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sante la brea: a new vegan favorite
8October 27th, 2008LA restaurants, sante la breait’s no secret that i’m always on the lookout for new and delicious vegan food. i try to hit up as many vegan-friendly restaurants as i can in search of that perfect tofu scramble, veggie burger or burrito. that’s why i can’t believe sante la brea has been right here in hollywood, under my nose for the longest time, and i waited until yesterday to try it out.
it first came to my attention when someone from sante delivered the menu to my work. i skimmed through it and one thing immediately caught my attention. right there, printed on the menu was the fact that sante can prepare ANY item vegan by substituting fake for real meat. hell yeah. plus, i did some research and saw that vegan-la had some nice things to say about sante, and that pretty much sealed the deal.
so yesterday, the husband and i headed over to give sante a shot…and everything about it was absolutely amazing: the food, service, atmosphere and presentation were all impeccable. sante la brea gets an a+!
tofu scramble with toast and potatoes. $8
we arrived at around noon, so sante was serving both their brunch menu and their normal dinner menu. their brunch menu isn’t available online, but it was filled with really appetizing stuff. tons of scrambles and omelettes, and of course tofu could be substituted for egg in any dish. we shared the tofu scramble and it was incredible. the fluffy tofu was mixed in with tons of garden vegetables and a delicate seasoning. it was the perfect texture and tasted out of this world healthy. you know, the kind of feeling you get when you are eating stuff that’s super good for you. this tasted really good, and i know it was guilt-free. not much oil or fat, just the right ingredients. it’s so refreshing to eat a meal like this, because i am used to eating way too much junk food!
we also ordered off the dinner menu, and what we chose happened to be vegan, without any substitutions. yay us! the macro ended up being just as tasty, and probably just as healthy as the scramble. i love being married, because it means i get to try two different meals at lunch!
the macro: tofu, hijiki broccoli, zucchini, daikon root, carrots and onions sauteed in a tahini ginger sauce. served with black beans, tahini dressing and root slaw. choice of entree or wrap. $13
because it’s easier to share, we opted for the wrap, and man-o-man was it scrumptious. it was so simple, yet so full of flavor. the exotic vegetables mixed together with the seasoning and tofu perfectly, and were covered in tangy dripping tahini sauce. so divine. better than anything i’ve ever eaten over at m café, the los angeles macrobiotic headquarters. sorry, m, this shit was so much tastier.
not to mention, both meals came with breakfast potatoes that were unbelievable. it’s so great to have a side (that at most restaurants is so full of disgusting grease) be so light AND delicious. i don’t know how they do it, but sante really puts the time and effort into making genuinely healthy food that doesn’t sacrifice taste in the slightest. we need more restaurants like this.
not just the food is da bomb at sante though, the service and atmosphere are killer as well. the place was empty on sunday at lunch time (a total crime, considering how great sante is!) but our waitress was all over us. very attentive, friendly, and quick when it came to refilling our water glasses. the outdoor seating area was quite lovely too, big wooden tables shaded by curtains and benches with huge fluffy cushions. it was great relaxing in the sun and enjoying our lunch as calming chilled-out electro music played softly in the background.
overall, sante was a great find. they have TONS of vegan options, plus anything they offer can be made vegan. oh yeah, and a grip of vegan desserts as well. hmmmm. i can’t think of a reason not to try them out asap. delicious all the way around.
Tags: breakfast, brunch, potatoes, scramble, tofu, wrap
7 responses to “sante la brea: a new vegan favorite” 
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Well we almost just had another impromptu meeting at Sante La Brea because I came THIS close to having brunch there yesterday! That would have been pretty funny to walk in on you guys this time 😉
I’m excited to hear how good the food was. I used to love this place when I lived nearby years ago but haven’t been back in a long time. Then they went through that whole Chef Gordon Ramsey makeover and I just figured he probably ruined the place and got rid of most vegan options. So glad to hear that’s not the case… based on your great experience now I know I must give them another try! They used to have most amazing blue corn pancakes… did you notice if those were still on the menu?
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This is some great looking grub. Wow. I am so hungry right now too I wish I could Beam myself right there. They were redone by Gordon Ramsey and still have vegan food? So cool.
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Oh, and as much as I love M. Cafe, I don’t understand where they get off calling themselves macrobiotic… just cuz a dish has seaweed in it does not make it macrobiotic! If you wanna try real macro, check out Inaka on La Brea.
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+1 on Inaka, just be prepared for overwhelming fishy smell.
Also, for anyone on the Westside A Votre Sante is a former sister restaurant of Sante Cusine (La Brea) and is just as good if not better, just less Vegan options.
(A Votre Sante has all the vegan pancakes, too)If all goes well Vegan Drinks will be at Sante Nov 1 at 8:30pm!
AH so much to comment! I love Sante, awesome write up! Its the most under rated vegan friendly spot in LA!
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I ate at A Votre Sante about 9 years ago and thought it was ok, but there were fewer vegan options, as Lex pointed out. Cool that Vegan Drinks will be there on Saturday, but boo to the Meet-Up site that says this particular gathering isn’t open to newcomers! That’s ok, I might be at a concert that night anyway.
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I’ve passed by that place like a trillion times and always sort of wondered if it was any good… it looks so delicious! Especially that wrap!!
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The falafel wrap is amazing. Baked not fried. Also, the tempeh sandwich is to die for. As well as the vegan cakes!!!
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vegan world cuisine at sante la brea in los angeles | vegan food and living in Los Angeles May 6th, 2009 at 22:38
[…] here at quarrygirl.com, we have been fans of sante la brea for a long time. the large elegant restaurant offers 3 separate menus of world cuisine, and every item can be […]
Foodeater October 27th, 2008 at 09:43