January 19, 2023
Yangon (Rangoon) & Bagan, Myanmar (Burma): Gritty, Golden Landsby Randi / September 4, 2013
Rutabaga salad with baby greens and roasted maitake mushrooms
As a Philadelphia native, I was lucky enough to eat at Horizons restaurant several times in my life. It was the restaurant I always chose for celebrating a special occasion, but simply going there was a special occasion in itself. The food overall was sublime, the desserts and seitan in particular were just perfection. When Rich Landau and Kate Jacoby suddenly announced their decision to close Horizons and open a more vegetable-focused restaurant, I was crushed, as was every vegan, vegetarian, Philly person, and anyone who appreciated great food.
Luckily for me and my therapist, Vedge Restaurant is, if possible, even better than Horizons. Hurrah! Sure, it is different, and the focus on vegetables leaves little room on the menu for the wondrous things Landau can famously do with seitan, tofu, and tempeh. However, he graciously keeps a few of those dishes in rotation. More importantly, the focus on vegetables will blow your freaking mind. Obviously, I love vegetables, and my many years as a vegan have given me a pretty great appreciation of what you can do with them. But I’m still a civilian, and the chefs at Vedge, well, aren’t. The food is ridiculous. I’ve been to Vedge about five times since it opened, and each time, the many (many) plates ordered were all stupendous. This post will cover what I had on the latest visit in August; I’ll cover other seasons at Vedge in later posts.
Luckily for me and my therapist, Vedge Restaurant is, if possible, even better than Horizons. Hurrah! Sure, it is different, and the focus on vegetables leaves little room on the menu for the wondrous things Landau can famously do with seitan, tofu, and tempeh. However, he graciously keeps a few of those dishes in rotation. More importantly, the focus on vegetables will blow your freaking mind. Obviously, I love vegetables, and my many years as a vegan have given me a pretty great appreciation of what you can do with them. But I’m still a civilian, and the chefs at Vedge, well, aren’t. The food is ridiculous. I’ve been to Vedge about five times since it opened, and each time, the many (many) plates ordered were all stupendous. This post will cover what I had on the latest visit in August; I’ll cover other seasons at Vedge in later posts.
Pho Spiced Mushroom Sandwich
I recommend, if you have the option, that you go to Vedge on a weekday. For one thing, try getting a reservation on a weekend now that Rich won Chopped! For another, better reason, on weekdays from 5-7pm, you can order off the Happy Hour menu (if seated in the bar section). You get a menu of drinks and four dishes that cost only $4-$6, about. The first one we ordered was the Pho Spiced Mushroom Sandwich. Holy crap was this incredible. I could eat so many of these. The mushrooms were grilled perfectly and seasoned beyond what I could imagine, on great, thick toast covered with a white bean puree and topped with arugula. This perfect sandwich combined all of my favorite things: mushrooms, bean puree, good bread, and fresh greens.
We also ordered the Korean Seitan Tacos and the Kung Pao Cauliflower from the Happy Hour list. Oh man. the Seitan Tacos are a must-0rder if you go to Vedge. The seitan is just as spellbinding as you might remember from Horizons, and is put to its proper use in a spicy taco. Again, I could eat so many of these. So amazing.
We also ordered the Korean Seitan Tacos and the Kung Pao Cauliflower from the Happy Hour list. Oh man. the Seitan Tacos are a must-0rder if you go to Vedge. The seitan is just as spellbinding as you might remember from Horizons, and is put to its proper use in a spicy taco. Again, I could eat so many of these. So amazing.
Korean Seitan Tacos. There were more, but I had to devour them before taking a picture The Kung Pao Cauliflower was, as expected, the most interesting cauliflower dish I’ve ever had. You might be thinking right now, “That’s like saying you met the shortest giant”, but this was truly impressive. It was very spicy, but the flavors came through well; it wasn’t just hot.
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Kung Pao Cauliflower. As delicious as it is beautiful |
Next, we ordered four items off The Dirt List, a rotating list of fresh vegetables prepared in incredible ways. My favorite was the summer beans on white eggplant puree. I’m a sucker for fresh legumes, probably because I never really use them in my own cooking. This dish was so simple and comforting yet refreshing and delightful. I loved it! We also ordered Zucchini Toast and a Beet Salad & Puree with Beet ‘Pastrami’ off the Dirt List.
Zucchini Toast, so yummy |
The Beet Pastrami – simply incredible |
Summer corn and tomato salad with magic yellow sauce
The Zucchini Toast was delicious, as most bread-based sandwich-type things are. Taken at the height of its season, the zucchini was grilled lightly and gave bursts of summery flavor. The Beet Pastrami, however, was insane. Look at it (above right)! This really blew my mind. So amazing. The accompanying salads and purees were of course delicious as well. But that pastrami, man alive. Good work.
