Tag Archives: Vegan

Curiosities Dining Insider Interviews Specialties No Comments

From a meat-eater to being one of the most renowned Vegan experts in the world, Kim-Julie Hansen shared with us how she started Best of Vegan, as well as her Vegan Reset blog and most recently launched a fantastic 28-Day Vegan Plan book!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan by Edward Gebel — Photo Credit: Edward Gebel

Tell me a bit about you! Where you’re from, what you studied, where you’ve worked, how you ended up in NYC…

I’m Kim-Julie, I’m 32 years old and originally from Brussels, Belgium, although that’s only partially true. I was actually born in West Berlin (two years before the Berlin Wall fell) and have lived in many places throughout my life.

I studied modern languages and comparative literature (BA and MA) in Brussels and I’ve worked all over the world in tourism and hospitality before starting my own business.

Five years ago I came to New York for an event and stayed with a friend for 5 days. On the fifth day, I knew that I needed to move here.

Luckily, my online business’s audience was located mostly in the US, so I got my Visa thanks to that (and the advice and support of amazing friends who had undergone the process before me!).

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Creamy Mushroom Penne — Creamy Mushroom Pasta – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

You have countless different platforms and social channels. I’d love if you could share a bit about each of them!

My two main platforms are Best of Vegan and Vegan Reset.

Best of Vegan is a digital culinary publication focused on crowd-sourced and crowd-pleasing recipes for every occasion and showcasing the best the vegan culinary scene has to offer.

Vegan Reset is my health conscious blog within Best of Vegan. It’s where I share meal prep and plant-based lifestyle tips, as well as my own quick and easy recipes. It’s also the name of my book and online program.

In addition to those, I also share the things that inspire me on my personal page and blog, @KimJulieHansen and I have two additional vegan Instagram accounts: @VeganChallenge based on the free 7-day vegan challenges I host and @IDontWantSalad, an ode to vegan comfort food, which I created to show that vegans can eat much more than just salad.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Green Smoothies — Green Smoothies – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

How was your journey into the Vegan lifestyle?

Unexpected, overnight and life changing. I was the furthest thing from a vegan you could possibly imagine.

I loved meat, dairy and eggs and had them every day. Then, in 2011, I read two books that made me change my eating and lifestyle habits instantly: Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer and Slaughterhouse by Gail A. Eisnitz.

It was a strictly ethical decision for me at first and I didn’t even know that veganism could be healthy. I ended up researching and trying to find out everything I could for months.

That’s how I ended up learning more about whole foods and cooking with unprocessed ingredients, incorporating more fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds. I had never liked any of these foods, so no one was more surprised than me.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Muffins — Blueberry Muffins – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

What are some myths about Vegan cuisine that people believe?

That it’s bland, boring, not nutritionally adequate, hard to adapt to and impractical.

I believed all of that too before going vegan myself, so as you can imagine, I wasn’t thrilled to give up so much of what I enjoyed, but I soon found out that you can actually veganize practically anything.

Latte? Make it a soy or oat latte. Sushi? Make it a sweet potato or avocado roll. Pizza? Add some vegan cheese and pepperoni. It obviously doesn’t taste exactly the same, but it’s close enough and, given the ethical implications, definitely worth the sacrifice.

What I at first feared would be restrictive ended up opening the doors to a whole new world for me. I enjoy cooking and eating out so much more now. Vegan cuisine is also neither boring nor deficient. You can get all the same nutrients from plants and whenever they’re harder to get, you can take a vegan supplement for convenience.

I do want to note that vegan foods and products aren’t readily available to everyone equally, so I think that as someone who does have access to the lifestyle, it’s important to simultaneously educate and motivate those who are in the same position while also actively working on making access easier for those who do not without ever judging them.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Salad — Smoky Tempeh & Vegan Cheese Salad – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

What are your favorite NYC Vegan spots? Sorry for this tough question, Kim… 🙂

There are far too many to list!

I love using the app “Vegan NYC” to discover new spots, but my all time favorites are Seasoned Vegan, Avant Garden, Adelina’s, Little Choc Apothecary, Bar Velo, Jungle Cafe and Délice & Sarrasin.

I’m probably forgetting half the list…!

How about your top Vegan brands that are really disrupting the industry, in New York?

I love brands that emphasize quality and/or community and are based right out of New York. Some of them include Egunsi Foods, Raaka Chocolate and Foreal Foods.

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Yogurt — Vegan Breakfast Idea: granola, fresh fruit & plant-based yogurt with toppings – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

Ah! And you have a gorgeous life changing book and I was lucky enough to follow closely it coming to life! So tell our readers what it’s all about and what they can expect.

Thank you for the kind words!

My book, Vegan Reset (called The 28-Day Vegan Plan in the U.K.), is a practical guide, a cookbook and a 28-day meal plan. It’s an introduction to ethical veganism, plant-based living and a holistic approach to health.

It’s not a diet in the sense that the goal is feeling good physically and mentally, not weight loss.

While it teaches you how to incorporate more fresh produce and unprocessed foods, there are no strict guidelines and you can adapt everything as you see fit. The main motivation is ethical rather than dietary.

Do you have any super cool upcoming project you can share? Anything exclusive no one knows yet!? Lol!

I may or may not be planning my second book! 🙂

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Rice Pudding — Cinnamon Rice Pudding – Photo Credit: Best of Vegan LLC

More about her Book!

Curiosities Insider Interviews Kim Julie Hansen Best of Vegan Book Vegan Reset — ©Behind the Scenes NYC

“Vegan Reset: The 28-Day Plan to Kickstart Your Healthy Lifestyle” is a 28-day plan for new vegans or anyone looking to get their diet back on track, from the wildly popular creator of Best of Vegan!

