Shojin
Okay, this post is a tad late, as we went to Shojin about 3 weeks ago. Why has it taken me so long to write this up? Well, I still haven't gotten my photos off my camera. First we had a load of trouble with our Bits mail, and then, well, who knows? The photos are still on the camera. But here's the post, with images we copied from Shojin's website.
YUM! If you live in Los Angeles or come for a visit, this place is a must! Let me rephrase this... This is the BEST VEGAN restaurant we have ever eaten at! This was our second visit, and neither Jane nor I have been disappointed with anything we consumed. That night, they offered a "Special Tasting Course" which I ordered. Last time we were here, I had Seitan and Jane ordered the Okara Crab Cakes. She was really craving them this time, but wanted to try something new so she ordered the BBQ Saitain salad (the image to the right is the BBQ Saitan, no salad). According to her, this is the best seitan she's ever eaten. I'd have to agree.The Tasting was really something. We both agreed that we'll order that if they offer it again. They started off with a Detox Elixer, which consisted of cane juice, cayenne pepper, ginger juice, and water. It was interesting, but I'm not sure I'd order it on it's own. The Organic Tomato Tartar followed. It was a beautiful tower of tofu cheese, chopped tomato and avocado slices. The tofu cheese was absolutely delicious. I doubt it would work as a pizza topping, but wow. Jane tried to get the recipe from the chef, but wasn't successful.
The next course was their signature "Fried Garden Seitan Ball Tsukune" which is seitan balls served with homemade ketchup. This is much better than it sounds. The ketchup is complex and has a wonderful flavor and they have their seitan down! That was followed by a bowl of carrot ginger soup, also delicious.
Then we were presented with their Orange Kale Salad. The reviews we've read have all recommended having this salad. They're right. If you have room, don't miss it. Who knew kale could taste so good?
The next course was their Genmyo Tea, which is billed as a healthy herbal tea. It was good. As with the detox elixer, I wouldn't have to have it again, but it wasn't bad.
Following the tea, the Shojin Special Bento arrived. There are four small plates of "stuff." This bento contained some BBQ Saitan, and their Crispy Setian Cutlet. The other two plates were some kind of vegetable, but I don't remember what exactly. But, as with the other courses, everything was delicious. And the service during both of our visits has been impeccable!
Dinner was followed by a dessert tasting plate and coffee. I tried the grain coffee. It wasn't bad, but I think it's probably an acquired taste. The desserts were interesting. There was a scoop of ice cream which was very good. Neither of us remember what else we had. There was something chocolate which I left for Jane (she's a bit of a chocoholic), and something fruit based.
But nothing compared to that BBQ Saitan.
Shojin has started offering catering services too. If you're planning a party, their food will convince the omnivores in your crowd that vegans eat better than they do.
Pertinent facts: They're hidden away on the third floor of a quite mall in Little Tokyo. If you're not going there, you're not likely to find them. They're located at 333 S. Alameda St. 3rd Floor Suite 310, Los Angeles, CA 90013 (Tel: 213-617-0305). They're closed on Monday's.
Here's a link to their map and hours. If you're nearby, don't miss this gem!
Eggs-traneous Ingredients
Tonight Jane and I went out for Thai food. We've eaten at this particular restaurant a number of times, and are fairly confident we're getting a vegan meal - as long as we specify that we want no eggs, and no meat. We know we need to do that regardless of the menu description because they tend to use a lot of egg and some kind of dried shredded pork or shredded fish product in Thai cooking, at least in the Thai restaurants we frequent.
After a rather busy day for both of us, we were tired. We knew what we wanted, and so we ordered our favorite dishes... Pineapple fried rice, no meat; Pineapple Curry; and Glass Noodle Deluxe - Tofu. No meat. Do you see our mistake? We missed it!
Everything arrived and looked lovely. We were very hungry, and so we dug in. About halfway into our meal, we noticed there was egg in both the Pineapple Fried Rice and the Glass Noodle. And we both looked at each
other with dismay. We'd forgotten to specify "no egg" when we placed our order.
