Dining Out in Paris - Bob's Kitchen

Avocado Lemon Tartine on a Bagel - Bob's Kitchen

Inside Bob's Kitchen

Before it gets too delayed and my dining memories fade I want to share a review of Bob's Kitchen, a healthy restaurant that I visited during my late spring trip to Paris this year. Bob's Kitchen is one of five businesses run by the same company called Bob's Food Etc., it includes a juice bar, bake shop, catering, and pressed juices in addition to this kitchen. I found my way there early in the day and when I arrived I was the only customer, which is quite the opposite of what reviews on Yelp say. I was not used to the late morning start that Parisians are accustomed to, but lucky for me this place opens at 8:00am.  It tends to be very loud and crowded in the later hours in this very casual, small restaurant. I was greeted in English and shown the menus on the wall to order my breakfast. It seemed like more of counter service setup with small tables to dine at versus table service. 

For breakfast, I paired a Vegan Matcha Protein Smoothie with an Avocado Lemon Tartine, otherwise known as an open-faced sandwich topped with spreadable ingredients. Maybe I've become a spoiled New Yorker after the last couple years, but this was not a bagel I'd go writing home about. It was dry, hard and since I typically go for more savory flavors like an everything bagel, it was too bland. It reminded me of a grocery store Thomas' brand bagel, not very impressive. The French have perfected their bread, but bagels they should leave to the Americans! The avocado topping was plain and simple avocado slices with a tiny bit of lemon juice with sea salt. Again critiquing as a New Yorker with access to about ten restaurants who've all perfected avocado toast (hello, Cafe Gitane!) I would say this didn't stack up, but it was one of the few places I could find healthier meal options. My Matcha Protein Smoothie was creamy and delicious, definitely worth the price.

Karlie Kloss is a fan!

In order to have a healthy breakfast for the next day I walked by again that same afternoon to pick up something I could store in my mini-fridge back at my hotel. I grabbed a premade Chia Pudding with berries. It wasn't very sweet or flavorful, but I was glad to have the wholesome ingredients versus a big baguette and coffee and my only alternative. I loved Paris and if I return I would visit Bob's again for their healthy dishes and give some of the lunch dishes and salads a try. As a final note I should mention that it's gotten a supermodel stamp of approval, I noticed a Karlie Kloss' autographed photo at the register! 

Vegan Crumble, Seasonal Fruit, Chia Pudding To Go

Cold Pressed Juices

Bob's Kitchen

74 Rue des Gravilliers

Paris, France 3

Bob's Kitchen Website

Dining Out in Paris - Sol Semilla

Assiette du Jour (Dish of the Day) - Sol Semilla

This is another postponed recount of my vegan tour of Paris (see my earlier post on the delicious Hank Burger here). I walked across the city to visit Sol Semilla for dinner and it was well worth it! I spotted the brightly colored cafe, which also houses a small market for their selection of supplements and organic food products. The website is dedicated to these "Superaliments" that you can also purchase online. I was warmly greeted (despite its Spanish name and location within a French city, in English, which was a relief as a typical language-deficient American). I took a seat at the window for prime people-watching while dining alone. 

Menu boards inside with the WiFi password, of course!

 

The Green Detox Juice - Sol Semilla

My ordering decision was very easy because the menu is short, but my meal definitely didn't lack variety. I ordered the Dish of the Day which included about six different tasty, nicely seasoned vegan side dishes made with chickpeas, beets, potatoes, brown rice, homemade hummus, and garnished with greens and apples. I appreciated that the ingredients were all whole vegetables and grains, no processed soy products here. They had various vinegars and oil on the table to dress the dish. For a beverage I opted for a green juice and skipped the full meal option which also included a dessert, since I was already feeling full from my colorful plate. My juice was the Green Detox, apple juice mixed with chlorella, a vibrant green algae in the form of powder. 



I would visit Sol Semilla again. The food was nourishing, fresh, and reminded me of a home-cooked meal, something I was craving given my longer than usual travels in Europe. It was a bit pricey (15.50 Euros for the dish alone, plus a couple more for the juice), but I was happy to spend it given my options in this city. 

Sol Semilla

23 Rue des Vinaigriers

75010 Paris, France

Sol Semilla Website (in French)

Sol Semilla Facebook Page

Dining Out in Paris - Hank Vegan Burger

Le Petit Menu with La Catcheuse Burger - Hank

This is a long overdue review from my weekend trip to Paris this May. I was inspired to post it because my parents just embarked on a journey through France. Better late than never! If you find yourself wandering around Paris (I highly recommend you do) make a turn down this side street and grab yourself a delicious vegan burger at Hank.

