We rarely go to Las Vegas. I don’t hate the place, but I don’t seek it out much either. It could be the fact that it’s about a bazillion degrees in the summer… Okay, more like 120 degrees. The other reason is because Vegas hasn’t always been the most vegan-friendly place you can visit. Most of the buffets are meat based, and there aren’t a plethora of vegan places to go. Recent years have changed that. Ronald’s Donuts is great, Go Raw is wonderful for vegans, and Veggie Delight is very good too. The Wynn recently announced more vegan entrees at their hotel restaurant too. However, the place that really caught my eye was a little ice cream place in nearby Henderson, Nevada. Vegans everywhere have to add Atomic #7 to their list of places they need to go.

It’s the best place to get vegan ice cream… Bar none. Fans of Maggie Mudd and KindKreme… Don’t worry, I love those places too, but Atomic #7 is all about customization and fresh. There’s nothing fresher than making something right in front of you. The secret is, of course, atomic element #7… nitrogen… Liquid nitrogen to be exact. With a couple Kitchen Aid mixers, fresh ingredients, and a spray of liquid nitrogen, you get instant ice cream.

On our way back home from Utah, we decided to stop by and give Atomic #7 a try, and we were not disappointed. We were blown away by the variety of choices. First you choose the size. Then you select the milk (or ‘mylk’ if the dairy council has their evil way). What kind of milk do you want? They have rice, soy, coconut, almond, and even three dairy choices. Once you’ve decided on your milk, you get to choose the flavor. Then there are options for the vessel (bowl, cone). You get a choice of chunky things to mix-in too, and you get to have other toppings if you want. You get the idea. It’s all about choice.

You have to check out the menu to see all the options, and it seems like the combinations and permutations are endless. If you like chocolate, then you need to make sure you add the penguin coat, a chocolate sauce that hardens into a shell on the cold creation.

Baby Corn created a chocolate mint rice cream with chocolate chips and the penguin coat. Dumpling opted for something similar, with the chocolate caramel soy cream with chocolate chips and penguin coat.

Sweet Potato had a chai flavored coconut cream with chocolate chips and penguin coat.

I ended up getting a chocolate peanut butter almond cream with pecans and… Wait for it… Penguin coat. I also went decadent and had a waffle cone. These are huge (even when you order a smaller size), so consider sharing it.

What’s there not to love? The scientists were friendly, the frozen treats were amazing, and store gets high marks on the vegan-friendly meter (everything is very clearly marked whether or not it’s vegan). Next time you’re in Vegas, consider taking the short drive to Henderson to try out Atomic #7 for some of their trustworthy treats.

Atomic #7
605 Mall Ring Circle #110 (by the Galleria Mall)
Henderson, NV 89014
(702) 458-4777

http://www.atomicnumber7.com
On Facebook
Twitter @atomic7icecream

Traveling and being vegan doesn’t always mix. Sure, you can launch your VegOut application or visit Happy Cow or go to the VegGuide for that city, but it’s still no guarantee that you’ll find wonderful food outside of big, diverse places like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, or New York. We’re spoiled in LA because we’ve come to expect a variety of vegan, vegetarian, and veg-friendly food options. So when we went to Denver, Colorado recently for business (the International Society for Technology in Education 2010 conference), and saw a grand total of three vegetarian restaurants listed in VegOut (and no purely vegan ones), we were a little apprehensive to say the least. Fortunately, one of the restaurants was WaterCourse Foods, and that proved to be a gem. In fact, we tried two other restaurants in Denver (and liked City, O’ City the vegetarian pizza bar owned by WaterCourse), but always came back for more food at WaterCourse because of the variety and quality.

Within minutes of reaching the city, before even checking in to our hotel, we decided to visit WaterCourse. It was lunch time, and we’d mainly eaten snacks on the road. The first positive mark was the atmosphere. The servers were very friendly and polite, and there was a warm feeling everywhere. When we walked in, we saw a double display case full of bakery items… From fancy looking cakes and pies to cookies, muffins, and cinnamon rolls (just to name a few things). Naturally, we didn’t get overly excited and asked, “Which of these items are vegan?” When the hostess replied, “All of them,” we knew that this wasn’t just any old vegetarian restaurant.

