This week we brought you a list of the 5 best vegan restaurants in Los Angeles, an update on last year’s list. But if a 100% vegan eatery isn’t on the cards for whatever reason, LA has a superb selection of vegan-friendly vegetarian restaurants, some of which rival or exceed the offerings available at vegan-only establishments. From a 60s-era hippie health-food store to a modern hipster hangout, LA has it all. Check out our top five vegan-friendly vegetarian restaurants and please let us know in the comments if you think any don’t deserve the list, or you have a favorite that should be on it.

Elf

This tiny restaurant without any signage on a busy section of Sunset Blvd. in Echo Park is quite the find. With seating for only a handful of people, and usual wait times an hour or more, there has to be something cool about Elf. And, indeed, there is. While vegetarian, many dishes are either vegan or vegan optional with everything prepared from scratch in the open kitchen. Being strictly word of mouth (I mean, a restaurant with no sign outside that doesn’t advertise anywhere has to be, right?) yet so busy shows that there’s something very special inside.

Roasted Flatbread Shawarma made with Crispy Oyster Mushrooms at Elf

The menu is relatively diminutive, yet highly inventive. Some of the food items have been there for a while, and others rotate in and out as the chefs see fit. The atmosphere is dark, and romantic until, that is, the place fills up then it gets incredibly loud and busy and the tables are very close together so one can sometimes feel cramped. Also, they have a BYO policy so you can bring your own wine and pay a small ($4) corkage fee, which always works out to be a fraction of the price you’d pay for the normal 100%+ mark-up on restaurant wine.

Hummus King

UPDATE: hummus king in thee valley has closed down, but they are offering catering and free delivery until they hopefully re-open in silverlake!

I don’t know much about Kosher restaurant certification other than it’s difficult and expensive to get and involves visits from Rabbis etc. I’d imagine, though, that the certification is easier if there’s not meat served in an establishment, so I’m really pleased that Hummus King is 100% OU Kosher and 100% vegetarian (which means basically vegan except for some optional toppings).

Vegan Shwarama Sandwich at Hummus King

Hummus king has a few things going for it, principally the BEST hummus in the 818, probably the BEST falafel (my personal favorite is the crazily spicy “fire ball” falafel) and the best meaty vegan shawarma available. The generous portion sizes, incredible value and beyond polite service make Hummus King one of my favorite places to visit. Whether you’re up for a full-on dine in meal or you just want to grab a stuffed pita to go, Hummus King has you covered. Don’t let the bright fluorescent lights and plastic seats fool you: what lies beneath the low-rent exterior is some of the best vegan food you’ll ever eat.

And, if you’re strictly Kosher, why not try Hummus King? Be cruelty free – it won’t hurt (you or the animals).

Cru

I’ve been to Cru a bunch of times, always enjoyed the food and atmosphere but for me it really defies classification. It’s a raw restaurant that serves some cooked food. It’s a vegan restaurant that serves honey (therefore proudly titling itself “vegetarian”). It’s also a small space that never really seems crowded, even though it’s frequently full with long hour plus waits on the outside. One good thing is that Cru seems to be dropping honey as an ingredient in many of its dishes, which is a great thing. Of all non-vegan ingredients, honey is perhaps the easiest to substitute and I’m looking forward to being able to eat more and more of the menu as time goes on.

Raw Lasagna Portobello at Cru

The menu is pretty diverse, but seems to contain the same narrow list of root ingredients, so if you order a few things you may end up with strikingly similar appearing and tasting dishes. Normally that would be instant disqualification from a “best of” list, but because those base ingredients are so damn good everything works out to be excellent. You can taste the quality of the ingredients and the care that went into preparing them. I typically stick to the raw dishes for a change, but the cooked items are superb. Cru won’t disappoint you, but be careful for hidden honey.

Samosa House

We’ve had a hot and cold relationship with Samosa House in the past, but their inclusion on this list is proof positive that our earlier misgivings are all resolved. Located on the Western end of Culver City, Samosa House is an Indian vegetarian paradise. They not only serve the crispiest, tastiest samosas this side of Bangalore, but have a 20-item prepared food section that rotates regularly and is mostly vegan.

Vegetarian Dinner Combo at Samosa House

For only $7.99 you can fill up on rice, roti and three selections from the prepared food section, and occasionally there are some special extras like a burger or bhelpuri that’s been specially created by the chef. Although this is prepared food served at the back of a grocery store, don’t let that fool you, as the quality you’ll get meets or exceeds what most Indian restaurants in LA can offer, and for a fraction of the price.

One word of warning, the lines can get long at the counter, especially after 7pm so go early to avoid the rush. Your food will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and heats up just fine in the microwave. Great food, great deal and some of the nicest people anywhere wait for you at Samosa House.

Follow Your Heart

It’s a pure coincidence that the last two entries on this list are both supermarkets as well as restaurants. You can fill up on groceries as well as yummy food on one visit, which is a good thing in my book, especially at Follow Your Heart, an amazing vegetarian oasis, established in 1970 in Canoga Park, which has LA’s premier (= only) vegetarian grocery store with a TON of vegan products (some of which can’t be purchased anywhere else). Not only that, it has a cosy restaurant and patio where some of LA’s finest vegan food is waiting for you.

Vegan Reuben with Cottage-Style Tofu at Follow Your Heart

Don’t miss the Reuben Sandwich (make sure you ask for extra 1,000 island dressing), as a human being has to try this out at least once in their life! There are many, many dishes with home made fake meats, and vegan entrees such as breakfast burritos, benedicts etc. Follow Your Heart does a SUPER job with the restaurant food and you pretty much can’t go wrong. If you’re averse to honey (hopefully you are, bees are cool), the buns have honey in them, so be sure to order your delicious burger on VEGAN bread.