The last dish we ordered off the Dirt List was the Heirloom Tomato and Corn Salad over quinoa. Or, Summer on a Plate. It was just everything you could possibly love about summer. Fresh tomatoes! Good corn! Quinoa! Fresh herbs! And the most incredible sauce on earth. Seriously, I don’t know what it was, but it was magical. My dining companions and I were fighting over who got to lick the plate. (I think we all ended up cleaning the plate with our fingers.)
The last dish we ordered off the Dirt List was the Heirloom Tomato and Corn Salad over quinoa. Or, Summer on a Plate. It was just everything you could possibly love about summer. Fresh tomatoes! Good corn! Quinoa! Fresh herbs! And the most incredible sauce on earth. Seriously, I don’t know what it was, but it was magical. My dining companions and I were fighting over who got to lick the plate. (I think we all ended up cleaning the plate with our fingers.)
Spicy Grilled Tofu, with edamame, miso, yuba
Next, we ordered three dishes from the main menu. (I was with more than one other person I swear!) The Rutabaga Salad, pictured at the top of this post, was cool and energizing, a refreshing break from the complex and heavier flavors of other dishes while still being very interesting itself.
Not willing to miss any of Landau’s magic with proteins (I knowww I hate that but it works), we also ordered the Spicy Grilled Tofu, served on a bed of edamame puree, covered with smoked miso sauce and a yuba cracker. It tasted as incredible as it sounds. I’m not a huge fan of blocks of tofu, but this I can do.I can’t remember another time I’ve had such amazing tofu! The last dinner dish we had was the Shwarma-style Carrots. These were so good that I forgot to take a picture. Spiced to evoke the well-known smoked Middle Eastern meats, the carrots came over black lentils and garbanzos, with a side of olive stew and topped with green harissa. Everything worked perfectly and transported me back to the best restaurants in Israel.
Not willing to miss any of Landau’s magic with proteins (I knowww I hate that but it works), we also ordered the Spicy Grilled Tofu, served on a bed of edamame puree, covered with smoked miso sauce and a yuba cracker. It tasted as incredible as it sounds. I’m not a huge fan of blocks of tofu, but this I can do.I can’t remember another time I’ve had such amazing tofu! The last dinner dish we had was the Shwarma-style Carrots. These were so good that I forgot to take a picture. Spiced to evoke the well-known smoked Middle Eastern meats, the carrots came over black lentils and garbanzos, with a side of olive stew and topped with green harissa. Everything worked perfectly and transported me back to the best restaurants in Israel.
Summer corn custard. Doesn’t it look like it has wings? Far out.
Of course, a meal at Vedge (or any vegan restaurant) would not be complete without several desserts. Kate Jacoby is not a pastry chef but a wizard, and the offerings this time around astounded as always. The most interesting, and most evocative of a Chopped basket of randomness, was the Summer Corn Custard, with fried jalapeno peppers and berries, berry sauce and jalapeno caramel. I know! Can you even wrap your head around how one creates that dish, because I can’t. I was so skeptical, but I’m glad one of my dining companions pushed for it, because dayummm, it was amazing. The custard was reminiscent of old school creamed corn, but much more delicious, obviously, and light and sweet. The fried jalapenos were hot! But the custard and the berries cooled them, and they really proved to be a perfect accompaniment. The caramel, oh my, what genius is behind that! It all worked so well, I still am in awe.
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We had two more insanely incredible desserts too! I know, this is the best meal EVER! Above is the Yuzu Peach Tart, with brown sugar miso ice cream. Oh man, this was the dessert version of summer on a plate. The ice cream perfectly complemented the warm tart, and the peaches were fresh and wonderful. I could drink that sauce too. I could pretty much drink all the sauces.
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At left is the dessert I would probably choose over and over again, based on the title alone – the Chocolate Peanut Caramel Mousse, with stout ice cream and a chocolate peanut crumble. I can’t even. This is like everything you could ever want in a dessert – chocolate! peanut butter! caramel! in so many forms! The mousse was thick and layered, so you had to dig deep like ShaunT tells you to in order to get all the layers in one bite. Man alive this was good mousse. Usually I find chocolate mousse to be too rich, or too dull. This mousse puts all others to shame, with the thick, gooey layer of peanut caramel just making everything in the world happy. The stout ice cream was beery! If you like beer, or alcohol of any sort, you will probably like this ice cream. While I appreciated that it served as a really refreshing counterpoint to the deep, heavy flavors of the other two components on the plate, I couldn’t get too into the ice cream because I don’t like alcohol, and I hate beer. So it’s really not fair for me to comment on it. Moving on, the most surprisingly amazing thing was the chocolate peanut crumble! It was like a cross between a blondie, a shortbread cookie, and a soft candy. So perfect, and topped with chocolate ganache. I can’t even deal with how good this was — AND how small it was, especially when shared between three people! It’s a tiny little bite! Note to Vedge: next time I come, give me all of the chocolate peanut stuff. Thanks.
