5 Vegetarian Spots We Love In NYC!
What are you guys doing on October 1st? I’ll tell you what I’ll be doing…celebrating World Vegetarian Day! Living in NYC is an extra bonus when it comes to feasting on this day of veggie celebration because there are SO many amazing spots to dine that cater specifically to vegetarians. Below we’ve listed 5 favorites, ranging from fancy to casual.
Meatless Monday Dinner
Located on the Upper West Side, Dovetail hosts a very special Meatless Monday dinner every (you guessed it) Monday night. For $58, you can choose from either a vegetarian OR vegetable focused four course prix fixe menu. The vegetable focused is exactly what it sounds like–centered around the greens, but with a bit of meat thrown in for the carnivores (i.e. it’s the perfect spot to go if your dinner date isn’t a vegetarian but still wants to celebrate with you!) If you can’t make their special Monday night dinner, they have both vegetarian and vegan menus available the rest of the week, too.
A Korean Cultural Experience
I’ve spent quite a few meals in K-town shelling out silly amounts of money on fresh vegetables, while everyone else at the table chows down on Korean BBQ. You can imagine my delight when I stumbled across a restaurant, Hangawi, in Koreatown that features a purely plant-based menu that is INSANELY delicious. Along with the food, the entire experience is a super cool one, as you take your shoes off upon entering the restaurant and dine on the floor. (Sounds weird but I promise it’s clean and comfy!) My go-to dishes are the kabocha pumpkin pancakes with mung beans to start and the kimchi stone bowl rice as my main.
Plant-Based Sushi Only
Much like dining out at Korean restaurants, going to sushi joints was always a bit of a culinary bore to me, too. I mean, how many times can you order cucumber and avocado rolls with a side of jasmine rice? That’s why I was absolutely delighted to discover Beyond Sushi, and sushi joint that serves ONLY plant based sushi, not a speck of seafood in the store! Not only is it good, it’s also affordable. It’s hard to pick favorites here, but a roll I consistently go back to time and time again is the Spicy Mang, which has black rice, avocado, mango, and English cucumber topped with spicy veggies and drizzled with a toasted cayenne sauce.
Flavorful Indian Food that’s 100% Vegetarian and Kosher
Kailash Parbat, located in the Curry Hill neighborhood (i.e. the little section of Murry Hill lined with about a zillion Indian restaurants), is a spot can easily be looked over, but trust me, it shouldn’t. It’s owned by 3rd generation descendants of the original owners in India, and the beauty in the food is that the dishes have been kept true to the originals, making them authentic and bursting with spices and unique flavors that you simply won’t find in most Americanized Indian joints. Try the diwani handi, which is mixed vegetables and paneer combined with mint and spinach and ginger. If I lived within the delivery zone of this spot, I would be ordering every week!
A Unique Vegetarian Experience
With the tagline, “Anyone can cook a hamburger, leave the vegetables to the professionals”, you know you’re in for a treat at this downtown spot. Dirt Candy is known for their colorful dishes with even more colorful descriptions. To give you an idea of the playful dishes, two of my favorites are Korean fried broccoli, which is described as “basically crack in broccoli form”, and Jalapeno Hush Puppies served with maple butter (because how delicious does that sound?!) I mean, they even have Vegetable Ice Cream Salad for dessert…doesn’t get much more veggie friendly than that!
Would love to know…what’s your go-to vegetarian restaurant in NYC? Connect with us on Twitter and Facebook, we’d love to hear!
Posted in manhattan living, NYC Dining |