No matter what diet you practice, a reset is a way to jump-start or refocus healthy habits and get your body to a state of optimum health. Here, NYC-based blogger and Instagrammer Kim-Julie Hansen of Best of Vegan offers a practical and easy-to-follow program, laid out day by day with meal plans, prep, shopping lists, recipes, and personal tips and inspiration.

If you want to become a vegan and don’t know where to start, this is the ultimate guide. But it’s also invaluable for anyone (vegan or not) looking to kick-start healthier habits, whether to lose weight, become fitter, or simply cultivate a more balanced lifestyle.

Kim-Julie introduces you to the benefits of a reset; guides you through the 28-day meal plan; and finishes with additional recipes to carry you beyond the reset—all brought to life with her gorgeous photography throughout. With its emphasis on satisfying plant-based foods and its achievable 28-day plan, this program is a great way to meet your goals of health and well-being.

Buy book here!

Thank you Kim, my dear friend, for sharing your amazing story with everyone and congratulations on all that you have built during these amazing years in New York City!

I’ve had the opportunity of seeing it from close and I couldn’t be more proud of you!

Plus, I can’t wait to see more of your work and continue trying out all of your food (yes, please continue inviting me over for dinner, lol!) and following your tips!

And finally, if you want to uncover more Vegan spots in New York, be sure to explore our website!

Photo Credits: ©Behind the Scenes NYC, Best of Vegan LLC and portraits by Edward Gebel
*Last Update on April/2020.*

XYST: Breaking All The Myths About Vegan Food

August 14, 2019

www.matthewkenneycuisine.com/xyst

This Vegan restaurant in New York City is breaking all the myths about Vegan food. XYST is truly an experience worth exploring that will change all your misconceptions of this cuisine!

Dining XYST Vegan Restaurant Meze Plates

Dining XYST Vegan Restaurant Beet Hummus

Dining XYST Vegan Restaurant Avocado Toast

Dining XYST Vegan Restaurant Wild Mushrooms

Dining-Xyst-Vegan-Restaurant-Meze-Plates

Dining-Xyst-Vegan-Restaurant-Beet-Hummus

Dining-Xyst-Vegan-Restaurant-Avocado-Toast

Dining-Xyst-Vegan-Restaurant-Wild-Mushroom

Dining-Xyst-Vegan-Restaurant-Veggies

Dining-Xyst-Vegan-Restaurant-Pancake

Dining-Xyst-Vegan-Restaurant

THIS RESTAURANT IS UNFORTUNATELY PERMANENTLY CLOSED!

If you’ve NEVER been to XYST, it’s about time you go!XYST is one of the amazing creations by the renowned Chef Matthew Kenney and it one of my favorite spots in New York! We’re even done a short and sweet IGTV about it!

Their menu is Mediterranean inspired, their décor is beautifully rustic and home-cozy, the cocktails are great to pair with the food and the dishes? Well, they are to-die-for (and Vegan!).

Yes! This is a restaurant that I take all my non-Vegan friends and they a-l-w-a-y-s want to go back for more. I mean, I truly love showing people what Vegan cuisine is all about and break all the myth there is about it!

In addition, people that don’t understand the cuisine think that vegans only eat vegetables and salad. Hahaha! Well, that’s totally wrong and the cuisine is super rich in flavors and creations!

Now, pause for “awe”! Chef Matthew has restaurants in almost 20 cities across the globe, some of them being: São Paulo (my home town)! Buenos Aires! Sydney! Los Angeles! Dubai! Costa Rica! Bahrain! And other corners of the globe!

Now, let’s get to some details on the dishes!

Here is what we had this last time, but I’ve tried almost everything from their menu:

White, Rose and Red Wine, just to start off in grand style
Mese Plate: Beetroot Hummus. Smoked Hummer. Muhammara. Market Vegetables. Warm Pita
Wild Mushrooms + Muhammara. Red Pepper. Caramelized Onions. Herbed Focaccia
Avocado Toast. Za’atar Avocado. Cherry Tomato. Sourdough Bread

Unfortunately, this time we didn’t have dessert, because we were super satisfied with what we ate, but I’ve tried them all:

Blood Orange Cheesecake with Citrus Curd and Basil Syrup
Sunflower Seed Baklava with Rose Water
Chocolate Cake with Orange Blossom Gelato and Candied Salnuts

As Chef Matthew says, he’s “crafting the future of food” and we have to agree!

So, enjoy (and I’m sure you’ll be back for more!)

Hours:
Lunch & Brunch: Monday – Friday: 11am – 3:30p
Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 11am – 3:30pm
Dinner: Sunday – Wednesday: 5pm – 10pm | Thursday – Saturday: 5pm – 11pm

Location: 44 West 17th Street

Photo Credits: @BehindTheScenesNYC
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*

Fê is our Founder & CEO! She’s Brazilian (Yup! Not a New Yorker!), but her indescribable passion and curiosity for NY makes her a New Yorker by heart. Fê worked in companies like Kimberly Clark, Quintessentially, Vogue Brazil and Iguatemi Group, and after 12 years of working for these fantastic companies, she decided to go solo and move to NYC!
She lives in Brooklyn since April of ’15 and has been tirelessly working on BTSNYC, working with huge companies on corporate projects, practicing her Arhatic Yoga meditations, finding time for gym and friends! Phiuf!

Thompson Brooke: A New England Tapas RestoBar

December 28, 2018

Thompson Brooke, a New England tapas RestoBar in the heart of Williamsburg, is a must-try! We love tapas, so be sure to go with a big group and try a bit of everything in the menu!

As one of the trendiest neighborhoods of Brooklyn, Williamsburg is always offering a diverse food culture in its streets. So, it’s not a surprise that Brooke Costello, well-known food expert and catering business owner chef, decided to open his new restaurant Thompson Brooke on Grand Street, in the heart of Williamsburg.

Inspired by Brooke’s grandfather name, Thompson Brooke is a cozy and lovely RestoBar that welcomes you with the perfect music, scents and a great staff ready to serve you their delicious creations.