On that note, I really can’t wait to go to Vedge again. I believe it is the best vegan restaurant in the world, and while it can get pricey, it can also be done economically if you go with people and share lots of small dishes. If you have the opportunity to go, you must. And if you think I’m wrong that it’s the best vegan restaurant in the world, I will gladly accept your challenge and eat at and blog about whatever restaurant you believe takes that spot (on your dime, right?). Enjoy!
On that note, I really can’t wait to go to Vedge again. I believe it is the best vegan restaurant in the world, and while it can get pricey, it can also be done economically if you go with people and share lots of small dishes. If you have the opportunity to go, you must. And if you think I’m wrong that it’s the best vegan restaurant in the world, I will gladly accept your challenge and eat at and blog about whatever restaurant you believe takes that spot (on your dime, right?). Enjoy!
Vedge, Philadelphia
- Water speed: Pretty good considering how busy they were
- Bathrooms: There are nice single-serve bathrooms in a hallway off the dining room. Best part – they are handicap accessible!
- Service: Great. It’s rare that you get new silverware between courses nowadays!
- Food: The best vegan magic happens here
- Bonus: Happy hour menu!
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Berlin Inspirations: Vegan Currywurst Is Almost As Gross As the Real Thing
Okay, today’s Berlin Inspiration really IS inspired by specific experiences during my travels! Currywurst, Germany’s favorite fast food, is a fried sausage cut up and served with curry ketchup sauce. Not only was currywurst sold on literally every corner in Berlin, in little hot dog vendor-style carts, but we also got to try vegan currywurst at Voner! So Voner’s was decent, but it was still covered in sweet ketchuppy curry sauce – that’s what makes it currywurst. Are you still wondering why it’s called currywurst? It’s because it’s the worst way to consume curry. Seriously. Currywurst is the food version of Mona Lisa Saperstein.
No but really, millions of German people can’t be wrong about something sausage related. They’ve been wrong about several really important things, but I’m going to give them weird meat foods. So, it’s probably just me who thinks this is weird. And if that’s the case, well here’s a really easy recipe so you can see whether you like it or whether you agree with me that it’s the currywurst.
My first mistake mayyy have been buying something called “soya chunks” from the somewhat shady Indian grocery around the corner. They looked like an interesting sort of dog food when I saw them in the store, but they were cheap and I didn’t feel like spending a lot of money on ready-made vegan sausage. Sometimes it is better to spend more money on things you are going to eat. Anyway, I had high hopes that they would be better once cooked. These hopes were quickly dashed once I opened the bag and smelled, again, the smell of an interesting sort of dog food. I soaked them in water for several hours, which successfully engorged the nuggets but sadly strengthened the weird Kibbles-y smell. So, no matter how or how long I cooked them, they were likely never going to be delicious. But let’s try it anyway, I said! (Or you should just use a better sausage substitute. Like anything.)
CURRYWURST
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Ingredients:
Directions:
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 The last time everything was OK.  Sure, like adding another squirt of ketchup is going to help  Oh sure add more curry powder, that’s going to make a difference. |
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How do you feel about currywurst? I would honestly love to know. Have you ever had it in Germany? Have you made your own? What should I do with the rest of my bag of soya chunks? Should I ask for a refund? Enjoy!!!!
The Green Roll at Chelsea Market, NYC: Sushi for Sushi Lovers
Before becoming a vegan, I fancied myself a sushi connoisseur. In high school, my brother and I would challenge each other to eat the craziest of the crazy rolls on offer at sushi restaurants. Once I went vegan, I didn’t really expect awesome sushi to be on my radar anymore. And for the first few years, I was right: My sushi travails always led to cucumber roll after cucumber roll after avocado roll after, if I was lucky, cucumber-avocado roll.
But lately, things seem to be changing for the better in the vegan sushi arena. I had the most incredible raw sushi ever in Croatia, and now every time I go to NYC, I get to eat at least once a day at The Green Roll. (Yes, I have gotten both lunch and dinner from here before.) This little sushi counter rivals The Cinnamon Snail truck for the food I’m most guaranteed to eat on my NYC weekends.
The Green Roll counter in Chelsea Market is an outpost of Beyond Sushi restaurant in the East Village. I’ve not been to the sit-down restaurant yet, but I’ve eaten everything on offer at The Green Roll at least twice. The only bad part about the sushi is, it’s so delicious that I rarely wait long enough to take pictures, let alone plate the food.
