okay, so recently shojin (downtown LA’s premiere vegan spot) introduced a new sushi menu. naturally, i had to check it out. last week i hit up the little tokyo restaurant armed with only an iphone and my pals from clara’s cakes for a light dinner of rolls split between the table. the food was fantastic, the service was friendly, and the all around experience was perfect.

rock mountain roll: tempura shiitake mushrooms and green onions in a vegetable roll, served with wasabi mayo and soy sauce. $10.95

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hell yeah! shojin, the all vegan japanese restaurant (and one of our favorite places to eat in LA) is starting a whole new sushi, ramen, and cocktail menu on monday september 19th.

they’ve sent us a sneak peek and we can’t wait to go try it. you may remember how much i’ve raved about their insane dynamite roll (it’s even on our vegan bucket list!), and these new creations look just as tasty. check ’em out:

pirates of the crunchy: fried tempeh, crunchy tempura batter and green onion mixed with spicy mayo in a green vegetable roll served with spicy dynamite sauce. $10.95

mother's soul: green vegetables inside, grilled shiitake mushrooms and fried tofu on toop. $10.95

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as if i need another reason to imbibe, this week on monday through thursday shojin is offering a FREE dynamite roll (the best sushi EVER) with every alcohol purchase between 10pm and midnight. hell yes people, you know where to find me this week enjoying a night time beer and epic snackage.

if you haven’t tried the dynamite roll yet, you’re missing out big time! it’s one of our favorite food items in LA, and believe me when i say it’s incredible.

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if you are looking for a restaurant in los angeles to celebrate a special occasion with a ton of pals, shojin is your place! the all vegan japanese spot has incredible food and a fancy vibe (despite being located on the top floor of a mall), plus they now serve alcohol. we hit up shojin over the weekend with a few friends to celebrate brittany’s birthday, and it was a blast. the beer was flowing and we got to try a slew of new menu items. party!

spicy rock shiitake tempura: tempura shiitake mushrooms with spicy wasabi mayonnaise. $6.95

because they are the best mushrooms on earth, we started with a few rounds of shojin’s spicy rock shiitake tempura appetizer. deep fried nuggets of goodness topped off with spicy mayo, we were popping this things like candy. seriously, we just kept ordering more rounds of mushrooms for the table because we couldn’t get enough.

maitake mushroom tempura: crispy maitake mushroom tempura served with yuzu citrus pepper sauce. $6.95

we also got an order of the maitake mushroom tempura, which i’d never had before. they tasted great, but they were super heavy in that deep-fried kinda way, so be warned.

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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.

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.

oh shojin, i love you to bits! but who doesn’t?! i think we all can agree that the modest restaurant located in the little tokyo shopping center in downtown LA is one of the best vegan places to eat in this city, with its constantly changing menu and always inventive japanese cuisine.

i hit up shojin recently with some friends, and as usual, the food was delicious. but i’m not here to tell you ONLY STUFF that you already know, i’ve also got news that shojin has added a new sushi roll to their regular menu. but more on that later, first let’s talk about our dinner!

spicy rock shiitake tempura: tempura shiitake mushrooms tossed in spicy wasabi mayonnaise. $6.95

we started with an order of the spicy rock shiitake tempura as an appetizer, because everyone is kind of obsessed with this dish…and you will be too once you try it. the small plate comes loaded up with little nuggets of breaded and fried mushrooms, all soaked in a scarily good spicy mayo-style sauce. holy shit guys, it’s unreal. no joke, everyone i know who has tried these has proclaimed them to be the “best mushrooms ever,” and i’m no different. there’s something about the crispy shell and the creamy mayo that makes these babies irresistible. trust me! order ’em!

spicy seitan bbq roll. $7.50 shiitake & avocado roll. $5.95

next, of course we got some sushi plates. shojin has by far the best vegan sushi in los angeles, and no visit to the restaurant is complete without a roll or two. pictured above are the shiitake avocado roll, as well as the spicy seitan bbq roll. the shiitake avocado is as you’d expect: rice tightly wrapped around big hunks of cool avocado and sliced mushrooms. what makes it special is the delicious marinade they soak the mushrooms in, as well as the added kombu cooked in soy sauce. the spicy seitan bbq roll is even better—shojin’s homemade wheat meat along with greens and kaiware sprouts mixed with spicy soy sauce and vegan mayo. i die!