Even with all my vegan research, I didn't know about Hank until a friend in London mentioned it to me. She had just been with her vegan friend and said it was delicious. It's an all vegan, quick service, burger joint near Notre Dame. It's very small and mainly serves take out (or "take away" as they call it there), but I still dined in at the small tables.

Le Petit Menu (Combo Meal) - Hank

I ordered a combo meal, Le Petit Menu because after walking all of Paris I felt I earned myself some fries, too. They offer about 4 or 5 different burger flavors combinations with the option to make the bun gluten-free and add vegan cheese. I chose the La Catcheuse burger with alfalfa sprouts and mustard sauce, with fries and a light, refreshing carbonated beverage I had never tried before called Bionade Fair-Cola. I was eating my lunch at 4pm so I wolfed this down, but that was also because it was so tasty! The sauce on the burger, a mustard vegan mayonnaise was creamy and savory. The bun was toasted and the patty was filling. I also liked the thick cut, organic, Belgian French Fries and the Homemade Vegan Mayonnaise available on each table, not that I  needed that, but I wasn't holding back for this meal! 



I found enough willpower to skip dessert but they did have 3 options when I was there, a large chocolate chip cookie, a carrot cake, and the special of the day, a chocolate mousse.

Hank Vegan Burger

55 Rue de Archives

75003 Paris, France

Hank Website (English Version)

Dining Out in New York City - by CHLOE.

Now this is a "Happy Meal" - by CHLOE

Given my fondness for and success with Chloe Coscarelli's recipes, it's no surprise that I was anxiously awaiting the launch of her all-vegan NYC restaurant by CHLOE. I suspected this might be coming with her efforts to grow her brand by appearing on the Today Show and keeping an active social channel going (Instagram: @bychefchloe, @chefchloe) where she shared updates along the way; this was a smart move, building loyalty before opening. The location is another smart move, near the W 4th Street subway stop and right by NYU, where students can grab vegan grub until 12am most nights. The creative direction and branding is just like her, refreshing, adorable and easily likable! 

Interior Design, Complete with Wicker Chair Swings (on the other side) - by CHLOE

Love all the packaging!

I saw the announcement just yesterday that her restaurant was having its grand opening on Tuesday, July 28th and I excitedly told my boyfriend exactly what we'd be doing for dinner the next day. He's enjoyed many Chloe cookbook recipes and was happy to take me! We showed up around 7:30pm and a large, but well managed line was there. They were giving away free cookies all day and even free burgers to the first 50 customers. The website only launched today with a posting of their menu, so I scrambled to make a very hard decision. In line, Chloe herself came around with free samples of a Peanut Butter Cacao Smoothie and a Kale Smoothie. Both were very yummy! I didn't hold back and asked to take a picture with her, she is so sweet! 

Now for our taste testing in the form of a large meal: I ordered the Kale Caesar Salad, as is, with shiitake bacon, avocado, almond parmesan, maple-wheat croutons, capers, grape tomatoes, and Caesar dressing. I hate to criticize my first choice, but this was just too salty for me to order again. I finished it, of course and thought the ingredients themselves were great, but it seemed like each one got salted separately and then tossed together. Along with it, I had a small order of Mac N' Cheese, which was creamy and delicious with a slight kick of smokey spice. The sauce coating the shells was a sweet potato cheese and it was topped with another dose of crunchy shiitake bacon. 

Mac N' Cheese - by CHLOE

The Classic Burger - by CHLOE 

My non-vegan boyfriend got The Classic Burger with Air Baked French Fries. The Classic Burger is built off a super hearty patty with tempeh, lentil, chia and walnut, topped with pickles, onion, beet ketchup and served on a potato bun. I had one bite and said without much experience myself, "tastes like a real burger!" My boyfriend didn't want to share, which is a good sign. His major complaint with vegan burgers is the mistake of serving a mushy veggie-based burger on tough, dry bread so the whole thing falls apart in your hands - this burger had a soft bun and it held it all together. The fries were also very tasty and you'd have no idea they weren't actually "fried." The Beet Ketchup was hot pink and sweet, a nice upgrade. The Special Sauce was light orange and likely a cashew cream base, it was a little bland and I would have preferred more of a mayo or vegannaise flavor. 

 

Chlostess Cupcake - by CHLOE

Dessert was another full course! For my free cookie, I got the Cinnamon Espresso Cookie, compared to my experience making these from her cookbook hers were much thinner and crisp, not moist. I really liked it, its got a slight overbaked taste, but in a good way that complements the espresso flavor. My boyfriend bought for himself (thinking he wouldn't have to share!) a big square of the Banana Bread and a Chlostess Cupcake (previous blog post here). He really enjoyed the Banana Bread, stuffed with chocolate chips and walnuts. As for the Chlostess Cupcake, this was super chocolatey and velvetly smooth and rich. 

