Borough Vegetarian

Fung Tu - Innovative Chinese-Inspired Fare in Downtown Manhattan

In a part of town that is bustling with new, hip restaurants, Fung Tu stands out with its genuinely interesting and tasty food.  During an outing there last fall, our party completely stuffed ourselves on much of Fung Tu's menu, and almost nothing fell into the category of "standard."  The Chinese / Chinese American inspired menu also featured a variety of vegetarian offerings or items that could be adapted to be vegetarian.  

We started our meal with several appetizers, including the amazing fava bean curd terrine.  The smooth fava bean flavor was quite a treat with the fresh herbs and chili oil adding more complexity to the dish.  This is definitely a must-try starter! 

The other vegetarian starter we got was the steamed buns with mushrooms - while the buns had a great texture and exterior, I have to admit my general aversion to mushrooms remained with this dish.  

My entree picked the meal back up - the vegetarian curry pot pie had a great, subtle curry flavor and a perfectly buttery and flaky puff pastry top.

My only wish was that I wasn't so stuffed so I could have enjoyed more of this entree.  I guess that means we just have to return soon!

Fung Tu

22 Orchard Street

Lower East Side / Chinatown, Manhattan

3 - 4 blocks from the F train at East Broadway, and 5 blocks from the B/D trains at Grand St.

Little Pepper - Very Good Szechuan in College Point, Queens

Little Pepper is a widely reviewed Szechuan restaurant that made the move from Flushing to less transit friendly College Point a few years back.  We’ve been to the new College Point location a few times, mostly because a) we have a car, b) we are often in Whitestone, which is next to College Point, and c) it’s easier to park in College Point than downtown Flushing.  

None of this is to say that Little Pepper isn’t good - it is very good, though the uneven service and weekend crowds are a bit of a disincentive to add it into our more regular rotation.  The food is also slightly oiler and slightly less nuanced than Cafe China, which is our top Szechuan choice at the moment.  

The vegetarian favorites I have had at Little Pepper to date include:

(Dan Dan Noodles - which they will make without meat)

(Ma Po Tofu - which they will also make without meat)

(Scallion Pancakes)

(Vegetable Fried Rice)

So if you are ever in northeastern Queens, craving Szechuan food on the way to Long Island, or looking for an alternative to Cafe China, would highly recommend checking out Little Pepper!

Little Pepper

18-24 College Point Blvd.

College Point, Queens

Accessible via the Q65 bus, which connects at the Flushing-Main Street 7 street subway stop.  Driving is highly recommended, with ample street parking available.

Xi'an Famous Foods and Biang! - Awesome Spicy Vegetarian Option in Multiple Locations

Xi’an Famous Foods - a New York City mini-chain with locations now in Flushing, East Village, Chinatown, Midtown, Upper West Side, Upper East Side, East Williamsburg, and Greenpoint (!) - serves delicious and inexpensive northwestern Chinese cuisine.  AND they clearly state which of there dishes are vegetarian, a major benefit to both this blog writer and readers.  

I love spicy food generally, and the combination of Chinese spices and oils with hand-ripped noodles is a particular treat that Xi’an consistently serves up, no matter the location (well, at least for the 3 locations I have visited to date).  And if you are looking for a sit-down restaurant experience with alcohol (i.e., a cold beer to wash down the spice), I highly recommend going to their Biang! location in Flushing.  

My favorite dishes are the hot oil seared noodles and the spicy tofu.  The portions are pretty generous so if you get two dishes, like I usually do, you’ll have plenty of great leftovers for another meal.

(Hot Oil Seared Noodles)

Multiple locations across NYC (Manhattan, Queens and Brooklyn)

A Visit to Toronto - Great Food City with the Outstanding Patois

When in Toronto, naturally one must try a Chinese-Jamaican restaurant!  One of our friends in Toronto had recommended that we meet up at Patois during a mid-October trip to the metropolis, and although we were initially unsure of what vegetarian options to expect from an Asian-Caribbean restaurant, we were incredibly impressed by our wide-ranging meal.

