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(11/12/10 12:00am)
There is something exciting about going to a restaurant as popular as Niko Niko's. On the weekend, the lines frequently stretch out the door, making you feel like you're waiting for a rock concert. Many of the other people in line are regular customers and can recommend their favorite dishes or the best place to sit. Once you reach the counter and the menu, vegetarian options clearly abound, with appetizers and entrees alike catering to vegetable lovers. Each vegetarian dish is marked with a little leaf, a practice I dearly wish other restaurants would imitate. Unfortunately, there is no separate designation for vegan dishes, so you have to ask the person at the counter.All vegetarian dishes are not created equal. Niko Niko's offers some stunning dishes, and some that are merely passable. While I rarely praise hummus, as it is ridiculously simple to make, starting your meal at Niko Niko's with pita and hummus gives you the right Mediterranean feel; also, pitas are a Niko Niko's specialty. I advise eating a lot of them, even with different dips or sauces like the Melinzano Salata, an eggplant dip with tomato and onion. Although I've had better versions of the Salata elsewhere, it was lovely on the pita.
(11/05/10 12:00am)
In Houston, Mexican places are as prevalent as Starbucks or McDonald's. But unlike mega-conglomerate restaurants, Mexican places can vary exceedingly in quality and specialty. For instance, Chuy's and Taco Milagro are both local restaurants that are similar in price range yet are complete opposites in atmosphere and focus. It's hard to believe they both serve variations on the same cuisine. If you approach Chuy's at night, your eyes are instantly drawn to the huge blinking sign in the front with an arrow pointing toward the building. This sign is an excellent representation of Chuy's personality as a restaurant: loud and fun, without a hint of subtlety. The decor inside is wild, freely clashing in a myriad of colors and shapes. Loud music is piped from speakers that seem ubiquitous, and Elvis' face stares down at you from each wall. Why Elvis? Good question. The jury's still out on that one. But the basic idea is that the Chuy's franchise originated in Austin, and, as we all know, Austin is weird. Chuy's is a family restaurant, so go later in the evening if you have an aversion to small children.
(10/29/10 12:00am)
Indian restaurants are usually safe havens for vegetarians, as India has a long history of vegetarian cuisine. Shiva does not disappoint and, in fact, offers a broader selection of dishes than most Indian restaurants. Now, if only they could remember what their own menu says.The appetizers are abundant and varied. Vegetable Pakora (fritters), Alloo Chaat (potatoes in tangy dressing) and Vegetable Samosas (potato pastries) are available individually or as a platter, which is supposed to include a selection of each. I ordered the veggie platter in an attempt to review the greatest variety of food, but when the dish arrived, it contained only fritters instead of the selection I had been led to believe was coming. I can only hope that my order was mixed up with another customer's, otherwise I must assume that the staff has no idea what is on the menu. Regardless, the fritters were excellent, freshly fried and hot out of the pan.
(10/22/10 12:00am)
Kubo's boasts the reputation of being one of the best sushi places in Houston, and for carnivores this is probably the case. But for vegetarians, Kubo's is rather dull. Don't get me wrong, the quality of the food is perfectly fine. It is the lack of variety that makes dinner at Kubo's a thoroughly uninspiring experience. The appetizers are predictable sushi-house fare, but on the whole tasty. The edamame is addictingly good; however, anyone can achieve the same result with a frozen package of store-bought edamame and a microwave and get a whole lot more beans for their buck. The seaweed salad is also excellent, but in no way unique - the taste is the same as anywhere else; the seaweed no more tender or flavorful. The only standout among the appetizers is the vegetable goma-ae, which consists of chilled, cooked broccoli, spinach and asparagus, coated with a sweet and tangy sesame sauce. The flavors are mild, yet complex, keeping you guessing as to the ingredients.
