Vegan Eats at The Gypsy Den

Posted by socalvegangal in Omnivorous Restaurant, Orange County May 9, 2012

The Gypsy Den is one of those omnivorous, hipster restaurants with vegan options. They have two locations – one located in Costa Mesa and one located in Santa Ana. I went to the Costa Mesa location and was delighted by the cozy cafe atmosphere. They have a large menu and bakery display case, but only a few vegan choices.

I got the Chipotle and Avocado Vegan Chicken Wrap ($9) – soy chicken, chipotle cream, salsa, avocado, and spinach in a whole wheat wrap. I am not a huge fan of overly spicy food items, but could handle this one. And when things got too hot, I’d just take a breather and have a few chips. I love wraps and would order this one again.

Chipotle and Avocado Vegan Chicken Wrap

My vegan guy got the other vegan lunch option: the Veggie Burger ($9) – vegan patty on a grilled wheat bun with lettuce, avocado and salsa. He also opted to add vegan bacon. We both thought the same thing – it needed some sort of sauce. A little bit of vegan mayo would have done it. Other than being kind of on the dry side without the sauce, it was good.

Veggie Burger

After dinner, my sweet tooth kicked in, so I got the Mocha Cupcake ($2.75). I thought it was also a little on the dry side and a bit too dense. It had a nice flavor, though.

Mocha Cupcake

Be prepared for the many naked women paintings around the Costa Mesa location. I was a little irked by that. Come on Gypsy Den, where’s the men? Why does nudity always seem so focused on women? Let’s get some equal opportunities for our male counterparts up on your walls.

The Gypsy Den is located at:

2930 Bristol St.
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Open 8am – 11pm daily

125 N. Broadway Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Monday – Wednesday 8am- 10pm
Thursday – Saturday 8am – 11pm
Sunday 8am – 9pm

Freesoulcaffe in Tustin

Posted by socalvegangal in Dessert, Orange County, Veg Restaurant April 25, 2012

I really love Freesoulcaffe. Their menu includes soups, salads, and sandwiches. They have a delicious breakfast menu (more on that in another post) and they have a huge bakery display case full of delicious treats. They’re located in the quaint area of historic downtown Tustin. You can fill up at Freesoulcaffe and then walk around this really cute area.

I had heard so many good things about the Butternut Squash Soup. Luckily it was the soup of the day on the day I went. You get a giant bowl of this delicious soup with a side of bread and vegan margarine. Everything about this dish I loved. So creamy and so flavorful! The bread was also very wonderful – crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.

Butternut Squash Soup

For my entree, I got the BLT. You can get a half sandwich or full sandwich. I got the full sandwich – which comes with a side salad. I love how they prepare their “bacon.” It’s kind of greasy like real bacon gets, but not in the clog your arteries sort of way.

BLT

I went with a group, so I got a bunch of desserts to share (but really I could have eaten them all myself). First was their Pumpkin Cheesecake. Between the two cheesecakes, this was the group’s favorite. It was very pumpkin-y and creamy.

Pumpkin Cheesecake

The Oreo Cheesecake was still very good – just as creamy as the pumpkin, but was the more plain of the two.

Oreo Cheesecake

The Mocha Cream Pie was absolutely delicious! I thought the crust was on the bitter side, but the mocha cream filling and the whipped topping were so amazing! The creaminess of both left that fatty feel on your tongue like how dairy cream always did. Truly decadent. I need to figure out how they did this.

Mocha Cream Pie

I also got a Brownie and Peanut Butter Blondie to-go. Both were super good. The brownie had a good amount of chocolate flavor without being bitter and the peanut butter blondie had a nice dense texture and wonderful peanut butter flavor.

Brownie and Peanut Butter Blondie

If Freesoulcaffe were closer to me, I’d be here all the time. It’s at the top of my list of favorite Orange County Veg*n Restaurants. You can check it out at:

191 East Main Street Suite 1B
Tustin, CA 92780
714.371.0976

Their hours are: Monday – Saturday: 9am-9pm (closed on Sundays) and they serve breakfast until 11am.