We started with a special appetizer, fried green beans with nori.  The green beans were crisp, not too oily, and flavorful, while the nori accompaniment wasn’t necessary from my perspective (I am not a fan of nori generally though). 

We also split the Seaweed Waldorf Salad (without walnuts, because of my nut allergy), which despite by aforementioned nori/seaweed aversion was really, really tasty.  Tangy, crunchy, and the nori provided just enough salt to complement the sweetness of the apples.  It may be been slightly overdressed, but that would be the only flaw.

Now getting to the really, really stellar parts of the meal - the main courses.  We ordered a vegetarian version of the dirty fried rice, which I actually was hesitant about because I feared it would not be as flavorful for my meat-eating husband and friend.  However, it was really, really outstanding - very flavorful, salty, richness from egg, etc.  Definitely a must order for vegetarians or meat-eaters.

So to the culmination of the meal - the O.G. Fried Cauliflower and Watermelon Pickle.  At this point, I was incredibly full.  But man, this fried cauliflower was still great.  Spiced really well, not greasy, and good sizes of breaded cauliflower.  Hopefully if we are ever in Toronto again and check it out again, I’ll start with this so I am not so insanely stuffed by the time it comes!

Patois

794 Dundas Street W

(Downtown) Toronto, ON, Canada

Han Dynasty - A Guilty Sichuan Pleasure

Han Dynasty has easily become one of the most popular Chinese restaurants in Manhattan, despite it’s status as an outpost of a Philadelphia-based chain.  The waiting crowds for this relatively new restaurant can easily take up a good chunk of their 3rd Avenue block, but thankfully not only will the restaurant take your phone number to call when your table is ready (so you can get a drink elsewhere), but also the food is really good.  Not the best or most refined Sichuan-style food one can find in NYC’s boroughs, but certainly a spicy, greasy, and sometimes messy, indulgence.

My favorite vegetarian dish at Han Dynasty to date is Pickled Chili Style Tofu - a dish with the slightly sour and spicy flavor of pickled vegetables.  I don’t think I have ever had a dish like it before, and the picked vegetables add this flavor that to me is addicting.

Another strong, albeit very oily dish, is the Hot Sauce Style Tofu (pictured below), which is quite spicy though lacks some of the familiar flavors of Ma Po Tofu, another greasy version of the Sichuan favorite that can be made vegetarian.

Finally, there are a range of vegetable options that can help break up the sauce-laden tofu and meat dishes, including the wonderfully spicy Chinese Cabbage with Dry Peppers (pictured below).  The only downside of this particular dish though is that it really accentuates the over-oiling of Han Dynasty’s dishes - half the oil and it would not only probably taste better, but also make one feel less guilty after eating it!

So if you can’t make it out to Little Pepper in College Point, Queens, or to Cafe China in midtown Manhattan, definitely check out the East Village location of Han Dynasty.

Han Dynasty

90th 3rd Avenue (between 12th and 13th Streets)

Easily accessible from the 4/5/6 and N/Q/R trains at 14th Street/Union Square, and the L train from the same stop or 3rd Avenue stop.  10 - 15 walk from the F/M at 14th Street.

Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles - A Vegetarian-Friendly Rarity in Manhattan’s Chinatown

Like many small Chinatown restaurants, Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles on Doyers St. has an unassuming exterior and interior.  With many 4 - 5 tables packed in a very small space, everything about this restaurant is about efficiency.  All garnishes, condiments and silverware are packed onto the available table space, and it doesn’t seem uncommon to take what your table doesn’t offer from the other adjoining tables, which makes for a somewhat communal (though efficient) eating experience.

Adding to the efficiency is the hyper-speed at which the staff works to get customers in and out the door, and during weekday lunch time, to also fill what seems to be an insatiable set of take-out orders.

When we went to Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodles for the first time during a weekday lunch period, we were greeted by not only this experience, but also an insane amount of food (the latter due purely to our over-ordering!).  

