we were looking it up and trying to find a place with those cute little carts full of dumplings that waiters roll around all morning along with endless pots of oolong tea. It became quickly apparent to me that dimsum is particularly not vegetarian friendly. It's a meat laden ordeal. Thus my excitement to learn that there is a restaurant in the heart of china town called Vegetarian Dim Sum House.

Yay!

There were no carts. Rather you order by checking which things you want on a list, and they bring you your order while you drink tea and relax. The place wasn't very busy, so I can see how the cart system wouldn't work as well. The drawback to the chart is that you can't really see what you are ordering size wise- we ended up ordering way too much. Other than that, it was fantastic! My favorite was the steamed mock pork buns. The mock meat was subtle and well flavored, and everything was cooked perfectly. The only complaint I have is that some of the starchy items with taro and lotus root were ultra-rich and oily, like they spent too long in a deep frier. So, nutrition wise, I give it pretty much a half star, but it was altogether delicious. Finish off your meal like we did at Ten Ren Bubble Tea (Go for the Shredded Ice! especially Taro!) and you'll be happily stuffed to capacity.

Vegetarian Dim Sum House is located on 24 Pell St. Take the Q to Canal.
Dim Sum served all day, 10:30am-10:30pm, regular menu also available.