There are few things more satisfying on a warn day than naturally brewed German beer. Don’t get me wrong, I love all kinds of beers, but there’s something about a Pilsener, Bock or Maarzen that quenches one’s thirst quite on a hot day like none other. German beer also has a huge advantage in that it’s almost always vegan, due to the strict brewing purity laws Reinheitsgebot, established in the 16th century, which mandate only water, barley, and hops should be used to make beer. Nowadays, and thanks to the treacherous European Community, that law is effectively repealed, but many breweries brew the traditional way which uses no animal products anywhere in the process.

One the best places in LA to get German beer served in a (relatively) authentic atmosphere is The Red Lion Tavern, in Silverlake. Located on Glendale Blvd. this awesome mock-German bar is a fun place to visit. You have a choice of two places to drink – the lower bar is dark and cold – almost like a Bavarian beer cellar, with comfortable booths, stained glass windows and a friendly bar area with nine or ten German beers on tap at any time.

If you’re feeling more al fresco, there’s a HUGE (and I mean HUGE) patio upstairs adjacent to the parking lot complete with its own bar. Decorated like a Rhone Valley beer garden, the patio, as with the lower bar, provides such an immersive drinking experience that I completely forget I’m in LA every time I visit. The Glendale Freeway, moments away, will change to an Autobahn right before my very eyes as I stagger out of the Red Lion.

The staff at Red Lion are very friendly, and if you’re lucky you’ll get a REAL GERMAN person serving you while donned up in traditional national dress, complete with sashes and frilly collars. The fact that they can keep such a straight face when working there is awesome – to me, the entire Red Lion concept is so lovably, comically camp that I just can’t take it seriously, which is probably why I can’t keep away.

A note of caution for vegans, though, is that the food menu is also traditionally German, consisting of boiled meat, fried meat, sausage-shaped meat, meat pies, meat patties and meat on a stick. The only non-meat thing on the menu is a potato cake, but even that is cooked in the meat juices for “authentic flavors”. Sometimes, as friends have pointed out, the place can bee a little too meaty smelling – especially the inside bar, so I tend to go earlier in the day before the lunch rush then fill up on drink before heading a few steps down the road to fill up on grub.

A half-block away from the Red Lion, still on Glendale Blvd. is Gingergrass, an equally authentic establishment – but this time we’re not talking about Fraus in dresses, but a busy, non-nonsense Vietnamese cafe with a menu right out of a Hanoi street bazaar. I’ll start off by saying that Gingergrass is an omnivorous establishment, but is highly vegan friendly. The menu clearly states what can be made vegan (nearly everything), and our server was most helpful answering our picky, vegan questions.

organic tofu noodle bowl served over rice stick noodles with shredded lettuce, pickled vegetables, herbs, and your choice of regular or vegan nuoc cham. $8.75

On our visit we opted for the Organic tofu noodle bowl which was a hearty combination of noodles and vegetables in a tasty vegan sauce, topped off with lightly fried tofu chunks. The entire thing was absolutely wonderful, and everything was cooked just right. This dish alone would be more than enough to full up one, or perhaps two people, but we over ordered another two things, regardless.

vegetarian pho: mushrooms, carrots, bok choy, ginger and baked tofu in a vegan broth infused with traditional pho spices over rice noodles.

Next up was the Vegetarian PHÓ, a traditional deep bowl of soup crammed full of bok choy, carrots, ginger and baked tofu along with crunchy shredded lettuce and a generous side of bean sprouts, chilies and mint leaves. Again, everything was filling, healthy tasting, fresh and light.

gingergrass tofu lunch plate: crispy organic tofu with shiitake mushrooms and baby bok choy served with our vegan nuoc cham sauce. $8.95

Finally, we ordered the Gingergrass Tofu Lunch Plate which was a healthy serving of chunky fried tofu, shiitake mushrooms, bok choy, noodles and rice along with dipping sauce and a diced vegetable slaw that was to die for. This is just the kind of dish you want to scrape up with your chopsticks and eat quickly. Again, I can’t fault anything in this dish – it was incessantly fresh, perfectly cooked and wonderfully tasty.

So, what’s not to like about Gingergrass? Frankly, the only criticism I have is that the prices are deceptively low – only $9 for a HUGE bowl of noodles with sides and salad whereas on the westside a meal like this would be in the $11-$13 price range. You have been warned: the portions are huge.