It offers a unique variety of traditional New England dishes with a modern twist: New England Tapas. If you are not familiar with the concept of Tapas, it comes from the Spanish cuisine. It’s basically small sharable portions of any kind of food – cold or hot.

The dinner menu consist of 8 traditional dishes including Sam’s Lobster Roll, Beer Batter Fish & Chips, Smoked Clams Mac’N’Cheese or Buddy Cianci style calamari, if you are into seafood. And still, Grand St. Burger if you prefer a 5oz beef patty or Safe Harbor Dog, Shaker Squad Salad and Yankee Whaler if you prefer vegetarian/vegan alternatives.

Among the sides, you can enjoy Cumin Maple Roasted Rainbow Carrots, French Fries, a cup of Vegan Chili and Yankee Queso for dipping.

Based on Brooke’s recommendation, we started our dinner with the Buddy Cianci style calamari – squid, pickled chilis, bread crumbs, spicy mayonnaise and a Yankee Whaler – baked russet potato boats with yankee queso, bacon, sour cream, scallions and pickled chile.

We then tried one of the specials of the night: fresh Oysters.

Every week they have Wednesday Oysters’ Night where you can enjoy as many oysters as you wish, for only $1.

And, if you are a book lover, don’t miss “Pour Writers”. On special days, local writers visit Thompson Brooke not only to share insights of their books and publications, but to charm you with their bartender skills and specially prepare you their best cocktails. Pretty awesome, right?

In addition, we ordered a delicious Shaker Squash Salad with butternut squash, celery root, dried cherry, toasted squash seeds, pickled mustard seeds and maple vinaigrette; and one of their top dishes, the Smoked Clams Mac’N’Cheese. If I had to describe the flavor, imagine the best New England Clam Chowder you ever had, add cheese and macaroni pasta. Perfection!

Obviously, we needed some drinks to pair with this marvelous feast. Thompson Brooke offers a variety of drinks including local beers, selected wines from Italy, France, Spain and California. And still, hard drinks and soft drinks if you prefer a non-alcoholic beverage.

We tried one of their soft drinks called Lizzie’s Shrub Bucket – plum tarragon shrub & soda, a Sixpoint Crisp Pilsner locally brewed in NYC and a Mainsheet Mule. All a 100% recommended.

To finish our meal, we tried the 3 desserts.

Hester’s Banana Cream – torched banana, vanilla wafers and heavy cream; Maple French Toast Doughnut – cinnamon glaze and roasted apples and Little Nibbler’s Chocolate Pudding – peanut bourbon fudge and candied peanuts. You should try them all, since it’s hard to recommend which one is best.

If you are more of a “Brunch Person”, during the weekends they offer a special menu of dishes and drinks.

Thompson Brooke also has the space for private events like engagement parties that can be accompanied with the food from their original menu or by Red Table Catering services, also owned by Brooke Costello. And still, contact our experts for any corporate event you’re working on!

Prices are very reasonable, especially if you come with a group of friends giving you the chance to try the entire menu.

If you enjoyed everything we said about Thompson Brooke, this New England tapas RestoBar, be sure to make your reservation!

Supporting the Local Community with a Discount for YOU!
“The Grand Street Savings Card” is a free card that aims to support small local business and gives you access to discounts and deals in stores and restaurants located in Grand Street. You can get it at Grand St. BID Office on 246 Graham Avenue, at events or request it by mail, by filling this form.
In the case of Thompson Brooke, if you have a card you get 10% off food on Wednesday and Thursday.

Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday: 5:30pm – 11pm
Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm – 12am
Brunch: Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 3pm
*Regular Sunday supper hours coming soon

Location: 631 Grand Street, Brooklyn

www.thompsonbrooke.com

Text Credit: Written by our contributor Magdalena Concha
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Thompson Brooke
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*

Will A Meat Eater Survive in 3 Vegan Restaurants?

October 8, 2018

https://www.barvelobrooklyn.com

New York has it all when it comes to food and this time I set a challenge to answer the question: Will a meat eater survive in 3 Vegan restaurants in New York? Watch the video below to see what happened!

Plant-Based, Vegan, Vegetarian, Pescatarian, Flexitarian, Frutarian, Paleotarian, Pollotarian, etc….and of course, Carnivore.

What the heck, right!? How are we even able to know and understand what these all these different diets are, especially if, we’re not adept to one of them.

As many of you know, I’m vegetarian and that means that I don’t eat any type of meat or fish. But, I still eat some animal products like cheese, eggs and honey. On the other hand, I totally love vegan food, which means that there is absolutely no meat and no animal-based products in the diet.

Might sound crazy to some, but vegan food can be SO damn good. And, when I say good, it’s to the point that my meat eating friends love it too and ask to go back!

That said, I decided to throw a challenge to a carnivorous friend that you’ve probably already met in my other food videos.

Jared Zuckerman, from Eat and Be Full, is once again with me and this time I took him to 3 vegan restaurants that I personally go all the time with my friends.

The idea was for him, as a huge meat eater, to try vegan food and let us know what he thought about them. So, check it out in the video above!

Little Choc Apothecary

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Jack Fruit Crepe

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Fernanda Paronetto Jared Zuckerman

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Corner Table

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Signage

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Kitchen

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Prepping

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Jack-Fruit-Crepe

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Fernanda-Paronetto-Jared-Zuckerman

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Corner-Table

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Guests

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Teas

I don’t get tired about talking and sharing my love for Little Choc Apothecary, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

They are the first and only vegan crêperie in New York serving savory and sweet options, in addition to a huge tea menu.

