Vegan Anywhere- Zen Palate, Midtown Manhattan

Bear and I had a weekend in the city with some friends and decided we had to make the most of the trip by going to a great vegan restaurant. Since we were in Times Square for the Marvel Agents of SHIELD STATION exhibit, we decided to go to Zen Palate which is nearby. 

We started the meal with veggie spring rolls with fresh basil, which were really fresh and tasty. I adore spring rolls, they're really cute and I loved the fresh herbs inside.

Then, dumplings! The veggies dumplings come steamed or pan friend, like we chose. They were just the right amount of crispy on the outside and the inside was warm and flavorful, you barely needed any sauce to dip them in.

For my main course, I went with the shepard's pie croquettes. It came with veggies, and some more spring rolls. The croquettes were stuffed with diced vegetables and faux ham, which was really tasty. They came with a thicker, somewhat sweet, dipping sauce which offset the saltiness of the fake pork really well. They were also perfectly cooked which can be a big problem with croquettes.

Bear went with the Moo Shu Fantasia, with green cabbage, soy ham and shredded vegetables. The portions were pretty big and he said the sauce was delicious. I tried a bite of his dish and loved how much flavor they had gotten into the vegetable filling.

Dessert was tofu cheesecake with a blueberry topping. It was amazing, creamy and rich and the crust was flavorful and the sauce was perfect. I love cheesecake so whenever I see a vegan version of it I have to order it. Bear and I shared this piece because the rest of the meal had already been so filling.

Final Scores-
Food- 5/5
Cost- 4.5/5
Service- 4.5/5

Bonus City Shots- 

Peach bubble tea from Vivi!

Wandering around Chinatown, drinking all the fruity beverages.

Bear and I are very romantic and stuff

Vegan Anywhere- 3 Brothers Pizza, Long Island New York

I LOVE 3 BROTHERS PIZZA. There, I said it. If you don't wanna see me go on and on about how awesome this place is, I'm sorry, come back soon for a new topic. But really, everyone needs to know about this place. Vegetarians, vegans, omnivores, gluten free eaters, just go whoever you are!
The best part of this place is the fact they have two menus. one for omnivores and one for vegans/vegetarians. That means everyone can find something that suits them (so long as they like pizza/pasta/burgers/wings/mozzarella sticks/carrot cake/so so so much more). As a vegan, this is a huge deal. It means that vegans can have a place where there are many options for them as for their non vegans friends and family.

Vegan pizza that's good is not easy to come by in most places. For many vegans all that is available is frozen stuff or home made, and while both are good, there's nothing like real pizza or calzones.
Using this review as an excuse to over indulge, Bear and I got a full spread and spent a nice time in the restaurant desperately trying to eat it all.
For a starter we got the mozzarella sticks, which were great. They were warm and the cheese inside was nice and gooey and the sauce it came with had a nice taste.

the seasoning on these was perfect

For our entrees we decided to get a tempeh bacon and seitan cheese burger to share, and a small (12in) pizza with "the works", onions, mushrooms, peppers, faux pepperoni, and faux sausage and a ton of ooey gooey daiya cheese. We only made it through half of the pizza, but it made a great dinner later on at home, it reheated nicely in the toaster oven. Both items were great. The cheeseburger could have used a bit more bacon, but other than that no complaints.

OMG PIZZA

even vegans like bacon cheese burgers now and then

The pizza was great as well. In fact, 3 Brothers has won several awards for it's vegan pizza, and it's easy to see why. There are a ton of pizza options form vegetables to fake meats and they come in different combos or even a build your own option where you can pick everything from the crust to the sauce to what goes on top. I don't eat a lot of faux meat products, but they work well on top of the pizza, and I would even say the vegan pepperoni is better than the real stuff because it's much less greasy.

Bear is an awe of this burger

The desserts at 3 Brothers are also great, and the options change all the time. Last time we visited we had an amazing piece of carrot cake, this time we got something called the Raspberry Bomb, a chocolate cake with raspberry mousse and a chocolate shell. It was sweet, but not overly saccharine, and decadent and not as heavy as it seems. However, sharing is a good idea since the entree sizes are pretty generous.

this piece of cake was huuuuge

contemplating cake

Visit the site for hours, directions and both menus

Final Scores-
Food- 5/5
Cost- 4/5
Service- 4.5/5

Vegan Anywhere- Tiger Lily Cafe, Port Jefferson New York

Tiger Lily Cafe is located in downtown Port Jefferson, it specializes in sandwiches, salads and coffees and teas. It advertises itself as vegetarian friendly, and at least half of the menu is meat free. The vegan options, sadly, are a bit more limited. There is room to sit down and eat inside, and a bathroom for customers, but the cafe only takes cash payment, so have money before you order (there is an ATM inside).

The shop is pretty easy to find, and has roadside parking. When the street is full there's a paid lot right down the road. When you approach the building the first things you notice are all the signs and stickers, and the music. Tiger Lily plays great music, which makes it a bit more pleasant to hang out in than a place like Starbucks.

In addition to the normal menu items there is also a large selection of made to order juices, smoothies and shakes, many of which are vegan friendly. Next to the register there is also a display case of fresh salads, and other dishes. Those items are listed on the normal menu so be sure to take a look before you order. It's also a great idea to get food to go and make at home.

The back deck is a great place to enjoy meals when the weather is nice. No kids or smoking allowed means you relax, eat, drink and just enjoy the area. I always eat out back when I can, it's too pretty to pass up.

Tiger Lily has good food. Maybe even great food. The vegan options may be limited, but the ones offered are at least substantial. Sesame tofu cutlet wraps, made in house veggie burgers, salads, fresh falafel with tahini, a hummus wrap and a balsamic veggie wrap are all offered for under $10.00. I always want a veggie burger which comes with diced tomato and greens on top while Bear favors the sesame tofu. Those two main dishes plus two iced teas will run you around $24.00, which is a little steep for vegan fare with no sides. But the quality is always amazing and the service is fantastic, plus the atmosphere is amazing (the whole restaurant has a perfect coffee shop vibe with lots of cool art and books). Overall, I can say the price is pretty fair for what you get, which is fresh, quality food. 

Visit the site for hours and a menu.

Final Scores-
Food- 4.5/5
Cost- 3/5
Service- 5/5