After four years of eating out on LA’s vegan restaurant scene, and in recognition of our “LA’s Top 5 Vegan Restaurants” post a year ago, we thought it would be good to update our “top list” of the establishments we, and the commenters on this esteemed blog, thought were really good. Do you agree with our list? Want to bump a mention off the list, or add your own? Please comment. Don’t be shy. We had to start somewhere.

Cruzer Pizza “from veal to vegan”

The story behind Cruzer Pizza is as amazing as the pizza itself. The popular Silverlake gourmet pizza delivery outlet one day threw all its mozarella, sausage, veal (yuk!) and pepperoni in the trash and began stocking Field Roast, Match Meats and Daiya cheese, becoming one of only three entirely vegan pizzerias in the United States. This was all thanks to awesome animal rights activist Michelle Sass who lobbied the owners, and personally took charge of the menu and food items creating pizza that vegans and onmivores alike would love.

The Quarrygirl Pizza at Cruzer

Cruzer even reached out to bloggers, magazines and the local community to create pizzas that they thought fellow vegans would like. And so, the quarrygirl.com pizza was born, because we love olive oil, shrooms and Field Roast. And so do you, right?

Flore Vegan

The fact that Flore was not on last year’s list is nothing short of a crime. Owner and chef Miranda Megill has been cooking up a vegan storm in the LA area for years from her Silverlake location on Sunset Blvd., and lately also through the ill-fated and now closed Vegan Spot, Flore Care and Meet Market (all the same location). The outlandishly creative Miranda is as picky with her ingredients as she is with the food preparation. She selects only the best organic produce, and is usually to be found supervising the kitchen hands-on to ensure that your meal is top-notch.

Club Sandwich at Flore Vegan

Also, everything is made from scratch including the succulent seitan and homemade desserts. Seriously, their flaky and “buttery” croissants are the best vegan pastries we’ve ever tried.

Stuff I Eat

We can’t keep away from this place, and we can’t keep raving about it. With an eclectic menu of options spanning the gamut from soul food through Mexican-inspired and down to earth, honest to goodness, American-style favorites, Stuff I Eat excels in every category. The staff are all so helpful, polite and caring that one feels grateful to be in their restaurant. The portions are HUGE, and the quality of every food item, from the way it looks to the way it tastes cannot be overstated.

Kilamanjaro Quesadilla at Stuff I Eat

Feeling hungry? The $18 “Organic Soul Food Platter” will fill you up, as well as one or two of your guests. The burritos are to die for (how many burritos have fresh, steamed broccoli topping them?), and any place that has a menu item called “Sumthin-Sumthin” as well as the intriguingly named “Kilimanjaro Quesadilla” (so called, because it’s about as big as its namesake mountain) is just great in my book.

Shojin

Situated on the top floor of a downtown shopping mall in Little Tokyo is Shojin, a must-visit vegan restaurant. Serving an inventive menu of veganized japanese staples, as well as some inventive signature dishes, Shojin really is at the peak of artful food preparation.

Spicy Seitan BBQ Roll and Shiitake & Avocado Roll at Shojin

Whether you go for the sushi (with seitan, tofu and other faux-fish accoutrements), the pan-fried seitan stir-fry or the incredibly tasty hand-made deserts you will know that such care has been put into preparing your food with prime, organic ingredients that you just can’t go wrong. Order as much stuff as you like — the portions are small, but the taste is big.

Madeleine Bistro

LA-resident vegans and omnivores are extremely fortunate to share a city with Madeleine Bistro, one of the world’s finest vegan restaurants. Chef Dave Anderson has spared no expense or time in thinking through and preparing the most minute details of every menu item. From a doughnut that is so light and fluffy it practically levitates, to a veganized carbon-copy emulation of a Big Mac (which I’m told by omnivores tastes way, way better than the real thing), through magical soufflés and German Mac ‘n’ Cheese (complete with Bacon bits!) you are certain to delight in the experience of fine vegan dining with a menu as inventive as it is familiar. Every dish at Madeleine’s has that “HOW DO THEY DO THIS?” question mark hanging over it. Dave Anderson is a culinary genius, and we should all be glad he decided to practice his art on us vegans.

Lemon-rosemary seitan and cauliflower crepe at Madeleine Bistro

I’d usually not hesitate to recommend a visit to Madeleine Bistro, but recently their opening hours and menu offerings have become erratic, and there have been rumors of both a closure and a second location opening up. My advice is to get yourself there pronto (in case the worst happens) but call ahead first to make sure they’re open when you want to visit.

there’s no doubt that there’s been a major los angeles food truck explosion, and from the beginning we’ve blogged tirelessly about all the vegan options available. it’s only fair that after all this time we present you with a list of our favorites. ladies and gentlemen, we give you what we believe to be the top 5 vegan-friendly food trucks in LA. if we are missing any or if you don’t agree with us, please leave a comment!

yalla truck

yalla is an entirely vegetarian food truck that has arguably the best falafel sandwiches in los angeles. they specialize in “falafel fusion,” which means their small, flavorful, freshly fried falafel balls are available in several sandwiches with non-traditional ingredients.

most of the stuff on the truck is vegan by default, and the stuff that isn’t can be easily modified. my favorite yalla sandwich is a secret menu item called the “firestarter,” which comes with falafel, red cabbage salad, pickled turnips, pepperoncinis, onion salad, pickled carrots, chili paste, and tahini. talk about delicious!

seabirds truck

to be fair, seabirds isn’t actually in LA (the truck is based in orange county), but it’s all vegan and so epic that it demands a space on this list.