Cleanse from Earthly Juices in Tustin

Posted by socalvegangal in Orange County, Packaged Food, Raw, Veg Restaurant April 21, 2012

After I finished my three day Detox Food Box from Leaf Cuisine, I took on a two day cleanse from Earthly Juices in Tustin. Of course I purchased this from Groupon (I’ve gone buying crazy on Groupon). I paid $99 for this two day drink feast, which they value at $199.

In this deal, I was supposed to get:

2 quarts of nut- and dairy-free sprouted green smoothies
2 quarts of liver-detox tea
2 quarts of alkalizing green drinks
One raw detox soup
Two signature colon-sweep salads

Day 1 started with a Green Smoothie (sprouts, mango, celery, pineapple, banana, apple, and avocado). My green juice on the Leaf Cuisine detox plan was really gross, so I was not looking forward to more of the green stuff. Surprisingly, this smoothie was delicious. I like how they have more fruit in their drinks – making it a lot more palatable for me.

I was told to drink the Green Smoothie and the Green Drink by lunchtime, so almost immediately after I finished the Green Smoothie, I started the Green Drink (apple, lemon, ginger, parsley, and kale). I’m not sure why they call it a green “drink,” but I’m thinking it’s part smoothie and part juice. Either way, I liked it. It was sweet with a hint of citrus and ginger.

Another recommendation was to drink the tea throughout the day (and then fill the empty jar with water and drink that too). I am not a tea drinker, so having to drink a quart of the stuff each day was going to be tough. The Rootbeer Tea I received for Day 1 wasn’t going to make it easy on me, either (very strong). Of all the things I got from Leaf Cuisine and now from Earthly Juices – the tea was the worst.

Day 1: (left to right) Rootbeer Tea, Green Smoothie, Green Drink

My mid-day snack was a small Cabbage Salad. I liked this. The cabbage had a sweet dressing on it – perfect for me and my sweet tooth.

Cabbage Salad

For dinner, I was told to have half of the jar of soup provided on Day 1 and half on Day 2. The listing of food to be provided said I was going to receive a raw soup, but this one was to be heated. I’m not a raw foodist, so I was excited to have something warm, but buyer beware: the soups are not raw at Earthly Juices. The soup I got in my cleanse was a Red Lentil Dal. I had gone to India a few years ago and all I seemed to eat there was yellow, mushy food. I was so sick of it, that even mentioning Indian food now makes me slightly gag. I was not looking forward to this soup. Oh. Wow. It was one of the best lentil dishes I’ve ever eaten! I shoved this meal into my mouth at lightning speed. I’m definitely going back to Earthly Juices when this is offered as their daily soup.

Red Lentil Dal

I didn’t go to bed hungry on Day 1 and was looking forward to the offerings on Day 2 (except the tea!). In my cleanse I received a Protein Smoothie (no ingredients listed but I saw the guy make it – bananas, cinnamon, protein powder?, some kind of sweetener). I don’t even know if I was to received this, as it was not listed in the items I was to get (see above). Either way, I was told I could have some for breakfast. It was like a dessert! I loved this! There was so much cinnamon – I’m going back often for this smoothie.

I also got another Green Smoothie (sprouts, mango, pineapple, celery, parsley, and avocado). It wasn’t as sweet as Day 1 (I think it was more avocado-y), but I still really liked it.

And another Green Drink (cucumber, apple, lime, fennel, and celery). This was my least favorite of the green drinks, but it still wasn’t bad. I don’t like cucumbers, but it wasn’t an extremely prominent flavor.

And my last tea: Peppermint Mate Tea. I’m still not liking tea and this one reminded me of drinking mouthwash (the peppermint was really strong).

Day 2: (left to right) Green Drink, Green Smoothie, Peppermint Mate Tea, Protein Smoothie

My late lunch was a Kale Salad. It was nice. It wasn’t too bitter, it had enough dressing, and the nuts were good at adding more texture.

Kale Salad

I finished off Day 2 with more of that amazing Red Lentil Dal and some Protein Smoothie for dessert. Yum! A great way to end a cleanse.

Earthly Juices has a retail location in Tustin and has an atmosphere of a coffee shop. There aren’t many tables, but a lot of comfy couches to sit on and hang out. They have a very small menu of juices, smoothies, a soup of the day, and some raw salads/entrees. All of their menu is vegan (except for cow kefir) and raw (except for the heated soup of the day). They serve their drinks in quart or pint mason jars. If you bring in your own jar, it’ll save you money (I think $1 off the drink).

