After a stressful week of finals, and putting muchos junk into my body (my mantra was basically “whatever it takes to keep on going” – not a good idea if you’re trying to avoid the freshman fifteen!), I was ready to celebrate the end of the school year with some healthy, nourishing food. Peacefood Cafe, at 460 Amsterdam (at 82nd Street) more than satisfied my desire. The atmosphere of this vegan restaurant was open and inviting; pastel colors, lush green plants, and plenty of windows welcomed me back to the world of the living.
My friend Carlyn and I split three side dishes: chickpea fries, baked soy nuggets, and pan-seared shanghai-style dumplings. All the food tasted healthy, even restorative. The chickpea fries were delightfully and unexpectedly spicy, and came with a creamy, cool house dipping sauce to contrast the bite. I liked that the soy nuggets were baked instead of fried; they might have been comfort food, but they were nonetheless healthy. The nuggets were served with a fresh herbed vegan mayo. The homemade dumplings are filled with Chinese chives, shitake & wood ear mushrooms, marinated tofu and vegetarian protein, served with a ginger balsamic dipping sauce. When I read the description on the menu I was a little hesitant – Could these dissimilar flavors actually taste good together? Well, I needn’t have worried. The dumplings were by far the most delicious item ordered. Tender and slightly crispy on the outside, the mushroom flavor dominated the filling, and the acidity of the dipping sauce perfectly complimented the dumplings. They tasted truly homemade. All the dishes came with crunchy, fresh sprouts.
Yummy and nutritious, I like to think that this meal helped redeem my week of unhealthy eating. While Peacefood Cafe might be a vegan restaurant, it’s certainly not just for vegans – I recommend this restaurant to everyone, carnivores included.
My friend Carlyn and I split three side dishes: chickpea fries, baked soy nuggets, and pan-seared shanghai-style dumplings. All the food tasted healthy, even restorative. The chickpea fries were delightfully and unexpectedly spicy, and came with a creamy, cool house dipping sauce to contrast the bite. I liked that the soy nuggets were baked instead of fried; they might have been comfort food, but they were nonetheless healthy. The nuggets were served with a fresh herbed vegan mayo. The homemade dumplings are filled with Chinese chives, shitake & wood ear mushrooms, marinated tofu and vegetarian protein, served with a ginger balsamic dipping sauce. When I read the description on the menu I was a little hesitant – Could these dissimilar flavors actually taste good together? Well, I needn’t have worried. The dumplings were by far the most delicious item ordered. Tender and slightly crispy on the outside, the mushroom flavor dominated the filling, and the acidity of the dipping sauce perfectly complimented the dumplings. They tasted truly homemade. All the dishes came with crunchy, fresh sprouts.
Yummy and nutritious, I like to think that this meal helped redeem my week of unhealthy eating. While Peacefood Cafe might be a vegan restaurant, it’s certainly not just for vegans – I recommend this restaurant to everyone, carnivores included.
