Rahel: An Excellent Ethiopian Experience

After a crazy night of driving all over town, my friend and I ended up at Rahel Ethiopian Vegan Cuisine in Little Ethiopia. We first headed to Venice to dine at a Mediterranean-Indian fusion restaurant called Vardo. Unfortunately, they would not accept our restaurant.com gift certificate and since the menu was uber expensive, we decided it would be best to find an alternative restaurant that offered a deal. Luckily, I had printed out most of my restaurant.com gift certificates, so we headed over to Ethiopiatown to dine at one of my favorite restaurants, Rahel. We arrived fairly late and the restaurant was almost empty with the exception of a small group of diners set off in a corner.  We decided to sit by the window so we could glance out into the beautiful night.

I am still fairly new eating Ethiopian food and I have only tried it a couple times before.  My friend and I scanned the menu, unsure of what to order.  I remembered ordering a sampler plate when I dined at Rahel with my dad last summer but could not remember which dish it was.  When the waitress came over, we asked for her suggestion and she pointed out the Veggie Paradise Combo Special which came with a variety of stews and cooked vegetables along with a spicy tomato salad and sambussas. Since we needed to spend atleast $35 to use the restaurant.com gift certificate, we also ordered an extra sambussa, some beverages and a cheesecake for dessert.  I prepared my stomach for all the food we would be getting.

First, the waitress brought out our beverages. I ordered an iced tea and my friend ordered a bottle of water.

The iced tea was delicious. It had a hint of spice and had notes of chocolate. The agave added even more sweetness to it and balanced out the tanginess of the red tea. The drink was so refreshing and cooling and great to drink alongside a mildly spicy meal.

Next, our sambussas came out.

These were so tasty and pretty much identical to samosas. The outside was so flaky and crispy and perfectly deep fried. The inside was soft but was not as curried as a samosa. The flavor was more mild but still tasted great.

Next, the main event came. It was a massive dish filled with various vegetables, each with their own consistency. They were all so well seasoned and worked perfectly together.

The stews were all very soft and easy to eat. It was difficult to tell what each dish was, especially since they were all clumped together.  Nevertheless, each was lightly spiced and many of them had a mushy consistency. I really enjoyed the clumpy inerja bread mixed with sunflower as it had a lightly sweet taste and was very savory. I also surprisingly liked the string beans and carrots as they had a very soft texture with a light spice, yet did not look like baby food unlike some of the other stews. I also loved the tomato salad as it was simultaneously spicy and cooling. The split-lentil and split pea stews were also phenomenal although I would have liked those to have been a little spicier. Regardless, everything was so flavorful and really meshed well together.

Instead of utensils we were given inerja bread, which was very spongy and really sopped up each stew. It felt like making mini-wraps, although the inerja bread was so filling and I could feel it expanding in my stomach.

Finally, our cheesecake came out. We were both stuffed, having demolished the plate of stews. Nevertheless, I can always find room for a sweet ending.

The cheesecake was a little odd but still enjoyable. The bottom was fairly creamy although not very decadent. It had a slightly sweet taste with a hint of saltiness. The topping was a thick layer of strawberry sorbet that had yet to thaw out. Nevertheless, it was delicious and made up for the lack of sweetness below. I would probably order this again although I would let it sit out a while longer before digging in.

Overall, I loved the meal. I am so glad there is an Ethiopian restaurant that is completely vegan and I do not have to worry about any animal products creeping into my meal. We ended up spending about $16 per person with the discount and tax and tip. With all the delicious food we got, it was definitely worth it. I left beyond full, but my stomach was happy.

A Native Cooking Class

Last Sunday, I was privileged to attend Native Food's monthly cooking demo. The demo is actually open to the public and is completely free to attend if you are one of the lucky people to get to your computer or mobile device in time to register.  There are a few times when I have tried to sign up, only to be closed out. This time, I somehow managed to get lucky and scored a spot. I set my alarm for 9 am and dragged myself out of bed, only motivated by the thought of delicious food. I arrived at the Culver City Native Foods fairly early and was able to snatch a seat up front.