no matter what your dietary preference, seabirds has everything. from unhealthy treats like beer-battered avocado tacos and cupcakes to nutritious foods like vegetable bowls and raw items by request…all completely animal-free! making regular stops in the OC, seabirds is never more than 2 hours away, and often much less than that. rest assured, the food is ALWAYS worth the drive. i can personally vouch for the tacos, burritos, taquitos, hummus, and burgers.

the frankenstand

technically the frakenstand is not a truck, but it’s a mobile twittering food service, so i think it counts. the entirely vegan food cart specializes in gourmet franks and has been in operation for years, way before twittering trucks were the hot new thang.

not only does franken’s pack amazing food (think succulent sausages with a buffet condiment section), but the cart oozes with charm and spookiness. everything from the owner’s outfit to the menu names are creepy-themed. you can catch the frankenstand at various special events announced via twitter, or you can hire it for your own party. either way, this modest sausage cart really began the vegan mobile food revolution in LA, so be sure to hit it up when ever you can.

mandoline grill

the mandoline grill menu does contain meat, but its astoundingly good vegan items have earned the vietnamese food truck a space on this list.

mandoline has been serving up the meanest tofu banh mi in town since early 2010, and whether it’s nachos or fried spring rolls, they’ve always got a solid vegan option on their appetizer menu. you just gotta love that deep-fried vegan goodness.

fresh fries

i’m hooked on fresh fries! the entirely vegetarian french fry truck has plenty of vegan options, and after trying 3 different variations of their “fancy fries,” i am a fan for life.

french fries on their own may sound a bit boring or uninspired, but the fresh fries toppings make them a complete meal. for vegans they have options such as curry ketchup and bbq sauce, as well as heartier toppings including chili guacamole, minced garlic, and hummus.

that’s our list! did we leave anybody out? let us know.

While we usually cover LA’s extraordinary selection of vegan and vegan-friendly restaurants (vegan, vegetarian and vegan-friendly), some individual menu items in our city stand out as exceptional, and we thought they deserved their own post. We also opted to choose entirely new menu items from those of last year’s list as there are so many new things to check out on the LA vegan scene.

We chose no-compromise vegan foods: menu items that make no apology for being vegan and that, with only a couple of exceptions, you can order pretty much any time.
Have some things to add to the list, or stuff you don’t like? Let us know in the comments!

Masa of Echo Park Chicago deep dish pizza with Teese

Vegan Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Undoubtedly my favorite new thing on this year’s list. The combination of Masa’s 100% authentic Chicago crust, super tangy and chunky sauce and cooking method combined with real Chicago SoyDairy Teese (yeah, even the vegan cheese is from Chicago) is a mighty fine dish. The thing tastes almost the same as the real Chicagoland staple (and I should know, I’ve eaten a LOT of them over the years) but can be prepared entirely vegan (sub Teese for cheese, and ask that they use olive oil rather than butter in the pan).

I advise going for the medium or large even though you’ll not be able to eat it all, but it travels well, re-heats like a champ and will even freeze for weeks. It’s especially nice with a couple of low-key toppings like spinach or mushrooms, but the real star here is the crust and texture.

Native Foods Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger

There are a lot of vegan burgers in LA. Most of them are pretty darn good, but one stands head and shoulders above all others: The Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger from Native Foods. It seems as though Chef Tanya has studied those high-end burger joints and gone vegan mediaeval on the recipe. She’s taken the Native Foods Seitan (perhaps the best money can buy), sliced it thinly and soaked it in a special sauce topped with crunchy tempeh bacon, lettuce, two types of onions, ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, carrots, tomatoes and even crunchy fried dill pickles.

Oklahoma Bacon Cheeseburger: thinly sliced original seitan, melted cheddar, caramelized onions, crispy tempeh bacon on a bun slathered with BBQ sauce and ranch dressing, lettuce, carrots, onions, and tomato and topped with crunchy battered dill pickles chips. $9.95

Yes, this burger has every ingredient you can think of perfectly proportioned and excellently presented. A meal unto itself, the burger is heartily filling yet not unhealthily so.

Shojin Dynamite Roll

The dynamite roll started out as a special item available only on Monday sushi nights, but the dish was so popular that Shojin quickly added it to the normal menu. Having eaten this roll several times, I can say without a doubt that it’s some of the best vegan sushi I’ve ever tasted, and definitely the best in Los Angeles.

dynamite roll: spicy "tuna" and avocado inside, spicy mayo and green onion on top. with spicy sauce. $10.95

The rice-based roll is filled up with avocado and Shojin’s genius spicy “tuna” mixture – a creamy, hearty blend of vegetables and soy that’s so good I could eat a bowl of it straight. Each slice is then topped with a dollop of spicy vegan mayo and slivers of green onions. Usually when dining out on sushi, I like to get a several rolls and share them around the table. At Shojin, however, I always make sure to get a dynamite roll just for myself.

Elf Cornmeal and Herb Dusted Spicy Oyster Mushrooms

Cornmeal and herb dusted spicy oyster mushrooms (made vegan): Our version of "hot wings" crispy oyster mushrooms served with marinated celery salad. $10

Every once in a while, you come across a dish that changes the rules of cuisine a little. You get exposed to something new, perhaps a taste, texture or presentation that’s so different and tasty that you remember it forever. The Spicy Oyster Mushrooms at Echo Park’s Elf is just such a dish. It’s described on the menu in a low-key way that almost makes it sound unappetizing: “Our version of ‘hot wings’ – crispy oyster mushrooms served with marinated celery salad and bleu cheese cream reduction”. Clearly, it has to be ordered without the bleu cheese for the vegans, but I can tell you this dish can stand on its own with or without the cheese.

The texture is crunchy yet soft and the flavors are so complex and delicate that this will be quite a unique experience. Even the celery is amazing – I don’t know what it’s marinated in, but I can tell you that I could eat a plate of just the celery any time! My only beef with the dish is that there’s no vegan substitute offered for the bleu cheese. I mean, some vegenaise and herbs wouldn’t go amiss, would it?