After being seated, we began looking through the menu. First thing I noticed was that they served breakfast till 5:00 pm. Huge bonus there! I love breakfast and brunch items anytime I can get it. And pretty much anything can be made vegan by omitting the cheese. Sure, it would be nice if they would serve Daiya, but if the demand isn’t there yet, then I’m not going to fault them.

We started with the Seitan Buffalo Wings. You have the option of having it with buffalo, BBQ, or teriyaki sauce, so we chose the traditional buffalo sauce. The texture of the seitan was really interesting in a good way. What I mean by that is the seitan I make at home is a little more dense and pleasantly chewy, and WaterCourse’s is much more airy and light. There was a reason for this. The lightness of the seitan basically allowed any sauce to fully infuse into the pieces, which is exactly what happened with the buffalo sauce, and WOW, what a sauce! It was tangy and spicy. The celery and vegan ranch that it came with were welcome sides to cool down our mouths. We loved it… Really really loved it. The one small problem… Which shouldn’t even be considered much of a problem is that the serving portions are HUGE. So our family of four could get through the appetizer without problem, but we couldn’t finish our entrees! So, if you’re planning on having appetizers, be sure to consider sharing entrees afterward.

Dumpling decided to have the Thai Peanut Stir Fry with grilled tofu. The tofu was nicely grilled and quite firm to stand up to the sauce and veggies. The veggies were crisp and fresh. The dish was good… Not great. I guess when you have a whole slew of vegan and vegetarian Thai places in Los Angeles, you appreciate great peanut sauces. If the sauce were a little more robust, it would have stood up to the thick tofu better…or maybe if we had chosen breaded tofu, it would have absorbed more sauce. Of all the dishes we had in this first meal, this one was the least favorite. That said, it kicked the butt of anything else we could get in Denver or Utah, so take our very light criticism with a grain of salt. Another bonus was the brown rice it was served with. I love the fact that brown rice was the norm here.

I chose to have breakfast (of course) and selected The Conejos without the cheese, a beautiful dish of scrambled tofu, tempeh chorizo, home fries, salsa, and avocado with a choice of bread (I went with the corn tortillas). This was one hearty dish. The slight tanginess of the salsa worked perfectly with the salty, earthy tempeh chorizo, and it was all tempered with the creaminess of the avocado. The tofu and potatoes added body and absorbed the flavors well. It was fantastic! I was most amazed by the tempeh chorizo. It wasn’t too spicy, but had such a great flavor. I’ve had plenty of soyrizo and similar things, but they’ve all been based on soy or TVP, so it was wonderful to have one based on tempeh!

Baby Corn takes after me, so she chose to have breakfast for lunch and selected the Breakfast Burrito without the cheese. Even without the appetizer, this would have been difficult to finish on her own. It’s understandable, considering the fact that the burrito was ginormous! Almost the size of her head, it was chock full of refried beans, tofu, and home fries, and it was smothered in a green chile sauce. Each ingredient in the filling was great alone, and it was even better all combined. The green chile sauce was balanced with sour and salty flavors, and it had a nice little kick to it. Not too spicy… Definitely not as spicy as the buffalo sauce… It had great warmth and depth of flavor.

Sweet Potato went with a sandwich called The Grinder and, of course, opted for no cheese. It’s a French baguette stuffed with shaved seitan, onions, bell peppers, mushrooms, and avocado served with an au jus. Think of it as a fancy vegan French dip. This was incredible… Really really incredible. The seitan seemed more firm than the one used for the Buffalo Seitan Wings. It was pleasantly chewy with a little saltiness. The onions, peppers, and mushrooms were all lightly sauteed but not mushy. The avocado added creaminess and a full-bodied flavor. What can I say about the au jus it was served with? It was like a nice broth with a little soy sauce or liquid aminos. I’m sure there were other spices and such, but the bottom line was that it was amazing. It seasoned and moistened the baguette without overpowering the rest of the sandwich. The Grinder, like all the sandwiches and wraps, came with two sides. There are some great sides here… From mashed potatoes and gravy to the soup du jour to fries to steamed greens to brown rice… In fact, there were even more options than I’ve listed. Sweet Potato went with the steamed greens and sweet potatoes. The sweet potatoes were okay, but the greens were excellent. All in all, this was our favorite dish of lunch. If you visit, make sure you try the mashed potatoes and gravy, soup, or quinoa salad. Those were phenomenal!

