What more could a meat snob ask for then a menu without any meat!? Watch me, oh brave fellow food warrior. Watch me dive my fork mercilessly into a pile of god-knows-what with no fear of consuming a gristle-y, blubber-y or, (shudder) sinew-y snap of mysterious meat. I can handle cryptic veg any day, fool. Hail to Vegan Plate! The fresh, inventive, shockingly flavorful little Thai cafe in Studio City.
Once again my faithful foodie friends, Jordan and Vivien, have turned me on to a restaurant that sits right under my own nose. I jumped at the chance to try it simply because I trust them, not because I’m Vegan. In fact when I hear the word “Vegan” I usually just think of dishes devoid of dairy or cheese (in other words everything that makes anything good), promptly make a cringing-face and run off to eat a butter-baked calzone. Covered in milk. And ice cream.
But with Vegan Plate it wasn’t much of a flavor risk seeing as my beloved ingredients are virtually non-existent in Thai cuisine. Add that to the fact that one too many Asian restaurant’s have dished me up some seriously shady chicken and Vegan Plate was poised to be my new favorite life raft for Thai.
With any of the main noodle, curry or a la carte dishes, Vegan Plate gives you a choice of soy chicken, soy pepper steak, Seitan (”wheat meat”) soy fish or regular ol’ tofu. Jordan got his favorite, the Pad Thai with soy chicken (I didnt’ try it but the chicken looked very well mocked) and Vivien bought an entree with the soy fish. Now, I don’t’ like fish, so the fact that a non-vegan would want to order something that ain’t fish yet was expertly prepared to somehow look and TASTE like fish, is beyond me. But I will say that I was stunned and, to be honest, a little excited at the delicate intricacy of that oh so fishy, non-fish dish. (Dr. Seuss eat your heart out).
On Jordan’s recommendation I tried the yellow curry (one of my favorite food groups ever). It was outstanding, achieving a nice nappe (na-pay) which means it’s all thick and creamy. MM! That’s what I’m talkin‘ about. I was a little disappointed they didn’t serve heaps of fluffy rice with which I could really go to town. Maybe they were more concerned with making a charming albeit less practically portioned heart-shaped mound of rice on my plate. But that’s ok, I could practically sip the curry like soup when all the rice was gone. The Seitan was odd and fascinating in it’s texture. If it had been meat I would have abandoned it after one bite but, hey! It was wheat! So I went to town.
The menu at Vegan Plate is full of all kinds of fresh, inventive fare that gives new meaning to the dinner-decision crisis with which I am usually afflicted. Not to mention it’s really nice to want a veggie Thai dish but get to eat something other than tofu. From Tom Kah Kai to Boca burgers, “freshy rolls” to Chow Mein, it seems like a really fun place to go back to over and over again. With a pretty good dinner-combo menu you can add one spring roll, salad and steamed rice to a variety of entree options for just $2 or $3 more.
The novelty and quality of this little cafe is well worth a trip for non-Vegans who might be in the mood for something different, and an absolute must for all you crazy people who choose not to eat real ice cream.
$$
Thai M
11943 Ventura Blvd.
Studio City, CA 91604
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2 responses so far ↓
1 ronne // Jun 27, 2008 at 5:09 pm
i love your writing. your reviews always make me hungry!! thank you!
2 ronne // Jun 27, 2008 at 5:11 pm
oops!…forgot to mention the photos, which pull me in before i even start reading. great!
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