Heiwa Shokudo

For the last day of Vegan Mofo, I want to share pictures from a fantastic local Japanese restaurant, Heiwa Shokudo.

My boyfriend and I have been there before, albeit a very long time ago. When we decided to eat out Friday night, he suggested sushi, and I instantly wanted some.

Heiwa is a pretty small restaurant with less than 10 tables, and is located at the edge of downtown Asheville. It’s laid-back but classy at the same time. The staff is super friendly and service is really quick.

To start off the meal, we ordered warm sake (the first of 3!).

We both love sake, so much so that along with the 3 glasses we ordered at Heiwa, we proceeded to pick some up on the way home also. It was so warming on such a cold, rainy night.

As an appetizer we ordered the vegetable gyoza. I loved their emerald green color, and of course they were delicious.

For my entrée I had a spicy tempeh roll and a pickled vegetable roll. The pickled vegetable roll was pretty good, nothing too exciting. The spicy tempeh roll, however, is probably the best sushi I’ve ever had. It’s spicy, but not so much that it makes you sweat, and very savory, and it’s wrapped in avocado. Plus, it is served beautifully, garnished with thinly sliced scallions and sesame seeds (the top roll in the picture below). I mentioned to the waitress after dinner that it was delicious, and she said that she and another waitress had thought it up to get her friend’s tempeh on the menu. I’m glad they created it – I’ll definitely be back to order it again.

I really like that they offer all their rolls with white or brown rice. I chose brown rice for these rolls because I’m always happy to add a little more nutritional value to my meal.

So, what’s the best sushi you’ve ever had?

Chipotle Mujadara, & Fall Colors

When I want something filling, cheap, and that travels well to work, I make Mujadara. Mujadara is a Middle Eastern dish consisting of lentils, a grain, and roasted or caramelized onions.

I almost always use the recipe in Veganomicon because of it’s simplicity, and because I think the spices are spot-on. This time, however, I twisted things up a bit by adding chopped chipotle and adobo sauce to the caramelized onions. It added a great kick to the dish, and made it a little more exciting.

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Over the last week or so here in Asheville, the leaves have quickly turned from green to red, yellow, and orange. It’s quite beautiful. I wanted to share a few pictures with you.

My front yard

From the Blue Ridge Parkway

Another from the Parkway

I love fall. 🙂

 

Kathmandu

David and I had dinner with Pamela and Scott (of Wingbean) last Friday night at Kathmandu, a Himalayan restaurant in downtown Asheville, N.C. I’d been wanting to try this place out since it opened (last year, I think), but just never got around to it.

Even though it was really pricey and not a place I would go to often for that reason ($60 for two people), it was certainly delicious. The atmosphere was so warm, and as soon as we walked through the door you were hit with the scent of spices from an Indian kitchen. The walls are painted red and adorned with artifacts (real or fake, I’m not sure) from the Himalayan region.

The staff was very helpful, and incredibly knowledgable about the ingredients in all of the dishes. Our waitress (and the couple of other staff members who assisted us during our meal – customer service at this place is incredible!) knew exactly what we needed when we specified that we wanted vegan meals. Also, according to their website, they grind all their own spices and use local ingredients, which is super rad.

We ended up sharing two appetizers, were both deep-fried goodness. For some reason I can’t remember exactly what we got, but I’m pretty sure it was a plate of samosas and another of vegetable pakora.

I decided on the Vege chau chau, a Tibetan noodle dish with garlic, ginger, and vegetables. I also had a few Lhasa beers, which comes with a feeling of having made a small contribution to a good cause – 10% of the profits go to a Tibetan organization.

The dinner was delicious, the staff were incredibly friendly and knowledgable, the atmosphere was cozy. This would be a fabulous place for a date. Or for a double date with awesome people. Like Pamela…

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Gena at Choosing Raw has a really interesting post on the connection between veganism and getting animal-derived vaccinations.

Vegan bacon chocolate?

Don’t forget to like Ahimsa on Facebook. 🙂

Wingbean

For folks living in Asheville, NC, an exciting new food option has been created. Wingbean, a vegan food delivery company, will deliver delicious vegan meals to your door.

For $70, you can order “3 entrees, 4 side dishes, a large soup, and a small dessert” (from their website), which will certainly help busy people eat healthy, organic food without the stress of cooking it yourself. Meals are delivered on Mondays right to your door.