This time, we had the:

Jacked Up: smoky pulled jackfruit, caramelized onion, roasted red pepper, kale and homemade BBQ sauce
Burrito: avocado, coconut bacon, black beans, homemade chipotle hot sauce and homemade cashew cheese
Choc Butter Newtella: no need for explanations, but it’s their famous homemade hazelnut spread

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 8am – 11pm
Friday: 8am – 12am
Saturday: 9am – 12am
Sunday: 9am – 11pm

Location: 141 Havemeyer Street, Brooklyn

www.littlechoc.nyc

Marty’s V Burger

Dining Marty V Burger Fernanda Paronetto Jared Zuckerman Instagram

Dining-Marty-V-Burger-Fernanda-Paronetto-Jared-Zuckerman-Instagram

Dining-Marty-V-Burger-Menu

Dining-Marty-V-Burger

Dining-Marty-V-Burger-Entrance

One of the most famous vegan burgers in town was created by a genius guy called Marty!

It became famous across town in no time, and since Jared is into burgers, I decided to take him there. As we’ve said before during the yearly NYC Vegetarian Food Festival, Marty’s V Burger is a “Fast Food. No Bull.” type of place. Totally up our alley!

Everything there is homemade and you’ll be amazed at how tasty every dish is!

We ordered the:

Original World Famous Burger: a burger patty topped with melted cheddar “cheese”, special sauce, pickles, and crisp shredded lettuce, on a sesame seed bun!
Double Crabby Patty: seared crispy on the outside, two succulent crablike patty topped with jalapeño tartar sauce and lettuce on a sesame seed bun; can be GF on a gluten free bun

Hours:
Monday – Saturday: 11am – 10pm
Sunday: 11am – 8pm

Location: 134 East 27th Street

http://martysvburger.com

Bar Velo Brooklyn

Dining Bar Velo Brooklyn Fernanda Paronetto Jared Zuckerman

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn-Tables

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn-Bar

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn-Fernanda-Paronetto-Jared-Zuckerman

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn-Bartender

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn-Bike

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn-Eating

Dining-Bar-Velo-Brooklyn-Kitchen

This has been my lasted obsession and I can’t seem to stay away!

Bar Velo Brooklyn is located in a curious spot, right under a subway track in South Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

A few people might be a bit skeptic about the location, but I do have to say that I do like where it’s at. Why? Probably because it surely keeps the huge masses of tourists away, attracting mostly the hip local crowd, as well as the well-informed tourists, like you!!!

I love everything from the décor, to absolutely all the dishes and their cocktail menu.

Here, we tried a couple of different dishes:

BLT Burger: Tempeh bacon, avocado, organic tomato and lettuce on grilled baguette
BBQ Burger: Eggplant sandwich with aioli and pickles
Flatbread: Truffle mushroom, bacon, “sour cream” flatbread
Dessert: Panacotta with aged balsamic
Cocktail #2: Scotch, Ginger, Lemon, Islay, Burned Rosemary
Cocktails #4: Hot Whiskey, Maple, Lemon,Ginger, Cloves, Candied Clementine

Hours:
Twilight Drink Hours (daily): 5:30pm – 7:30pm
Dinner (daily): 5:30pm – 12am
Saturday & Sunday Brunch: 11am – late

Location: 394 Broadway, Brooklyn

As you saw on the video, Jared had a great time trying all these vegan restaurants with me!

As I said in the beginning, my dear friend meat eaters out there, do try these spots out. You will be amazing with what Vegan Cuisine can taste like!

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE to our channel, come explore New York with me and welcome to our Behind the Scenes NYC world!

Videographer: Renata Meirelles
Photographer: Yoav Hougui and courtesy of the venues
Beauty: Leila Soldeira
Styling: Camilla Adão
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*

Original Buddha Bodai: My Favorite Restaurant in Chinatown

June 29, 2018

If you’ve never been to the original Buddha Bodai, a Kosher Vegetarian restaurant, you should start planning for it! Located in the heart of Chinatown, this is literally one of my favorite restaurants in New York City!

Original Buddha Bodai Mott Street Most Popular Dishes

Original Buddha Bodai Mott Street Dim Sum Appetizers

Original Buddha Bodai Mott Street BBQ Meat

Original Buddha Bodai Mott Street Vegetarian Turkey

Original Buddha Bodai Mott Street Full Table

Original Buddha Bodai Mott Street Vegetarian Treats

Original Buddha Bodai Mott Street by Google Maps

Original-Buddha-Bodai-Mott-Street-Most-Popular-Dishes

Original-Buddha-Bodai-Mott-Street-Dim-Sum-Appetizers

Original-Buddha-Bodai-Mott-Street-BBQ-Meat

Original-Buddha-Bodai-Mott-Street-Vegetarian-Turkey

Original-Buddha-Bodai-Mott-Street-Full-Table

Original-Buddha-Bodai-Mott-Street-Vegetarian-Treats

Original-Buddha-Bodai-Mott-Street

I’m completely in love with the restaurant Buddha Bodai, in the heart of Chinatown, and could go there EVERY SINGLE DAY OF MY LIFE!

Truly! I’ve been to the original Buddha Bodai so many time and every time I go there, I love it more and more, and MORE!!

It’s a Chinese Kosher Vegetarian / Vegan and Buddhist Restaurant, but DON’T let these words haunt you! You will have one of the best experiences of your entire life! Hahaha! Yes, I really do l-o-v-e them! They are experts in serving the famous “imitation meat”!

They were founded back in 2004 and for only a couple of bucks, you’ll have a fabulous and delicious Chinese feast! Last time I was there with my friends that actually introduced me to this gem (last weekend, lol), we had a fully served table, and we only spent $12 each!!!!

We has the Dim Sum Menu – available every day till 4pm- and a few options from the normal menu.

How does ordering from the Dim Sum Menu work?

Well, you’ll get a paper menu with a huge list of options and you’ll just write, beside the dish, the quantity you want. If you order too much, no worries, just ask them to put the rest To-Go.

