• Okay, so we’ve already posted about the best vegan and best vegetarian restaurants in Los Angeles, but sometimes we vegans HAVE to eat in omnivorous restaurants. That’s a part of life. What’s interesting, though, is when we find meat-serving restaurants that we WANT to eat in. That’s a whole different story, and LA has a few outstanding omnivorous establishments that go out of their way to cater to vegans. Here are our favorites.

    M Cafe

    While the “M” in M Cafe probably stands for Macrobiotic, I believe it actually stands for Mmmmmmmm, which is pretty much what I murmur with every bite of this amazing food. With a totally vegan menu except for fish, M Cafe has a chic urban appeal, backed up with an A-list of ingredients (and clientele) all layered over an efficient kitchen and fair pricing, considering how great the food is. While the last year or two M Cafe’s items have been prepared by kitchen staff rather than chefs, their menu items are still some of the best in town.

    Vegan Benedict at M Cafe

    Vegan Benedict at M Cafe

    The Big Macro is arguably LA’s best vegan burger. The broccolini pepporochini is without a doubt LA’s premier broccolini, and the Vegan Benedict is constantly voted one of the “best” breakfast items on any local menu. There are plenty of vegan options at all times of the day, and the rotating menu constantly keeps one coming back for more. The deserts are out of this world, along with the very best vegan tiramisu known to humanity. Check it out!!

    Purgatory Pizza

    It’s probably inaccurate to credit Purgatory Pizza with single-handedly introducing incredible vegan pizza to LA, but we’re going to anyway. The insatiable team, formerly headed by Chef Ricky, that painstakingly worked to veganize an entire product line and food preparation process has gone from strength to strength. Purgatory was not only the first pizza place to embrace Teese (the ground-breaking alternative to Follow Your Heart Cheese), but is also the first to stock Gardein and Field Roast as toppings, and one of the first to serve Daiya (the best vegan cheese at time of posting) in SoCal.

    Vegan Chicken Pestop Pizza with Gardein and Daiya at Purgatory Pizza.

    Vegan Chicken Pestop Pizza with Gardein and Daiya at Purgatory Pizza.

    To get your Purgatory Pizza kicks (if you’re not in the delivery area), show up with a bottle of cheap wine and/or a six-pack of beer, then order your pizza to dine in. Feeling like a cross between an 80s suburban pizza joint and some kind of modern art experiment, Purgatory has a great, brightly-lit atmosphere and friendly staff to keep you entertained while you swallow slice after slice of LA’s best vegan pizza.

    Hugo’s Restaurant

    With two locations (one in West Hollywood, the other in Studio City), and a full-on meat-oriented menu, one might be surprised to find that the Hugo’s chefs have created some seriously innovative vegan cuisine. Not only do they have loads of options, but they have menu with several clearly marked animal-free alternatives, as well as dishes that can be optionally veganized. If you can get past the trendy atmosphere, long waits and constant celebrity sightings (I’ve watched the staff at the WeHo location fawn over Gabriel Byrne and Jeff Goldblum within the past few weeks) you’re in for a vegan treat.

    Tikka Masala Veggie Patties at Hugo's Restaurant

    Tikka Masala Veggie Patties at Hugo's Restaurant

    Although I’ve long been a fan of the tofu scramble, I also love the Very Green Casserole (one of the best vegan burgers I’ve ever tasted atop stewed vegetables and sauce in a pot) as well as the salads, tikka masala veggie patties, stir-frys and wraps. Make sure you specify “VEGAN” clearly when you order, while the restaurant is extremely vegan-friendly, there may be butter hiding in unsuspecting dishes.

    Toi

    Sadly, the Toi chain has contracted from two locations to just one, on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. Thankfully the sacrificial lamb of this two-outlet chain was the Santa Monica outlet on Wilshire and not the ultimate rock and roll dining location sandwiched between Guitar Center and clothing stores most mortals are too… well… mortal to shop in. Toi has a loud, brash atmosphere with a class-based seating system (some tables suck ass, others are amazing — you ride the wind and luck of the draw depending your arrival time).

