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upscale vegan dining at franchia in nyc
15September 22nd, 2010more restaurants (not LA), NYCfranchia is a beautiful and serene, entirely vegan korean restaurant located on park avenue in manhattan, and it happens to be one of our favorite restaurants in NYC.
we visited franchia back in 2008 and were big fans of their noodles and curry hot pots, so when their sushi menu came highly recommended from chloe coscarelli, we knew we had to return. ravenously hungry and fresh off our cross-country flight, we hopped in a cab and headed straight to the restaurant.
steamed spicy kimchi dumplings. $6.95
we started with a pot of hot sake and the steamed spicy kimchi dumplings. i love kimchi, a traditional korean dish of fermented vegetables, but unfortunately it usually contains fish. i was so excited to see it on the menu at a vegan restaurant, where i knew i was all in the clear. franchia’s dumplings did not disappoint—they were plump and filled right up with spicy and flavorful vegetables. the sake really hit the spot too, especially after our long journey.
for my entree, i stuck to chloe’s advice and ordered 2 different sushi rolls: the mountain greens and roots roll and the seaweed salad roll. they came together on an absolutely beautifully presented platter—so pretty, i almost didn’t want to eat it.
mountain greens and root roll. $6.50
the mountain greens and roots roll was my favorite, the crunchy roots made the perfect center in between all the soft rice.
seaweed salad roll. $5.50
the seaweed salad roll was also delicious, light and very ocean-y tasting (in a good non-fishy way). there were so many other rolls that looked fantastic as well…a green tea roll, spicy tuna, and crispy tofu skin…i can’t wait to return and try them all.
organic soba noodles: topped with a variety of vegetables and mushrooms, served with spicy sauce on the side. $12.95
my husband, on the other hand, went with a noodle dish: organic soba noodles topped with vegetables and served with spicy sauce. he let me try some of his, and it was phenomenal. a colorful bowl filled with many asian vegetables, i couldn’t even identify them all. it was also served with side dishes of kimchi and hot sauce that i kept stealing throughout the meal.
inside, franchia is absolutely gorgeous. it’s a dimly lit, multilevel restaurant with a calm interior that provides the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of new york city. it’s a great place to bring a date, or anyone you’d like to enjoy a peaceful fancy meal with. i know i’ll be back!
franchia
Tags: korean, NYC, sushi
12 Park Ave
New York City New York 10016
212-213-1001
14 responses to “upscale vegan dining at franchia in nyc” 
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Sold! It’s been on my list and I’ve yet to visit. I’m most certainly going now!
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My absolute favs here are: citron paste tea, chocolate pudding (seriously!) and their cheesecake, which is some of the best I’ve ever had (which isn’t saying much for vegan cheesecake, but it’s actually REALLY good).
And if you ever go to their more upscale sister restaurant Hangawi, I would highly recommend getting the Steamboat prix fixe. -
so glad to finally see this place on QG! it’s one of my favorite restaurants and i even used to go there before i was a vegan and i didn’t even know it was vegan! the spicy tuna rolls taste exactly like real spicy tuna rolls! its amazing!! and not too expensive at all! i love it!
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I love when you blog about places I’m actually near so I can spy on what you had without actually having ordered it. I’m still not sold on their sushi because there’s always Soy & Sake for that, but for your next visit I’d highly recommend the steamed buns with crispy duck and the sweet and sour mushrooms. So good!
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Wow, it looks very nice! Korean food in general can be very vegan-friendly. 🙂 I must visit this place when I go to NY next time!
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Next time I visit NYC, I will visit this place. I love sushi. When I tell my friend I love sushi, they are like “but you cant eat fish”. But sushi is flavor, not fish.
The Sweetest Vegan
Changing Mindsets -
May I ask how you can afford to go on trips so often? What is your occupation? Its seems like you leave the state to try a new restaurant at least once a week, and sometimes more! Do you travel for work, or do you travel only for the purpose of trying a new vegan restaurant?
Last post you were in Oakland, now in NYC, last week in Seattle, before that in Portland….damn, woman! Let me in on your secrets, because I wish I could travel even half as much as you. lol! -
quarrygirl September 22nd, 2010 at 19:52
@maria: i went to seattle over a month ago…i just space the posts out! 😉 i definitely get my traveling in, but the posts come out gradually. i still have seattle places i haven’t blogged about yet…
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quarrygirl, this blog is excellent. are you thinking of putting a guide together for people to purchase? how do you find these restaurants, yelp? I guess I don’t need to know, I’ll just visit your blog when I’m travelling =)
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[…] the first quickbites comes to us from none other than mr. meaner, who is traveling in NYC and hit up one of our favorite spots, franchia, for dinner. here are his quick […]
JL Goes Vegan September 22nd, 2010 at 06:28