Chick Pea of the Sea

There’s a different menu for every new week, so you’ll never have to face eating the same thing over and over.  There are also gluten-free options available. The dishes are beautiful, and I’m sure all of them are incredibly delicious. I’ve had plenty of food prepared by Pamela, and I’ve never been disappointed.

Portobello Steak with Tapenade and Roasted Red Pepper "Cream" Sauce

This would be a fantastic option for people who are too busy too cook, for people who just hate to cook or don’t know how, or people who don’t have access to a kitchen (like students), but who still want to be able to enjoy home-cooked food. Wingbean’s owners, Scott and Pamela, are both gracious, friendly people, so customer service is always going to be great.

Mini BBQ Tofu

To read more about Wingbean, and their services (and to place an order, which you should), take a look at their website and Facebook page, the links to which are below. Their menu for next week looks delicious. 🙂

Wingbean
Facebook 
This week’s menu 

(And thanks for Pamela for permission to share some pictures here!!)

 

 

Green Light Cafe

Today is the first day of Vegan Mofo, a month-long blogging frenzy centered around vegan food. There’s an incredibly long list of blogs participating, and I’m excited to be among them.

For today, I want to review a great vegetarian restaurant in Asheville, Green Light Cafe. It’s a fairly new restaurant, opening in 2010 in downtown Asheville. I’ve been there a few times, and each plate I tried was just as good as the others.

The atmosphere is chill and cozy. It’s rarely crowded, which I’ve never been comfortable about. I would love to see this restaurant crowded and business booming, but all the times I’ve been there it’s been slow. Hopefully it’s because I tend to go before or after main meal times; I really want to see this place succeed.

When you sit down you’re served this emerald-green water, which is made from chlorophyll. It tastes just like regular water, but the color is great to look at.

All the entrees are served with a house salad, which you can see above. This is the sesame peanut ginger dressing, which is delicious. The lemon tahini is also a good choice. I love the inclusion of sprouts and baby greens in their salads.

(Sorry about the blurriness – I was anxious to eat by now!)

I ordered the Thai Vegetable Crepe, which is “sautéed veggies and gingered baked tofu wrapped in a spelt flax crepe, topped with sesame peanut ginger sauce and served with rice.” It was delicious.

My boyfriend ordered what is without a doubt the best thing there: the Citrus BBQ Bowl. “Savory soy nuggets, coleslaw, and rice. Can also be wrapped in a wheat tortilla with dill aioli.” The soy nuggets are perfectly chewy and meaty, with a great BBQ sauce.

Green Light Cafe is located on Lexington Ave in downtown Asheville. Be sure to try it out if you visit. It’s just one of many delicious vegetarian/vegan restaurants in this amazing town. I’m sure my boyfriend and I will be going back again and again.

Aren't we adorable? 😉

Nine Mile

Nine Mile is without a doubt my favorite Asheville restaurant. It’s located just outside of the downtown area, in the gorgeous town of Montford. They serve Carribean-inspired food, and many of the dishes are either vegan or can be made vegan on request. Every entree comes with a side salad with your choice of dressing (the mango vinaigrette is off the chain) and a slice of locally-made bread (from City Bakery if you’re ever in town).

The atmosphere of the restaurant is lovely. It’s pretty small, which just makes it feel super comfortable. The lighting is dim and romantic, on weekends there is live music, and if you sit in the right spot you can watch the kitchen (ok, so maybe that’s not so important to everyone but I like to watch!). There’s also a nice selection of beer and teas.

Over the multiple times I’ve ate there, I’ve tried four of their vegan dishes: the Jamaican Me Thirsty, More Fyah!, the Nine Mile, and the Irie Ites. The best by far is the Irie Ites. It’s pasta tossed with veggies and a delicious vegan pesto. As you eat your way through the pasta the pesto actually gets creamier and tastier with every bite. My boyfriend suggested that this happens as it cools, and I think he may be on to something.

The other three dishes are spicy, vegetable filled dishes with tofu. You have a choice of rice, pasta, cucumber noodles or quinoa elbow macaroni noodles. I always opt for the pasta because you get a ton of food, and I love having leftovers to remind myself of the delicious food I had the night before. Also, and most importantly, they really know how to cook tofu. It’s perfect every time.

Natty Bread

Green salad with mango vinaigrette

Jamaican Me Thristy

Nine Mile

Even though the food costs a tiny bit more than what I would normally pay during dinner, it’s completely worth it. I love recommending this place to people. Word of such deliciousness should be shared.