This was our dilemma: the eggs had been "consumed," regardless of whether or not we ate the egg, it was already incorporated into the meal. (And good luck trying to get bits of fried egg out of a fried rice dish!) If it had been the restaurant's error, we would have returned the meal, to make the point (and because we would have specifically ordered "no egg"). But this was our mistake. So we talked about it for awhile and decided to continue eating. Why? Because the eggs were used and the restaurant had depleted their inventory by one or two eggs. Even if we'd felt comfortable returning the dishes (we'd eaten more than half, and it was our mistake), the eggs were still "consumed." So we continued eating, and even brought home the leftovers.
Regardless of where we're eating (unless it's a vegan restaurant), we typically tell our servers we're vegan, and specify "no milk, no egg, no meat, no butter" when we are ordering our meals. We like to eat out, and we know our servers aren't going to necessarily know the ingredients in everything we question them about. So we make our most informed choices and hope for the best. But we're often taking a leap of faith that the bread we're being served has no milk or egg, and that when we've asked for our meal to be prepared with oil not butter, we're actually getting it prepared that way. We also ask for more vegan options at restaurants we frequent, either by asking our server or manager directly, or dashing off an email if the restaurant's particularly busy. We've even had some success getting restaurants to carry more vegan items. (Or rather, us and whomever else might have been asking for the same thing.)
We are vegan at home, and we strive to be vegan outside our home. We never knowingly order a non-vegan meal, except for that occasional slice of pizza we're still planning on eating when we're in NY. Unfortunately, we're fairly confident that occasionally we wind up with something vegetarian, whether we know it or not. So this was our conclusion, in the instances where it's their error, we will return the meal because it's not what we ordered. In the instances where it's our error, we will eat the meal, and make a note of how to request the meal for the next time, or we will never go back.
How do you handle these situations?
Shojin Restaurant
A while back, Lane and I read a promising review of Shojin Restaurant on To Live and Eat In LA, a blog about eating vegan in Los Angeles. Since we live in the area, we often peruse her website when we're looking for someplace new to try; our geographic boundaries overlap a bit. Anyway, we've been meaning to try it since they opened in March, but haven't gotten around to it. That was a mistake.
We started off with the Traditional Vegetable Appetizer. It's not a fixed plate, but rather based on what they've got on hand at the moment. We had some kind of Eggplant, , and
The Kale and Mashed Tofu salad was our favorite of the appetizers we tried. It was light and summery and absolutely delicious. Jane's next favorite was the Okara, but it was a tad subtle for me. I preferred the Eggplant, followed by the Kabocha Pumpkin.
As I've mentioned in the past, when we're trying out a new restaurant, we like to go during "off" hours. It gives us the opportunity to chat with the waitstaff about the menu, without us feeling like we're monopolizing their time. Often, we'll have a chance to talk to the manager too. But what we like most, is that we get to experience the food and ambiance in a leisurely manner.
Our server was delightful. She reviewed the menu with us and we discussed our preferences in eating. She helped us decide on our entrees. I had the
Jane is not the biggest fan of seitan. She finds it too chewy, just the thing I find most appealing about it. But after tasting my dinner she exclaimed that it was delicious and she'd consider ordering it. Jane's Okara Cake was reminiscent of crab cakes. She really loved the cakes. They're served with brown rice porridge, which was interesting, but nowhere near as good as the crab cakes.
Shojin also offers a variety of vegan desserts, but we had no room, so I can't comment on them, other than to say next time I hope we leave room for either the
Bottom line: This is an excellent find. If you're in downtown Los Angeles, you MUST go to this restaurant. The food is wonderful. Everything tasted fresh and delicious. They use organic and natural foods with no chemical additives. Our server mentioned they make all their own condiments! Shojin is hidden on the third floor of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center, so you're not likely to stumble across it by accident. But it's well worth making a point of visiting. Your palate will thank you. They're closed Monday and Tuesday.