We had no room for dessert after lunch… In fact, none of us even came close to finishing our meals. We would have stuffed ourselves more so that we would waste less, but like the Buddhist saying, “if you finish your meal when you’re full, you’re still wasting the food.” It was a learning experience for all of us. We ordered too much, but didn’t make the same mistake again. We went back for dinner that night (and dinner the next night, and lunch the following day), so we had plenty of other opportunities to finish other meals and order dessert. Suffice to say that dessert is great at WaterCourse. On our other visits, we tried some of the muffins, the Scout Cookie, the Sweet Potato Cinnamon Roll, and slices of the Boston Cream Pie and Chocolate Cake. The muffins and Cinnamon Roll make a great breakfast. They have gluten free muffins as well. The cakes were sweet, but also had other flavors to give them depth. The girls loved the Boston Cream Pie the most, but I really liked the Scout Cookie. Just imagine a big, wholesome, vegan Samoa-like cookie… But better (and vegan). Next time we’ll be sure to take photos before finishing them.

We really enjoyed everything we tried there (food-wise… Not just desserts). By the second meal, we’d learned the trick to ordering… One appetizer, two entrees, and a dessert for the four of us. We’ll also make sure that we order more of their vegan milkshakes! The food is fancy yet down to earth, the prices are fair, and the service was excellent. I have to admit, although there’s a plethora of vegan and vegetarian places in the Greater Los Angeles area, very few match WaterCourse for quality and variety. It ranks right up there in our favorites with Madeleine Bistro, Shojin, and Cha-Ya. Props to the two Lucases who served us. We wish we had eaten there more times, but we’ll save that for a later visit. Unfortunately, my business doesn’t usually take me to Denver, but we’ll be looking forward to the next time we make it to the Mile High City. And on that future visit, we plan on just going to WaterCourse for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

WaterCourse Foods
837 E. 17th Ave.
Denver, CO 80218
303.832.7313

Life as a vegan has gotten easier over the years. From Gardein (garden protein meat substitutes) to Daiya (non-dairy, non-soy, meltable, delicious cheese alternative) to the vegan food pyramid, veganism is not only more accessible, but also more accepted. Another way you can measure how much easier and more mainstream veganism has become is through the amount of vegan restaurants. There could always be a greater variety, of course, but there seem to be more and more options for cruetly-free dining out.

The San Gabriel Valley has quite a few vegetarian restaurants and a few vegan ones as well. That’s the good news. The bad news is that they lean toward the Chinese or Vietnamese restaurants that can be heavy in oil and salt. Some are good. Some not as much. What’s incredible is the absolute dearth of vegan options in Pasadena’s trendy Old Town area. I mean, really? Its hip to be vegan or to eat vegan food, so it would make sense that there’d be plenty of choices in such a popular area. The closest is My Vegan far south of the Old Town area. Whenever I see the managers or owners of Veggie Grill or Native Foods, I tell them to comet the San Gabriel Valley because they would fill a gap in vegan cuisine. Think of how many Buddhist families are in San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, and the surrounding area. Think about all the kids in these vegan families who want to eat more Western style food like vegan burgers, pizza, or salads… That’s a big market!

So imagine our surprise and delight when we launched the VegOut application on our iPhones, and saw that there was a new place in Old Town Pasadena! And it’s about time! Sure, My Vegan has been around in Pasadena, and it’s decent to good, but it’s not great… Believe me, I like having a vegan place close to home, but I prefer Truly on Hollywood Boulevard when I have a hankering for vegan Thai.

Green Earth is great! It’s billed as a vegan Vietnamese, Italian, American food restaurant, but it also serves up some Chinese and Thai as well… Really, it’s what I would call a California Asian Fusion cuisine place. They do a lot of things well, but it’s their sauces that my family and I fell in love with. Although we first stopped in during memorial day weekend, we’ve since been back three more times, and we haven’t had a sauce there that we didn’t like.

