don't know brooklyn at all but i'll remember this spot. i was going somewhere else when i past this place and thought vegan asian sounded good? i was starving but didn't want to eat meat. it was 3:20pm and the lunch specials end at 3:30pm so i barely made it but the waitress didn't rush me. the lunch specials were really reasonably priced and i had a hard time deciding which to order because several really sounded perfect. i chose the black pepper seitan and japanese broccoli. it came with miso soup, a spring roll, and rice. the miso soup was perfectly hot and cloudy. the tofu pieces were smaller than i'd prefer (bits instead of chunks) but the flavor was perfect. the summer roll was also done perfectly. crispy but not one bit greasy. great crunch. the broccoli was very heavy on the stems. not but maybe 2 florets. however it was perfectly cooked, thanks to the chef for NOT overcooking the veggies like most places tend to do (alas!)...the rice was great, again perfect texture, chewy, earthy, rich, satisfying. i ordered water because i was truly thirsty. the drinks i noticed were reasonably priced. the main entree, that black pepper seitan was heaven. it was sliced thick and had a sauce that was to die for. i couldn't decide what was all in it because i was complex and again, very rich and satisfying. sure i was hungry but everything was done so perfectly that i almost wanted to 'ooh' and 'ahhh' and marvel aloud at how perfect everything was presented and cooked. the strips of seitan were sliced exactly like the gyro meat is shaved off at greek places. it was tender enough to cut but i found myself so ravenous that i just stuck it with my chopsticks (i was offered a fork but i decided to go authentic) and doubled it over into one big bite. that sauce i could rave about for days. hard to describe but just sheer oral heaven. yes i know i just sounded like food porn. it was by far the best quick unplanned just-stop-in-at-random lunch i've had in ages. i'll definitely return but upon seeing they have other locations much closer to my usual stomping grounds, i'll probably visit there more often since i don't live or work in brooklyn. in short, i can't think of one negative thing to say about this place and that hasn't happened in a long, LONG time. places like this make me never miss meat. if every place was like this restaurant and/or more veggie, the world would be better. YUM.
Pros: comfy wood design, vegan, summer rolls, taste, price
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