This is what we had from the Dim Sum Menu:

Bar-B-Q Vegetarian Meat – this is MY favorite dish on earth! If you’re a meat eater, you won’t believe this!
Vegetarian Shrimp Dumplings
Vegetarian Meat Buns
Shrimp Rice Roll
Fried Eggplant Stuffed with Vegetarian Meat
Spring Rolls
and Hot Tea, of course

And what we had from the Normal Menu:

General Tso Chicken – meat eaters also DIE for this one!
B.B.Q Meat Fried Rice

Yup, for only 12 bucks each + tip!

Oh! And they are a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) restaurant, so bring whatever makes you smile! If you forgot your bottle, ask anyone from the restaurant the way to the closest deli! They’ll know the way!

Meet the Chef

“Chef Dong has been delighting his patrons with exquisite vegetarian meals for over 45 years. He and his staff have created dishes and ensured that it reached the highest standards of quality and freshness.

His passion and desire to share the delicate flavors that he creates is a driving force that has kept his customers, old and new, coming back time and again.”

If you’re into vegetarian options, feel free to explore our Dining suggestions!

Hours:
Monday – Friday: 11am – 9:30pm
Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 9:30pm

Location: 5 Mott Street
Note! There are TWO Buddha Bodai in NYC, but the one we’re talking about is the original one on Mott Street!

www.buddha-bodai.com

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Buddha Bodai
Text Experts: Buddha Bodai website
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*

Dinner & Discussion: Good For Your Life, The Planet & Your Belly!

June 29, 2018

Entertainment Events Upcoming Events No Comments

Clear your calendar! Get The People presents an intimate evening of friend making, 4-course vegan food magic, and an eye-opening discussion with a health and wellness speaker and advocate!

We are proud partners of yet another fantastic event with Get the People, a New York based purpose-driven digital creative agency!

Get The People presents an intimate evening of friend making, 4-course food magic, and an eye-opening discussion as we lift the curtain to the harmful toxins lurking in our daily lives and learn how to bring health into our homes.

Plus, the dinner is a farm to table, vegan food and we just love these types of private events and restaurants in New York!

Take a look what it’s all about:

The Dinner: 4-Course // Farm to Table // Vegan

You know those dining experiences that are so delicious it completely takes over your body and you start doing a little food dance? Well if that’s your thing, this dinner is for you.

We’ll experience a 4-course vegan dinner prepared by culinary’s best kept secret Ashley Frunzi, Culinary Futurists & Nutritionist – a creator of truly magical food.

For over 9 years Ashley has been influencing the tastes and diets of many fashion industry leaders and icons. She understands that, sustainable living is the best way to nourish their body for a lifetime of health and happiness.

The Discussion:

Health and wellness speaker and advocate, Christine Dimmick, Founder/CEO of The Good Home Company and author of Detox Your Home, will guide us through a deep and eye-opening discussion around sustainable living, our environmental footprint, and how to limit our exposure to harmful toxins and take back control of our health.

From food, water, fashion and kitchen goods, to personal care and cleaning products— even common household items like phones and children’s toys. We’ll learn their impact on our health and how we can be the change for wellness.

Christine pioneered the movement to natural home cleaning products more than 20 years ago in her NYC kitchen. She and Good Home products have been featured on O Magazine, Instyle, Dr. Oz, and House Beautiful, and she has made appearances on the Today Show. You can learn more about her incredible work and story on her website.

Ticket includes:

Speaker & Rich discussion
Magical 4-course vegan dinner, prepared by Culinary Futurist, Ashley Frunzi
Evening of delicious wine provided by social impact wine company, One Hope Wine
Your very own copy of Detox Your Home, written by our speaker Christine Dimmick CEO/Founder of The Good Home Company
A portion of the proceeds will be donated to RAICES, which provides free & low-cost legal services to immigrants and refugees.

The Schedule:

6:30 PM / Networking & Wine
Rub elbows with other awesome people who love food, their bodies, life, the planet and building businesses for good.

7:30 PM / Seated for Dinner & A Word from The Chef
We’ll be seated for dinner and get a personal walk-through of the vegan menu from our featured chef and culinary futurist, Ashley Frunzi.

8:00 PM / Speaker & Discussion
Listen, learn, ask, discuss. We’ll learn about the toxins, products, food, fashion, and how all of these effect our lives, health and the planet. We’ll dive into open discussion and discover key takeaways for building health into our lives and homes.

Date: July 18th
Time: 6:30pm
Location: Habitas NYC – 240 West 30th Street

https://getthepeople-dinner-lifedetox.splashthat.com

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Get The People

The Biggest NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

June 8, 2018

Entertainment Our Experts Recaps No Comments

Take a look to find out who were the amazing vendors and brands present at the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival 2018! Get ready to explore a whole new lifestyle!

I’m a huge fan of the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival, not only because I’m vegetarian, going on vegan myself, but because it’s very friendly and fun for non-vegetarian too.

It’s a great place to go to understand more about this up and coming lifestyle, how to substitute your proteins – that are always a huge issue when you stop eating meat – and to find out fantastic brands and vendors around the city and state of New York, as well as from across the country.

Take a look below at the highlights of this past edition that happened on May 19^th and 20^th at the Metropolitan Pavilion, in Manhattan! We had an amazing time!

http://nycvegfoodfest.com

Marty’s V Burger

Oh, we love Marty and everything he serves! We’ve even done a YouTube video on vegan restaurants featuring them!

As they say, it’s a “Fast Food. No Bull.” type of food. His burgers are literally some of the best in the city.

They are all house-made and I promise that the meat eaters will never believe they are eating vegan food!

His best seller is the Original World Famous Burger – a burger patty topped with melted cheddar “cheese”, special sauce, pickles, and crisp shredded lettuce, on a sesame seed bun!

We are completely addicted to it, and we’re sure you will to, regardless for being a meat eater! Promise!

http://martysvburger.com

Munk Pack

“On-the-go deliciousness for all life’s adventures.”

