Sacred Chow showed up, defying our pessimism!

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Sacred Chow on Sullivan Street in the West Village was Biella’s second choice. It’s vegan, organic, kosher, using locally grown produce where possible and Fairtrade where not. On their website, which features a cartoon cow in lotus position, they also claim to follow “an ethical attitude to work and wages”.

The best dishes are small plates, tapas-style at $5.75 each or 3 for $15. Biella eats here often, so I asked her to pick a good selection. I let her choice of tofu through, despite a long-standing aversion, though I did stand my ground and veto the Brussels sprouts. How did Brussels sprouts inveigle their way into the edible vegetable category?

We had no complaints about the service ... Biella had been surprised they agreed to deliver – “it’s such a small operation” – so I was prepared for a long wait.

As I was about to express my disappointment that I was flying to London next morning when I should clearly be on my way to San Francisco, Sacred Chow showed up, defying our pessimism by delivering in good time.

We’d ordered five small dishes. The pumpkin risotto was delightful on flavour ...

I was surprised to be won over by the tofu. This wasn’t superfluous chunks of gunk meant to serve as some sort of meat substitute but rather lightly grilled with taste and texture.

We’d ordered the shitake mushrooms and the broccoli in place of the Brussels sprouts I’d banned. The broccoli was steamed and gently curried and the mushrooms firm, though the sauce was a little too tart. The sunflower lentil paté, Biella’s favourite, was also good.