(10/08/10 12:00am)
Hobbit Cafe is one of those rare themed restaurants that manages to be cool without being annoying. The Lord of the Rings-themed decor is omnipresent, to be sure, yet subtle enough that it doesn't invade your dining experience like a horde of raging Orcs. A section of the menu features sandwiches with whimsical names such as Dwalin and Smaug's Delight, but most of the menu is that of a regular burger and sandwich cafe. Unlike your average hole- in-the-wall cafe, Hobbit's food is actually tasty. A glance at the menu shows sandwiches in two sizes, slim and regular, but don't be fooled - slim is so enormous I had to take half of my sandwich home, and I almost never do that. I can only imagine how big the regular sandwich is. Each plate also comes with a variety of sides - some for an extra charge - like fruit, a heaping pile of fries or potato chips or, oddly enough, a mound of shredded carrots. Considering the amount of food served on each plate, you definitely get your money's worth at Hobbit Cafe.Size issues aside, the quality of the food is tasty as well. The Bilbo the Magnificent sandwich is a lovely blend of soft guacamole and crunchy cucumber and actually manages to make sprouts taste good, which I thought was impossible. Hobbit's fries are well-seasoned, with just a hint of a kick.
(10/01/10 12:00am)
Upon entering Mi Luna, you are hit by a sheer wall of sound - the place reverberates with echoes of conversations, clinking of dishes from the kitchen and, above it all, the ever-present live music. Once seated, you have to shout across the table to be heard and calling a waiter over must be done through elaborate gesturing, as using your voice is almost ineffective. If you're looking for a quiet night out where you can sit and talk with friends, look elsewhere. But if you want great food at low prices, Mi Luna is the place to go.The menu is divided into cold and hot tapas dishes, with a small section at the bottom for paellas and rice dishes. Unfortunately, Mi Luna is not equipped with a separate vegetarian menu, forcing the vegetable-inclined to hunt through the menu for the veggie dishes. However, once found, there prove to be a good dozen vegetarian options with seven or eight vegan dishes as well - the beauty of Spanish cuisine being that it relies on olive oil far more than butter.
(09/24/10 12:00am)
Field of Greens is a health-conscious vegan's paradise. The atmosphere is laid-back, and the self-serve condiments include Braggs Liquid Aminos and Stevia packets that can be found right next to the unprocessed cane sugar. Counter service makes the place feel more like a café than a restaurant, but I like to call it a deli with benefits. Not only can you get more than just sandwiches - there is a full menu of food selections, just like a normal restaurant - but Field of Greens also offers a few salmon and tuna dishes, as well as classic vegetarian dishes like eggplant Parmesan, so you can bring along your less adventurous omnivorous friends without feeling like you're pressuring them into eating tofu.
(09/17/10 12:00am)
The vegetarian appetizers include the usual egg and spring rolls but also tasty little vegetable dumplings that can be served steamed, fried or both - they are more than happy to split an order. There are seven vegetarian dinner comªbos on the menu, such as string beans in spicy pepper sauce or broccoli and mushrooms in garlic sauce. Each combo comes with soup, an egg roll and your choice of fried rice or rice noodles. And the best part is that this feast rings in at a mere $8. If you're not in a combo mood, I would highly recªommend the clay pot dishes. The tofu, vegetable and black mushroom clay pot was so incredibly tasty that I literally couldn't stop eating it, even though I was already full from all of the appetizers. The flavors were perfectly blended, each taste melding into the others to create foodie heaven.
(09/10/10 12:00am)
Just a 15 minute walk from anywhere on campus, Pasha Turkish Restaurant is perfect for hungry Rice students looking for a rib-sticking ethnic meal on weeknights or during the weekend. And, as it turns out, it's also not a bad place for omnivores to take their vegetarian friends, or vice versa. Meat eaters will find a full array of entrees without condemning their vegetarian companions to yet another plate of wilted iceberg lettuce. Nearly all of the appetizers on Pasha's menu are vegetarian or vegan, and the large Pasha Meze platter - a mouth-watering selection of cold appetizers that includes hummus, babaganush and eggplant salad - is big enough to serve as an entree.