They have a great line of protein cookies and Oatmeal Fruit Squeeze that are a great snack to have with you not only during the day, but also during your outdoor adventures!

They are perfect for breakfast, during the long office hours, at school, before or after workouts and yes, for the outdoor trips!

All portable, healthy, great tasting, minimally processed, without the additives and fillers.

https://munkpack.com

Love Beets

“We’re defying all previous notions of beets with our upbeat, fun and tasty beet products!”

Yes they are! I do truly love beets and everything done with beets!

Love Beets started with a great couple spreading their expertise and love for beets and has now grown to having their own state-of-the-art production facility in Rochester, New York!

They have everything from baby beets, cooked beets, salad & snacks, beet juice and even beet powder!

The beet, berry and ginger smoothie is great to start you off!

I personally loved it!

www.lovebeets.com

Pure Batch

“Don’t fear the treat!” I certainly don’t!

This is what you should try when it’s your day to splurge on your diet. I’m the type of person that actually has to eat something sweet every day, just to keep the fire burning, if you know what I mean. Ha! Well, Pure-Batch has some of the most amazing vegan, organic, gluten-free, soy-free and peanut-free sweets!

Each batch is designed to give your body a healthy dose of protein, fiber, fat + low-glycemic sugar. I loved their ChoCoNut Truffle, the Cookie DŌ Truffle and the Wise Pignoli Cookies!

https://purebatch.com

Kawi Foods

“Taste so good, just the way it should…”

Kawi Foods offers vegan and gluten-free vegetable broths, seasonings and dressings! They are all organic, Non-GMO, paleo, no sugar added and no MSG!

The brand is family owned & operated enterprise dedicated to providing wholesome products created from natural ingredients!

So, if you’re a professional or aspiring cook, they them out and we’re sure your guests will love the final result!

https://kawifoods.com

Banza

“The most delicious alternative to pasta.”

This high protein, high fiber, gluten-free pasta is really something! Banza explains that they are changing pasta forever, for the better – it’s pasta that loves you back! So, fear no more!

Their pasta is made from chickpea – a superfood – and it’s out of this world awesome, so it’s time to ditch the empty carbs in wheat noodles.

The taste? Unbelievably addictive and delicious! You’ll finally be able to eat pasta guilt-free

www.eatbanza.com

Cedar’s

“Know better Hommus. ”

Ok. I’m also completely addicted to hummus. Once I open it at home, I can easily finish an entire pot alone, if I don’t control myself.

That said, Cedar’s sells some of the most delicious hummus, in my opinion. Their story starts back across the ocean in the Mediterranean, but continued in the US, when they decided to spread their love.

They infused different combinations of spices and veggies until they came up with new and exciting flavors.

Today they’ve expanded to their fresh Mediterranean Salads, Greek yogurt-based Dips, Salsa, Pita Chips, Wraps and—of course— their legendary Tzatziki. Hard to know to what buy first!

www.cedarsfoods.com

Hodo

“Inspiring adventures in good food!”

Since Hodo’s early days at farmer’s markets in 2004, Hodo has made tofu enthusiasts out of top chefs and home cooks who never noticed plant-based protein before.

It’s delicious, plus USDA Organic, Non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, kosher certified, and an excellent source of protein.

They have a line of ready-to-eat, delicious tofu and yuba meals. What’s Yuba?

They explain: “It’s the top-layer goodness that we hand skim after we warm our super creamy organic soy milk. With a mellow flavor and the texture of an al dente noodle, yuba is a protein-packed marvel that’s the perfect-match for the Hodo kitchen’s favorite recipes.”

www.hodofoods.com

Follow Your Heart

“Live healthy!”

I love every single product by these guys! They have everything from Vegenaise, Vegan Gourmet & Gluten-Free Bakery, Vegan Cheese Slices, VeganEgg, and Dressings.

It all started back in the 1970’s when Bob, Spencer, Michael and Paul, four young, bushy-haired hippies in Southern California opened a seven-seat soup, salad, and sandwich counter in the back of a small natural food store in the San Fernando Valley.

They were serving a small local community in Canoga Park that was soon to expand across the country.

Today, they’ve expanded their passion for great-tasting, healthy foods, and believe that we should all have compassion for all living things and have a responsibility to be good stewards to the environment! We support!

https://followyourheart.com

Sail Away

“The new black!”

Sail Away started from the love of a Long Islander musician for good coffee that grew after a specific trip to Colombia! I’m a huge coffee lover myself and the more, the merrier!

Plus, we all know that Colombia, as well as Brazil, has some of the best coffees on Earth!

So, he began crafting his own premium single origin roasts, blends and signature cold brew. So, as they say: “Live Young!”

https://sailawaycoffee.com

P-Nuff Crunch

“Unleash The Power of Plant Protein!”

If you’re in to snack foods, you should try this, after all, there’s nothing better than a healthy snack, right?

P-Nuffs is the only baked puff snack made from heart-healthy and protein-filled peanuts, fiber-full navy beans, and slow digesting complex carbohydrate rice.

It’s made with only natural ingredients, no artificial flavors, no sweeteners, no preservatives added.

It’s quite unique and if you’re a peanut lover, this is definitely for you!

http://pnuff.com

VSpot

“Latin Vegan Comfort Food.”

VSpot is a vegan restaurant with two locations – East Village and Park Slope – that was founded back in 2006. They’ve been serving delicious healthy vegan cuisine with a focus on the mouthwatering flavors of Latin America. They offer a number of gluten-free options and are Kosher certified.

They also have a weekly comedy show every Thursday in the Backroom of their Saint Marks location, with stellar comedians on the lineup. So, go eat well and have fun!

http://vspot.restaurant

Rescue Chocolate

“The sweetest way to save a life!”

We love this! Besides being 100% vegan, and delicious, Rescue Chocolate sends portions of its profits to animal rescues, helping to save the millions of homeless dogs and cats.