    Vegan Pad Thai at Toi

    Vegan Pad Thai at Toi

    Get the vegan pad thai with grilled tofu for a real treat, or the Saigon spring rolls…and make sure you request the hot sauces to dollop liberally over your food. The portions are huge, the kitchen respects us vegans, and most things on the menu can be made vegan — substitute chicken for tofu, oyster sauce for vegan oyster sauce, and you’ll get a superb meal. Take your omni friends there, and chillax the fuck out listening to rock ‘n’ roll on the speakers. Step into the parking lot at the back and you can smell weed in the air. Need we say more.

    Mama’s Hot Tamales

    OK, I’ll admit, MacArthur Park (just West of Downtown LA) has a shady reputation. Lotsa crime, lotsa drugs, lotsa pigeons, lotsa bodegas and lotsa REAL, AUTHENTIC Mexican restaurants. How glad are we vegans, then, that one of the most popular, Mama’s Hot Tamales, has a full-on vegan menu, complete with Daiya cheese, vegan sauces and all the trimmings. Did you hear that? Authentic Mexican food AND Daiya Cheese!!!! That is reason enough to make any top 5 list, as far as we’re concerned.

    Vegan Daiya Cheese Enchiladas at Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe

    Vegan Daiya Cheese Enchiladas at Mama's Hot Tamales Cafe

    At Mama’s you can enjoy all the greasy, cheesy filling Mexican food that omnivores love to death, but prepared under the supervision of Mama herself: the real deal, a Mexican señora who could not be more understanding of what a vegan is, what we need and how to prepare the food for us.

    Honorable mentions: Green Peas, XIV, Zpizza, Cafe Muse, Interim Cafe, Mani’s Bakery

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  • September 20th, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café
    big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. comes with a deli side salad. $9.95

    big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. comes with a deli side salad. $9.95

    i think a lot of people would agree with me when i say that m cafe’s big macro is the best vegan burger in los angeles. it’s big, it’s hearty, it has a homemade patty made of rice and vegetables, and it’s covered in melted cheese and creamy sauce. the big macro comes with a side salad of your choice (i suggest the spicy kale) and usually sells for $11.45. well until november 9th, m cafe is offering a special deal on their popular burger, and selling it for just $9.95! the best vegan burger in LA and a hefty side salad for under ten bucks?! yes please!

    M Chopped: organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch

    M Chopped: organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch

    in addition to the discounted burger, m cafe is also offering their most popular salad for $9.95 until november 9th. the m chopped is massive and comes filled with fresh vegetables, tender leaves, tempeh bacon, and herb-baked tofu. damn, it’s so good.

    so, that’s all. i suggest you get over to m cafe and take advantage of these discounts. and if you haven’t tried the big macro yet, you know nothing about vegan burgers. nothing!

    m cafe de chaya
    7119 Melrose Avenue
    Hollywood, CA 90046
    323.525.0310

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  • September 2nd, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    m-cafe-mac-cu

    i can’t remember the last time i was so damn excited about a dinner special. through friday, m cafe de chaya is offering vegan macaroni and cheese at both the melrose and culver city locations after 5pm. i have been wanting to try m cafe’s mac and cheese forever and when i finally got a chance to last night, it did not disappoint.

    for those of you who have never been to m cafe before, it’s a macrobiotic restaurant that’s almost entirely vegan, other than some dishes that clearly contain fish. they serve mostly organic whole foods and seasonal vegetables, and their meals tend to be on the healthier side. i was excited to see what they would do with a home-style dish like mac & cheese that’s usually packed with oil, grease and dairy products. i was delighted to find my take-out container filled with light but creamy noodles, crunchy bread crumbs, and loads of vegetables.