So, a nice outing on a sunny day would start off relaxing on the patio or in the cellar bar at Red Lion while drinking ice cold beer from Germany, followed by a 2 minute walk to Gingergrass where helpful people will busily take your order and bring you plate after plate of fresh, healthy food. I love omni restaurants that specifically state which items on the menu are, or can be, made vegan and a bar with a safe-haven of vegan beer is a godsend.

Finally, as always, if you’re unsure that your favorite tipple is vegan, check out Barnivore.com where you can quickly look up most alcoholic drinks. Also, a few weeks ago I discovered the awesome veganbrew.com, a blog run by a couple of vegan beer and food lovers that show not only how beer is brewed (cuz they actually brew it step by step on the blog) but have some tasty recipes (beer battered seitan, anybody?!) as well as crucial advice such as the timeless: “DO NOT SQUEEZE YOUR SACK”. Check it out.

red lion tavern
2366 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90039
(323) 662-5337

gingergrass
2396 Glendale Blvd
Silver Lake, CA 90039
(323) 644-1600

all you can eat. vegan brunch. $10. yeah i know it’s kind of old news at this point, but this is just a reminder that the meet market is there for you when you want good food…cheap and fast.

the self-serve buffet used take place only on sunday, but now it happens on both saturday and sunday from 10am-2pm. when you aren’t feeling like a fancy pantsy decadent brunch, the meet market is the perfect cure for those long non-weeknight drinking sessions, and seriously the most stress-free way ever to start a relaxing day. the menu varies but never disappoints—check out my haul from last week:

plate #1: tofu scramble, tofu bacon and breakfast potatoes with orange juice and coffee.

on plate number 1 (because you cannot go to meet market without several trips back to the buffet table), i had a hearty portion of tofu scramble, sauteed breakfast potatoes and smoky tofu bacon with a side of coffee and orange juice.

one item you are always sure to find at the meet market’s weekend buffet is the tofu scramble…yet the scramble itself is never the same. sometimes it’s chunky, other times it’s fluffy…sometimes it has spinach in it…you get the point. this time it was super scramble-y with lots of vegetables and the perfect amount of nutritional yeast. it was a great one for sure, and my only complaint is that lately the scramble has regularly contained bell peppers (which i HATE). 🙁 oh well, they were easily picked around. similarly, the breakfast potatoes had peppers as well, but were cooked just right and still delicious. the tofu bacon is no doubt my favorite thing pictured above, because it is seriously the best faux bacon ever. marinated tofu thinly sliced and grilled to dark brown perfection….yum!

seitan sausage at meet market

plate number 2 yielded more awesomeness, this time in the form of seitan sausage. what you see pictured above is probably the juiciest animal-free breakfast sausage ever. i have been known to pay admission to the all you can eat buffet and get nothing but plate after plate of this stuff. it’s thick, tender, and deliciously spiced…and it is available in unlimited quantities. lookout!

vegan french toast

also on plate 2, some pancakes and vegan french toast are represented. meet market makes good vegan pancakes…but so do lots of other restaurants, so i won’t go on and on about it. what i will freak out about though, is the french toast! in order to make traditional french toast, i think you break up some eggs, milk, butter and/or other monstrosities and coat your bread with it before cooking? i know, that sounds gross, but meet market’s take on it is INCREDIBLE. i am more of a savory breakfast person, but this thick slice of sweet battered bread really hit the spot.

i dunno what your plans are tomorrow, but i think you should definitely consider meet market for brunch. they open at 10am….and aren’t uncomfortably crowded. i know there was some kind of snafu on new years day because they ran out of food or something…but i can tell you that is not typical and has never happened to me.

meet market
3206 W Sunset Blvd (at Descanso)
Los Angeles, CA 90026

vegans, there has never been a better day than this to head over to weho and try out chili addiction. the brand new restaurant opened up last week and when i dropped by last night, they not only had their standard vegan chili offerings, but were also testing out soy hot dogs, vegan sausages, and daiya cheese.