All of their bars and truffles are vegan, handcrafted, organic, fairly traded and yummy!

There’s nothing better to have a chocolate and still, save a life, right!?

www.rescuechocolate.com

Get Juiced

“Love Your Guts!”

The founder, Stephanie, decided to help her family have a healthy body and mind and active lifestyle, so she created snacks that are flavorful and packed with nutrition.

All the products are hand made with the finest ingredients, always focused on creating unique flavor experiences. Today Get Juiced offers an extensive line of fermented vegetables and cold pressed juices.

Their priority is people’s health by utilizing local produce, as much as possible, grown organically in nutrient rich soil, using non-toxic preparation and packaging, and minimizing their footprint. Pretty cool, right?

www.getjuiced.info

Now, if you’re into exercise, you might want to take a look at these 3 supplement brands.

TRU Supplements

Their vision is to “design, test, and build the world’s cleanest and most effective natural supplements with the aim of improving the health and fitness of all those who utilize their products.”

They offer everything from BCAAs, proteins, energy and metabolism products, vitamins, to apparel and equipment.

Online you’re also able to find countless recipes to try out on your own!

www.gettrusupps.com

Superior (Electrolytes)

“Turning the electrolyte category upside right.”

Based in Lake Superior, they are grassroots and 100% employee owned.

They do everything themselves!

By eliminating 3rd party formulators, middlemen and mass distributors, it allowed them to have the best tasting, best ingredients and best price on the market.

Superieur Electrolytes can be found in the finest holistic centers, yoga studios, gyms, health food stores, running stores, bike shops, outdoor stores and in the cupboards of the healthiest households.

http://superieurelectrolytes.com

Purium

“Helping People & the Earth”

100 years ago, all food was organic. It grew in clean, mineral-rich soil and clean, mineral-rich water. Even our food distribution system has created waste in food, carbon and land – while encouraging the use of chemicals, herbicides, pesticides and more.

Today, real food has been replaced by corporate-produced fast, cheap, addictive, processed food-like stuff.

Purium offers a solution that benefits our bodies as well as the Earth.

They take fresh, non-GMO, organic produce from the field and convert nearly 100% of it into stable powder that can last for up to 2 years. They are committed to education and sharing that knowledge with you, and offer certified kosher and certified organic food products.

https://ishoppurium.com

The Fanciful Fox

“Hand crafted, in small batches, with love.”

Based out of Brooklyn, The Fanciful Fox is a brand that cares about animals, the environment, and mostly about you! They have a line of natural, vegan bath and body products.

All of their creations are hand crafted in micro batches, with the finest plant ingredients, and topped off with a whole lot of love.

They believe in the radical idea that if it goes on your skin it should be good for you!

That’s why they leave out all of the junk, so you’ll never find any nasty chemicals, gross fillers, or downright unpronounceable words in any of their products.

https://fancifulfox.myshopify.com

Save Haven Farm Sanctuary

This amazing animal sanctuary, called Save Haven Farm Sanctuary, is based in the hills of the Mid-Hudson Valley.

They provide a life-long, loving home for farmed animals rescued from abuse or neglect.

Today, they are the home of more than 100 animals.

They hope to raise awareness about the plight of animals raised for food and the benefits of a vegan diet for the animals, human health, and the environment.

They are dedicated to spreading compassion and respect for all living beings.

Great job guys!

http://safehavenfarmsanctuary.org

In addition, there were several other fantastic vendors there that you can check out on their website!

Hope you enjoyed all these amazing brands and vendors from the NYC Vegetarian Food Festival 2018!

Stay tunes for other upcoming events and if you’re vegan or vegetarian, be sure to explore all the amazing local NYC dining spots! Plus, if you like to eat at the different food markets spread throughout the city, take a look at a relatively new Dekalb Food Market in Brooklyn!

https://www.nycvegfoodfest.com

Photo Credit: Courtesy of all the brands and vendors
*Last Update on March/2020.*

Seasoned Vegan: A Harlem Restaurant That Will Change Your Life

April 9, 2018

We love Harlem and everything about it! Seasoned Vegan is Harlem’s very 1st full-service Vegan restaurant and is truly a hidden gem in the neighborhood.

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Raw Lasagna

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Mac N Cheese

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Stuffed Avocado

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Chicken Nuggets

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Red Velvet Cupcake

Dining Seasoned Vegan Harlem Brenda and Aaron Beener

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Raw-Lasagna

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Mac-N-Cheese

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Stuffed-Avocado

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Dishes

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Chicken-Nuggets

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Red-Velvet-Cupcake

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Brenda-and-Aaron-Beener

Dining-Seasoned-Vegan-Harlem-Kitchen

The food you love, veganized.

A while ago, we were invited by a dear friend of ours, to go up to Harlem and try this amazing local vegan restaurant.

Our answer immediately was “Yes! Of course!”. Our Founder is vegetarian, going on vegan and we just love everything we can learn about this growing lifestyle.

We really enjoy Harlem and everything about that neighborhood, from the restaurants, to the vibe, to the shops and nightlife. Everything there has a special taste. The uniqueness is hard to describe.

Getting there was, of course, super easy and in no time, we dropped off 110 Street Station Central Park North, on the 2/3 (red line).

Just a 5-minute walk from there, we arrived at Seasoned Vegan, Harlem’s very 1st full-service Vegan restaurant.

We were very lucky to be hosted exclusively by the owner, Brenda and her son Aaron Beener.

Our restaurant specializes in preparing a very unique type of cuisine: gourmet vegan soul food. We use the term “soul food” loosely because we are not referring exclusively to the typical cuisine of the Southern region of the United States.

This sounds great and extremely normal, right? Now, imagine back in the 1980’s, when Brenda decided to go vegan with her family! The entire community judged them and didn’t really get what they were doing, nor why.