Pizza Cookery Vegan Bread Rolls (they’re FREE!)

Yeah, one of our top omnivorous restaurant choices also carries a bucket list item, and it’s actually something served for free when you show up to get a pizza. Just be sure to ask for the vegan bread rolls, as the default ones are filled with dairy cheese. BE WARNED, though, these rolls are so freakin’ amazing that you are in danger of filling up on them (as did I) and not wanting to eat any of your pizza (as did I) and so end up taking it home (as did I). Assuming that you can exercise restraint here, these rolls are an awesome way to start off your meal.

Perfectly cooked, stuffed with vegan cheese (Follow Your Heart as it happens, but this is one of those occasions where it actually works very well) and dipped in garlic olive oil with real garlic bits these will take you to a different place for sure.

Flore Biscuits & Gravy

biscuits and gravy: two biscuits topped with vegan gravy and served with your choice of tempeh bacon, fruit, or potatoes. $9.9

Take two humongous biscuits, perfectly crunchy on the outside yet smooth and steamy on the inside then cover them with juicy and tasty gravy (with sausage bits!). That’d be a meal on its own, but Flore lets you add a serving of their legendary tempeh bacon, fruit or potatoes, and the dish comes with a delicious bed of steamed kale to boot. All for $9.95. All organic. And all fucking amazing! Unfortunately, this is a weekend brunch only dish, so you only have 2 days per week to get your fill.

Mandoline Grill Tofu Banh Mi

Tofu Banh Mi: 12" French baguette topped with lemongrass marinated tofu, cucumber slices, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, jalapenos, vegenaise and scallion oil. $6

There are a few vegan Banh Mi’s out there, but nobody does it like Mandoline Grill, and I’m really pleased that this vegan-friendly food truck has a menu item that made it into this list. First off, the Banh Mi is absolutely HUGE. It’s a 12″, vegan French-style baguette with all the usual Banh Mi fixin’s including cucumber slices, pickled carrot and daikon, cilantro, jalapenos, vegenaise and scallion oil. Despite the fact that the bread and ingredients are fresh and tasty beyond belief, the real kicker is the slyly named “lemongrass marinated tofu”, which comes in thick chunks and is unquestionably one of the most tasty things you’ll ever eat. I don’t know how chef/owner Mong Skillman can prepare such a gourmet experience from a tiny food truck, and frankly I don’t care how she does it. I’m usually too busy eating the thing to worry about the details!

Zpizza The Tuscan (veganized)

Tuscan Pizza (veganized): homemade roasted garlic sauce, daiya cheese, cremini, shiitake and button mushrooms, caramelized onions, truffle oil and thyme.

Yes, we’re pizza obsessed. Yes, there are two pizzas on the bucket list and YES, this one is damn good, but couldn’t be further in concept, taste and style than the Masa Chicago Pizza up top. The Tuscan is going for that Italian intersection of thin crust, oils and mushrooms that Zpizza does so well. The regular pizza isn’t vegan, but they will sub Daiya for the mozzarella and leave off the feta if you ask, and you will be home and dry with an absolutely stunning pie.

This thing has a bunch of ingredients. In addition to Z’s incredible crust, there’s homemade roasted garlic sauce, Daiya cheese, three kinds of mushrooms (cremini, shiitake and button), sweet caramelized onions, drizzles of truffle oil and fresh thyme. If you think this SOUNDS delicious, wait until you taste one – you will be blown away. For extra spice, pile on the dried chilies (they go especially well with the muted tastes of the oils and shrooms).

Shin BBQ Seitan Bulgogi

Seitan Bulgogi: vegan seitan served in shin's secret marinade. $18

I was as shocked as the next guy to discover Shin BBQ’s vegan-friendly options, headlined with the incredible Seitan Bulgogi. Although clearly modeled on meat-based entree, this dish has a character all of its own, and even omnivores are ordering it regularly now. Slices of chewy seitan are marinated in something called “Shin’s secret marinade” – I have no idea what this is, but all I know is it’s 100% vegan and 200% tasty. The dish goes perfectly over some rice and don’t forget to pile on some of the excellent kimchi that will arrive in abundance at your table.

Tender Greens The Happy Vegan

happy Vegan: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale, tender greens. $10.50

This is another dish that I feel the need to eat on a regular basis, so I’m really happy that the WeHo Tender Greens is on my way home, and I can park for a dollar! Tender Greens is an upmarket, salad-oriented restaurant where you order at the counter, they make your salad and then bring it to your table. The Happy Vegan is so aptly named, as I don’t believe that any vegan would be something other than very happy post-consumption.

There are a ton of seemingly exotic ingredients in the salad: tabbouleh, hummus, pasta pearls, farro wheat, young kale and the eponymous “tender greens”. There’s also some crispy baguette slices dribbled with extra virgin olive oil to boot. For a salad, the price of $10.50 may seem high at face value, but I’d think nothing of paying $20 or more for this dish in a fancy restaurant.

this just in! there’s a brand new menu launching at native foods on tuesday september 28th, and i could not be more excited about it. unfortunately we are out of town at the moment, but we have obtained exclusive photos and menu descriptions of the new items, and they look FANTASTIC!

over the past 6 months chef tanya has been developing new recipes made from scratch, including seitan and two new types of vegan cheese! as native foods put it in an email to me, their “mission to serve chef-crafted, fresh food is unwaivering.” judging by the looks of these drool-worthy new menu items, they are doing a great job. check them out:

Nuevo Native Nachos: Homemade corn tortilla chips covered in black beans, Native Taco Meat, Native Chipotle Crema, Native Cheese, salsa fresca, and guacamole. Topped with corn, green onions, and cilantro. $7.95

Broccoli Curry Crunch Salad: Fresh broccoli, cashews, cranberries, and chopped Native Original Seitan, all tossed in our savory curry dressing atop romaine with fresh apples and a citrus ginger vinaigrette. $8.95

Chef Tanya's Original Wasabi Bean Burger: Black and red beans with quinoa, ground Native Original Seitan and savory spices, topped with caramelized onions, romaine, tomato and fresh juicy cucumber slices. All on a whole grain bun with our signature wasabi-spiked mayo. $8.95

Classic Deli Reuben: Thinly-sliced, deli-style Native Reuben Seitan piled high on grilled marble rye. Topped with mom's original sauerkraut recipe, Native Horseradish Cheese and a slather of Russian dressing. $9.95 Goes great with a side of our lemon-dill potato salad!