KFC Canada Puts Cruelty Free On The Menu
I seem to be writing a lot about fast food lately, which is somewhat ironic since Jane and I really don't eat a lot of fast food. The notable exception here is Taco Bell. They've been our lifesaver on the few road-trips we've taken since we've gone vegan. Their bean burrito (hold the cheese) is vegan, and we find it satisfying. But for the most part, unless we've got young omnivores to accommodate, we tend to shy away from fast food establishments. Our feeling is that they're out to make money, not to worry about providing us with sound nutrition; not to mention the fact that it's usually pretty difficult to find a vegan meal at most of these places.
So after repeatedly picking on Canada, first for the Baby Seal Hunt, and then for the Hog Slaughter Subsidy, we find ourselves congratulating our neighbors to the north. KFC - Canada will be offering a vegan "chicken" product to its customers. But perhaps, more importantly, they've also pledged to buy their chickens from producers who treat their chickens more humanely. This means a better life for the chickens (more light, more room, less growth hormone) and a more humane slaughter -- the chickens will be gassed instead of being scalded to death or having their throats slit while still conscious.
This is a major victory, and Peta will be ending its campaign against KFC Canada. Peta is still campaigning to end these practices in the US and the UK. They've got a petition you can sign if you're interested, asking KFC to adopt the same animal welfare plan as KFC-Canada and pledging to boycott them until they do so.
Sources:
Globe and Mail
CBC News
The Johnny Rockets Streamliner Vegan Burger
It's the Memorial Day weekend here in the US. We've got friends staying with us as part of their holiday. They came out to California for a week, and on Tuesday will be heading to Disney Land, and then off for a bit more sight seeing before returning home to the East Coast. Our friends have two kids and we thought we'd borrow them for the day to give the parents some time alone. So, what does one do with two pubescent girls? Well, if they're like most teenage girls, one goes to the mall! We didn't exactly go to the mall, but we did spend the afternoon in Old Town Pasadena, shopping and eating (same thing, no?).
And where did we eat? Why Johnny Rockets, of course. We had to try the Johnny Rockets Streamliner (their vegan burger)! First, I'm happy to report that the vegan burger is, as advertised, cooked on a separate area of the grill. It's not visibly marked off for the consumer, but we paid particular attention to this. For the entire time we were in the restaurant, the only things that were cooked on that part of the grill were the Streamliners, onions, and the buns. Johnny Rockets does indicate on their website that they use specific, color-coded implements to differentiate between what touches meat and what touches veggies. We didn't notice those (that's not to say they weren't there and being used, but we did not see any indication that separate utensils were being used for the vegan product). This isn't an issue for us, but there are a number of people who do find this off-putting in some way. So if this is an issue for you, you might want to call the Johnny Rockets you plan on visiting and ask them about this practice.
So, was it wonderful? Personally, I think the Morningstar Griller's Vegan is a better patty. But it's really great to be able to go out and have a burger and fries with your omnivorous friends and family and not feel like the odd-man-out. Our order, looked and felt like everyone else's. Maybe not the most healthy fare, but certainly a sociable meal.
As a reminder, Johnny Rockets is offering a buy one get one on their vegan burger through the end of the month. If you'd like one, just click here: Johnny Rockets Streamliner Coupon.
And in response to those of you who asked, I did not make that vegan chocolate shake for Jane that I'd thought about bringing along. It's kind of dreary here, overcast and cold, so I knew she'd be able to easily resist the shakes there and I was right! But next time we go, I'm going to have to give it a try!
Shake Things Up
One of the things Jane and I still crave is cow's milk. I have a smoothie for breakfast every morning. Jane makes almond milk, and that works just fine. It's also an effective substitute in baked goods and for general cooking, but cereal just isn't the same. And Jane would just about kill for a shake (bad choice of wording?), so when we go to Johnny Rockets this weekend for our free vegan burger, she's going to whine, and I will be as supportive as I can be.
So I'm doing my research in advance, and tonight I came across a post at "Go Dairy Free" that provides a list of dairy-free and vegan recipes for Mother's Day. The recipe that caught my eye is their Ultra Thick Chocolate Shake. In the olden (pre-vegan) days, Jane would have normally ordered a strawberry shake, but we find the chocolate dairy substitutes to be the most palatable. So, maybe I'll make that choclate shake ahead of time and take it along in a thermos. This way Jane can have a shake with her burger and we'll all be happier.