    dinner special macaroni and cheese: organic fusilli, sundried tomato, asparagus and arugula. soy cheese sauce and bread crumbs. $10.75

    dinner special macaroni and cheese: organic fusilli, sundried tomato, asparagus and arugula. soy cheese sauce and bread crumbs. $10.75

    the macaroni and cheese came with twisted noodles, a light soy cheese sauce, bread crumbs, sundried tomato, asparagus and arugula. i can’t even begin to tell you how delicious the cheesy pasta was mixed up with the sweet tomatoes. i have never had sundried tomatoes in mac & cheese before, but DUDE, it was so good. the asparagus added a nice crunch to the whole dish and provided a slightly sour offset to the tomatoes. a perfect combination for sure. i also liked that there were tons of vegetables in the dish, so i didn’t feel like i was eating a bowl of just carbs and fat. for under 11 bucks, the portion was large as well, and it had a really fine-dining taste. you pay a little more at m cafe, but they use such high-quality ingredients that it’s well worth the extra few dollars.

    m-cafe-mac-wine

    i got my macaroni and cheese to go, and enjoyed it at home with a nice glass of organic wine and a side of m cafe’s broccolini pepperocini. it really hit the spot! right now the melrose location doesn’t serve booze, but the culver city one does. so if you are dining in on the west side, grab some alcohol to go with your dinner special. 🙂

    if you like mac and cheese, i highly suggest you get to m cafe this week and try out their rendition of it. it’s healthier than all the other vegan mac and cheese in town, and it’s really delicious. they are only offering it as a dinner special through friday, but maybe if a lot of people order it (and bug them about it) they will add it to the menu. if any of y’all try it, let me know what you think.

    m-cafe-mac-take-out

    i would be so happy if they decided to stock this regularly in the deli case…they wouldn’t even have to add it as a meal, but just a side salad. come on, m cafe. please?

    m cafe de chaya
    7119 Melrose Avenue
    Hollywood, CA 90046
    323.525.0588

    9343 Culver Boulevard
    Culver City, CA 90232
    310.838.4300

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  • July 10th, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    for vegans in los angeles, m cafe is definitely one of the best places to grab a bite to eat. the macrobiotic eatery has 3 locations around town (melrose, beverly hills, and culver city), and is almost entirely vegan, other than menu items clearly containing fish. i’ve always loved m cafe’s meals, but recently the culver city restaurant gave me two more reasons to dine there—they added a beer and tapas menu.

    organic beer. $5

    organic beer. $5

    i hit up m cafe on the west side with fellow vegan blogger happy herbivore and her husband, and everyone was delighted with the alcohol and food options. there was organic beer and wine to choose from, and we settled on a few bottles from the north coast brewing company. i went with the cru d’or, a belgian style dubble, which was pretty strong with a good flavor.

    crispy asparagus: fresh asparagus spears lightly breaded and fried, served with homemade spicy yuzu vegenaise. $5.25

    crispy asparagus: fresh asparagus spears lightly breaded and fried, served with homemade spicy yuzu vegenaise. $5.25

    we also shared the crispy asparagus from the tapas menu, which was tasty albeit a little too fried for us. i mean, it tasted really good, but it probably wasn’t good for me. the vegenaise it came with was on point, super creamy with just enough spice to give it a kick, yet not be overwhelming. other vegan tapas options included hummus crudite as well as seitan bruschetta.

    m-cafe-tapas-cu

    for my main course, i ordered the panino margarita, a pressed sandwich filled with pesto, soy cheese and sliced tomatoes. this thing was definitely tasty, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the big macro or bi bim bop. the pesto was delicious, but vegan cheese wasn’t quite melted. for my side, i ordered the white bean salad which was excellent and i highly recommend. it was delicious and filling with loads of creamy beans, huge tomato chunks, and fresh basil leaves.

    panino margarita: fresh tomato, soy mozzarella & basil-almond pesto on our house-baked focaccia, grilled hot & crisp to order. $11.45 served with a white bean deli salad.

    panino margarita: fresh tomato, soy mozzarella & basil-almond pesto on our house-baked focaccia, grilled hot & crisp to order. $11.45 served with a white bean deli salad.

    so if you like beer, macrobiotic food and vegan tapas, give the m cafe in culver city a try. as of now, only the west side location is offering alcohol and appetizers, but hopefully the other locations will start serving this stuff as well.

    m cafe de chaya
    9343 Culver Boulevard
    Culver City, CA 90232

    Sunday thru Thursday
    9:00 am – 9:00 pm
    Friday & Saturday
    9:00 am – 10:00 pm
    (the tapas are served from 4pm until close.)