On our first trip, we shared the Quinoa Sushi appetizer. We’ve had sushi with brown rice, white rice, and even devoid of any rice, so quinoa in the seaweed wrap was new for us. It was really good. Quinoa gives the sushi a nice nutty crunch and flavor, and the other ingredients give it depth of flavor. Carrots and cucumbers give a fresh crunch, alfalfa sprouts provide a sharper clean taste, avocado adds richness, and the portabella mushroom contributes the ever elusive umami (Japanese for an earthy flavor). It was a great start to our meal.

Dumpling ordered the Joy Luck Special, a wholesome plate with green beans, brown rice, and veggie chicken. The green beans were cooked to perfection. We appreciated that they weren’t greasy or over-salted or overcooked. They were crisp and were well-seasoned. In other words, they were salted just enough to bring out the flavor of the green beans. The veggie chicken was good. If you don’t like veggie meats, then you won’t like the veggie chicken. Me? I’m fine with it. I think of it as an interesting way to do soy protein. At the same time, I prefer less processing. That said, the veggie chicken was mighty tasty. It wasn’t too salty, and the sauce was really great. It was a light creamy sauce with a balance of salty, sweet, and sour. Dumpling loved it!

Baby Corn went with the very hearty Wonder Sub… A gooey, cheesy (daiya), saucy, hearty sandwich served with sweet potato fries. The meatballs are made out of TVP and are definitely solid and meaty. The bread was well-toasted and there was a good amount of daiya, but not too much. It’s really easy to have too much daiya on a dish, and then it’s overpowering, but there was just enough to add a lot of flavor, but not make it overly gooey. It’s about flavor and texture. The sauce again was what made the dish. The fresh tomato sauce wasn’t too chunky or runny. It was again very well-balanced with sour, salty, and sweet flavors, and that’s an art. You’d never think that a predominantly Asian restaurant would do Italian so well, but it does. The sweet potato fries were good. Not as great as the ones at Veggie Grill, but pretty light and flavorful.

Sweet Potato tried the Gourmet Burrito (oh yeah, they serve some Mexican style food as well). It wasn’t huge, but it was chock full of textured vegetable protein, brown rice, shredded lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole, salsa, and sour cream. It tasted incredibly fresh and full of nice, balanced flavors. Like most of the items on the menu, it was just a great balance of flavors and textures. Just imagine it… Crunchy lettuce, chewy TVP, soft tomatoes, and creamy guacamole and sour cream. It’s so well thought out with the details on textures. The salad was good. No cheap iceberg. Nice flavorful baby greens with a light vinaigrette. A great compliment to the burrito.

I had the Fettucini Alfredo. So, let me begin by saying that I’ve never really liked cream sauces even when I was still eating dairy. Now I’ve come to the conclusion that I was just eating the wrong kind of cream sauces. Soymilk based is the way to go. This dish again was so perfectly balanced with textures and flavors. The soy chicken was a salty, chewy component, and the red bell peppers were crisp and tangy with a hint of sweetness. The zucchini was crispy and the fettucini noodles added body. The sauce was incredible. A little creamy with hints of sweetness, sour, and salt, all rolled into one. It was steaming hot and full of flavor.

To end our meal, we shared an order of the fried bananas with non-dairy ice cream. Crunchy, hot, cold, creamy, sweet, and a touch of salty… In other words, it was amazing. This place opened recently, and they’re working out some of the kinks of service. In other words, when it’s busy, you may need to wait for your food, but it shows so much promise because the flavors, especially sauces, are so darn good. They have the food part down pat, and it can only get better!

You can find Green Earth Vegan Cuisine at 37 S. Fair Oaks Ave. just south of Colorado Blvd. They’re open everyday from 11:00 am, and they close at 9:00 pm… Except on Friday and Saturday night where they close at 10:00 pm. Call to double check. 626.584.0268

All you need is love (all together now!).

All you need is love (everybody!).

All you need is love, love.

Love is all you need (love is all you need).

Spring Rolls

One of the best vegan Vietnamese restaurants we’ve had the pleasure of eating at is Loving Hut in Alhambra, CA. They offer an eclectic mix of Vietnamese comfort food (including Royal Noodle Soup, Spring Rolls, Divine Vermicelli), a smattering of international fair (Spaghetti, Spicy Burritos, Spicy Thai Hot Pot), tasty drinks (Zesty Kumquat, Loving Hut Cocoa, Lychee Paradise, Rose Milk Tea), delicious desserts (vegan cheesecake, chocolate cake, and muffins), and they pay attention to details. They also have some wonderful dishes that utilize Vietnamese ingredients and cooking, but are unlike any I’ve seen like the Jolly Rice and Guru’s Curry.