(Pan-fried vegetable noodles - $6.25)

To share, we ordered both the pan-fried vegetable noodles and the fried vegetable dumplings - both vegetarian.  Each of these items could have been a full lunch on it’s own, and given the price tag, you can definitely leave this restaurant with the rare combination of a full wallet and a full stomach.

(Pan-fried vegetable dumplings - 10 for $7.25)

Both of these dishes were fairly simple, and not particularly flavorful, but nothing a little hot sauce can’t cure!

For my “main course,” I ordered the tofu and vegetable soup with vegetarian broth and the knife-pulled noodles (you have the option of choosing from a range of homemade hand-pulled noodles).  The tofu was served separately from the soup, and due to an apparent miscommunication, I thought the spiced tofu was an extra order instead of part of my dish.  So instead of combining the otherwise somewhat-bland soup with the tofu to make a complete dish, I ate them separately. This approach was to the detriment of the soup, but not to the spiced tofu which was great.

(Tofu and Vegetable Noodle Soup - $6.00 for both dishes pictured above!)

In short, I definitely recommend Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodle for any vegetarian visitors to Manhattan’s Chinatown.  

Tasty Hand-Pulled Noodle

1 Doyes Street

New York, NY

Accessible from the F train at East Broadway, B/D trains from Grand St., J/Z at Chambers St., or 6/N/Q at Canal St.  All trains are approx. 5 - 12 minute walk from the restaurant.

Spicy Village - Cheap, Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant in Chinatown

My husband works in Chinatown, and one of his favorite restaurants is Spicy Village.  Spicy Village specializes in a range of hand-pulled noodle dishes, from soups to sauteed options.  And unlike many restaurants in Chinatown, Spicy Village has several meatless options for vegetarians to enjoy.

On my first trip to Spicy Village, which has an unassuming storefront and interior decor to say the least, I ordered the Spicy Scallion Red Oil Hui Mei.  The noodles were really fantastic, though I think this topping may have been a little too onion-y (and I love onions!).  The dish also wasn’t that spicy, but nothing a little bit of their in-house hot sauce couldn’t cure.  I definitely will return to Spicy Village, but likely to order the Spicy Vegetable Hui Mei or Black Bean Sauce Hui Mei as well as try out their range of inexpensive vegetarian appetizers.

Spicy Village

68 B Forsyth St.

Chinatown, Manhattan

Easily accessible from the B/D (Grand St), J/M/Z and F (Delancey/Essex St), or 10 minute walk from 6/N/Q/R (Canal St)

Lan Sheng - The “Other” Michelin-Starred Szechuan Restaurant in Midtown Manhattan

We finally made it to Lan Sheng last summer, Cafe China’s competitor in the midtown Manhattan Michelin-starred battle of Szechuan restaurants.  

Given how much I love Cafe China, I had mixed feelings about venturing to Lan Sheng.  Yes, on the one hand, it could be better than Cafe China which would be a major boon.  On the other, it did feel like both a bit of a betrayal to Cafe China and I had an odd feeling of trepidation about what the food would actually be like.

Ultimately, I have to say that Lan Sheng was very good - and our waiter did not flinch at making a few courses vegetarian for me, which of course was sincerely appreciated by this vegetarian food blogger.

I did not stray from my favorites on this first trip to Lan Sheng - Dan Dan noodles (pictured above), MaPo tofu (below), and some other small plates to share like scallion pancakes.

While everything was very good, I think that Cafe China may still be my preference, especially on the ambiance and cocktail fronts.  For the non-vegetarian, Lan Sheng did seem to be more varied and have more “unique” meat options than most other Sichuan restaurants.  That being said, I will almost absolutely return to Lan Sheng for more delicious, spicy vegetarian food in the future!

Lan Sheng

60 W. 39th St.

Midtown, Manhattan

Most easily accessible from the B/D/F/M/7 trains at 42nd Street, but also not a far walk from the 4/5/6/7 trains at Grand Central

Wo Hop - A NYC Chinatown Institution Since 1938

A friend recently told us about Wo Hop, a mainstay of the NYC Chinatown, that her father has been going to for decades.  Andy and I had never heard of Wo Hop before, and were excited to check out this restaurant that has been in NYC since 1938 - a far cry than what seems to be the 1 - 2 year existence of so many city restaurants.  