Earthly Juices has many cleanses available. I loved what I got on my cleanse and would recommend it to anyone. I do think that they over valued the cleanse I bought through Groupon. They said it has a value of $199, but the 2-day cleanse I saw on their website that costs $199 has 10 quarts of Earthly Juices and 25 enzymes. I was only to receive 6 quarts and I don’t think I got any enzymes (nothing was listed on the ingredients to the drinks). I still don’t think I overspent on this deal, but I’m positive I didn’t get the value of $199.

They don’t have a menu on their website, but the menu they provided to Groupon is here: Earthly Juices Menu. I compared the Groupon menu to the menu at the store and I’m pretty sure that whole second page is not offered (maybe special order?). You’ll have to go to the store to really see what they offer, but at least it’ll give you an idea.

OC Restaurant Week at 118 Degrees

Posted by socalvegangal in Orange County, Raw, Veg Restaurant February 29, 2012

OC Restaurant Week is going on this week and is offering wonderful discounts. Luckily for vegans, we have some options. I went to 118 Degrees in Costa Mesa for a $10 lunch special. 118 Degrees is an all raw-all vegan restaurant (although I think they might have bee products in some smoothies).

Their Restaurant Week lunch menu included:

CA Pear and Walnut Salad (Organic Mixed Greens with Crisp Marinated Pears and Walnuts, topped with our famous Sweet Mustard Dressing.)

Choice of:

Sicilian Focaccia on our house made sprouted buckwheat crust topped with onions, olives, sun-dried tomato
and sweet macadamia cheese.

Fried Avocado Hand-Helds in a Nappa Cabbage Leaf with our Tahini Cheese, Chopped Organic Spinach, Diced Cucumber, and Flax Rolled Avocado.

Dessert Duo, Daily Selection of Dessert Bites from our House Selection of Popular Desserts

My dining partner and I got one of each entree and ended up splitting them.

$10 Lunch Special with Fried Avocado

The salad was simple and the pears added a nice bit of sweetness. I love the “fried” avocados at 118 Degrees so I was excited to get it in a handheld. Although it didn’t end up being eaten in handheld form, it was still delicious. The daily dessert duo ended up being their brownie and apple cobbler. The brownie was more like fudge. I loved the texture, but I find raw chocolate to be too bitter for me. I also wasn’t a big fan of the apple cobbler. I love baked apple cobblers, but since this was a raw dessert, I’m assuming they dehydrated their apples. I was never a fan of dried apples, which is why I could have passed on this dessert. The crust was good, though.

$10 Lunch Special with Sicilian Focaccia

As far as the sicilian focaccia dish went – I actually didn’t have high hopes for this one. I was concerned that the crust was going to be bad (I’ve had bad experiences with raw items trying to replace bread). I ended up really liking their focaccia. The topping of greens was also wonderful.

If you are in the area, I’d highly recommend stopping by for this fantastic deal. They have a separate dinner special for $20. You can get all the information at the OC Restaurant Week’s website. The deals end March 3rd, so you better get over there!

Note: Avanti Cafe also is having OC Restaurant Week deals and includes some vegan options. See their options here.

Killer Breakfast Sandwich at Seabirds Food Truck

Posted by socalvegangal in Food Truck, Orange County February 25, 2012

Holy Shih-Tzu! I went today to the SoCo Farmers Market and got the breakfast croissant sandwich at Seabirds Food Truck. So good. This thing was made with homemade (by Seabirds!) croissant, tofu egg, heirloom tomato, avocado, and basil pesto aioli. This croissant was amazing. Super fatty (in a good way) – not dry like some croissants sold. Vegans out there know how hard it is to find vegan croissants. Thank you Seabirds for filling that void. I hope to see it on the menu again!

Breakfast Croissant Sandwich – $7

But of course I wanted to try something else, so I got the Chipotle BBQ Jack Tacos. These babies are loaded with grilled jackfruit and topped with cabbage slaw. They were kind of too spicy for me (I’m weak), but still oh so good. I would have loved these without the “chipotle.” The jackfruit was perfectly marinated and the creamy slaw was a great balance to the spicy and sweet BBQ.