Cinnamon Espresso Cookie - by CHLOE

These Look Familiar! The Many Dessert Options - by CHLOE

The menu is lengthy, especially considering this is a brand new restaurant, so that means I will be making many return trips. Chloe is a doll and was a pleasure to talk to, so it makes it a no brainer to support her in her business endeavor! Good luck :)

by CHLOE.

185 Bleecker Street

New York, NY 10012

by Chloe Website

by CHLOE from the Outside

Dining Out in London - Food for Thought

Spinach Cauliflower Dal with Brown Rice & Potato Salad with Garden Salad
Food for Thought

Dinner Crowd at Food for Thought

I'll keep this one short and sweet, because sadly Food for Thought will be closed by the end of June after more than 40 years in business. It happened to be my favorite vegan food in London and the most conveniently located, close to both my office and my hotel, in Soho. Tucked away on a small cobblestone street, it always attracted a crowd in the early evening. People just like me enjoyed their delicious savory, hearty meals. It tasted like home cooked food and the servings were always generous. Not everything they served was vegan, but they had a few vegan entrees to choose from every night and for a combo meal adding a daily salad option was easy as all of them were vegan. 

One of my favorite entrees was the Spinach Cauliflower Dal with Brown Rice. I ordered salad to go with it and got a mix of vegan potato salad and garden salad with a yummy tomato dressing. The Dal dish was creamy, perfectly seasoned and fresh. On other visits, I also tried the Stir-Fried Vegetables with Brown Rice, the Pickled Vegetables, an Avocado, Corn and Black Bean Salad. One more stand out was the dessert I tried on my last visit. The Apple Pear Crumble was jam-packed with fruit and deliciously cinnamon-spiced. Every meal I enjoyed was takeout, but as shown in the photo they do have a few tables to dine in for a small price increase.

Stir-Fried Vegetables with Brown Rice
Food for Thought

The limited, constantly changing menu might frustrate people, especially when you find a favorite, but considering how good the various options were, I enjoyed the surprise and variety! It was cash only, but this is far more common in London than back in the states so I was used to it. If only a place like this existed in New York, where you could get a vegan meal that tastes like home and satisfies you like no other! 

Butterbean Pie - Food for Thought

Taste the Rainbow!

Food for Thought

31 Neal Street

Covent Garden

London, UK WC2H 9PR

Food for Thought Website

Dining Out in London - Manna

Sticky Toffee Pudding - Manna

Manna is an all vegan restaurant located in Primrose Hill, a pricey more residential part of London compared to busier parts like Soho and Bloomsbury. I loved walking in this sleepy, quaint neighborhood with white townhouses and boutique shops. I met with a friend from the US who moved to London over a year ago, her vegan friend joined us for dinner. From my research I knew this historical (celebrating 47 years!) restaurant offered some of the traditional British fare, things I had never tried before even in non-vegan versions, like Bangers and Mash and Sticky Toffee Pudding, but even with the unknowns I was excited for a sit-down meal with good company. Manna is a small restaurant and although I called and couldn't get the reservation I wanted, there were empty tables throughout our dinner (a bit frustrating). 

Manna Mezze - Manna

Manna Mezze, Arancini - Manna

Baja California Plate - Manna

We started with the Manna Mezze to taste a variety of appetizers. I got to try the Arancini, Vegetable Tempura and Indian Pizza. All of them were delicious, though the Arancini and Indian Pizza were more unique and exciting. I enjoyed the sauces paired with each one. Though their menu changes often, the Organic Bangers and Mash is a constant. I ordered this dish for my entree, again I didn't have much to compare it to because I'd never tried the non-vegan version before. Sadly I wasn't in love with my dish, but it was good. It contained organic fennel and pumpkin seed sausages, on a parsnip and carrot mash with a red wine leek and thyme jus with onion rings. The vegan sausage had lots of seasoning and flavor, but the texture was a little too grainy. I of course loved the fried onion rings that topped the dish! My dining companions both ordered the Baja California Plate (sadly no longer on the menu) and really enjoyed it. Their meals were slightly more fresh and colorful than mine. Although already full, for dessert I had to get my hands on the Sticky Toffee Pudding. Luckily I was able to share it with my friend. It was presented beautifully with a flavor that was decadent and very sweet, certainly happy with this choice to end the meal!

Overall I enjoyed the appetizers and dessert the most. For this more relaxing, quiet dining experience compared to what I experienced in the city center, I would return here. The quality of food was high and service, despite being slow, was decent. In comparison to US prices, this wasn't a cheap meal, but I didn't feel like I was overpaying.

Organic Bangers and Mash - Manna

Manna

4 Erksine Road

Primrose Hill

London, United Kingdom NW3 3AJ

Manna Website