The theme of the cooking demo was Cinco De Mayo and Chef Tanya was giving away some of her beloved Mexican recipes.  My favorite part of the cooking demos is that Chef Tanya explains how to veganize comfort foods and also provides tips that not every vegan knows. She also manages to draw in a crowd that isn't completely vegan, but rather enthusiasts that hope to learn more about veganism. I am so glad she is willing to give this info for free and that her recipes seem fairly easy to make.

The cooking demo began with the Native Foods servers handing out samples of Chai tea.

The tea was so delicious. It was very well-spiced and had a hint of vanilla. It was sweet but not overly so. It also had a slight milkiness from what I believe was soy milk.

Next, Chef Tanya demonstrated how to make the baked black bean zucchini chilaquiles, while the servers handed out samples.

The chilaquiles were so good. The vegetables were very fresh and were coated in a savory sauce. There was a thin layer of daiya cheese melted in and a kick of spiciness from the chipotle. The chilaquiles had a slightly eggy texture and seemed like they would be great as a breakfast food.

The servers then brought out some watermelon fresca which was refreshing and very sweet. The taste of watermelon was really strong and the drink was quite seedy.

Next, Chef Tanya demonstrated how to create the fresh cactus salad, while the servers passed out samples.

The cactus salad was very light and cooling. The cactus mixed really well with the beans and created a slight spiciness, along with the onions. The tomatoes and corn helped balance them out. The vinaigrette was very refreshing and also had a mild spicy taste.

To further cool our mouths down and help us digest the food, the servers passed out some lavender lemonade.

I really enjoyed the lemonade. It was so different from lemonades I've had in the past and was not nearly as sweet. The lavender overpowered the lemon and was very calming. It almost seemed like a hybrid lemonade and iced tea drink.

Lastly, Chef Tanya finished her demo with some dessert: Upside Down Coconut Flan.

I really wanted to enjoy this but I was a little creeped out by how closely it mimicked a gelatin. It also was not as sweet as I was expecting, despite the fruit compote. I still think it tasted pretty good, but it did not match my expectations for a dessert. 

Overall, I found the cooking demo to be very informative and I love that Native Foods generously offers this and even gives samples. I cannot wait for the next cooking demo and I really hope I snag a spot again!

Vegan Frappy Hour

Starting tomorrow, Starbucks is having a happy hour on all their frappuccinos from 3-5pm daily until May 15. The frappuccinos are fully customizable and since Starbucks made the switch to a non-dairy syrupy base, the beverages can easily be made vegan by replacing the nasty dairy milk with the soy alternative.

I'm really excited for this event and will probably be at Starbucks every day, especially if the weather is a scorcher. I went fairly religiously during the happy hour last year and was able to try almost every variety (some twice). Just be sure to request no whipped cream as the baristas often top the drink with it by default. Also, steer clear of the caramel sauce, as that is reportedly not vegan.

Pa2gh: A Persian Experience

On a lonely Friday night, I found myself scrambling for a place to eat so I could meet up with my friend and her brother before they returned to the valley. My friend had just called and I needed to think of a place fast. The pressure was on. It had to be vegan-friendly, nearby and needed to have a good discount. I scanned through multiple websites before remembering a quaint Persian restaurant tucked away in a small strip mall near where Santa Monica blvd meets Sepulveda. I only discovered it because it is located next to Carvel and I love ice cream. I had ordered from there a couple times before but I never used their restaurant.com discount. Thus, I quickly placed an order for a $25 dollar gift certificate and managed to get out the door with a few minutes to spare.

When I arrived at the restaurant, my friend and her brother were already waiting. There was a spot waiting for me right in front of the restaurant. My friend had already looked over the menu and seemed a bit upset at the seemingly lack of vegan options. I noted that it was Mediterranean food and while most of the food is not specified as vegan, they could easily make it that way. Thus, when the waiter came over, we explained that everything needed to be made completely free of animal products.

We started with an assortment of appetizers ($13). I believe we got some hummus, pickled vegetables, crispy rice with a sauteed herbs topping and dolmehs.