Chimichurri Fajita Platter: Our Native Mexican Seitan seared with roasted sweet peppers, onion, and pear tomatoes drizzled with chimichurri sauce. Served with grilled corn tortillas, brown rice, black beans, and sliced avocado. Pico de gallo, sour cream, and guacamole garnish. $9.95

i don’t know about you, but that reuben and those nachos are calling my name! i highly suggest you get over to native foods on tuesday and try out their tempting new offerings. the restaurant already makes some of the best food in town, so i know the new stuff is gonna be AWESOME.

native foods! check the website for hours and locations.

when i went vegan, i never thought i’d be eating deli-style sandwiches again. i’m talking about huge thick beasts served on crunchy bread with tons of vegetables and meat sliced thinly from a massive block right in front of me. well, figueroa produce has proven me wrong…as they’re the first place in california to offer really authentic vegan deli meats, available for purchase by weight or in the sandwich of your choice. if you live anywhere in los angeles, i promise you it’s worth the trip to highland park to try this stuff out.

while i’m usually a bit skeptical of new vegan meats, the product at figueroa produce is made by a local and vegan-owned company called all vegetarian inc…and the packaging material along with an ingredients list is out on public display in the store. i visited the market on a weekday afternoon, and they had vegan pepper steak, ham, and kobe beef all for the taking.

anthony, the friendly dude at the counter, was enthusiastic when i asked about the vegan meat. he told me that the bread was vegan as well, and suggested i get my sandwich with vegenaise and deli-sliced daiya. as i eyed up the meat slicer, i asked him to clean it down before making my food. he quickly explained that figueroa produce had recently obtained a new slicer for vegan products only, and pointed proudly to a shiny hunk of metal on the other side of the counter. i mean, HONESTLY?! vegan deli meat and a separate slicer at a grocer in highland park? this is the future.

i watched in awe as anthony assembled my sandwich, and was transported back to the days before i was a vegetarian. a simple sub with my choice of “meats”, “cheese”, vegetables, and condiments (including vegan mayo!)…i never thought i’d have this pleasure again.

vegan deli sandwich at figueroa produce: pepper steak, daiya cheese, lettuce, tomato, onions, pepperoncinis, avocado, mustard and vegenaise. $6.99

when i finally got my sandwich home and took a bite of it, i just couldn’t believe the authenticity. all of the vegan sandwiches at figueroa produce are just $6.99, a complete steal considering the size. mine came with a generous amount of soy peppersteak and cheddar daiya along with lettuce, tomato, onion, pepperoncini, avocado, mustard, and vegenaise. the peppersteak was incredibly convincing (in a non-creepy way), with a meaty texture and a great blend of spices. i’m already a big daiya fan, but it tasted even better sliced paper-thin and atop all the other fresh ingredients.

if you like sandwiches, make it a point to hit up figueroa produce ASAP! head straight to the deli counter and fill up on vegan goodness; you won’t be sorry. oh, and while you are there…stock up on teese, daiya, gardein, tofurky, and raw food items,…they’ve got it all!

Figueroa Produce Market
6312 North Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042
Phone 323-255-FOOD (3663)
Fax 323-255-3030
Mon – Sat 7am to 9pm
Sunday 8am-8pm

okay, so i know this site is largely about eating ridiculously drool worthy and fattening animal-free foods…but in real life, sometimes you just gotta keep it healthy. and as we all know, finding good, nutritious vegan fare in los angeles restaurants can be surprisingly difficult. enter hugo’s. they’ve got something for everyone—health nuts, junk foodies, omnivores and vegans can all find a meal on the menu. i’ve told you all about their vegan version of the double down and their crazy good chili cheese fries, but their lighter stuff is just as tasty.

i hit up hugo’s recently with my omnivorous parents for lunch, and all 3 of us ordered vegan. i find that although hugo’s has tons of meat and dairy options, whenever i take omnis there they end up ordering from the vegan menu as well, because it’s so accessible. there’s no strange fake meats; it’s just downright good food made with fine ingredients. ANYWAYS, i was in the mood for something simple, so i ordered the “create-a-plate”.

create a plate with brown rice, steamed vegetables, soup and pico de gallo. $12.65

hugo’s create-a-plate option is fucking awesome, because you can choose 3, 4, or 5 items from this huge list of vegan offerings, as well as whatever sauce or dressing you want. they’ve got stuff like sauteed leafy greens, black bean cakes, lentils, and tons of other goodies to choose from…not to mention additional protein selections for an added price, such as new american veggie patties and grilled tofu. i ordered my plate with organic brown rice, steamed vegetables, pico de gallo, and the vegan soup of the day (which is always oil-free). in this case, the soup happened to be carrot ginger, and it was fantastic.

i know that everything else on the plate looks pretty basic, but the soup really took it over the edge. so rich and flavorful, but entirely vegan and with no oil? NICE. each component was just so well prepared, and the portions were large. everything mixed together so perfectly.