Loving Hut is actually an international chain of restaurants that can be found across this country and several others. By the literature and TVs in the place, you can see that they follow the teachings of Supreme Master Ching Hai. Supreme Master TV is usually playing, and you can catch news stories as well as vegan cooking shows. Loving Hut has locations that cover thirteen countries (so far) and include Australia, US, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, France, and more! Each of the “franchises” is independently run and operated, so menus vary a little, which is nice for variety.

The service is good, and the chefs are especially excited when they see repeat customers. As could be expected, it’s the food that really makes Loving Hut shine. The prices are reasonable. Entrees are around $6 or so, and the portions can be overwhelming at times (in a good way).

Like many Asian-inspired vegan and veggie food joints, there is an emphasis on the mock meats… actually, our family thinks of mock meats as interesting ways to mold soy, wheat, yam, and mushrooms. We’re not vegans who miss meat, but having the mock meats just gives us a variety of textures and flavors.

One of the most interesting dishes (and a family favorite of ours), is the Seafood Basket. This collection of deep-fried foods include french fries, scallops (I think made of mushroom stems), shrimp (made of yam flour), and fish (made of soy and seaweed). It’s probably not the healthiest item on the menu, but vegan doesn’t always have to be healthy, and it’s sometimes comforting to have something breaded and fried to share with the family.

Royal Noodle Soup

Almost every time we visit, either Baby Corn or Dumpling will order the Royal Noodle Soup. Traditionally known as Bun Bo Hue (Spicy Beef Noodle Soup), this dish is spicy, full of many balanced flavors, and just fantastic when you’re sick or well. The herbs and bean sprouts give it texture and added flavor, and there are sliced jalapeños just in case the customer wants it even spicier. There’s also a layer of shredded mushroom stems that add chewiness and an earthy flavor to the dish. True to habit, Dumpling ordered the Bo Hue. There are other wonderful noodle soups as well. The Pho and the Wonton Noodle Soup are both very good as well. Sweet Potato often talks about how the broth is what’s important of Pho, and she thinks this one, with it’s clear flavors is one of the best vegan versions she’s tried.

Classic Vegan Burger

Never one to turn down a homemade vegan burger, I tried Loving Hut’s Classic Vegan Burger the last time we visited. Normally served with fries, I decided to ask for a side salad instead, which they were happy to do. The burger has plenty of body to it, and there’s a good balance of bread to veggies to burger. It comes with vegan mayo, but I like to hold the Vegenaise and ask for ketchup and mustard instead. The salad dressing is light with a hint of sweet and sour. Definitely not overpowering, but it doesn’t need to be because there’s plenty of flavor in the burger. The patty isn’t too chewy like some Boca rip-offs. It’s also not as soft and pasty as some of the bean-based versions. I especially like the addition of the fried onions and mushrooms. It makes the burger taste more earthy.

Chef's Fried Rice

Sweet Potato decided to try the Chef’s Fried Rice (our first time with this one), and overall really liked it. It was your basic fried rice with some diced tofu, some other veggie meat, carrots, and peas. We prefer more vegetables (like cabbage or corn), but the flavors were good and the rice was fried perfectly. Don’t get me wrong, it’s good, but there are also so many other amazing things to try on the menu. The Jolly Rice is one of those things. There’s a veggie meat for saltiness and texture, and the rice is kind of sour… like umeboshi plum or something. It’s unlike any dish we’ve ever had, and it’s good! They top it off with some shredded seaweed which adds some crunch and flavor.

Spicy Cha Cha

This last time we were there, Baby Corn went with another favorite, the Spicy Cha Cha. Made with the vegan shrimp, the key to this dish is the spicy, crunchy mixture on top that has peppers, onions, and a lot of secret ingredients that add bite, heat, and more. Be sure to order a side of rice. Eaten alone, it can be salty, but the rice mellows it out. Yes, it’s deep-fried, so it’s probably not the healthiest thing available, but it’s so good!

