Dining Out in New York City - Souen

Macro Plate with Carrot Dressing - Souen

I came here for a late dinner with my parents on a Saturday night. I'll admit that I planned the meal with dessert in mind at nearby Lula's Sweet Apothecary. There are three locations around NYC - Soho, Union Square, and East Village, where we dined. When we stopped in they didn't have a table open and told us it would be about twenty minutes, so we walked down the street and grabbed a drink at a nice Peruvian restaurant Mancora on the corner. We walked back after, but unfortunately our table was still not ready. It was a bit frustrating because they didn't quote the right amount of wait time and there was no space to wait inside this tiny, narrow restaurant. We were hungry, but decided to be patient. 

Tahini Shoyu with Soba Noodles - Souen

Souen offers a variety of healthy Japanese meal options like vegetable sides, soups, salads, sushi and noodle dishes, with a focus on organic, macrobiotic cuisine. They serve fish so this is not an entirely vegan establishment. Knowing I was going to indulge for dessert, I went with the healthiest option, the Macro Plate with Carrot Dressing. I was interested in a creamy dressing and thought of trying the tahini versions, but as soon as the waitress said the carrot included ginger and was on the sweeter side, I went for it. The dish is basic, but includes wholesome ingredients: steamed kale, broccoli, black beans, kabocha squash, carrot, wakame seaweed, and brown rice. The carrot dressing is thick, brightly colored orange, and delicious. My mom opted for a vegan Pad Thai with Tofu, that I thought tasted authentic and lighter than traditional Thai "fast food." My dad ordered the Tahini Shoyu with Soba Noodles in a tasty broth, filled with veggies. I liked both of their meals, but was more in the mood for my healthy, simple plate of steamed vegetables that filled me up quickly. 

Vegan Pad Thai with Tofu - Souen

Though the service could have been improved, I appreciate a restaurant that serves clean and healthy meals. Even the desserts were enticing because of sugar-free, soy-free, gluten-free, and of course dairy-free options. I've also heard the Yuba (tofu skin) in broth is worth getting, so I might try that on my return visit. Based on the food and ambiance I think this place is a better fit for lunch. Prices were average, nothing seemed overpriced.

Macro Plate with Carrot Dressing on Top - Souen

Souen (East Village)

326 East 6th Street

New York, NY10003

Souen Website

Dining Out in Fort Lauderdale - Sublime Restaurant

Mushroom Ravioli - Sublime Restaurant

I spent a long weekend in Boca Raton, FL this month visiting my boyfriend's family. As with any travel, I do my research before boarding a plane to find great vegan places I want to try. This special restaurant wasn't even on my list! My boyfriend's mother found it and booked us a reservation. Sublime is a decent sized restaurant located along North Federal Highway in Ft. Lauderdale. It took a little while to get there, but in my opinion it was well worth it. 

Sublime Restaurant is 100% vegan which makes for a carefree and exciting sit-down meal. They also donate all profits to organizations that promote animal welfare and veganism. That is tough to find in the restaurant business. The owner Nanci is detail-oriented and strict with keeping the menu and the actual restaurant completely vegan. It's gotten good press and attention from some famous people, too. Pamela Anderson, Paul McCartney, and model Joanna Krupa have all dined here. 

Vegan dining with my boyfriend's family made me a little nervous since none of them are vegan. I've fed my boyfriend enough vegan food to not have to worry about him, but his father is a meat and potatoes guy. Despite not having your typical beer selection (all local breweries), and service that was a tad bit slow, it went well. We left the meal on a high note - the fabulous dessert! 

Sliders - Sublime Restaurant

We started with two appetizers, the raved about Frito Misto and the Sliders for the carnivores at the table. The Frito Misto is cauliflower battered and fried with a delicious sweet and sour chili sauce topped with sesame seeds. It was out of this world! I could have easily had it for a meal but of course that's because it was fried. The Sliders were Gardein patties with "cheddar", onion, romaine, and special sauce. The mock meat patties were tasty and left the meat-eaters at the table satisfied, but the wheat buns were tough and dry. 