three salad plate (made vegan): wild rice salad made with scallions, carrots and celery in a sherry dressing. avocado-tomato salad made with sliced red onions in a dill dressing. curry organic grilled tofu made with apples, grapes, currents, hazelnuts in a curry mango dressing. $12.50

my parents opted for the vegan three salad plate, a september special (act fast!), which came with a wild rice mixture, an avocado-tomato salad, and a side of curry tofu mixed with fruits and nuts. i sampled a bit of the tofu, and it was amazing! while i can’t go into detail about this dish because i didn’t try all of it, let’s just say my meat-eating parents devoured it all…as well as some other vegan appetizers that i’ve already blogged about.

basically, i just want everyone to know that hugo’s is there for you no matter what. you’re a vegan? you want crazy fatty fried foods? you avoid oil at all costs? you’re gluten-free? you only eat organic? HUGO IS YOUR MAN. eat at hugo’s, people! it’s all there.

hugo’s restaurant
8401 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90069
(323) 654-3993
and
12851 Riverside Drive
Studio City, CA 91607
(818) 761-8985

dammit, i really do love the food truck craze! LA has so many vegan-friendly twittering trucks, and now i can add fresh fries to my list of favorites. the entirely meat-free operation, headed up by 2 vegetarian foodies who promise to use only the ingredients they would use at home, specializes in quality french fries (duh!) and has loads of delicious animal-free options. fresh fries has been rolling around the streets of los angeles for awhile, and i finally caught up with their truck yesterday near the PETA office in silverlake for some damn good greasy grub.

let’s just say that i was beyond impressed. i mean, i’ve had a lot of good french fries in my life, but these were special. very special.

hummus fancy fries: sweet potato fries with hummus, sprinkled with smoked paprika and sesame seeds. $5

fresh fries has several vegan offerings—from their normal fries with dipping sauces such as wasabi ketchup, to “fancy fries” with toppings including green chili guacamole and minced garlic. for info on exactly what is vegan, check out the official fresh fries response from when i questioned them via email:

Our vegan options include: Natural Cut & Sweet Potato fries. Fancy Fries include: Vampire Repellent aka Garlic Fries, Sweet Potato Hummus Fries, (we plan on adding more!) and most of our ketchups: wasabi ketchup, chipotle ketchup, bbq, curry ketchup, etc.

now that that’s settled…i ordered the newest item on the menu, hummus fancy fries: sweet potato fries topped with hummus, smoked paprika and sesame seeds. this dish was actually inspired by the folks at one of my favorite blogs, drink eat travel, which made it even more delicious.

my lunch companions went with the classic (non-sweet potato) fry option. first we have the vampire repellent topped with minced garlic…

vampire repellent crazy fries: minced garlic fries. $5

and the fiesta fries (veganized) with green chili guacamole…

fiesta fries (no sour cream!): green chili guacamole over natural fries. $5

the fries themselves and toppings at fresh fries are seriously top notch. i didn’t think i’d be so smitten after just one visit to the truck, but i am. the long potato strips are the just the right width—not too thin and crispy, but also not all fat and mushy. i’m talking perfectly sized and slightly crunchy wedges. the toppings were also completely amazing. from the sauces (we tried wasabi and curry ketchup) to the hummus, it was all homemade and hand-spiced, not out of a bottle. everything on the truck is made fresh daily, and it’s obvious in the taste.

my only guff with fresh fries is that their menu is pretty dairy and egg heavy, and it’s all stuff that could be easily veganized. i mean, come on! is anyone gonna notice if you make the chipotle mayo with vegenaise instead of the real stuff? couldn’t you carry daiya or teese for a vegan version of the cheese fries? this is a pretty small complaint, considering how much i loved the fries…but i think it’s worth it to ask. right?! it worked with frysmith, so maybe we’ll get lucky a second time.

either way…run, don’t walk to fresh fries! they have wonderful fries with inventive toppings that you can’t find anywhere else. and how cool is it that they don’t serve flesh? i love them with all my <3.

fresh fries on twitter
fresh fries on facebook
fresh fries on the web

i’m becoming obsessed with yalla truck. i was already convinced that the all vegetarian food truck made some of the best falafel sandwiches in town…and then they had to go and blow me away with the incredible firestarter, a “secret” menu item.

firestarter: falafel, red cabbage salad, pickled turnips, pepperonchini, onion salad, pickled carrots. dressed with shaata (chili paste and tahini) $4

now the firestarter isn’t completely secret, after all it is listed on yalla’s facebook page, but you won’t find it on the normal menu outside the truck. ask for it anyways though, and you won’t be sorry. the firestarter is the best sandwich i’ve eaten in ages, and even though i loved the andale at yalla, this spicy little pita has it beat.

it’s filled to the brim with tiny freshly-fried falafel balls, red cabbage salad, pickled turnips, pepperonchinis, onion salad, and pickled carrots…all tossed in an incredibly hot blend of chili paste and tahini. YEOW! this thing did start a fire in my mouth, and i am hooked! you can’t tell from the picture, but the sandwich was so full that ingredients were spilling out all over the place. i’m talking loads of crispy falafel and all kinds of marinated flavorful vegetables. plus it was SPICY. ahhhh i wish i had another one right now!

yalla truck!

if you like falafel, and you haven’t tried yalla truck yet, you need to hunt them down ASAP! follow them on twitter for their schedule and make it a point to hit them up. you will be sure to get one of the best falafel sandwiches you’ve ever eaten. make it the firestarter!

hey cupcake lovers, i’ve got some great news for you! in case you haven’t already heard, babycakes treats are now available at all three los angeles m cafe locations!

babycakes goodies that m cafe currently stocks include 5 different cupcake flavors, brownies, macaroons, cookies, biscuits, muffins, and crumb cakes. wowza!