The hummus was my favorite appetizer dish and was creamy and decadent. There was a strong taste of tahini and it had a light oily consistency. The sprinkling of spices on top was a nice touch and made it even more flavorful. The dolmehs were mediocre, as they were very dense and oily. The grape leaf wrapping was too heavy and the stuffing was even harder to digest.  The pickled vegetables had an odd taste to them and were also too oily. The dish seemed like it should be light but it just tasted too greasy.

When the crunchy rice dish came out we thought it was topped with cheese and almost sent the dish back. Upon closer examination, we realized it was just a yellow rice that had been toasted very well. I enjoyed this dish and found it very different from anything I've had before. The crunchy rice had a great consistency and was slightly sweet. The herbed topping had a very interesting taste and was very savory. It had a great mixture of smooth pureed parsley interspersed with chunks of beans. The dish was almost like eating a fritter and had such great contrasting textures.

The pita bread served with the appetizers was fairly dry and a little overcooked.

Finally, my entree came. Knowing that Pa2gh probably didn't have any vegan desserts, I opted for a succulent entree, the Vegetarian Fesenjan ($12.45), ground walnuts in a pomegranate sauce served with basmati rice.

This was the highlight of my meal and I would return just for this dish. It was so sweet and decadent, it was definitely like eating a dessert as a meal. The pomegranate sauce was so delicious and heavenly. It had a very fruity flavor and was quite syrupy. There was a hint of spice, which was very subtle and matched the sweetness very well.  The walnuts successfully absorbed the flavor and gave the sauce a slight crunchiness which was even more prevalent when mixed with the well-cooked rice. This dish is true perfection and I would not change a thing about it.

My friend and her brother both ordered the falafel wrap ($5) and while I didn't try it, they both described it as being dry. Even loading it with the vinaigrette served with the salad did not seem to help much.

Overall, I felt pretty mixed with the meal. The appetizers were so-so, but my entree really made up for it. I would definitely return and order only the hummus, crispy rice and pomegranate dish. Nevertheless, the meal was very inexpensive with the discount and we each only paid $9, which included tax, tip and beverages. This restaurant is a bit on the expensive side, but considering the portions are very large, it is definitely worth it.  I will be returning soon, even if only for the amazing fesenjan dish!

A Fitting Name for Yummy Cupcakes

One of the biggest challenges I faced making the transition from vegetarian to vegan was a struggle to find a vegan dessert that didn't taste disgusting. The few I had tried lacked much flavor and were either way too sugary or overly dry. I now have come to realize those were merely bad apples and had I given up that easily on finding a great vegan dessert, I might still be consuming animal products to this day. It is very fortunate that I am determined to discover tasty food and thus in my journey as a vegan, and those days leading up to it, I have found that many vegan desserts can be as satisfying and sometimes even more delicious than their non-vegan counterparts. This was the case in my recent week of cupcake eating.

A few months ago, I bought a groupon voucher for $10 for half a dozen cupcakes at Yummy Cupcakes. While their vegan menu was quite massive and seemed to have close to a hundred varieties, they only carried two vegan options a day. The groupon required the order to be placed twenty four hours in advance. After looking at the calendar listing each day's choices, I decided on a day that had apple pie and coconut. I ventured over to Yummy Cupcakes, excited to see how my cupcakes turned out.

Just from a quick waft of the aroma from the delectable cupcakes, I knew I was in for a treat. As I opened the box, I was a bit surprised to see the cupcakes were larger than I imagined. They looked so elegant and seemed more appropriate for a wedding than sitting in the fridge in my cramped apartment.

That evening, I anxiously ate the coconut cupcake. The cake was so moist and had a rich buttery flavor. The icing was sweet and creamy to match and had notes of vanilla. There were layers of lightly toasted coconut pieces that added a slight crunchiness to the smooth icing and base. This cupcake was delicious and while I am not normally a huge fan of coconut, I really enjoyed it.

The apple pie cupcake was definitely my favorite and I'm so glad I got four of them. The cake was also very soft and moist and had a light cinnamon taste. There were small chunks of apples that were delicately baked in. The icing on top was very rich and decadent with a buttercream mixed with a hint of cinnamon. The cupcake had just the right amount of sweetness that made it taste like true perfection.