– We’re getting ready to close down our petition to Oprah, asking her to do a piece on factory farming. If you haven’t already signed, please consider doing so. We can all work together to make a difference.
Free Vegan Burgers at Johnny Rockets
I've mentioned this a few times in the past, and some of you don't agree with me, but it seems to me that veganism is becoming more mainstream. Or, more accurately, vegan food options are becoming more readily available. A few months ago we wrote about Vegan Brownies at Starbuck's, and Vegan Sandwiches at 7-Eleven. Today's foray out into the web brings us news of Vegan Burgers at Johnny Rockets.
That's right, the international chain, Johnny Rockets, offers a vegan option -- their Streamliner Burger which consists of a hamburger bun, mustard, Boca Burger (soy patty), lettuce, tomato, onions, pickle, and secret seasoning. And it looks like they take "vegan" seriously, unlike other places we've been where vegan can mean almost anything! (Fish sauce in the dipping sauce for vegan spring rolls, egg product in buns, casein in the "vegan" cheese...) From the Johnny Rockets website:
A Note for our Vegetarian Guests
At Johnny Rockets we strive to meet the needs of all of our guests. The Boca Burger patty that we use in our Streamliner is their Original V35 and is manufactured as a vegan product. Our spec hamburger buns should not contain any dairy nor other animal-derived ingredients. Our American fries also should not contain ingredients which are of animal origin and are always cooked in 100% vegetable oil. Beef tallow, or flavorings derived from animal sources, are never intentionally added during the manufacturing or cooking process. However you should be aware that, due to the proximity of the manufacturing equipment to sources of animal protein or oil from animal sources there is the slight, though extremely unlikely, possibility that traces of these unwanted products may be accidentally transferred to our American fries during their production. For this reason, and this reason only, we feel compelled to list beef tallow as a possible (however extremely unlikely) ingredient.Please be aware that we designate a special area of the grill on which to cook only the Boca Burger and we do everything in our power to keep the area free from other materials. We also have special color-coded turners and tongs which help to keep cross-contamination to a minimum. However due to the limited space and tight kitchen layout at Johnny Rockets we cannot guarantee that there will not be unintentional contact with some small amount of material from an item which is of animal in nature.
Anyway, if you'd like to try one on them, here's a link to the coupon over at VegCooking.com, a PETA blog. The coupon is valid with the purchase of a Streamliner or any sandwich, starter, and drink -- and only at participating locations (but I couldn't find which locations sell the Streamliner online, so check with your local store first). It's good through the end of May. We'll be heading there soon, if for no other reason than to support the idea of a vegan option at a burger joint! Woo hoo! Progress! Now, if they'd just offer a vegan shake to go with that vegan burger and fries!
– We’re getting ready to close down our petition to Oprah, asking her to do a piece on factory farming. If you haven’t already signed, please consider doing so. We can all work together to make a difference.
The Blue Hen Restaurant Review
The other night, Jane and I went to The Blue Hen in Eagle Rock (a neighborhood in Los Angeles). It's not a vegan restaurant, but they do have vegan-friendly meals. We'd read a few interesting reviews and decided to try it. The item that got the highest marks in the reviews, and from us as well, is the Mama Luu's Tofu. It's lightly fried, and the vegetarian scallion sauce is really delicious. Next time one of us would order that as a main course (that comes with rice and greens).
Jane ordered the Vietnamese Noodle Soup. I wasn't all that impressed, it reminded me of bland ramen, but Jane enjoyed it. Neither of us cared for the tofu in the broth. As with most Vietnamese soups, this came with basil leaves, onion, and bean sprouts to dress your soup. There were also a few flavored condiments for heat... some kind of soy concoction and the typical chili sauce.
My choice was the Blue Hen Homestyle Curry. No surprise there, I'll often go for the curries. Of course, I chose the tofu option over the chicken. It was flavorful and filling. I'd definitely recommend this dish.