Hom-onious Chorizo: First you take some Soy Chorizo, then you add some Hominy, cook it with Johnny's secret blend of spices and...Presto..a perfectly harmonized, savory, and full textured 100% VEGAN CHILI!

i started with an order of what i came for, the vegan “hom-onious chorizo chili”. i read about it on chili addiction’s website and immediately knew i had to get it. i am a huge fan of hominy, so the thought of adding it to soy meat and chili addiction’s secret spices sounded absolutely delicious.

hominy and soyrizo chili with daiya cheese

the result was a hearty and full-bodied homemade chili mix that was incredibly flavorful and incredibly filling. they even gave me a side of daiya cheddar which complimented it perfectly. this is the second time i’ve eaten the vegan chili from chili addiction, and i must say i am smitten. it’s so much better than the stuff you find sold in a can, or than anything i could make at home. hominy mixed in with soy chorizo really is as good as it sounds.

vegan field roast sausage with soyrizo hominy chili and daiya cheese

i also got a vegan chili cheese sausage to go, which was super awesome. it came with a field roast sausage (my favorite kind) smothered in the same incredible hominy soyrizo chili and topped with daiya cheddar.

they should still have the sausages, cheese, and dogs in stock today…so get over there and order some. i’m pretty sure this is the first time in my life i’ve ever had a vegan chili cheese dog, and it was sooooo good. let’s go buy these today and encourage chili addiction to offer these options regularly.

and if they run out of sausages or cheese before you get there, there are plenty more drool-worthy items on the menu. they usually have two vegan chilis in stock (one soy and one non-soy), which you can add to all kinds of delicious things. you can have chili mac, chili fries, chili sweet potato fries, or chili potato chip nachos. not to mention their homemade sauerkraut which i tasted and LOVED.

and everything at chili addiction is high quality and made completely from scratch—from the chili itself right down to the condiments and potato chips.

so head on over to chili addiction today and try out some of their new vegan items. vegan chili cheese fries sound like a lunch plan to me….

Chili Addiction
408 N. La Cienega Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90048
(323) 203-1793
lunch 12pm-3pm
dinner 5:30pm-9pm

we are on a mission to find the best vegan club sandwich in los angeles, and the offering at hugo’s restaurant is nothing to scoff at.

like most of the items on their menu, their standard club option is vegan-friendly as long as you order it with grilled tofu and vegetarian bacon (yeah, the vegetarian bacon is vegan as well….i checked with the staff!).

vegan club: grilled organic tofu, vegetarian bacon, guacamole, tomato, lettuce, and black pepper vegenaise. served with a choice of crispy fries or organic mixed greens. $12.85

hugo’s vegan club comes on a wheat ciabatta roll, with a healthy portion of organic tofu, fakin’ bacon, guacamole, lettuce, tomatoes, and vegenaise. it’s not a double decker sandwich, like many of the other clubs we’ve reviewed…but what it lacks in layers, it makes up for in taste and guacamole. the tofu is firm and chewy, the bread is soft, and the guac is ridiculously creamy.

at $12.85, hugo’s club is on the more expensive end of the spectrum, but it comes with a side of greens or fries PLUS the guacamole is no extra charge. i really can’t complain. in this instance i opted for the healthy salad which was fresh and tasty….but if you are in a careless mood, i highly suggest you go for the newly vegan french fries!

at this point, i am thinking the winner of the club club would still be m cafe—but hugo’s offers a damn worthy sandwich that you should try.

so which other vegan clubs in los angeles am i missing?

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

it isn’t very often you hear me get excited about a salad, but the chilled orient from healthyca is something to write home about.

chilled orient: buckwheat noodles, tofu, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, rice sticks, black sesame seeds, seaweed, baby greens. $9.24

it’s less like a salad, and more like a huge bed of noodles piled high with vegetables, two kinds of tofu, rice sticks, seeds, and baby greens. there is so much going on in this thing, and i can safely say it’s the best noodle salad i’ve ever eaten. the buckwheat soba noodles are substantial and filling, and all the leaves are insanely fresh. the best part about this salad though, is the generous portion of grilled marinated tofu. it’s crispy on the outside and juicy in the middle, and very deliciously flavored. healthyca also throws in a hearty amount of soft tofu for good measure, and the combo produces some very tasty results.

the meal clocks in at under 10 bucks, and also comes with a side and dressing of your choice. i got mine with quinoa, and a cup of non-fat basil. seriously sooooo good.

the pictures don’t do this thing justice, and i can’t talk it up enough….so you are gonna have to go experience this salad for yourself. i don’t think you’ll be disappointed.

healthyca
monday-friday
11am-6pm
4724 lankershim blvd
noho, ca 91602
818-505-1035

In our inaugural Pub ‘n’ Grub, we stumbled from a student infested Irish sports bar to Native Foods, in the “scenic” district of Westwood, under the shadow of the UCLA campus. This time around, we decided to shun the down-to-earth college vibe and go for something a little more quixotic, perhaps exotic and certainly chaotic: LA’s Melrose Avenue. Also, in celebration of Chinese New Year, we decided on an Asian angle too.