This was my first time at Yummy Cupcakes and although I've always wanted to try their cupcakes, I found myself deterred by their priciness. Each cupcake normally cost $3.25 but with the discount cost $1.67. I am so glad the groupon introduced me to this place and although I probably won't be placing a large order anytime soon, I love that I have a new place I can buy a delicious dessert. Nevertheless, I really hope they'll be offering up another discount soon and I can't wait to try more of their unique flavors!

A Very Raw Deal

Today only, Euphoria Loves Rawvolution is having a deal on their food. Actually, they are offering up three deals from which you can select. The choices are half off lunch, dinner, or the Rawvolution box. Their dine in menu seems interesting although I've never eaten there so I cannot attest to it. I've read great things about their home delivery service, the box, and apparently it draws in a celebrity clientele.

50% off Euphoria Loves Rawvolution

I'm really excited to try their food as I've developed such a love and appreciation for raw food these past few months. Since raw food is normally so expensive, however, I don't get to eat it as often as I'd like. Deals like this are seriously such a blessing to me and I hope it encourages others to eat healthier.

A Rosy Night At Desert Rose

This past Thursday, I ventured to Desert Rose with my fellow vegan friend. The night was balmy with a slight chilliness, thus we requested to sit on the elegant patio next to a warming heat lamp. The patio was so beautifully decorated with exquisite lighting and exotic plants, it took me a while to take it all in before I was even able to look at the menu. I felt so separate from the outside world and the tranquil environment seemed to stimulate my hunger. Luckily, we had a groupon voucher for $20 for $40 worth of food and drinks. In addition, there was also an all-night happy hour that only occurs on Thursday nights.

Desert Rose has an entirely separate page of vegan options that includes an array of dishes that are Mediterranean and Italian style. They make their own appetizers but are provided with a small selection of dishes that come straight from Cruzer's Pizza, which is conveniently located next door and is thankfully completely vegan.

First, we had an appetizer, the garlic daiya cheese fries ($7).

These fries were so delicious. I am not normally a fan of french fries, especially those soaked in excess oil. The fries had a light coating of oil and were slightly moist and very crunchy. They were very garlicky and had a nice layer of melted daiya cheese. The dish was very well seasoned and had a light sprinking of cilantro. The chefs really transformed the french fries into a sophisticated dish.

Next, we ordered two entrees to share. We chose a cheesy, garlicky "sausage" calzone ($13) and the chicken pizza ($16).

While the picture does not look the most appetizing, the calzone was very tasty. The bread was soft and slightly crunchy and the inside was filled with delectable chunks of juicy soy sausage. Each piece of sausage was dusted with a hint of garlic. The daiya cheese coating the sausage was very well melted and had a light seasoning.

The pizza was the highlight of the meal and tasted amazing. The dough was very crisp and was not too dense. There was a thick layer of daiya cheese that had melted perfectly and was coated with scrumptious chunks of gardein chicken interspersed with pieces of cilantro. There was a very thin layer of tomato sauce that had a slightly sweet taste to contrast the savory chicken.

Since it was an extended Happy Hour, we decided to take advantage of the discounted drinks. We ordered a margarita ($5) to share.

The margarita had a light sweetness to it and the tequila was not overpowering. It was a very refreshing compliment to our meal and acted as a dessert, since Desert Rose sadly did not have any vegan desserts on hand.

I really enjoyed my meal and I loved dining in such a peaceful atmosphere. This is a really great place to hang out with friends and de-stress after a long, tiring day. Although the menu at Desert Rose is fairly pricey, they do have great deals for their customers. Every day, they have Happy Hour from 3-6 pm with the extended happy hour on Thursdays. In addition, on Thursdays, facebook fans can take advantage of a 25% off discount on their dinner bill after 6 pm. With our groupon voucher, it only cost us $16 per person with tax and tip. This is a really great deal considering the high quality food and excellent ambiance. It's a great place to dine if you need an escape for the night and desire delicious food in the process!