NYC,
restaurants (not LA)recently i took a little tasting tour of new york city, what’s considered to be by many the best vegan-friendly place in the usa, right up there with portland. i had a whole list of neat restaurants i wanted to try, and couldn’t even begin to fit them all in. i mean, check out
happycow or
supervegan, there are just sooooo many. over the next few posts, i’ll be bringing you several installments of quarrygirl eats nyc, and tell you about all our cool (and not so cool) dining experiences.
of all the well-reviewed eateries, one place i knew i absolutely had to check out, was
sacred chow. it came with a very high recommendation from the folks at
vegan-la, and was said to serve the best breakfast ever. unfortunately, i went on a friday just before noon without realizing that they only offer breakfast/brunch on the weekends. it all turned out for the best though, because the lunch was out of this world. i’m sure i missed out by not trying their brunch, but hey, it just gives me another reason to return to nyc!
weekday special bowl: sliced western tofu, soba noodles, tahini, greens and broccoli
although
sacred chow wasn’t serving up the weekend brunch when my husband and i visited, they did have a weekday special bowl that was customizable. they had different proteins, carbs and vegetables to choose from all served up in a pipin’ hot little package for i think around 8 bucks. we opted for the western tofu on soba with a mixture of collard greens and broccoli. it was absolutely delicious.
the entire bowl was filled with succulent vegetables and
the most firm and luscious tofu ever, all slathered in the creamiest of tahini sauces. the waiter even brought us and entire bottle of squeezy hot sauce, which we used to drench everything in the bowl. the soba noodles were cooked just right, and there weren’t too many of them…which was great. so many times in restaurants, bowls come almost filled to the top with carbs, with a pitiful amount of protein and vegetables that look more like a garnish. not this sucker. it was freakin’ filled right up with the good stuff and the noodles were almost an afterthought. just enough to swirl around and soak up the yummy sauce, without being overwhelming.
the best thing about this bowl though, was definitely the western tofu. i’m talking huge firm slices that had a completely different texture than the tofu i’m used to. i don’t know how
sacred chow made such a simple dish so mouth-watering. hearty long strips of protein grilled on each side and bursting with flavor. if you are ever in manhattan, you gotta try this.
next up, we decided to share a hero sandwich, also made with western tofu. mmmMMMMMmmm. just as good as the bowl, for sure.
grilled western tofu hero: thickly sliced western tofu, dill soy-mayonnaise, mixed greens served on a toasted french baguette with chow slaw, pickle, and casein-free mozzarella
the photograph doesn’t really do this sandwich justice at all. there was so much thick and tasty tofu inside, and some of the best vegan cheese i’ve ever tasted. not to mention the insane dill mayo, this sammy was off the hook! crusty bread, creamy sauce, melty cheese and spongey yet crispy tofu made for the yummiest combo ever. and the chow slaw was incredible as well. i think it was cabbage mixed up with a mystery concoction of curry powder, vegenaise, and other savory flavors. this hero is one of my favorite sandwiches ever. seriously, the same irresistible tofu from the bowl above took on a completely new life in this dish. it would be hard for me to return to
sacred chow and order something else. it so hit the spot.
on top of all the great food,
sacred chow also has a very sweet and inviting atmosphere. oh yeah, and TAP BEER! not to mention tapas, tons of wine, and a huge selection of baked goods, including cupcakes, bars and brownies. that’s right, there really is nothing not to like about this place. if i lived in nyc, i’d be hitting up sacred chow AT LEAST once a week. seriously, we need more joints like this in los angeles.
groovy
sacred chow interior
so while i’m bummed that i didn’t get to try anything off of the huge appetizing brunch menu, i’m glad i got to try some of the awesome lunch items at
sacred chow. eating there was one of the highlights of my trip, and knowing i missed out on brunch just means i HAVE to return.
so remember this place when you are in new york city, and make it your mission to eat here.
sacred chow vegan bistro -
