Tag Archive for 'vegetarian'

V3GGIE.com - a vegetarian search engine

Published
by
Ted
on September 1, 2008
in resources
. 1 Comment

V3GGIE - Vegetarian Search Engine

I’m proud to announce my latest creation: V3GGIE, a vegetarian search engine. I’ve used the power of Yahoo’s new BOSS Search API and focused the attention on vegetarian and vegan friendly resources. V3GGIE makes it much easier to find what you are looking for.

This means you can find a corn chowder recipe without wading through thousands of clam chowders. You can quickly find the buzz from vegetarian blogs, the closest vegan restaurant, and more.

The following is a short list of web sites that V3GGIE.com recognizes as experts.

V3GGIE is still a work a progress, please feel free to leave comments and suggestions for web sites to add as resources. I hope you find it as useful as I have. I especially like the Vegetarian Recipe Search.

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Tien Hiang - Vegetarian Chinese Restaurant in Paris

Published
by
Ted
on April 13, 2008
in 11th Arrindissement, Asian, Ethnic, Vegan Friendly, popular, restaurant and vegetarian-friendly
. 1 Comment

Tien Hang vegetarian restaurant in ParisThis popular chinese food has your traditional Chinese vegetarian dishes as well as an assortment of creative “faux” meat choices. It’s a popular destination for vegetarian tourists and is located near four metro stops. Pere Lechaise and Voltaire are the easiest.

Tien Hiang review

I had been planning a trip to Tien Hiang to try their food and imagine my surprise one night when I walked past it on a warm evening stroll. Although I wasn’t hungry, I had to stop off for a meal. This restaurant is great fun for small groups and the menu is a smörgåsbord of vegetarian Asian food.

The Menu

While this restaurant is listed as Chinese in many guides, their menu is sprinkled with dishes from across the Asian spectrum. Vegetarians are used to deciding between one or two dishes on a menu. It’s difficult to actually choose between 50-60 dishes. Prepare yourself for ten minutes of indecision.

Tien Hiang has a good fixed menu to make that choice easier. You simply choose two appetizers, dinner, and desert from a smaller set of dishes. The menu prices are outrageously affordable. 10 euros gets a full meal!

I chose to skip the fixed menu and ordered a bowl of Thai soup and Vietnamese omelet. To be honest, I had no idea what I was going to choose and finally pointed at a random customer and said “I’ll have that.”

The soup was fantastic. It had coconut milk, pepper, tomato, fake chicken, and basil. It was a great mix and I’ll probably come here more often for just a bowl of soup. The omelet was good, but I was satiated after the soup and earlier meal. So, I wasn’t prepared to really evaluate the dish.

Popular + small = warm

Tien Hiang is a small, popular restaurant. The place was packed with a wide range of alternatives, hipsters, families, and hippies (faux hippies). In other words, it’s a casual, come as you are restaurant. However, it’s also a small place and it gets warm with all of the bodies. I can only imagine what it will be like during the late summer months.

Summary

I really enjoyed this restaurant. The menu is expansive and you’ll probably find yourself wanting to come back and try something else. The dishes range from Pho, clay pot, steamed dumplings, fried rice, and much more. You’ll find vegetarian versions of the most popular Asian dishes. The prices are super cheap, the service friendly, and the community unique. It’s not the easiest place to find, take a map with you. Unless you’re lucky like me and stumble across it accidentally.

Tien Hiang
92 rue Chemin Vert (11°)
01 43 55 83 88
Metro: Pere Lechaise, Voltaire
Chinese/Asian Vegetarian Restaurant
  • Overall: 4/5
  • Location: 3/5
  • Value: 5/5
  • Taste: 4/5
  • Service: 5/5
  • Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
  • Vegan Friendly: 5/5
  • M.E.F. Friendly: 3/5

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Gout Zen - Vegetarian and Organic Restaurant

Published
by
Ted
on March 27, 2008
in 13th Arrindissement, Vegan Friendly, cafe, organic, salad and vegetarian-friendly
. 0 Comments

Gout ZenParis is full of surprises. There are little gems around every corner. The Parisian Sweet Bar in the 12th arrondissement is an example. You’ll also find small museums, art galleries, pocket sized parks, and chunks of ancient history.

This leads me to Gout Zen. I stumbled across this restaurant while leaving an unfamiliar metro exit (Bibliotheque). The street is subterranean, with car-filled bridges above, towering buildings, old stone steps to new areas, and a green beacon of light and energy.

Bruchette at gout zenGout Zen is a restaurant, cafe, and organic market all wrapped into one. It reminds me of the No Stress Cafe, near Place de Pigalle. There’s more to just eating at Gout Zen. You can rent a heated wrap for your tired shoulders at 1 Euro for 15 minutes, use free wireless, and purchase some organic food and supplies. It’s a friendly cafe that is bright and comfortable.

I had the vegetable bruschetta at 6 euros. Although a tad salty, I enjoyed the snack and used the wireless until my laptop battery died. The cafe also features some interesting vegan alternatives. I’m dying to try the faux steak au poivre. The fixed price menus range from 8 to 15 euros and include a variety of vegetarian and vegan options.

