The start of a new year means a fresh start for clean, healthy eating —- our Off the Grid creators provide fantastic options to get you started. Specifically, vegetarian-friendly dishes that we felt went above and beyond. From tofu plates to burritos, we saw some amazing creations highlighting the Bay Area’s seasonal produce.
- Kuker’s hand-rolled phyllo dough rosettes filled with spinach, leeks, or mushrooms and eggs are one of the dishes we can’t get enough of. Bulgarian food can be difficult to find in the bay, but this is the perfect place for an introduction. Don’t miss out on their fresh salads.
- Cochinita serves one of the best veggie burritos in town because it incorporates fruits and veggies in so many forms. Black beans, Mexican rice, cheese, cabbage, pickled onions, cilantro, sweet plantain, and avocado are wrapped in a chewy flour tortilla (Ask for it without cheese to keep it vegan).
- Damansara Co. has tons of exciting traditional Malaysian vegetarian-friendly options, but one of our favorites is the meal plate of fried tofu or tempeh. The tofu is tossed in a non-spicy curry sauce and served alongside natural blue-flower-dyed coconut rice, achar pickles, peanuts, and spicy-sweet sambal.
- Barya serves up two types of plant-based lumpia. The vegetarian lumpia is filled with plant based chorizo, corn, black beans, and onion topped with cotija, cilantro, and salsa verde. Their vegan option, turon, is a fried banana lumpia with a vegan jackfruit coconut condensed milk dipping sauce.
- Basil the Bold makes an incredible vegan fried tofu larb. It’s made with hand-marinated garlic soy tofu double-fried in a thin layer of crispy corn starch, tossed with a citrus and toasted rice “Larb” spice mix, aromatic fresh herbs, and just the right amount of chili.
- Kabob Trolley offers gluten-free and vegan falafels in the form of a rice bowl, salad bowl, or plate. The crispy, golden falafel are served over fragrant saffron basmati rice, topped with fresh herbs and tangy pickled vegetables. Then, they’re drizzled with a zesty garlic sauce for the perfect balance of flavors.
- Superfine Kitchen makes one of our favorite vegetarian banh mi. It’s filled with savory maitake mushrooms, sambal aioli, cucumber, pickled carrot & daikon, shaved jalapeno, cilantro on an ACME torpedo roll.
- Kawashima’s Kitchen dishes out an impressive vegetarian ramen composed of a vegetable base broth, vegan egg or rice noodle, tofu, wakame, crispy carrots, moyashi, vegetarian soft boiled egg, green onion, and nori.
- Flora Gelateria makes a fantastic vegan cento coffee stracciatella gelato made with French press coffee infused in cashew milk, studded with thin TCHO chocolate chips. Pair it with their vegan devoto heirloom apple-pecan gelato layered with gluten-free oat and pecan streusel.
- Tlaxico’s Pizza serves up two great vegetarian pizzas. The first is a classic margherita pizza with red sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil and olive oil. The second is a spicy veggie with hot peppers, oregano, spinach, mozzarella cheese, black olives, red onions, mushrooms, and red peppers.
- Bun Me Up’s fried vegetarian tofu bao are packed with marinated tofu. It’s breaded and fried for a unique combination of textures. We love that they top it with barbecue-glazed onions, which sounds like a strange move, but lends a smoky sweetness.
- Noodle Girl dishes out delectable vegan fresh rolls with a nutty almond sauce. The rolls are filled with carrot, jicama, mixed green, and fresh herbs. We especially love feasting on these on hot days where they help keep us fresh.
- Clean Bites crafts vegan acai bowls made with a blend of organic acai berries, topped with fresh fruits like bananas, strawberries, and blueberries, along with crunchy granola and a sprinkle of chia seeds. These nutrient-rich bowls offer a refreshing and energizing meal, packed with antioxidants and plant-based goodness.
- Poke a Go Go serves up truffle mushroom tartlets served in mini pastry shells. Our favorite vegetarian item on their menu is the spicy Thai noodle salad with chopped cucumbers, shredded carrots, peanuts, chopped peppers, tossed in a light peanut ginger dressing and served in mini cups with chopsticks.
- Alpaca Latte goes the extra mile with their vegan drinks. The matcha latte uses a ceremonial grade matcha and your choice of oat, almond or coconut milk. The alpaca latte is their signature special using house-made vanilla bean syrup, cinnamon and vegan chocolate to produce an amazingly balanced latte.