Chipotle BBQ Jack Tacos – 2 for $7

It’s only noon, so you still have 2 hours to get over there and get one!

Follow Seabirds on Facebook or Twitter.

Vegan Vietnamese at Thuyen Vien

Posted by socalvegangal in Orange County, Veg Restaurant February 23, 2012

In 2007, OC Weekly gave Thuyen Vien the honor of Best Pho. This is not among vegetarian pho only – it’s out of all the places that serve pho! I can tell you from experience, their pho is very tasty (although I’ve never had conventional pho and can’t compare it to that). My trips to Thuyen Vien always come with the dilemma of ordering their amazing pho, or ordering one of their many other tasty dishes. This trip I went with the latter.

First up were the Steamed Jicama Rolls served with Peanut Sauce. I love non-fried rolls drenched in peanut sauce and these did not disappoint! I don’t remember if there was tofu or some kind of fake meat in the middle, but also included were jicama slices, carrots, and greens. Yummy and refreshing!

Steamed Jicama Rolls – $5.50

For my entree, I ordered the Crispy Soy Fish with Ginger Sauce. I’ve had this before when I dined with a large group and everyone I was with absolutely loved this one. It has an interesting texture and is covered in seaweed. I’m a big fan, but I can see why it might not be for everyone.

Thuyen Vien Crispy Soy Fish with Ginger Sauce

Crispy Soy Fish with Ginger Sauce – $7.95

I also had a taste of my fellow diner’s entree: Garlic Chicken. The chicken was chewy and the dish was a bit spicy, but all-in-all, it had a great flavor.

Garlic Chicken- $6.95

I also ordered their BBQ Shredded Tofu and Eggrolls Vermicelli with Grilled Pork (that’s a mouthful!) to-go for my vegan guy. Turns out, this one has lots of onions (something my guy avoids for personal reasons), so he didn’t eat it. I ate it the next day and thought it was just ok. This type of dish isn’t something I’m a huge fan of and wouldn’t order it on my own. The noodles were plain and the rest had some flavor, but had gotten mushy while sitting in the fridge overnight. It came with a very liquidy sauce to pour over the noodles, but it just wasn’t enough for me to really enjoy it (I’m a fan of thicker/more flavorful sauces on my noodle dishes). If you are a frequent orderer of this particular “vermicelli noodle with egg roll” type dish, then you might like it, though.

Thuyen Vien Vermicelli Noodles with Grilled Pork

Vermicelli Noodles with Grilled Pork – $6.95

Thuyen Vien is all vegetarian and mostly vegan (any non-vegan dishes are marked “NV”). The sign outside says “Pho Veggie” so look for that. The parking lot is smaller, but I have never had a problem parking in it. It is located at:

1740 S Euclid St
Anaheim, CA 92802
(714) 490-0242

Mon:5:00 pm-9:00 pm
Tue – Fri:10 am-2:30 pm and 5 pm-9 pm
Sat – Sun:10 am-9 pm

Yelp Page
Facebook

Valentine’s Special at Native Foods

Posted by socalvegangal in Dessert, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, Veg Restaurant February 15, 2012

I heard about the Native Foods Valentine’s Special and had to get it. Luckily, a new location had just opened at Fashion Island in Newport Beach, which is a lot closer to me than the locations in Costa Mesa or Tustin.

The Valentine’s Special included vegetable lasagna layered with tofu ricotta, roasted portobellos, greens, and a fresh marinara and topped with Native cashew parmesan. It was served with a Caesar salad and garlic bread. I loved the garlic bread – it was the best part. The Caesar salad was also good. The lasagna, on the other hand, was slightly lacking on the flavor. I found that the large pieces of portobello mushrooms and kale took over and I had wished there were more cheese and spices.

Valentine’s Special – Lasagna, Garlic Bread, and Caesar Salad – $9.95

The tiramisu wasn’t how I remembered tiramisu. Prepared with espresso soaked vanilla cake with vegan mascarpone and shaved chocolate. The vanilla cake was what I remembered angel food cake to be – kind of spongey and light on flavor. The espresso made the edges of the cake soggy – not good. The mascarpone reminded me of marshmallow fluff – thick and sticky. It was smooth, but the texture threw me off. Not creamy how I remember the real stuff to be. The whole thing was just ok. It was a lightly sweet dessert for those who like that sort of thing.