When we went on an early Friday evening, we were pleased to find no wait for a table.  And it quickly became evident that had we shown up later - after 6:30pm/7pm - we would have had trouble finding an open seat given the emerging crowd in and around the restaurant.  

We ordered a somewhat overwhelming array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, many of which seemed to be Americanized versions of Chinese food from decades past.  We started with the egg rolls, which were vegetarian and chock full of cabbage with some carrots and scallions as well.

I have to admit I wasn’t a huge fan of the egg roll - it was fairly greasy, and I would have preferred more variety to the stuffing instead of just mostly cabbage.  It also had a high stuffing to fried exterior ratio, and I generally like a higher amount of fried dough with all of my fried food favorites :-)

In any case, the meal definitely went way uphill as we continued getting our food.  The vegetable chow fun, the wide noodles, were surprisingly tasty with a nice char from the stir-frying of the noodles with the vegetables, which were also cooked well.

The Szechuan eggplant was also surprisingly good - the eggplant was cooked to creamy perfection, and the sauce was both just slightly sweet and spicy.  I think the eggplant was the highlight of my meal, even though I can be very hot and cold when it comes to Chinese eggplant dishes, which some restaurants prepare to be a sweet, sloppy mess. 

The mushroom fried rice, which was the last vegetarian dish we ordered, was also very tasty with a rich, almost caramelized flavor from the high heat stir frying of the rice.  And while I am not a fan of mushrooms generally, I had to admit they added a level of complexity to the fried rice that one doesn’t generally find with vegetarian fried rice.

So all in all, we had an extremely satisfying Americanized Chinese experience at Wo Hop and I wouldn’t be surprised if we returned one day, despite all of the other fantastic offerings in the area.  In particular, I think what may attract us to the restaurant also reflects the one downside of the meal - the salt!  Almost all of the dishes had a heavy salty flavor (though online I read they don’t use MSG?), but sometimes that flavor more than works.  

Wo Hop

17 Mott Street

Chinatown/Two Bridges, Manhattan

Accessible from the 6 train at Canal Street or Brooklyn Bridge-City Hall, or the J/Z at Chambers Street

China Blue - Cafe China’s New (and More Expensive) Shanghai Sister

Given our love of Cafe China, we recently made our way to the Cafe China owner’s new restaurant last year - China Blue.  China Blue is an a sleek, large space in TriBeCa and shares some of the aesthetic of Cafe China.

We went for lunch on a frigid Sunday, and pleasantly found that our reservations were definitely not needed during this restaurant’s early weeks.  Despite the early hour, we still ordered a ton of food for four people and largely enjoyed what we ordered.  Similar to Cafe China, vegetarian options were both noted on the menu itself and we were also able to negotiate with our waiter for an additional vegetarian option (more below).

Our vegetarian starters were the Kaofu Ningbo Style - a cold, slightly salty tofu - and good ol’ Scallion Pancakes.  Both dishes were pretty well done, particularly the spongey tofu, and I can see us ordering them again.  That being said, the Scallion Pancakes portion seemed to be about half of what one gets at Cafe China and for perhaps a greater price?

(Kaofu Ningbo Style)

(Scallion Pancakes)

Our vegetarian main course dishes were the Bean Curd with Chinese Mustard Greens and the Sauteed Rice Cakes with Chives (no pork, which our waiter was able to help us with).  The bean curd in particular was pretty well flavored with thin, delicate strips of bean curd and mild greens.  The rice cakes I have to admit were fairly forgettable.

(Bean Curd with Mustard Greens and Rice Cakes with Chives)

Finally, we ended our multi-course lunch with the red bean puffs, which were delicious and I think about frequently.  On our return trip (perhaps when our incomes are higher), I will definitely get those again!

Cafe China

135 Watts Street

TriBeCa, Manhattan

Accessible via the 1 subway train at Canal Street, and longer walk (approx. 10 - 15 min.) from A/C/E trains at Canal Street