it’s no secret that m cafe has one of the best vegan burgers in town. but did you know that in addition to the delicious whole grain patty, tofu cheese, and awesome sauce, you can get your burger with avocado and tempeh bacon?! ’cause YOU CAN!

vegan loaded burger at m cafe: big macro topped with tempeh bacon and fresh avocado. $12.95

i recently stopped by m cafe and got one of their burger/fries/lemonade combos. i tried the avocado & bacon variation of the big macro and i can tell you it is super yum! m cafe really does have some of the best tempeh bacon, so adding it to the already delicious burger was a special treat. and i admittedly haven’t been to m cafe in a while, so i was especially surprised to see they have sweet potato fries! the fries are served with a tangy aioli – which was really good BUT they were so delicious and well-seasoned i ended up just shoving most of them into my mouth sans-dip.

i definitely recommend the tempeh bacon burger – and with the combo it’s a pretty sweet deal!

UPDATE 7/30/11: sad! i just got the following email: “Recently changed to a buffet style only situation. There is one vegan option; miso soup. They don’t even serve edamame anymore. Rather sad.”

hmmm….let’s think: a vegan-friendly sushi happy hour with $1 beers, $4 pitchers, and $1 bottles of sake? YES PLEASE. not to mention really great rolls, grilled vegetables, and a live band?! what up!

i’m talking about the daily happy hour (5-7:30pm) at sushi & kushi imai on wilshire. we have already told you about some insane vegan options at an omni eatery this week, and i think sushi & kushi is right up there when you factor in the good food and CHEAP, CHEAP, CHEAP BOOZE.

pitcher of sapporo. $4

we hit up sushi & kushi imai, not knowing what to expect. the restaurant is technically located in beverly hills, but it’s super close to mid wilshire and has parking lot where we were lucky enough to find a space. as i said earlier, happy hour runs from 5pm until 7:30, but what we didn’t realize is that it fills up QUICK. we got there at 6pm, and there was limited seating in the bar (the only area of the restaurant where happy hour prices are honored). thankfully, we managed to get a decent 2 top table, and we quickly realized that the restaurant was hoppin’ for a good reason. we started with a pitcher of sapporo for only FOUR DOLLARS. yes, you heard me right, a 4 buck pitcher of beer. can’t beat that in this town!

bowl of edamame. $1.95

to eat, we began with a standard bowl of edamame from the happy hour menu. it was $1.95 and came with a generous amount of salted soy beans. the perfect appetizer with the refreshing beer.

2 cucumber rolls, 1 vegetable roll (asparagus, avocado, mushrooms, carrots) $12.50

the vegan sushi options are somewhat limited (think avocado, cucumber, and vegetable rolls), but what they do have is excellent. we got 2 cucumber rolls and a vegetable roll to share, for a combined total of $12.50. the rolls were perfectly prepared, and the vegetables were fresh and crispy. i must say, this was a welcome change from the mock meat type of sushi i’m used to eating. oh, and they can substitute brown for white rice at an extra charge, if that’s your thing.

hot sake! $1 (ONE MOTHERFUCKING DOLLAR)

after drinking the pitcher of beer, we decided to move onto something a little more strong, and were delighted to see that small jugs of hot sake were only $1. a buzz for a buck! yes, it is possible at sushi & kushi imai.

lotus kushi. $2

i’d never heard of kushi before, but apparently it’s food grilled on a skewer, and at happy hour there were tons of vegetable options. it was hard to choose between the japanese pumpkin, okra, and sweet potato…but we ended up going with the lotus, which did not disappoint. two massive crunchy slices of lotus root that were crispy around the edges and served with a trio of dipping sauces, two of which were vegan. when you order, please let them know that you don’t want the mayo-based sauce—but the other two, miso and bbq, are safe to eat.

sauteed mushrooms (not under the happy hour menu): sauteed enoki and shiitake mushrooms with sake and vegan butter. $8.50

lastly, even though it wasn’t on the discounted happy hour menu, we split an order of sauteed mushrooms. they just sounded so good and when we saw they had the word “vegan” in the menu description, we just couldn’t resist. this dish came with succulent sauteed enoki and shiitake mushrooms all whipped up with sake and vegan butter. absolutely amazing.

by the time we were wrapping up our meal, a live band had started playing in the bar area. we decided to order another bottle of sake (hey for $1, why not?) and make a night of it. we were so happy and full of good food, i couldn’t believe it when the check arrived and it was only $33! how is that even possible? we consumed 1 pitcher of beer, 2 bottles of sake, 1 order of edamame, 3 rolls of sushi, 1 order of kushi, and an entree-size portion of mushrooms…all for $33?! and we even strayed from the cheap happy hour menu to order the mushroom dish! next time we are gonna stick to sushi and sake, and keep our tab to under 20 bucks. where else can you do that in beverly hills?

the happy hour at sushi & kushi imai is awesome, and i know we’ll be back often. my advice is to get there early, secure a nice table, and take your time eating. you’re guaranteed to have a lovely meal. cheers!

sushi & kushi imai
8300 Wilshire Blvd
Beverly Hills, CA 90211
(323) 655-2253
happy hour is everyday from 5pm – 7:30pm BAM!

It’s no secret that Korean BBQ restaurants are the most vegan unfriendly places on earth. There’s never anything vegetarian (let alone vegan) on the menu, and the ritualistic cooking of meat at the table in front of you can be quite disconcerting, especially if one goes with omnivorous friends who are chowing down on ribs, wings and all sorts of unspeakable animal parts.

