The New Vegan Hotspot In NYC’s West Village Impresses Omnivores And Herbivores Alike

Urban Vegan Kitchen is not just about gourmet innovative vegan food; it’s a movement.

Green Curry

The rich and creamy Green Curry is made with coconut milk infused with lemongrass, galangal, makrut lime leaves, and Thai basil with green peas, sweet peppers, fresh garlic, Japanese eggplant, and crispy fried tofu. It is served with four “scoops” of jasmine rice. For those with high heat tolerance, you can order the dish “spicy as hell.”

Chick-un & Waffles

The fan-favorite chick-un & waffles is as delicious as it looks. Crispy Belgian waffle is topped with crispy, Souther-fried seitan and topped with sauteed garlic kale and maple mustard aioli for the perfect balance of sweet and savory. You can order a side of maple syrup for additional flavor.

Lasagna

Made with gluten-free brown rice noodles, the lasagna has layers of vegetables like carrots, kale, and zucchini with vegan mozzarella, sunflower tofu ricotta, and house-made marinara. You would never guess this satisfying dish is gluten-free and vegan!

Best 6 Dishes You Must Order At San Francisco’s Hottest Restaurants

From truffle sliders to roasted bone marrow, these are the most delicious dishes you must order at San Francisco's hottest restaurants.

Bone-in Filet Mignon from Bobo’s

Frequently voted as the best steakhouse in San Francisco, Bobo’s offers high quality beef that has been dry-aged for 4-6 weeks and pan-seared with a hint of rosemary and garlic. This process enhances the flavor and tenderness of the beef, resulting in one of the best steaks ever eaten. The melt-in-your-mouth, juicy bone-in filet mignonis an absolute must. Order a side of twice-baked potatoes stuffed with zucchini, chives, and fontina cheese to compliment the dish.

Mini Royal Dorian from The Dorian

The Oscar Wilde-inspired restaurant in SF’s Marina District pays homage to a bygone era, a place where you can savor classic American fare. The Dorian began its brunch service in November, featuring sweet and savory bites like fluffy buttermilk berry pancakes and fried chicken & waffles. But the highlight here is the Mini Royal Dorian, a slider version of the famous Royal Dorian, which features a generous portion of peekytoe crab and black truffle on top of juicy beef patty.

Smoked Bone Marrow from RN 74

Located in San Francisco’s SoMa neighborhood, RN74 highlights the cuisine and wine of France’s Burgundy region. The Smoked Bone Marrow is the perfect dish for the table. The rich, creamy bone marrow, topped with smokey oxtail marmalade, Vadouvan butter, and lemon confit with thickly sliced, toasted sourdough bread on the side, oozes so much intense flavors as it melts in your mouth.

Pizza Bianca from Americano’s

Dine with a view at this waterfront restaurant with sweeping, panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay. Americano’s specializes in handcrafted, soulful Italian dishes created using seasonal ingredients from local purveyors. The Pizza Bianca, topped with house-made chorizo, meyor lemon, leek, and ricotta salata on thin, crispy flat bread, bursts with flavors.

Tap Burger from Tap 415

Tap 415, a modern urban eatery located inside the Westfield Centre Mall, offers a unique menu of American favorites with a twist. The signature Tap Burger is jam-packed with tempura bacon, cheddar cheese, lettuce, pickled red onion, and juicy, medium-rare beef patty sandwiched in between soft buns topped with sesame seeds and smeared with togarashi remoulade.

Chickpea Panisse from Gather

Whether you are a vegan or an omnivore, you will find something delicious at Gather, a farm-to-table restaurant in the heart of downtown Berkeley. The vegan-friendlyChickpea Panisse is an absolute delight. The chickpea fries, which flaunt delicate, crispy exterior with soft, creamy interior, are complemented by flavorful black bean puree, crushed garbanzos, cabbage slaw, cashew, sultana, and ancho chili.

Enjoying the Raw Food Trend at Quintessence in East Village

Whether one orders a burrito, pizza, or burger, the entree that comes to the table at Quintessence—a 100 percent organic, vegan, and raw restaurant in East Village—will be served uncooked. Quintessence takes the diners on a unique culinary experience, offering innovative dishes made with ingredients that are not found in a typical kitchen pantry, such as kamut, nut meat, and fofu (yes, that's tofu with an f!).

For an unconventional taste of traditional dishes, try the Italian sausage pizza ($15.50) topped with savory nut meat, nut cheese, and tomato sauce. It was a bit weird trying a cold pizza, but it worked for this one since it didn't have cheese to begin with.

The pizza had an interesting dichotomy between strong nutty and sweet flavors. The pizza dough, which is not baked, had some sort of a grainy, granola-bar like texture. The tomato sauce tasted sweeter than your usual marinara sauce, whereas the nutmeat and the nut cheese had flavors that were surprisingly reminiscent of their real counterparts.

The Indian platter ($21) is a lighter alternative to the typically rich malai kofta, a vegetarian meatball made with chickpeas. The Indian platter included two chickpea balls covered in creamy almond curry sauce with sweet mango chutney and tamarind sauce, side salad, two pieces of kamut bread, and tangy cucumber “yogurt.”

I really enjoyed the cucumber yogurt. Since I am lactose-intolerant, I tend to avoid dairy products unless I am really craving them. This yogurt satisfied my cravings without the sore stomachache aftermath. I am not sure what the green dressing was, but it complemented the salad well. The kamut bread was rather disappointing because it tasted so bland.

The malai kofta didn't disappoint! Traditionally, this Indian dish uses loads of heavy cream and the chickpeas are deep-fried, adding tons of calories to the meal. However, this lighter dish came with chickpea balls that were binded without frying, and the creamy almond curry sauce didn't have any cream. It probably used almond fat or coconut milk.

The sweet mango chutney on top of the chickpea balls were pleasant additions. My only wish is that I could had more of it! The brown tamarind sauce tasted like teriyaki sauce to me.

The chickpea balls were quite dense and a bit dry on the edges. I would have preferred it if the chef had put the curry on the plate first and then the chickpea balls, but because he/she did it the other way around, there were no curries to dip the chickpea balls underneath. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my first raw-food experience!