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  • May 28th, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    i have been looking all over the place for vegan tiramisu in los angeles, and the whole time it was right under my nose.

    vegan tiramisu from m cafe. $6

    vegan tiramisu from m cafe. $6

    in my search for the cheese and egg-filled dessert, i never thought to look at m cafe de chaya on melrose, which happens to be right down the street from my office. the macrobiotic restaurant is almost entirely vegan (except for a few dishes containing stinky dead fish), and has an entire case filled up with cakes, muffins, cupcakes…and little dishes of tiramisu. while the vegan tiramisu from m cafe comes in a cup and is kind of parfait-style with the lady fingers mashed up, i can tell you it is extremely delicious and authentic. right down to the espresso infused cream mixture and the cocoa sprinkles on top, it tastes just as good as the original.

    i have heard some people complain that m cafe’s deserts are too ‘healthy-tasting’ and not decadent enough, but that’s just not true of their tiramisu. they perfectly mimicked the texture of something made with eggs and creamy mascarpone, all mixed up with chocolate, coffee and cookies. if you, like me, have been missing tiramisu…no need to look any further. m cafe has got it down.

    right now i don’t know of anywhere else to get vegan tiramisu in los angeles. if i am wrong, holler at me.

    m cafe de chaya
    7119 Melrose Ave
    Los Angeles, CA 90036
    (323) 525-0588

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  • February 14th, 2009quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    m cafe de chaya is probably one of my favorite vegan-friendly restaurants ever. they started out as a melrose location offering hip and trendy macrobiotic cuisine and soon the demand was so high that they opened up another location in culver city…and now even another in beverly hills. i’m still not exactly sure what macrobiotic means, but m cafe assures their customers that they serve no eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry. it’s basically an entire vegan paradise offset by a few gross-nasty fish items. all the breads, cheeses, faux meats and sauces are safe for us herbivores, and the pesce items are clearly marked.

    when i read on vegan-la that a new m cafe location had just opened, i had to book it there and get some food asap. the husband and i went by for our favorite m cafe meal…breakfast!! while the food that the beverly hills location served us was awesome, i could tell this restaurant was still definitely working out some kinks. they sure aren’t doing bad though, considering we hit them up just days after the grand opening.

    breakfast panini: scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, grilled country bread. $8.45

    breakfast panini: scrambled tofu, tempeh bacon, grilled country bread. $8.45

    the one big thing we didn’t realise before bolting over to m cafe in bev hills at 8:30 am on a weekday is that they only serve a “continental breakfast” monday thru friday, meaning mostly cold pastries and coffee. that vegan benedict and breakfast enchilada that we were craving are only available at the weekend brunch. not just that, but if you arrive at the bh location early and decide to grab lunch, you are shit out of luck; they don’t start serving the normal menu until 10 am. that leaves you in limbo for two hours with very limited breakfast options. luckily, although m bev hills doesn’t offer all the awesome morning meal options on weekdays, they do offer one hot dish, a scaled-down version of the breakfast panini.

    i ordered the panini and was very impressed. the quality and freshness of the ingredients were top notch and it was an all-around tasty dish. fluffy tofu, chopped onions, a magniffy blend of spices along with tempeh bacon on freshly baked bread…absolutely flawless. it was simple and didn’t come with sweet potato hash like it does at the other locations, but without a side it was still more than enough food. they really should have knocked the price down though, for not including the hash. >:(

    m-cafe-brekfast-panini-cu

    my husband grabbed a tofu salad sandwich from the display case, and it was excellent as well.

    tofu salad sandwich. $6.95

    tofu salad sandwich. $6.95

    considering it was so early in the morning, we suspected the sandwiches on display may have been leftover from the previous day. this sure wasn’t the case! our sandwich wasn’t soggy or stale in the least. everything tasted freshly chopped and perfect. i’ve never had one of the ready-made sandwiches from m cafe before, so i was blown away by how good it was.