Vegan Korean BBQ

Shin BBQ in Hollywood, though, has reached out to its vegan customers and offers an outstanding set of vegan options all carefully cooked separately in the kitchen. And I’m not talking about the usual mainstay of vegan Korean BBQ dining: Vegetables and rice. No, I’m talking about a full-on Korean BBQ experience where an incredibly tasty marinade is burned on to succulent proteins, combined with delicious sides to be enjoyed in an environment of relaxed, classy attention preferably with alcohol served intravenously (the best way to consume Soju, trust me).

After being lobbied by a couple of vegan friends we opened up Shin BBQ on a sunny Saturday afternoon to check out the vegan offerings. We emailed in advance, though, to make sure that we could eat the food without it being marinaded and BBQd in meat juices. Within a few minutes of our request, we received the following reply from Mr Shin himself:

Well, we checked again upon arriving and our server “Dan” (more on him later) was quite positive about the whole vegan thing: “Oh, yes, we have a kitchen policy for our vegetarian and vegan customers. Everything will be cooked separately – we take that very seriously.” So, we were stoked to say the least, to begin ordering vegan Korean BBQ for the first time ever. There were three firmly vegan things on the menu, and we couldn’t help but get one of each.

Tofu Steak: Firm tofu pan-seared and served with kim chee and salad. $10

First up was the “Tofu Steak”, a chunk of extra firm tofu that had been flash charred with marinade (making it deliciously crispy on the outside, and surprisingly flavorful on the inside) served with diced kimchi and a luscious green salad, pickled beets and spicy bean shoots. Despite the size of this dish it was gone in about 5 minutes, such was the amazing tasty tofu, perfectly cooked and served.

vegan sides

pickled beets, cucumbers, kimchi and bean shoots

Next up we had the signature vegan dish, “Veggie Bulogi Seitan” which I’m telling you was out of this world.

seitan bulgogi (vegan): vegan seitan served in shin's secret marinade. $18

Small seitan slices and onions had been marinated and barbecued in a cast iron dish, and arrived at the table still cooking and steaming right in front of our faces. Despite the fact we’d just eaten one entree, we fought over every last piece of seitan, and yet another side of kimchi, sprouts and beets arrived to help satiate our rapidly waning hunger.

vegetable plate: a bright assortment of seasonal vegetables. $18

Seconds after the Bulogi Seitan arrived, the most enormous plate of grilled vegetables known to man or beast arrived at the table. Layer upon layer of squash, asparagus, king oyster mushrooms and carrot were perfectly grilled and spiced for our enjoyment. And enjoy them we did. Mouthful after mouthful of seitan, tofu, vegetables and the sauces and tastes of traditional Korean BBQ rushed on in and were very much welcomed.

Our server, Dan, was beyond perfect. He was not only knowledgable about the vegan offerings, swift on the delivery and just the right about of attentive, but he occasionally stopped by to ask how things were, and we could tell that he really cared about our experience.

The location of Shin BBQ is very convenient, located in between Sunset Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd. and just steps away from all the fun stuff that Hollywood has on offer. Now, despite the amazing food and service, a word of caution on Shin BBQ: It is a KOREAN BARBECUE, and the majority of the customers will be eating meat, much of which will be cooked at the table in front of them. If you’re squeamish over the sights and sounds of meat preparation, be warned!

Shin BBQ
1600 N. Wilcox Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-464-4100

6pm -12am Tuesday – Friday
5pm – 12am Saturday
5pm – 10pm Sunday
Closed Monday

this is GREAT NEWS. mooi, one of the best places to get raw food in los angeles, is now offering a full sunday brunch menu with both raw and cooked items! i can’t think of anywhere else to get vegan brunch in echo park…so eastsiders, get on this.

brunch will be offered every sunday at mooi from 10am to 3pm, and you can check out the menu here. i don’t know about you, but the “lenti, spinach, walnut & seared shiitake mushroom terrine” is calling my name!

stephen hauptfuhr (the owner and chef at mooi) was kind enough to send me some snap shots of the brunch items for your enjoyment. so get over there and check them out this sunday!

raw rosemary cashew cheese, anise walnut sausage, peas and greens in a coconut mango crepe.

MORE PIX after the jump —>

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yalla is a new vegetarian food truck that has been roaming the streets of los angeles for a few months, and after trying their food yesterday, I AM SMITTEN. they specialize in “falafel fusion,” basically traditional falafel sandwiches with non-traditional ingredients. there’s no meat on the truck, and most of their ingredients are vegan…just be sure to specify when you order, and avoid the dairy sauces and feta cheese.

the ándale (southwestern) made vegan: falafel balls, green cabbage salad, corn, black beans, black olives, onion salad, tomato/cucumber salad, Pickled carrots. dressed w/ tahini sauce. $5

i went with the ándale, a southwestern-style sandwich made with falafel balls, green cabbage salad, black beans, corn, black olives, tomato cucumber salad, onion salad, and pickled carrots. this sandwich normally comes with a creamy chipotle sauce, but the dudes at yalla were happy to swap that out for tahini to make it vegan. this sandwich was nothing short of fantastic! the falafels were of the little fried variety, not the big fluffy kind, and they packed tons of flavor. the toppings were absolutely excellent—as you can see from the picture above, yalla does not skimp on ingredients. my sandwich was absolutely overflowing with fresh vegetables, beans, salads, and rich tahini sauce. i had to eat it with a fork! SO GOOD.

i honestly cannot WAIT to return to yalla and try out even more of their stuff. they have a menu posted on their facebook page that’s even bigger than the one posted outside the truck. i don’t know about you, but i’m dying to eat the “firestarter”—falafel, red cabbage salad, pickled turnips, pepperonchini, onion salad, and pickled carrots.

follow yalla on twitter for their whereabouts, and hit them up for some falafel as soon as you can. i was highly impressed with their food, and i think you will be too. and remember, specify that you want it made VEGAN.