In the beginning of this journey, during Thanksgiving celebrations, no one would invite them over after this dietary decision. Brenda even mentioned that they literally felt as if they were aliens.

But, as time went by, little by little people from their community started to open up, tried her dishes and now, every-single-person wants to be invited to her Thanksgiving parties! Haha!

The restaurant was finally founded in 2014 and is quite spacious, with great natural light that certainly give it more life! You can see through inside the kitchen and peek in to see how everything is prepared.

The dishes are organic and 100% vegan! If you’re the carnivore type, we truly recommend you to give it a chance and stop by. We are certain they won’t disappoint you.

It’s incredible how all the dishes we’ve tried are extremely flavorful and clearly made with love.

So, you might want to try:

Lemon Crusted “Chicken” Nuggets: fermented soy chicken nuggets breaded and fries
Stuffed Avocado: one avocado sliced, pitted and filled with almond meat and topped with cashew “cheese” and pico de gallo. Seasonal and Gluten free
Raw Lasagna: raw zucchini sliced and cashew “cheese” layered into shredded spinach, topped with homemade raw marinara. Gluten free

In addition, for dessert we ate one of the best Red Velvet cupcake of our lives!

And still, if you’re not able to go there, or if you need to schedule a quick pick-up, you can do it all online, though their website. Also, take a look at an IGTV Video we did during one of our visits!

For the master chefs out there, stay tuned! Brenda has had plans of launching her own vegan cook book with yummy recipes. We hope it comes out soon!

Be sure to enjoy and explore the neighborhood before or after going to Seasoned Vegan!

So, if you’re also a fan of Harlem, you might enjoy some of the places that the beauty Africa Miranda shared with us!

Finally, to try some cooking at home and be sure how to stay fit and healthy, take a look at these bodybuilding meal plans for vegans. And try the handcrafted, dairy-free and SO delicious bite-size vegan cupcake flavors at Baked By Melissa!

Hours:
Tuesday – Thursday: 5pm – 10pm
Friday: 5pm – 2am
Saturday: 11am – 2am
Sunday: 11am – 9pm

Location: 55 Saint Nicholas Avenue

www.seasonedvegan.com

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Kim-Julie Hansen
*Last Updated on Feb/2020.*

NYC’s Only Vegan Crêperie: Little Choc Apothecary

September 10, 2017

Yes! We started our Monday in grand style! We had lunch at the first all vegan crêperie Little Choc Apothecary and loved it! They are NYC’s first vegan crêperie and tea room.

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Façade

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Counter Window

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Tables

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Crepes And Tea

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Crepe

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Chocolate Crepe

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Squash Crepe

Dining Little Choc Apothecary Restaurant Vegan Crepes

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Façade

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Counter-Window

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Tables

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Crepes-Tea

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Brussels-Vegan-Crepe

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Brussels-Vegan-Chocolate-Crepes

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Brussels-Vegan-Squash-Crepe

Dining-Little-Choc-Apothecary-Restasurant-Vegan-Brussels-Vegan-Crepes

Little Choc Apothecary is located in the far end of Williamsburg, in a street that has several amazing spots to visit! We love it there!

The entrance of the crêperie is extremely charming and welcoming, with wooden details and bright yellow, happy colors!

As you walk in, you’ll notice the place is quite small, with a larger part of the space exclusively for the preparation of the crepes. The seats at the counter window are certainly pretty sought-after by their visitors!

But, there is a second floor! You’ll find a few tables upstairs to calmly enjoy your crepes and even try a few different tea flavors from their own apothecary.

We ordered the Garden of Eatin’ made with apple, avocado, fresh kale, mint-basil pesto and lemon juice and The Masala with pumpkin curried white bean tempeh, sliced almonds…both are f-a-b-u-l-o-u-s!

Of course we couldn’t (and would never) skip the dessert, so we got the Newtella – homemade hazelnut spread + strawberry. I think you can imagine how we enjoyed and savored with moment…

Julia Kravets, born in Ukraine and a former model (she’s gorgeous), is the owner. Her story is pretty amazing!

At 21 she decided to go Vegan, after watching the movie Earthlings. A short while later, she began brainstorming about opening her own vegan business and started writing down a business plan.

She had no support from close relatives, no knowledge in writing a business plan, Excel was a challenge back then, but her intuition spoke louder. Lucky us!

Julia opened Little Choc in January of 2015. The tea blends are her own creations and the food is to-die-for!

As we mentioned above, this vegan crêperie is very charming and the dining tables are on the upper floor, where you’ll always find a cool group of freelance people hanging around too.

The brick walls are lovely and there is a beautiful wall with countless tea spice jars. Plus, the natural light coming through the almost floor to ceiling window definitely is a highlight.

Julia explains:

“We offer a creative selection of sweet and savory crepes, as well as homemade baked goods. Our products are completely plant based, free of any chemical binders, gums, artificial flavors, and overly processed sugars and flours.
We source our ingredients from local farms and distributors who focus on sustainability, and providing local, organic, and fair trade products whenever possible.
With over 100 different herb varieties, our guests have the freedom to request off menu, personalized tea blends based on their health, or taste preferences. Any individual herb or tea blend is available to take home by the ounce.”

So, enjoy your crepe with tea, at this vegan crêperie, and do explore the neighborhood!

Oh, and we enjoy Little Choc so much that we featured them on our “Will A Meat Eater Survive In 3 Vegan Restaurants?” YouTube video! Well, did he survive? Check it out!

In addition, if you are looking for local tours or custom experiences, contact us and see everything we offer through Concierge Service expert team! We will be able to customize and cater your entire trip!

Hours:
Monday – Thursday: 8am – 11pm
Friday: 8am – 12am
Saturday: 9am – 12am
Sunday: 9am – 11pm

Location: 141 Havemeyer Street, Williamsburg

www.littlechoc.nyc

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Brussels Vegan and Little Choc Apothecary
*Last Update on Feb/2020.*