    m-cafe-tofu-cu

    the location of the new m cafe is quiet and pleasant at the moment. i’m used to the melrose storefront being packed; heaving with hollywood cunts and actor wannabes. the beverly hills location only opened a few days ago, so it isn’t crowded at all…i’m assuming that will change though. it’s located in the what used to be the backstage cafe, which was owned by police drummer stewart copeland’s brother. the place looks totally different. no rock paraphernalia adorning the walls, no whiskey bottles lined up on the counter…just spotless tables and huge barren display case showing off the few items that m cafe beverly hills has in stock.

    m cafe beverly hills. as you can see, there isn't much food on display! hopefully this will change.

    m cafe beverly hills. as you can see, there isn't much food on display! hopefully this will change.

    overall, we had a really lovely breakfast with some amazing food, and i am looking forward to going back. my only complaint is the lack of selection. i know, i know, they just opened, so i will let it slide. but had i just been walking by and wanting a proper breakfast, i wouldn’t have stayed at m cafe. they should make it a point to go overboard and offer everything they can, and at least carry the same menu as the other two successful locations. to be fair, i have a friend who hit up this m cafe the same day i did, but he went for lunch and the menu was in full swing. he loved it.

    so there you have it, finally some good vegan food in beverly hills! go get some before this m cafe gets all douchey like the melrose outlet. oh, and just a tip: parking is tough in this area. if you want to be stealth about it, grab a spot in the whole foods parking lot on crescent. they will never be the wiser. plus, they stock celebration roasts at that whole foods, so you can pick up a few on your way back to the car. 😉

    m-cafe-beverly-hills-ext

    m cafe de chaya
    9433 Brighton Way
    Beverly Hills, CA 90210
    310.858.8459

    Monday thru Sunday
    8:00 am – 7:00 pm

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  • November 18th, 2008quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    on the weekends, i love love love going out to breakfast. there’s nothing like waking up with a long, lazy day stretched out ahead and shuffling down to a local eatery for a relaxing meal in the sun. this past weekend, due to the fires, the husband and i decided to spend sunday on the west side, to get away from the thick haze of smoke and ash. we found ourselves at the culver city m café for the first time.

    while the melrose location is often packed and unpleasant, the culver city spot had a healthy crowd, but there were still plenty of comfortable places to sit. it’s much bigger than the melrose m café, and the clientele are all around less douchey. the culver city m café still serves up the same great food, though, as its sister location. this was my first time ever trying an m café breakfast, and it was even better than all my other favorite items on their huge and delicious menu.

    vegan benedict: grilled whole-grain baguette steamed kale, tomato, tempeh bacon with soy hollandaise. $10.25

    vegan benedict: grilled whole-grain baguette steamed kale, tomato, tempeh bacon with soy hollandaise. $10.25

    the vegan benedict at this place was not to be believed. being the breakfast-lover that i am, i hold my meals to very high standards, and i can safely say that this was perfect. most breakfast serving restaurants in this town have their own vegan version of eggs benedict, and i’m makin’ it my mission to try them all. m’s is sooooo good though, i don’t see how it can possibly be beat. it pwns the worthy opponents over at flore and follow your heart.

    what makes this benedict so great isn’t the fresh kale, the smokey tempeh bacon, the fluffy tofu scramble or the crispy bread. uh uh. it’s the creamy and rich eggless hollandaise sauce. i don’t know how they make it, but it’s so tangy and full of flavor. it has a pretty strong mustard taste, but in a very good way. it mixes so well with the light tofu and completely penetrates the slices of grilled bread. this sauce gets all over everything and makes the whole plate tasty.

    so as you can tell, i can’t speak highly enough about this vegan benedict. it made a leisurely weekend breakfast the highlight of the day. i’d like to try all the other crap on m cafe’s breakfast menu, but i don’t think i will be able to resist ordering the vegan benedict every time.

    so check out the m café culver city outlet if you haven’t already. it’s about 3 times the size of the melrose location, and a lot nicer. plus, you can park for free for 2 hours at the trader joe’s complex right across the street. and most importantly, it has GREAT FOOD!