Gout Zen cafeFinding Gout Zen is a bit tricky. Take the Rue Du Chevaleret exit if you are coming from the metro line 14 or RER C. You can also reach it by climbing down the steps on Rue de Tolbiac, Rue Thomas Mann, and Rue des Grands Moulins. I’d suggest using the Rue de Tolbiac steps.

Gout Zen
54, Rue du Chevalaret (13°)
01 45 86 26 23
contact@goutzen.fr
Metro: Bibliotheque
Restaurant and Epicerie
Free Wireless
  • Overall: 4/5
  • Location: 3/5
  • Taste: 4/5
  • Service: 5/5
  • Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
  • Vegan Friendly: 5/5
  • M.E.F. Friendly: 3/5

Le Pain Quotidien - Marais bistro and bakery

Published
by
Ted
on February 11, 2008
in 4th Arrindissement, Vegan Friendly, boulangerie, organic and vegetarian-friendly
. 0 Comments

I first saw this restaurant on a cold rainy Sunday. The place was packed and people were waiting under umbrellas for a chance to sit down. Luckily tonight it was slow and I have throughly enjoyed the peaceful evening.

Le Pain Quotidien sits in the heart of the Marais. It triangulates BHV, the grand department store and Quetzal, a popular old gay bar. There’s a steady stream of pedestrians with a soft cacophony of voices and laughter.

Le Pain Quotidien’s attention to details makes this small boulangerie/bistro a real winner. Everything is presented beautifully and with careful attention. I sat outside in the patio where I was provided not only a space heater, but also a small blanket for my lap.

The tables and chairs are simple, yet comfortable. Which explains much of this restaurant’s charm. I especially appreciated individual grinders for sea salt and black pepper, not to mention a nice bottle of olive oil on every table.

The menu is rather short, it features a variety of tartines, salads, and casseroles. Much of it is either meat or cheese based, but there are a few salads for the vegans. There’s also a selection of pastries inside and a small store of organic items.

I recently visited a vegetarian restaurant that featured great food but disappointing bread. Le Pain Quotidien took this organic, whole wheat, daily bread to a whole new level. It was soft, flavorful, and served as not only the foundation for the tartine, but a critical part of its texture and flavor.
Dinner at Le Pain Quotidien in the Marais
I ordered the Tartine with chevre, pears, and honey. It was served with a nice salad and melon. I followed this with a pot of mint tea. The flavors were clean and distinct.

My only criticism is the service. While it was very friendly, the staff ignored the few of us in the outdoor patio. I didn’t mind too much, as i enjoyed the opportunity to relax and catch up on writing cards and working on the computer. Bring a book or a friend to fill the time before appearances.

Le Pain Quotidien is a wonderful addition to my list of restaurants. I will certainly return in the future.

Note: This is a chain of restaurants in Europe. This review is specific to the Marais restaurant and may not reflect on all of them. The branch in the London train station certainly doesn’t have the same atmosphere or food quality. However, it does feature some nice muffins and coffee/tea.

Le Pain Quotidien
18-20, rue des Archives (4°)
01 44 54 03 07
Hotel de Ville
Boulangerie, Bistro
website: LePainQuotidien.com
  • Overall: 5/5
  • Location: 5/5
  • Taste: 5/5
  • Service: 4.5
  • Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
  • Vegan Friendly: 4/5
  • M.E.F. Friendly: 5/5

Cocoon - a cozy vegetarian restaurant

Published
by
Ted
on December 15, 2007
in 17th Arrindissement, Vegan Friendly, popular, salad and vegetarian-friendly
. 0 Comments

This tiny restaurant hidden in the 17th arrindismont plays to the local lunch crowd. Just look for the small facade painted in an odd purplish hue with a line of anxious people out the door. There will equally be a stream of people leaving with bulging paper bags.

Cocoon restaurantCocoon is not your typical Parisian restaurant. It’s a throwback to the old cafeteria diners. Their menu is as small as their floorplan. You’ll walk in and see a display case of freshly made soups, drinks, and desserts. Grab what you like and make your way to the counter. There you will be greated by a friendly saladier who builds a unique salad to your desires. They also offer sandwhiches but everyone I saw had soup and salad.

To continue the small theme of this restaurant, your Meat Eating Friends can choose between tuna and tuna for their salads. Yes, this is a Vegetarian restaurant and that makes me happy. What’s even better? It’s cheap and just around the corner from my office.

Proximity is actually important for Cocoon as they have virtually no space to stay and eat. It’s also not easy to find. You’ll want to visit this place if you work or live in the 17th arrindissmont.

For lunch today, I had a very flavorful lentil soup, a small salad, perrier, and fromage blanc with raspberry confiture. This soup menu is 8,50 euros, tasted great, and is much healthier than most of the places in the area. Cocoon is open for lunch but don’t get there late. I arrived after 2 one day and they had already been cleaned out.

Cocoon
3, rue Galvani (17°)
01.45.72.59.12
Pereirre
Fast and healthy
  • Overall: 4.5/5
  • Location: 3/5 stars
  • Taste: 4.5/5
  • Service: 4.5/5
  • Vegetarian Friendly: 5/5
  • Vegan Friendly: 5/5
  • M.E.F. Friendly: 1/5