But lately, things seem to be changing for the better in the vegan sushi arena. I had the most incredible raw sushi ever in Croatia, and now every time I go to NYC, I get to eat at least once a day at The Green Roll. (Yes, I have gotten both lunch and dinner from here before.) This little sushi counter rivals The Cinnamon Snail truck for the food I’m most guaranteed to eat on my NYC weekends.
The Green Roll counter in Chelsea Market is an outpost of Beyond Sushi restaurant in the East Village. I’ve not been to the sit-down restaurant yet, but I’ve eaten everything on offer at The Green Roll at least twice. The only bad part about the sushi is, it’s so delicious that I rarely wait long enough to take pictures, let alone plate the food.
I think this roll is the Spicy Mang, but who knows. It doesn’t even matter what you order. Everything is great and fresh and sometimes spicy and sometimes creamy and just man alive I want some now.
The two individual pieces are the enoki, long-stemmed and tiny-capped white mushrooms that kind of look like sprouts. I’m obsessed with mushrooms, and this fun-looking kind is now one of my favorites. The enoki individual pieces come with a dollop of mushroomy paste on top. As you can see, the extra sauces accompanying the sushi come in little plastic tubes, instead of the always messy little plastic tubs with click-lids that always get all over the place. Suffice it to say, these tubes are ingenious! You just squeeze the thick, creamy sauces out and they don’t spill out when you put them down.
The sauces really are the best part. Pictured above is a spicy mayo, reminiscent of the standard spicy orange mayo that comes with spicy tuna rolls in regular sushi places. But this is so much deeper a flavor, and the quality of all the ingredients comes through even in this simple sauce.
The two individual pieces are the enoki, long-stemmed and tiny-capped white mushrooms that kind of look like sprouts. I’m obsessed with mushrooms, and this fun-looking kind is now one of my favorites. The enoki individual pieces come with a dollop of mushroomy paste on top. As you can see, the extra sauces accompanying the sushi come in little plastic tubes, instead of the always messy little plastic tubs with click-lids that always get all over the place. Suffice it to say, these tubes are ingenious! You just squeeze the thick, creamy sauces out and they don’t spill out when you put them down.
The sauces really are the best part. Pictured above is a spicy mayo, reminiscent of the standard spicy orange mayo that comes with spicy tuna rolls in regular sushi places. But this is so much deeper a flavor, and the quality of all the ingredients comes through even in this simple sauce.
 Individual seaweed piece |
 Spicy Mang roll (I think) |
One of the many great things about The Green Roll is that they offer 7 individual pieces for only $1 each, an affordable way to try a bunch of different things. The seaweed roll, at left, was refreshing and light. I love seaweed so much. This piece came with a thickened kind of dark sauce (in the tube) that was so much more than soy sauce. The piece at right I think is another Spicy Mang, with mango, cucumber, avocado, spicy veggies, and black rice. All I know is that orange-y topping is superb. (My usual restaurant reviews are much more detailed, but 1) this isn’t a restaurant and B) the sushi is too fantastic to allow for the time it takes to photograph or take notes.)
My favorite part of The Green Roll’s menu is the assortment of rice paper wraps. I love rice paper wraps, any kind, anytime, anywhere, but these are beyond anything I can get elsewhere. Pictured is the spicy mushroom filled wrap, with spicy cashews, buckwheat noodles, romaine lettuce, sriracha (so spicy!), and three different kinds of braised, grilled, or spicy mushrooms. The sauce for this wrap is the best one – it’s a thick, creamy mushroom goop that is half raw foodie soup and half Thanksgiving mushroom gravy.
Also on offer are the nutty buddy, full of peanuts, noodles, cilantro, jalapeno peanut butter, tofu and more, and the sweet angel, filled with sweet potato, asparagus, chili flakes, noodles, and alfalfa. All of these wraps are fantastic. Everything at The Green Roll is fantastic. I go to NYC all the time for various reasons, and getting a quick and delicious bite from The Green Roll is now high on my list of reasons.
Also on offer are the nutty buddy, full of peanuts, noodles, cilantro, jalapeno peanut butter, tofu and more, and the sweet angel, filled with sweet potato, asparagus, chili flakes, noodles, and alfalfa. All of these wraps are fantastic. Everything at The Green Roll is fantastic. I go to NYC all the time for various reasons, and getting a quick and delicious bite from The Green Roll is now high on my list of reasons.
No bathroom/water review for this one because it’s a to-go counter! However, you can usually find a table in the main part of the market. Also, be warned that it can take a short while for the few people working to finish your order. It’s fast, but not ‘fast-food’ fast. Just be patient. It’s amazing!
