I’ve been traveling for more than three months. And while I’ve enjoyed most of the food, I really miss my California vegan restaurants especially my favorites in Los Angeles. I’m sure everyone is biased about the food from their neighborhoods. I can’t wait to bite into a Chicken Run Ranch Burger from Native Foods or savor spicy, curry udon noodles from Vinh Loi Tofu.
The most common question I’ve been asked by non-North Americans via comments on my blog and Facebook page is “is that vegan?” Yes, it is all vegan. I am 100% vegan. The cheese, the seitan, the tempeh is all yummy, vegan deliciousness. What I find confuses readers most is the cheese and how good it looks (or how similar it looks to dairy cheese). Vegan dairy alternatives are very common in the United States, and with the introduction of Daiya cheese, Follow Your Heart dairy alternatives and a variety of raw and cooked seed and nut-based cheeses, vegans in North America have been able to enjoy nachos, pizza and veggie burgers with cheese!
Even Paris Loving Hut has a cheese plate made up five different flavors.
Dairy alternatives have come a long way making a vegan diet more attainable and more attractive. All we’re after is a little flavor and a little variety. *One meal that is missing is the wonderful meal I had at The Gentle Gourmet in Paris. The photos are stuck on my iPhone and aren’t downloading properly. Enjoy the slideshow.
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…and the gallery.
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- BBQ Tempeh Burger at Seed Kitchen in Venice, CA
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- Inside BBQ Tempeh Burger
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- Potato Stuffed Taquitos at Symphonie Vegan in Richmond, CA
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- Pancakes at Herbivore in Berkeley, CA
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- Raw Lasagna and salad at Organic Lives in Vancouver, BC, Canada
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- Nachos at Loving Hut in Vancouver, BC, Canada
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- Mac and Cheese (yes it’s vegan) from Everlasting Life Cafe in Washington DC
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- The Best Cinammon Roll ever from Peacefood Cafe in Manhattan
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- BBQ Seitan Skewers at Blossom Cafe in Manhattan
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- Tuscan Parmesan Seitan Burger at Candle Cafe in Manhattan
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- Favorite homemade stir fry at Aurelia’s and Jeff’s in Paris
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- Cheese plate at Loving Hut in Paris
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- Mango, Chocolate and Strawberry Ice Cream at Loving Hut in Paris
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- The Prettiest Salad crafted by Namua on the farm in Laroque des Alberes
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- Fresh Veggies for my stir fry
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- The finished product – my stir fry.
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- Sun-dried tomato bruschetta at Loving Hut in Menton, France
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- Penne Pesto at Loving Hut Menton, France
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- Chocolate and Mediterraneo Gelato from Stefino in Bologna, Italy
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- Marinara Pizza in all of Italy
Vegan cheeses have definitely come a LONG way! When I first went vegan, the few non-dairy cheeses on the shelves in my neck of the world were starchy, gritty, and flavorless. Fast forward several years, and Daiya and Follow Your Heart have really done the job right. The same goes for non-dairy ice creams. I am so thankful that Purely Decadent is on the market, especially with their coconut milk-based desserts.
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