So, we give this restaurant a positive review. We told our waitress we were vegan, and she assured us that the sauces we were eating were indeed vegan. She pointed out that the soup could be had with a vegetable based broth, as could the dipping sauce for the Mama Luu's Tofu.
We like the fact that the restaurant supports local farmers and organic suppliers whenever possible. It's clean and inexpensive and the food is good, although the menu is limited. If you decide to try it, make sure to tell your server about your dietary restrictions.
For other restaurant reviews you can see our Vegan Resources page where we've got links to our restaurant reviews and sites to help you find restaurants around the world.
You Can Change The World
Sometimes, all you have to do is ask and you shall receive.
Last weekend Lane and I were out to dinner with friends. We went to Dish in La Canada, a suburb of Los Angeles. We used to go there about once a month in our pre-vegan days. But now, the only vegan thing on the menu is a veggie burger (you have to make sure to request no cheese and no thousand island dressing), I'm not too sure about the bun. Otherwise, they serve "down home American cuisine."
Imagine our shock when we saw "vegan" on the specials menu. They were offering vegan vegetable soup. Wow!
Afterwards I wrote to them, telling them how excited I was to see the word "Vegan" on the menu, and I asked if they would consider including more vegan options. I reminded them that veganism is becoming more and more mainstream, and that even Starbuck's and 7-eleven are carrying vegan products these days. I also suggested that even if their customers weren't vegan, they might be interested in trying vegan foods. This is the response I received:
Hi Jane, thank you for taking the time to pass along these comments, we really appreciate it. Believe it or not, we are trying to bring in more vegan dishes into the menu and specials, and will continue to do so -- all the more now that you have reminded us! Thank you, best regards, Kevin
I guess it's like my mom always said, "it doesn't hurt to ask." So get the word out there. We can change the world, one restaurant at a time.
Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Restaurant
Jane and I really love Ethiopian food. We first encountered it way back when we were dating. As much as we love it, we don't really get much of it. "Little Ethiopia" is a 20 minute drive from our home. (Like everything else in Los Angeles, regardless of how long it will actually take you to get there, your destination is always only 20 minutes away.) Which means it's only a weekend option for us.
Over the years, we've frequented a few of the restaurants in "Little Ethiopia," but we'd never noticed a 100% vegan restaurant. When we were omnivores, that would have never registered.
Anyway, Jane's been craving Ethiopian, so Sunday afternoon I googled vegan Ethiopian. Rahel Ethiopian is listed as the only 100% vegan Ethiopian restaurant in all of LA. Off we went. It was wonderful. The cuisine is made up of spicy vegetable dishes (meat dishes too, but not at Rahel), mostly in a thick stew format called wat. The wat is served atop injera, a large flatbread made out of fermented teff flour. Traditionally, Ethiopians eat with their right hands and use pieces of injera to pick up bites of entrées and side dishes. No utensils are used, which can make for an entertaining meal if you're the slightest bit clumsy. It's probably not your best choice for a first date, but as a long married couple, it can be a fun excursion!
We shared the Hudade Special Combo for two. And it was was excellent. The plate looked beautiful. There were two little piles of each of the items in the special, which makes sharing easy. We have no idea which was which, but they all tasted good. Something resembled tuna salad, and there was a tomato salad, which was a little awkward to pick up with the inerja, but mostly they were spicy, hearty stews. By the end of the meal, we were completely stuffed and were each wearing a little bit of our meal.
The service is slow, but friendly. Our time in the restaurant with no appetizers or dessert was over 75 minutes. So don't go if you're pressed for time. Otherwise... we can't recommend it highly enough. Jane's trying to get me to go back next weekend!
They're open 11am -11 pm every day. 1047 South Fairfax. 323-937-8401.
If you don't live around here, but do have access to this cuisine, we recommend you give it a try! And if you don't know where to find Ethiopian cuisine, we've got a few Restaurant Review sites on our Resources page which can be modified to search for type of cuisine. Go, try something new!