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salty chocolate from scoops. $2.75

as you probably know, scoops is a small gelato shop in los angeles that always has 3 vegan offerings on deck. they are notorious for their wacky flavor combos like banana avocado, basil, and brown bread. but the thing is, you never know which flavors are going to be available. i have been hearing good things about their “salty chocolate” for ages, and never had a chance to try it until today. i can safely say the odd-sounding combo did not disappoint…it was the perfect amount of sweetness followed up with a nice salty finish. my only complaint is that it made me very thirsty.

have you been to scoops? what is your favorite flavor? i wish they would join twitter and keep us updated with the gelato of the day….

scoops
712 N Heliotrope Dr
Los Angeles, CA 90029
(323) 906-2649

back in the day when i was a teenager, my friends and i used to have epic pizza parties. we’d order way more than we could eat from the nearest delivery place and stay up all night chowing on pizza, guzzling soda, and watching movies. when i turned vegan, i assumed that avenue of pleasure was forever closed off to me. i mean, i could always make own vegan pizza, but there was no way i could eat pie from my closest delivery joint.

well now many years later, zpizza has re-opened that door. the chain has several locations all over the nation, and offers delicious vegan pizza covered with daiya cheese. recently my friend hosted a good old fashioned pizza party that reminded me of the early days…except everything was vegan, there was no movie watching, and i was drinking beer instead of soda. just have a look at the spread:

vegan california: organic tomato sauce, daiya mozzarella, fresh rounds of tomatoes, red onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, black olives.

vegan greek: daiya mozzarella, red onions, greek olives, fresh rounds of tomatoes, oregano.

vegan napoli: homemade roasted garlic sauce, daiya mozzarella, fresh rounds of tomatoes, fresh basil.

vegan provence: organic tomato sauce, homemade roasted garlic sauce, daiya mozzarella, artichoke hearts, capers, tomatoes, fresh basil.

vegan tuscan: roasted garlic sauce, daiya mozzarella, cremini, shiitake and button mushrooms, caramelized onions, truffle oil and thyme.

vegan cheese pizza with daiya mozzarella

our haul was amazing, and i can’t even believe we are at a day in age where we can get this much VEGAN PIZZA from a NATIONAL CHAIN. how FUCKING AWESOME IS THAT?! i could die happy.

one thing to note: when ordering from zpizza, you must specify that you want vegan cheese, and ask that they leave off non-vegan ingredients. for example, a lot of these pizzas come with extra feta by default…so just be sure to read the menu description before ordering. also, zpizza offers a “berkeley vegan” pizza that isn’t always vegan. some locations are still using morningstar farms crumbles, which contain milk and egg, so be sure to ask.

anyways, if you need some more plans for this 3 day weekend, i suggest you round up some friends and have an epic vegan zpizza party. a splendid time is guaranteed for all!

check out zpizza’s website for all their locations.

PS: i’d like to thank brittany from sick of lettuce for all this pizza. i am still full.

i have never tasted a frozen dinner that brought me back to my pre-vegan days as much as today when i tried amy’s vegan rice macaroni and cheeze. this stuff is brand new, it’s made with daiya cheese, and it tastes so much like the stouffer’s i remember eating as a kid.

right now, the only place i’ve been able to find amy’s new vegan mac and cheeze is at locali. i’ve checked several different whole foods locations including weho, 3rd/fairfax, and beverly hills…all no dice. so head on over to locali ASAP and buy some of this before it’s all gone. if you miss the taste of quick & easy childhood mac and cheese, this will really hit the spot. just be sure to read the labels on the back and look for the phrase “(VEGAN)” located right next to the printed word “INGREDIENTS.” they also namedrop “DAIYA” in the ingredients section, if that’s helpful. i’m not trying to talk to you like you are a 5 year old, but seriously, amy’s stuff can be confusing. they sneak honey and casein into products like none other.

oh, and one more little coup to add: this new amy’s mac and cheese is also gluten free and soy free….so pretty much anyone on earth can eat it! go get some and lemme know what you think. ALSO, please lemme know if you see this at any other stores other stores; let’s get the word out!