clear shio ramen: simple, delicate and profound. sea salted. sweet vegetables, baby bok choy and mushrooms. $10.95

for my entree, i went with the clear shio ramen. the menu describes it as “simple, delicate and profound,” which is pretty accurate. in fact, this dish was a little too simple for my palate. the vegetables were fresh (i loved the kale!), and the noodles were spot on, i just found the broth to be a tad too basic for my taste. i chalk it up to a bad ordering decision—i should have gone with the “hot and spicy ramen” or the “creamy sesame ramen”, both of which sound divine. next time!

so, let’s talk about that sushi roll i mentioned earlier in the post. according to their twitter page, shojin recently added the MOTHER FUCKING DYNAMITE ROLL TO THEIR MENU! pay attention!

this roll started out as a special for shojin’s weekly sushi nights, and when i tried it, i was instantly smitten. it’s spicy mock tuna mixed with avocado, then wrapped in rice and topped with spicy mayo and green onion. seriously dude, seriously, the BEST VEGAN SUSHI I HAVE EVER HAD. i was ecstatic when i saw that shojin added this to the regular menu. so please, please, PLEASE go eat it and help keep it around. i’d hate to see this item axed due to low demand.

that’s about it, kids. in closing: shojin still rules as one of the best restaurants in LA. always order the spicy rock shiitake tempura, fill up on sushi, and get adventurous with your ramen choice. oh yeah, and THE DYNAMITE ROLL IS AVAILABLE. i’m done.

shojin
333 S. Alameda St. Suite 310
(Little Tokyo Shopping Center 3F)
Los Angeles, CA 90013
Tel: 213-617-0305

Monday, Tuesday
5:30pm – 10:00pm
Wednesday, Thursday
11:30am – 2:30pm,
5:30pm – 10:00pm
Friday
11:30am – 2:30pm
5:30pm – 10:30pm
Saturday,
12:00pm – 10:30pm
Sunday, Holidays
12:00pm – 10:00pm

this is the month to get your vegan sushi on. why? because every monday evening in june, shojin is having a vegan sushi night, with creative rolls that will knock your socks off. that means you have three more chances to take advantage of this japanese deliciousness.

i hit up shojin with an omnivorous friend last monday, and we were beyond impressed. it was by far my best experience yet at the restaurant, and all the food was excellent. even my pal who is a big fan of non-vegan sushi thoroughly enjoyed herself and wants to go back!

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Following three years of eating out on LA’s vegan restaurant scene we thought it would be good to come up with a “top list” of the establishments we, and the commenters on this esteemed blog, thought were really good. Check out the end for honorable mentions, restaurants that didn’t quite make the list. Want to bump a mention off the list, or add your own? Please comment. Don’t be shy. We had to start somewhere.

Madeleine Bistro

Advice when visiting Madeline Bistro: Sit facing away from the window and forget that you walked past the exotic lingerie store a few doors down, after an excruciatingly long drive from pretty much wherever you live. If you can suspend the belief of where you are and how you got there for long enough, you’ll enjoy some of the most incredible vegan food on the West Coast, and probably in the world.

porcini-crusted tofu benedict at madeleine bistro.

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 Mag (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.

Stuff I Eat

Situated on a quiet street a block from busy Manchester Blvd. on the edge of Inglewood is an absolute gem of a vegan restaurant: Stuff I Eat. 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.

part of the soul food platter 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?). Any place that has a menu item called “Sumthin-Sumthin”, makes its own dressings from scratch every day and serves a $5 taco with so much filling that they throw in an extra tortilla so you can “make two out of one” clearly has an appreciation of food. If you have the same (or even if you don’t), Stuff I Eat will be some of the best Stuff you will EVER Eat.