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  • September 11th, 2008mr meanerm café

    While watching an iPhone commercial online earlier today, I noticed that the Vicinity application from the App Store was being used to find M Café (sadly the Culver City location, which I have never been to). 

    This commercial also airs on TV all over the country, so it’s a nice bit of (hopefully free) publicity for one of my favorite LA take-out places, with predominantly vegan options. Rock on M café – either you paid Steve Jobs to feature your restaurant, or you lucked out randomly.

    I’m going to pay the Culver City location a visit sometime soon — it looks easier to get a table in, and less full of pretentious assholes than the Melrose outlet. Stay tuned!

    For your viewing pleasure, the entire video is below, the action starts at 0:15:

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  • August 8th, 2008quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    grabbing a take-out order from m café officially marked the end of the quarrygirl road trip to san francisco, and oh what a way to go out! lemme tell ya, nothing gets you through a 6+ hour drive like knowing you have dinner from m to come home to. for me, this meal meant finally trying the much-hyped bbq sandwich.


    carolina-style barbequed seitan sandwich: thinly sliced grilled seitan basted with our own zesty barbeque sauce and piled high on a house-baked whole wheat bun with grilled onions, pickles, and creamy coleslaw. comes with a side salad. $11.45 (no pickles for me!)

    omfg it was so good. i don’t know what has been up with my luck lately—i really looooove seitan (i love it with 5 o’s, so that means a lot) and it seems like every time i’ve ordered it within the past few weeks, i’ve winded up having the absolute best seitan dish i’ve ever eaten up to that point in time. this is true of m café’s carolina-styled sandwich—greatest seitan ever, full stop.

    not only was there an enormous mound of my favorite thinly sliced wheat meat atop a freshly baked bun, but it was also dripping with the zestiest, lightest and most delicious bbq sauce. i’m used to eating big thick chunks of seitan, but these delectable slices were completely different and practically melted in my mouth.

    did i mention it came with a side salad? of course i got the kale with spicy peanut sauce. i can’t bring myself to even try one of the other side salads at m. since ordering this on my first visit, i am totally hooked. i know, i may be missing out…i just can’t help it.

    because it was so scrumptious, i just have to supply you with another completely gratuitous photo of my new favorite sandwich. look how big it is—it looks like it is about to eat me!

    thanks, m café! places like you make me feel sooooo lucky to be a vegan during this day in age. i mean seriously, with all the crazy meatless bbq options that are popping up everywhere (from jackfruit to seitan), nobody should ever have to pull a pork again.

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  • July 8th, 2008quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    as you may well know, i’m pretty conflicted about m café. they have some of the most amazing food combined with the crappiest, trendiest atmosphere. small tables crowded onto a strip mall patio and pushy patrons tend to overshadow the amazing vegan fare—that’s why i often get my food to go. however, over the past few weeks, i’ve decided to give dining in another try and i’ve found that during certain times of the day, it can be tolerable. here’s some of the stuff i’ve been eating up from m café, on the premises and at home. 


    panino tuscano: tuscan white bean spread, spicy seitan “salami”, caramelized onions & arugula on house-baked focaccia grilled hot & crisp to order. served with a side deli salad (kale!). $11.45


    california club sandwich: a triple-decker of savory tempeh “bacon”, lettuce, tomato, avocado, carrots, sprouts & soy-mayo on your choice of house-baked toasted sourdough or multi-grain & seed bread. served with a side deli salad. $11.25


    seitan katsu bowl: crispy seitan cutlet, tangy katsu sauce, shredded cabbage salad & steamed vegetables. $10.95


    bi-bim bop: marinated pan-fried tofu, Korean-style vegetables, spicy miso sauce & house-made kim chee. $11.45

    as i’m sure you can see, the food at m café is extraordinary. if this place served tap beer (or any alcohol for that matter), didn’t offer fish, and didn’t have such shit ambiance…it might be my favorite restaurant. i know that sounds like a lot of conditions, but what i’m trying to say is: the food kicks ass.