the best place to have an extravagant, relaxing, delicious brunch in los angeles is without a doubt madeleine bistro. the entirely vegan restaurant located in tarzana specializes in organic, elegant, and cutting-edge cuisine. i dined there recently with a large group of friends and strangers, and our table was covered with some of the most amazing food i’ve ever eaten. i didn’t get pictures of everything, but here is just some of what we had…

beignets, organic fruit compote. full order. $8

we started with a couple of orders of beignets to pass around the table. the small fried dough balls were perfectly fluffy with a sugary outer-coating.

fresh organic donuts. $2/each

we also shared a few plates of donuts, which are so good they defy description. there’s a reason we put these things on the bucket list of must-try vegan food in los angeles.

red beet tartare, warm tofu cheese crouton, english cucumber, balsamic glace. $12

a couple red beet tartares were ordered as well, to be shared by some of the diners around the table. this is madeleine bistro’s signature dish, and a must order if you are a first time visitor. the most incredible mixture of soft beets atop a warm cake tofu cheese and doused in balsamic glace, it’s a culinary masterpiece.

porcini-crusted tofu benedict, smoked portobella, rosti potatoes, hollandaise sauce. $15

sitting across from me, polly from veggywood ordered the porcini-crusted tofu benedict, which looked like layer upon layer of pure scrumptious-ness.

waffles and "chicken": belgian waffles, seitan chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy. $16

brittany from sick of lettuce ordered the waffles and chicken, which looked so good, i will be sure to order it next time. her plate came with a huge stack of fluffy waffles, crispy chicken-fried seitan and a mound of mashed potatoes.

plus it was all smothered in madeleine bistro’s incredible gravy….something i could drink by the gallon.

lemon rosemary seitan with cornbread stuffing.

melisser from the urban housewife went with an order of lemon rosemary seitan and sourdough stuffing. i have eaten this exact seitan at madeleine’s before, and i can tell you it’s nothing short of divine.

the bigger maque: two no-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese... $11

also at the table was a bigger maque, definitely a contender for the best vegan burger in los angeles. this thing comes stacked with two patties, layers of cheese and fresh vegetables. it’s like a gourmet, cruelty-free version of the old mcdonald’s favorite.

phillet no phish: panko-crusted seitan, cheese, tartar sauce, whole wheat bun. $10

the phillet no phish was also ordered, and this is seriously one of my favorite things on the menu. panko-crusted seitan, cheese, and tartar sauce all on a soft wheat bun. if you are a sandwich lover, this has got your name on it.

madeleine club: chicken-fried seitan, tempeh bacon, sourdough. half order $6

already approaching food coma from the donuts, i went with a half order of the madeleine club. it came with chicken-fried seitan and tempeh bacon on sourdough, and it really hit the spot.

vegan crème brûlée

for dessert, natalie aka vegan kitten, ordered the vegan creme brulee. she snapped the gorgeous pic above, and for more of her madeleine bistro photos you should check out her flickr set.

organic mimosas

and of course, what long and lazy weekend brunch would be complete without at least a couple of mimosas? madeleine bistro offers those as well.

seriously the brunch at madeleine is absolutely epic, and what you see here is only about half of the food on the table. i couldn’t think of a better place to spend a few hours having a meal. pure food bliss, i tell you!

madeleine bistro
(818) 758-6971
18621 Ventura Blvd.
Tarzana, CA

great news, vegans! the long-awaited and vegan-friendly chili addiction is finally opening to the public at noon this friday. not just that, but one of their newsletter subscribers told me they are also set to have a soft opening sometime this evening (call them for more info).

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as you probably already know, the club club is an ongoing series of blog posts where we ruthlessly attempt to seek out the best vegan club sandwich in los angeles. so far we’ve hit up follow your heart, flore, casa de tree, and mani’s bakery…all of which boasted quite impressive double-decker sandwich offerings. tonight’s sandwich comes to you from m cafe, and i am pretty sure if we had to declare a winner right now, this would be it.

california club: a triple-decker of savory tempeh bacon, lettuce, tomato, avocado, carrots, sprouts, and soy mayo on your choice of bread. comes with one deli salad. $11.25

granted the m cafe club is a bit on the expensive side, and clocks in at over 11 bucks…but the taste and quality of this thing can not be beat. it’s much lighter than the other clubs but comes packed with the finest and most memorable ingredients. the avocado is always soft and creamy, the carrots are paper thin, and the other vegetables are fresh beyond belief. add to that some completely spongy yet lightly toasted bread and the best tempeh bacon i’ve ever had….whoa!

plus each sandwich comes with a side of your choice (not pictured), and the deli salads at m cafe are amazing. depending what’s in season, there are usually tons of good options, but i can never stray from the epic peanut kale (ask anybody who has tried it—-it is insane!).

