While I’m a self-proclaimed flexitarian*, I also love checking out vegan or vegetarian restaurants. I like to make decisions about food based on my location, typically leaning toward vegetarian unless I’m able to eat locally raised/caught meat. I’m so lucky to live in New England, where I have access to a lot of local seafood that I consider sustainable enough to eat without (much) guilt.
That said, I love going to restaurants with a lot of vegan or vegetarian options so that I don’t feel like I need to make a decision on meat-or-no-meat. If there are vegetarian dishes that are equally as delicious as meat dishes, I opt for vegetarian. That way I don’t have to find out where the meat came from and/or feel guilty while I’m eating.
There’s a cool vegan restaurant, Veggie Fun, right down the street from my office that I’ve been wanting to try for a while. This week I’ve had a lot less time to meal prep, so I decided I’d eat there for lunch one day and take my leftovers for lunch the next day (does it count as meal prep if I’m preparing to eat my meals out?).
I ordered steamed vegetable dumplings and the eggplant string beans lunch special. I knew I would eat all the dumplings (because I literally cannot help myself), so the plan was to save the eggplant green beans for the next day’s lunch.
The steamed dumplings came in a perfect serving size and with a side of spicy garlic sauce. They were honestly some of the best veggie dumplings I’ve ever had. They were tasty on their own, but the sauce really sealed the deal. They had a great texture and consistency, although they fell apart quite easily. It didn’t matter much to me because I ate every morsel of them, broken or not!
My lunch special came with some miso soup, which was comforting, but by no means was it over-the-top delicious. But it was cold out and I loved the cozy, hot soup anyway. My main course was absolutely delightful to look at and I wanted to dig in right away. The vibrant eggplant and green beans were covered in a delicious spicy garlic sauce, which smelled like an absolute dream.
They served the main dish with a side of brown rice and a small spring roll. The serving size was perfect, but I was able to take home leftovers (yay!) because I got a filling appetizer. This veggie dish was made for me. At a typical Asian restaurant, I tend to order green beans as my main dish. They’re just the best! Adding in sautéed eggplant was a huge selling point for me. I love, love, loved this meal! It was tasty, filling, and re-heated really well for a nice leftover lunch the next day!
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On my next visit to Veggie Fun, I went for a lunch break with a co-worker and I ordered the exact. same. meal. I did this partially because I’m a creature of habit and partially because I couldn’t stop thinking about the eggplant and green bean dreaminess. This time, I added a hot tea because this Southern girl is having a rough time understanding how to function in the cold weather. I went with a delightful peach ginger tea, which definitely helped warm me up.
Veggie Fun was just as good the second time around, though the miso soup was significantly better this time. That’s a mystery, but it was a pleasant surprise. Looks like I found my new lunch spot!
Have you been to Veggie Fun yet? If not, check it out and tell me what you ordered!
*flexitarian (noun): mostly plant-based diet, with the occasional inclusion of animal products. I include
jane b. diener 