Where To Eat In NYC: Part 2
Published on January 4, 2011 by chloejo · 15 CommentsFor my follow up New York installment (you can read – and drool over – my first adventure here,) I really wanted to visit Hangawi, a Korean vegetarian restaurant, on 32nd Street. Unfortunately, the evening I went I was with a large group and they were completely full. So…they suggested we walk four blocks to their sister restaurant, Franchia.
We sampled a little bit of everything. First, Lotus Leaf Tea…
Followed by Vegetable + Soy Meat Dumplings.
Vegetarian California Roll made with vegan crab.
And Sizzling Spinach Noodles, a very unique dish of fried noodles, spinach and soy chicken.
Everything that I tasted was very good, but I was especially impressed with their Sushi. I love adding vegan crab to give veggie sushi a bit more substance.
Red Bamboo is a cute little restaurant on West 4th Street that was completely full on a Monday afternoon. The menu is a mix of southern comfort food and traditional Asian fare. (Editors note: Many locals call Red Bamboo the ultimate conversion spot for non-vegans.. where else can you get a vegan milk shake, philly “cheese” steak, wings, and fries in the middle of the village and trick the most obnoxious of meat-eaters?)
I started with the Dragonfly Dumplings, which were filled with cabbage, carrots, vegetable protein + vegetarian shrimp on top of a mixed green salad. The soy dressing that comes with it was great with the dumplings, but for the salad I ordered a side of their carrot ginger dressing, which you can never go wrong with. The dumplings were incredible – the vegetable protein and veggie shrimp gave them a great texture and wonderful flavor.
Their Almond Coconut Chicken is served with a sweet chili sauce and it’s a great meat substitute. It’s crunchy and salty with a touch of sweet, and extremely filling…I could only eat two of them.
I love to stop by Organic Avenue anytime I’m in the neighborhood. Their lemonade is THE best lemonade. It’s made with lemons, limes, agave, ginger and salt. They also have pre-made raw food and juices, along with several juice cleansing programs that I’m dying to try.
I first discovered Maoz in Amsterdam. It’s a completely vegetarian falafel restaurant with the most amazing toppings. You can order your falafel in a salad or in a pita, and use their toppings bar to customize it. My toppings of choice include hummus, fried eggplant, broccoli, tomatoes and cucumbers, pickles + tahini. Their broccoli is so good that I had to ask how they prepare it – it’s flash fried and sprinkled with salt. They also have Belgian or sweet potato fries…the Belgian fries are extra crispy.
There are several in Manhattan…I frequent the Union Square and Upper West Side locations. Plan on taking yours to go if you’re at Union Square, there aren’t many seats.
This visit I stopped by Cocoa V for the first time. After tasting their chocolate cake, I cannot fathom a trip to NYC without stopping here. Everything is fair trade, organic and vegan.
They have all kinds of chocolate truffles, candies and baked goods.
Can you believe this? Vegan chocolate truffles in every flavor you can imagine…heaven.
Truly, this chocolate cake was incredible. My step son shared it with me and neither of us could get enough of it. He seriously enjoys chocolate and is not vegan, so the fact that he loved it says a lot!
I featured Teany in my last NY post, but dessert only. This visit, I had my favorite sandwich, Chicken Salad with lettuce and tomato.
And since they serve Vegan Treats, my dad and I could not resist the Raspberry Vanilla Cheesecake. This cheesecake blew my mind. I would dare anyone to pair this against a traditional cheesecake…it would win hands down.
And what trip to NY would be complete without visiting Candle 79, a world renowned vegan restaurant.
Butternut Squash Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds.
Fried Dumplings with Seitan, Shitake Mushrooms, Baby Bok Choy and Sesame Ginger Soy Sauce.
Vegetable Nori Rolls with Avocado Wasabi, Chipotle Aioli and Tamari Ginger Sauce.
And Angel’s Nachos – Corn Chips, Cheddar and Mozzarella, Tomatoes, Refried Pinto Beans, Chili grilled Seitan, Guacamole, Salsa and Sour Cream. I simply cannot resist Vegan Nachos. It doesn’t matter what else is on the menu…I just have to have them. These were some of the best I’ve tasted.
And if you’re ever strolling through Central Park…
And you spot the Good to Go Organics cart, you’ll be happy to know that they sell several vegetarian hot dogs.
The Smart Dog is vegan, however, the Smart Sausages contain eggs. I believe they used to be vegan, but unfortunately they started adding eggs to some of their products.
I was thrilled to be able to enjoy a hot dog from a street vendor for the first time. I like mine with ketchup, mustard and raw onions.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my New York food adventures. I adore this city and everything that it offers. There are endless vegan/vegetarian options here. I hope you’ll take my suggestions and let me know about your own experiences. Happy exploring!
Lovely vegan Sarah Mai-Miller
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Readers Comments (15)
I am supposed to be dieting! This looks amazing…wonderful!
[...] Soy Foods : Where To Eat In NYC: Part 2 [...]
I love NYC vegan food blog posts! Eating our way through NYC vegan restaurants is a favorite pastime of ours!
Hangawi is one of the best, so creative. Have not been to Franchia, will put them on our list.
Thanks, looking forward to more NYC posts!
Am I the only one who has had exceptionally rude service at Franchia EVERY TIME? I don’t think much of the food, either, so I don’t know why I keep going back…other than that it’s conveniently located in Midtown and you know everything’s vegan, unlike a lot of places in Koreatown.
Jeanie – So sorry you’ve had bad experiences at Franchia. I’ve only been once, but had a great experience. I really loved their dumplings + sushi. Maybe give Hangawi a shot? I’ve heard nothing but awesome things about it…it’s only a few blocks away.
Your post just makes me wanna fly to NY right away !!
i’m officially drooling.
great post! However I heard Red Bamboo is serves cow’s beef :( and some of their soy products are not marked on the menu as containing whey and dairy so be careful!
opps correction “is serving”
I just went to Franchia for the first time this week and LOVED it! The Darjeeling Sweet Chai Tea Latte was delish!
Roxanne – That is seriously disturbing…I haven’t heard anything like that before but I will definitely inquire about it.
Roxanne- I believe you are confusing the former Red Bamboo Brooklyn, with the one mentioned in this post. The chef/owner of the Brooklyn location said that business was too slow and he had to change his strategy. They are called something different now and serve a few favorites from the vegetarian menu. First, he was eating meat but opening a vegetarian restaurant, and he is not the owner of the West 4th Street spot. I am fairly sure if what you heard was not correct about the restaurant mentioned here..
I’m going to Franchia Thursday (can’t wait) when my boyfriend and I travel up to NYC for a quick weekend.
Roxanne, I’ve been to Red Bamboo (in the Village) a number of times, and their dairy items are clearly marked.
I looovvvvve Red Bamboo…the buffalo wings are the best ever…95% of the people that go there get the buffalo wings and there is a reason for it. I have a groupon to Maoz ANNNDD Cocoa V…I’ll be in the city tomorrow so maybe I’ll use one of them…or go to Red Bamboo…I DON’T KNOW!!! LOL
Vegan Zagats – That makes sense because I’ve never heard anything like that about Red Bamboo and know lots of vegans who frequent there.
Shannon – I’ll definitely try the buffalo wings next time! Hope you got to eat lots of amazing vegan food :)