Although we didn’t order dessert this time (we were stuffed!), we absolutely love the vegan cheesecake here. Homemade, rich without being too dense, and full of flavor, the cheesecake is amazing. It comes topped with a berry mixture that gives it a little more tang and sweetness.

We love Loving Hut and hope that it continues to expand (new location in Ladera Ranch in Orange County)… Just imagine a world where vegans can visit any country and find a Loving Hut instead of a Pizza Hut! Now that would be progress for our civilization.

Caterpillar Roll

“What do you feel like eating?” It’s a question that many families (ours included) face with dread. That question is usually followed by an increasingly heated debate and stubbornness. Dumpling wants Italian. Baby Corn wants Nepali. It’s up to Sweet Potato and me to decide. If we choose either cuisine, we end up disappointing one daughter to a certain extent. One of the tricks up my sleeve to ensure everyone’s happiness is to turn the situation around and say, “Okay, so let’s go to Shojin then.” All of a sudden, everyone in the family is happy and excited. That’s the type of power that Shojin has over our family, and it’s an indication of how good they are.

Sesame Seitan Soba

Located in the Little Tokyo Shopping Center at 333 S. Alameda St., #310, Shojin is organic, vegan, and fabulous. We’ve been going since they were 1 month newly opened, and loved it from the get go. At first we were thrilled that we could get any vegan Japanese food in SoCal. For years, the Bay Area has had Cha-ya, and we were left with going to regular sushi places and ordering special rolls down here. Often a frustrating experience, we just avoided Japanese food down here (unless we made it ourselves) Enter Shojin. It began with a much simpler menu, and we’ve really enjoyed seeing (and tasting) how the menu has changed over time. A variety of noodle soups were added. New appetizers showed up. A plethora of desserts were tested, added, and improved. And let’s not forget about the amazing selection of vegan sushi. With homemade seitan, okara, and tempeh, you can’t go wrong here with your protein sources… or really anything on this great menu. Shojin is definitely one of our family’s favorite restaurants ever in the entire universe.

One of the most gratifying things is discovering how much the Shojin staff appreciates the customers (new and repeat ones alike). They are always asking how we enjoyed certain dishes. They check to see if we feel that limited edition specials should be added to the regular menu. And most of all, they listen. When we let them know that we thought the soba noodles were good, but the broth was just a touch salty, they modified it. Now, like the rest of their menu, the broth is balanced with a complexity of flavors that meld salty, sour, sweet, spicy, and a deep earthiness. It’s the variety of friendliness of staff, the menu options, and the balance of flavors that really keep us coming for more.

Pumpkin Tart with Vegan Chocolate Ice Cream

Other than the regular menu items, there’s always a weekly special that includes an appetizer, soup, entree, and dessert. The specials are great! The chefs are able to experiment and introduce new items without much risk involved. If it’s popular, they add it to the main menu. If it’s not as popular, they can just let it fade away. Invariably, the specials become regular items (like the sushi and the okara fish fillet).

One of our favorites is discovering new desserts through their specials. Masters at creating “cheese”cakes and rice or soy ice creams, Shojin has just begun introducing a variety of parfaits and tarts as well. On a recent visit, we had a chance to enjoy the Pumpkin Tart with a creamy vegan chocolate ice cream. The girls love the various ice creams. Although they probably lean towards the chocolate (for good reason), I’m a big fan of the sesame ice cream.

Baby Corn loves the sushi and will almost always order the Caterpillar Roll (seitan inside of seaweed and rice with avocado around it). Dumpling loves all the soba noodles. Sweet Potato and I like the bento boxes or the weekly specials because we love the variety. You really can’t beat the bento boxes for variety! With four compartments to fill, you always get a salad, appetizer, and two entrees along with your rice. To keep up to date on their specials, be sure to check out the Shojin blog where they talk about what’s new and special that week. It’s especially fun to see pictures of all your vegan friends celebrating birthdays and anniversaries at Shojin.

In the end, great food is only part of the reason we love it here… the service is what helps drive us back for repeat visits. The chefs are ever gracious and kind. Ken is excited to see repeat and new customers alike and is always accommodating. And us… we’re just grateful that we live in LA where we can finally enjoy vegan Japanese food… Really, I should say that it’s just amazing Japanese food. The fact that it’s vegan is a bonus.

Shojin sho is good!