Frito Misto - Sublime Restaurant

Thai Red Curry - Sublime Restaurant

For our entrees we ordered two of the waiter's recommendation of Mushroom Ravioli, along with Sublime Picatta (the "meat and potatoes" dish) and Thai Red Curry. The Mushroom Ravioli is house-made mushroom-filled raviolis, cashew cream, tomato butter sauce, and basil. These are popular for a reason, the pasta was delicious and the filling creamy. I loved the roasted tomatoes. My order of Thai Red Curry was huge! The flavor was excellent - Asian vegetables, grilled tofu, red pepper, onion, broccoli, celery, bean sprouts, and jasmine rice in a creamy coconut red curry sauce. I had this for lunch the next day and it was just as good cold. I didn't try the Sublime Picatta, but this was the dish that our waiter recommended for the meat-like flavor and texture - it's a Gardein cutlet served with mashed potatoes, green beans, and a lemon-caper sauce. My boyfriend's father cleaned his plate.

Sublime Picatta - Sublime Restaurant

Coconut Cake - Sublime Restaurant

The highlight of the meal was the Coconut Cake! We devoured it in minutes. I'll be craving this cake for a while until I can find or bake something similar. Rich, moist cake layered between creamy sweet coconut frosting, served with toasted coconut garnish and a delicious delicate almond cookie.

I would go back in a heartbeat and wish it was closer to home so I could!

Sublime Restaurant

1431 North Federal Highway

Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

Sublime Website

Dining In - Pad Thai Noodles

Pad Thai Noodles - Chef Chloe

This simple Thai dish delivers with the traditional sweet and salty sauce, but does so using drastically less oil (only one tablespoon). With brown rice pasta, it can be gluten free if you use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce, and of course it is vegan. This was an easy and quick dish to prepare. It could be even better if it had more protein or fiber to make it a more filling meal, possibly adding some tofu or mock meat marinated in the sauce would do the trick. You can find this recipe on Chloe Coscarelli's website. Enjoy!


8 oz. brown rice noodles
3 cups broccoli florets (I used frozen)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice, extra wedges for serving
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon canola oil
3 scallions, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Cilantro, chopped, for garnish
Roasted, salted, chopped peanuts for garnish

Cook pasta according to package in salted water. Before the pasta is done cooking, add in broccoli. Cook for about 5 minutes. Drain, rinse with cool water, and then drain again. Set aside.

To prepare sauce, whisk together brown sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce in a small bowl.

In a large skillet heat oil on medium-high heat, add in scallions and garlic. Add the sauce, then add the cooked pasta and broccoli. Stir carefully until sauce is evenly distributed and the ingredients are heated throughout.

Serve with chopped cilantro and peanuts, with a lime wedge on the side.

Dining Out in Boston - Khao Sarn

Pad See-Ew with Tofu - Khao Sarn

In the mood for indulging? Be prepared for a food coma from this delicious Thai cuisine. Located right in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, Khao Sarn offers great quality Thai food with pleasant staff and speedy service. I was dining here before becoming a vegan and found that with a few omissions and substitutions you can make a number of meals vegan-friendly. I usually order the Pad See Ew, on the menu it's listed as stir-fried wide rice noodles with chicken or beef, Chinese broccoli & eggs. I order it with tofu, no eggs, and just to be on the safe side I say no fish sauce (a staple ingredient in many Southeast Asian dishes). The word "see ew" means soy sauce. This dish has a dark, sweet soy sauce on it, so it's less likely that it has fish sauce, but it's good just to request it without, in case. The takeout comes in nice Tupperware containers, making it easy to save for leftovers, but it does not make it any easier to stop yourself from gorging on the whole thing! This is a heavy meal and I try not to get it more than once, maybe twice, a month since it can sneakily pack on the pounds. 

For a much lighter bite try the fresh rolls (roll sod), soft rice paper rolls filled with lettuce, vermicelli, sweet basil leaves, carrots, bean sprouts, and cucumber with a sweet peanut sauce on the side (this usually comes with chicken, so just request it without meat).

Khao Sarn

250 Harvard Street

Brookline, MA 02446

Khao Sarn Website