Vinh Loi Tofu

Kevin Tran, the chef/owner/cashier of Vinh Loi Tofu is probably the King of Los Angeles vegan cuisine. Sitting on his throne behind the counter at Vinh Loi Tofu, he rules his mini-kingdom of obedient, smiling tofu-preparing workers who create some of the most stunning vegan food in town. In his modest Reseda restaurant (about the size of a donut shop!) he manages to squeeze in not only a tofu factory but also a kitchen that prepares no less than 126 vegan specialty menu items, along with several “new inventions” that Kevin has cooked up to try out on us unsuspecting, but very lucky, vegans.

ham sub at vinh loi tofu

With so many menu items it’s really hard to choose favorites (and, to be fair, I try to mix up what I order, but in a lifetime one can only scratch the surface of Kevin’s creativity). Signature dishes we see people ordering time and time again include the Banh Mi subs (of which there are 13 varieties) ranging between $4.50 and and extortionate $6! Kevin’s tofu and fake meats blend perfectly with fresh vegetables in his soups, stir fries, teriyaki noodles and salads. If you’re feeling really adventurous, just ask him for his “special of the day”. You won’t be sorry.

Pure Luck

On our first visit to Pure Luck, we were intrigued to watch a tattooed dude (who we later discovered was Ben, the guy who dreamed up the establishment) wheeling a toilet through a busy restaurant and out of the door. He returned to climb, precariously, above the food area while he installed a WiFi access point suspended from the ceiling by green cables, that’s still there to this day. While this entertainment was going on, my friends and I got quietly drunk on craft beer, and full of potato pals, followed by several plates of fresh salads, rolls with exotic ingredients and burritos. Pure luck doesn’t quite have the atmosphere of a bar, but you can squint your eyes and fake it real easy, with at least 10 beers on tap and an endless supply of comfort food you can’t go wrong.

angélica’s garbanzo salad sandwich with potato pals at pure luck

Must-have dishes are the jackfruit-anything (especially the Todd’s BBQ Sandwich or Torta), Fresh Noodle Salad and the deep fried stuff (Potato Pals, Rosemary Fries, Sweet Potato Fries). The Tofu Pesto Sandwich is also an excellent choice, arriving on a crusty, fresh La Brea Bakery roll. Chow on some great bar food, drink some of LA’s finest beers and smile in the haze of how great it is to be vegan in this day and age. Thanks, Pure Luck, for all the good times.

Oh, and the toilet was abandoned in the parking lot by the dumpster when we left.

Shojin

I recall hanging out as a teenager in the Tokyo district of Akihabara, where bright lights, video arcades and electronics stores are punctuated only by sushi bars and upscale dining. The shopping mall in Little Tokyo (just south of Downtown LA) contains all of the above plus an amazing find if you trudge to the top of the escalator: Shojin Restaurant. to call this place “fine dining” would be an understatement. Hand polished silverware resting on starched tablecloths await your vegan self. Nuvo-Japonaise decor and Frank Sinatra on the speakers round out this most eclectic of dining experiences. Your shy, yet overly-attentive and awkwardly chatty serving staff will do whatever it takes for you to have a great time, as plate upon plate of amazing food spirits itself out of the kitchen to your pristine table.

vegan dragon 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.

Honorable mentions: A Taste Of Life, Native Foods, Veggie Grill, Casa De Tree, Cru, Flore, Cafe Flourish, Rahel’s, and Seed

Check back tomorrow, for our list of the top five vegetarian restaurants that are vegan friendly.

the best sushi ever?

i have been doing all you vegans in los angeles a disservice. i’ve been at this blog thing for over a year now, and i’ve only written about shojin once. and my review of them is 14 months old, back from a time when their prices were higher and they hadn’t yet hit their stride. well i am here to change all that, because i’ve been back for a few meals there, and i can definitely say shojin is one of the best restaurants around, and they deserve an awesome review.

one super cool thing shojin has done, is they’ve introduced an impressive vegan sushi menu. at most restaurants, vegan sushi means a few slices of avocado and cucumber wrapped up in some rice. not at shojin. they take vegan sushi to the next level with bbq seitan, avocado tempura, and spicy kale rolls. one of their best creations is the dragon roll—marinated shiitake mushrooms in the middle and thick slabs of seitan and avocado on the outside. i think it may just be the best vegan sushi ever.

