Soy and Sake 11-05-2009

Location: 47 7th Ave. S
Time: 6pm
People: MK and myself

Feelings: A sushi and pan Asian restaurant for vegans run by the Red Bamboo and Vegetarian Paradise 2 folks? I'm sold!

I am not a fan of fake meat. I try to avoid mock shrimp, chicken, and beef. Although their menu offers this synthetic protein, we were able to order various vegan dishes without them. I like that they label everything clearly on the menu such as it contains whey or dairy. As you would guess from the restaurant name, they also have a large sake and sake-tini selections.

The place is quite spacious, and there is a huge fish tank in the middle of the restaurant. It is nice for a change to admire pretty fish swimming in a restaurant that doesn't serve them. Although I felt like all the fish was staring at my dinner, which gave me a bit of a queasy feeling. Perhaps these fish are food bloggers.

MK and I shared three appetizers: scallion pancakes ($4), steamed gyoza ($6, with shredded cabbage and jicamas with soy-ginger dressing) and lettuce wrap ($6, string beans, jicamas, carrots, grilled tofu, rice noodle with lettuce served with vegan hoisin sauce). The green curry sauce for the scallion pancakes was amazingly flavorful and an unexpected surprise. The curry flavor goes unexpectedly well with them. It reminded of a subtler version of English chips with curry sauce. The gyoza was intricately wrapped, and the skin was a bit of a thick side but smooth and delicious. I highly recommend the lettuce wrap for appetizer if you are not on a hot date. It is hard to eat and messy but has full of refreshing flavors and crispy textures.

For entrées, MK ordered Pad Thai ($9), and I had veggie linguine ($8). The portions are very generous, and MK had enough to wrap it home for tomorrow's lunch and dinner! The appetizers were more exciting than the noodle dishes, but these were solid meals. Of course, if you are interested in vegan sushi, sandwiches, salad, Peking spare ribs, or spaghetti and fake meatballs, they've got them. I love the variety of dishes they offer, but I somehow always end up ordering noodles wherever I go.

Soy and Sake is a solid option for a vegetarian/vegan cuisine. The service is quite attentive, and the atmosphere is relaxing. Unlike deep fried paradise of Red Bamboo and Vegetarian Paradise 2, they have healthier options. Since most Asian cuisine almost always uses fish, it is nice to see my favorite dishes can skip the fish sause, yet still carry a yummy flavor.