    these dishes for example…

    Read the rest of this entry »

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  • June 3rd, 2008quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    on the way home from the airport after my trip to seattle, i decided to swing by m café to pick up something light and healthy—a salad, maybe, to make up for all the sinful vegan food i’d been enjoying over the past few days. i pulled up the m café menu on my mobile device and picked out what i thought would be a healthy salad. tons of vegetables and something called “tofu chevre”. i had no clue what that meant, but it had to be healthy, right? i’m pretty sure i was mistaken.

     
    the bistro: organic mixed baby greens, slow-roasted beets, portobello confit, house-made tofu chevre, candied walnuts, red wine & shallot vinaigrette $10.95

    the salad was pretty incredible, but i had no idea it would be covered in huge pieces of breaded and fried tofu! ugh, there went my healthy-dinner plan. of course the tofu was so delicious, i had to eat every last piece, despite its fat content.

    i don’t know what m café does to their salads, but they are always flawless. the produce was top notch, and the red wine vinaigrette was a light, refreshing contrast to the heavy, filling tofu. a creamy dressing would have totally overpowered it, but as always, m café got it right.

    oh, and for the record, i still think it’s better to get m café food to go (there was a huge line and tons of rude people when i picked up my food. it probably took about 15 minutes, even though my meal was pre-ordered)!

    i promise to tell you when i decide to be brave and dine in again. 😉

    P.S. doesn’t that picture of the salad in the take-away container look like a tofu ghost suffocating to death? or is it just me?

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  • May 24th, 2008quarrygirlLA restaurants, m café

    at my job, i am that “weird vegan”. you know the one i mean. i don’t eat anything at company meetings because i’m skeptical that any of the catered food is vegetarian, let alone vegan (vegetables have been known to take baths in butter or chicken stock before making their way to your plate)! i don’t eat birthday cake on co-workers’ birthdays. when benevolent people leave a tray of homemade goodies in the conference room, i don’t indulge. i err on the side of eating nothing that’s given to me, trusting nobody, and finding solace in my grocery store noodle bowls when everyone else is chowing down on company paid for meals. since you have reached the bottom of a paragraph on this vegan blog, maybe you are that “weird vegan” as well, and you can identify.

    well, imagine my shock when my meat-eating co-workers insisted that i join them for lunch at a restaurant that was “right up my alley”. a restaurant i’d never tried. a restaurant that was almost entirely vegan. a restaurant that ended up being so good, i’m pretty damn pissed at hadn’t already discovered it myself. a restaurant called m café de chaya.

    m café is a macrobiotic restaurant, which means almost all its food is vegan. the only animal product they use is fish, which is marked clearly on the menu in some dishes—everything else is completely meat, egg, and dairy free….even the pastries!


    gado gado: organic mixed greens, napa cabbage, crisp vegetables, golden tempeh triangles marinated with ginger, lemongrass & lime, frizzled onions & spicy peanut dressing $11.45

    the food was so good in fact, that i emailed my husband from the restaurant and insisted that i bring home m café carry-out that very night. please note, i specified carry-out. the atmosphere in the restaurant left much to be desired (tons of pushy customers, tiny tables, long wait times). so i thought i’d see how the food held up on its own.

    and that all begs the question…m café: to go, or not to go?


    the m chopped: organic hearts of romaine & mixed greens, avocado, cucumber, chickpeas herb-baked tofu, scallions, ume-pickled radishes, carrots, beets, tamari-roasted almonds, crumbled tempeh “bacon” , tofu-peppercorn ranch. $11.45


    the big macro: whole grain brown rice and veggie burger, special sauce, lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a house-baked whole wheat bun. $11.45

    so what was the result? should you order food at mcafé to go and have to warm it up yourself and do your own dishes? or should you suffer the fools and claustrophobia, and eat your food at the restaurant?

    keep reading…

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