dragon roll: shiitake mushroom and avocado inside, BBQ seitan and avocado outside, served with sweet soy sauce. $10.95

another thing shojin does right is the appetizers. they have loads of mouthwatering selections, from tofu cheese tartar to crispy fried tempeh—it’s impossible to go to shojin and not order more than one starter. on our last visit we got three to share, starting with the seitan nuggets. the crispy seitan is one of my favorite things at shojin, and if you like wheat meat, it won’t disappoint. the little nuggets are fried and crunchy on the outside and incredibly warm and chewy on the inside. plus they come with a deliciously tangy sauce.

seitan nuggets: fried nugget style seitan. crispy outside and tender inside. served with shojin ketchup. $6.95

we also ordered the tomato and tofu carpaccio, a light starter of marinated tofu with red and yellow tomatoes. this cold and refreshing appetizer went down really well with us—the tofu was packed with flavor and the tomatoes were fresh, juicy and plump.

tomato and tofu carpaccio: sliced fresh red and yellow tomatoes, marinated tofu and shiso leaves with basil balsamic sauce. $5.95

lastly we tried the fried tofu appetizer, which came covered in thick and spicy soy sauce. the tofu was crispy and fried around the edges, but completely light and fluffy inside. to our delight, the starter also came with some whole green chilies, and a blob of green onions for flavor.

spicy fried tofu: fried tofu with spicy soy sauce and green onion. $4.95

the spicy fried tofu is so good at shojin, that they’ve also made it into an entree, which is excellent as well. the meal comes with the same deep fried tofu, mixed with mushrooms and vegetables in a spicy broth. the soup was excellent and thick, and the whole meal reminded me of a curry hot pot. the fried tofu tasted even better when drowned in the flavorful broth and mixed up with assorted vegetables. i would definitely order this again, very filling and very tasty.

spicy fried tofu and vegetable: deep fried tofu, mixed mushrooms and vegetables in a hot and spicy soup topped with scallions and sliced chili peppers. $11.95

if you hit up shojin during the day, be sure to take advantage of one of their many lunch specials. for just $9.95 you can get a bento box with the choice of two entrees, a vegetable dish and a salad. pictured below is the bento box with seitan balls and bbq seitan. the meal also comes with a bowl of soup and a side of rice, a phenomenal deal at under 10 bucks if you ask me. everything is fresh and in season, and made with the finest ingredients.

lunch bento box (also comes with rice and soup). $9.95

while the food at shojin can’t be beat, sometimes they have the music up a little too loud and the service is a little too attentive, making the dining experience a tad awkward. shojin is located in the little tokyo shopping center, but the owners have done a great job at giving it a fancy restaurant feel. the dimly lit interior and beautiful decorations make you almost forget that you are dining in the upper level of a mall. none of this stuff really matters though, the only truly important thing about shojin is that they make incredible food of the highest quality.

if you haven’t been to shojin yet, go ASAP. i’ve never met a vegan who doesn’t love this restaurant!

P.S. there is no booze at shojin. while this means nothing to my straightedge friends, my drunken brethren are advised to plan ahead.

shojin
333 S. Alameda St. Suite 310
(Little Tokyo Shopping Center 3F)
Los Angeles, CA 90013
213-617-0305

Lunch
Monday – Friday: 11:30am – 2:00pm
Saturday, Sunday: 12:00pm – 3:00pm
Dinner
Monday – Sunday: 5:30pm – 10:00pm

i never hang out in downtown los angeles, it’s too far to drive and until recently i didn’t think there was much going on there that would interest me. boy, was i wrong! last weekend we headed to the city to check out an art exhibit at moca and had the opportunity to try out 2 great new bars, and most importantly, a new vegan restaurant. shojin!

seitan katsu curry: slow cooked vegetable curry served with home-made seitan cutlet and brown rice. $15.95

shojin style bento box: three kinds of shojin traditional vegetable dishes, brown rice and garden seitan ball with home-made all natural ketchup. $16.95

i’ve read some rave reviews of shojin, i’m talking fulsome adulation, on yelp and other vegan blogs alike. people can’t seem to get enough of this place! now before you accuse me of adding to the shojinmania, let me say that while i definitely enjoyed my dinner and will certainly be back, i found the place to be a bit over-hyped and over-priced. that aside, the food was delicious!

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