as you can tell, i’m a little blown away by the m cafe club sandwich…..and i have been since the day i’ve tried it. but this contest IS FAR FROM OVER! leave your favorite vegan club in the comments section and we will be sure to review it. it’s a tough job, but that’s why i’m here.

m cafe de chaya
check them out on melrose, in beverly hills, and in culver city!

soup and salad combo: large soup or chili with a side serving of an entree salad. $8.50

lately, i just can’t get enough of the soup and salad combo at veggie grill. for only $8.50, it comes with a huge bowl of chili or soup of the day, along with a healthy portion of the salad of your choice. i order this all the time, and i rarely finish it—it’s so much food!

chop-chop chef: chopped romain, tempeh, veggie steak, chillin' chickin, green onion, roasted corn salsa with a chipotle ranch dressing.

i have tried a bunch of the salads at veggie grill, and my favorite one by far is the chop-chop chef. it comes fully loaded with two kinds of gardein meat, fluffy quinoa, tempeh and vegetables all in a creamy ranch dressing. seriously, it’s soooooo good. even just the side salad that is served with the combo is pretty big and filling on its own…and i haven’t even gotten to the chili yet!

bean me up chili: red and white beans, touch of soy cream, chopped green and red onion.

i am a huge fan of the chili at veggie grill, so that’s almost always what i get with my combo. it doesn’t have any fake meat in it; instead it’s just a rich flavorful mixture of red and white beans garnished with soy sour cream. the serving with the combo is generous, and it even comes with a side of delicious herb toasted crisps (not pictured).

i could seriously eat this soup/salad combination every single day. it’s so tasty and so filling, and it’s under 10 dollars. what more do i require?!

i just got the news that starting today, native foods in westwood is offering 5 new flavors of homemade vegan cookies!

native animal cookies shaped like chef tanya's favorite animal. $2.95 per bag

i haven’t tried them yet, but the pictures are adorable and the menu descriptions sound delicious. just check out all the cookies they have to offer…

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the wait is finally over, and the vegan-friendly vietnamese food truck mandoline grill is ready to hit the streets of los angeles. we were at their launch party today at the verdugo, and although they are still working out some of the kinks, the food was overall bomb!

mandoline grill was supposed to start serving at 3pm today, but sadly they didn’t start taking orders until around 3:40. thankfully, the verdugo is a great bar with plenty of beers on tap and a comfortable atmosphere where you can easily lose yourself. when the truck finally began taking orders, it turned into a bit of a clusterfuck. we waited in line for awhile, placed our orders, and stood waiting about 50 minutes for our food to be ready. oh well, considering it’s mandoline grill’s first day on the job, we were definitely willing to cut them some slack.

i was with a grip of hungry peeps, so we literally ordered everything vegan on the menu. here’s a rundown of our haul (in descending menu order of course…)

vegan cha gio. $4

first up, my dining companions sitting opposite me ordered the cha gio, some fried spring rolls stuffed with fake meat and vegetables. since our last visit, mandoline grill has upped the portion size of the cha gio. this stuff is tasty, huge, fried, and cheap…win/win/win/win.

lemongrass tofu banh mi. $6

next up, my husband and i shared a lemongrass tofu banh mi. at 6 bucks, this sandwich cost a dollar more than the mandoline grill banh mi we had last time, but was a full 6 inches longer as well! the sandwich was massive, hearty, fresh, and full of some of the most amazing marinated tofu i’ve ever eaten.

rice vermicelli lemongrass tofu bowl. $6

we also got a lemongrass tofu noodle bowl, which tasted good… but not nearly as good as the banh mi. it came with the same perfect tofu that the sandwich did, but on a bed of thin cold noodles to be eaten w/ chop sticks.

cha gio noodle bowl. $6

lastly, my friend sitting beside me ordered the cha gio noodle bowl which was basically like the tofu noodle bowl, but w/ spring rolls plopped on top rather than tofu. she agreed that it was tasty, but the banh mi was better.

although we waited ages for our food today, i really want to encourage y’all to check out mandoline grill asap. they are a small food truck and almost half the menu is vegan…that alone deserves our support.

today they may have been a bit overwhelmed by the long lines…

and the spotty rain on their launch day.

best of luck, mandoline grill!!!! we can’t wait to eat more of your food.

be sure to follow mandoline grill on twitter and check out their website regularly.