A Truly Incredible Meal At True Bistro

It wasn't too long ago that Boston had minimal Vegan options.  Now, an immense transformation is occurring and more and more Vegan and Veg-friendly restaurants are popping up around the city. In the past year, Boston has welcomed a meat-free diner, along with a Vegan ice cream shop. Still, one of my favorite places is the upscale restaurant, True Bistro, which is a fairly recent addition to Boston's vegan scene. The restaurant is located in Somerville, along a row of restaurants. The interior is small, yet elegant and very welcoming. On my last visit, I used a voucher I purchased on Bloomspot for $35 for a meal for two.

Our first dish was complimentary from the chef and was a chilled soup.

This soup was delicious. It was very creamy and had a mild spice. It had a rich avocado flavor and lovely chunks of spinach. It was a great way to start the meal.

Next, we had our first small plate: the Cornmeal-Crusted Oyster Mushrooms ($8).

I normally cannot stand mushrooms, but I could not stop eating these. The mushrooms were deep-fried in a wonderful corn-meal batter and were so crispy. They were made to simulate crab cakes and had a slightly fishy taste. The accompanying horse-radish and tartar sauce added a wonderful bitter taste and complimented the dish very well.

Next, I had the Leek Tart ($9).

This was fantastic and very addictive. This was similar to a quiche, without the flaky crust. The tart had such a soft, delectable texture and was easy to chew. The taste of leeks was quite dominant and the cashew cheese added a wonderful salty flavor. The accompanying salad was very light and refreshing.

Next, I tried some of my dad's Grilled Romaine Heart salad ($7).

This salad was very good. The romaine lettuce was grilled to perfection and had a wonderful crispiness. The lentil concoction was very hearty and worked well on the toasted baguette slices. 

Next, I had the Phyllo Triangles ($17).

This dish was amazing. It was very similar to Spanikopita (sans the spinach), one of my favorite Greek dishes back when I was a vegetarian. The phyllo dough was very light and crispy, while the interior was soft and well-cooked. The tofu, caramelized onions, and swiss chard mixture was very savory and was perfectly seasoned. The scrumptious cream sauce took the dish over the top.

Next, I had the Stuffed Summer Squash ($18).

This dish was fantastic. The tender squash was filled with a juicy tempeh mixture, which tasted very meaty. It was accompanied by a magnificent quinoa salad, featuring corn and beans, which was very light and hearty. The sauce was delicious and had a rich, tomato flavor. 

Next, I had the side of French Fries ($5).

The fries were very crisp and crunchy. They were perfectly seasoned and coated in a truffle oil. I appreciated that they weren't too greasy, yet were still very flavorful.

Next, we had a side of marinated olives ($4).

These olives were fantastic. They were very juicy and bitter and coated in oil.

Lastly, we had the Napoleon ($8) for dessert.

The Napoleon was absolutely amazing and I order this every time I go to True Bistro, since it's such a unique dessert. The white chocolate mousse was so rich and luscious and had a lovely airy texture that was reminiscent of whipped cream. The phyllo dough worked well as a graham cracker substitute and was very sugary. The strawberries really took the dessert of the top, as they were sweet and juicy and complimented the flavors very well.

Overall, the meal was fantastic. Each dish was unique and had its own delightful flavors. I love how the menu changes a bit, and there has always been new items on each of my visits. I also appreciate that while the dishes seem heavy and oily, I don't feel weighed down afterward. All of the vegetables used are also very fresh and at their peak of ripeness. I cannot wait to see True Bistro continue to create innovative dishes and look forward to enjoying their food again on my next visit.