Tiramisu – $2.95

All in all, I’m not sure if I’d order this again if it appeared on the regular menu. I am still very excited about the new Fashion Island location. There are a few new items that I am wanting to try and will definitely be back to order these.

Native Foods has been opening new locations all over the place. Check out their website to see if one is near you.

Vegan Cookies at Robeks

Posted by socalvegangal in Dessert, Inland Empire, Los Angeles, Orange County, Packaged Food February 10, 2012

I had heard a few years ago that Robeks juice was offering vegan cookies. Since I never go there and there aren’t many locations near me, I never checked it out. I finally came across a Robeks and decided to try these vegan cookies. They are made by Lenny & Larry’s and claim to be a healthier cookie. You can see the nutrition information at their website. These cookies are quite big and very filling- a great steal at only two bucks.

I went with the Peanut Butter and the Chocolate Chip. Also available were Lemon Poppyseed and Oatmeal Raisin. I thought the peanut butter had an off flavor – maybe it was the peanut butter they used? The chocolate chip was much better. I didn’t taste any off flavor in this one. They both were very soft, so be careful if you are packing these guys away – they break apart easily.

Cookies at Robeks

Au Lac in Fountain Valley

Posted by socalvegangal in Orange County, Raw, Veg Restaurant February 3, 2012

I recently went with a group to Au Lac in Fountain Valley. This restaurant is great, because it has a huge menu with Vietnamese style cooked foods and extravagant raw foods. It is also great for people living in Orange County, because it is centralized within the county.

I started off with the BBQ Pork Rolls with rice paper, barbecued soy pork, chive, pickled daikon and carrot, and served with a peanut sauce for dipping. This thing was stuffed with fake pork, so don’t order it if you aren’t into the fake meats. I liked that it was sliced for sharing (I was with a group, after all). I love peanut sauces, and this one did not disappoint (although I do wish they gave a bit more). As for the roll, itself, I liked it, but I actually think I would have liked a tofu-based roll instead. It was too fake-meaty for me.

BBQ Pork Rolls – $4

For my entree, I ordered the Stir-Fried Soy Seafood Noodles with yellow noodle, soy seafood, stir-fried bok choy, snow pea, napa cabbage, and shiitake sauce. The menu declared that the noodles were crispy, but I guess I wasn’t expecting the “bird’s nest” style noodles. Luckily, after sitting in the sauce for awhile, the noodles softened up. I like that this dish is not just vegetables and not just fake meat but a hearty combination of both. I still wish it was a soft, non-fried noodle, but the flavor was still excellent.

Stir Fried Seafood Noodles – $10

Because I was with a large group, we ended up ordering a few desserts and sharing them. All of their desserts are raw and all are perfectly sliced for sharing. Our group went with Choconut X-tasy, Donut Holes, and Rainbow in the Sky. The Choconut x-tasy was my favorite (it’s also the one I always order when at Au Lac). It is described only as pecans and cocoa powder, but I’m sure there is more to it than that. It is served slightly cold and tastes like a kind of creamy ice cream-type dessert. The donut holes were a recommendation by a friend and contain a healthy dose of spirulina, coconut, and macadamia nuts. I personally liked them, but I can see that they might not be for everyone (maybe on the account of the spirulina taste). It’s a doughy ball with a gooey chocolate filling and coated in a very fine coconut sugar. The advice given to me before eating this was to not inhale when putting this ball into your mouth – as the fine coconut sugar will get stuck in your lungs. Lastly, the Rainbow in the Sky might have been my least favorite, but still very good. It contains blueberries, spirulina, jackfruit, raspberries, dates, and pecans. I’m less of a fruity dessert type of person, which is why I liked it least.

Choconut X-tasy (Raw) – $7

Donut Holes (Raw) – $7

Rainbow in the Sky (Raw) – $7

Au Lac is in a small complex with a hodge-podge of businesses. It looks very generic from the outside, but inside they have renovated it to be very sleek. They have gone with a black and red theme with modern porcelain tableware and low lighting. Once inside, it’s a very sexy place to take your date. Some of my group are mostly raw in their personal diets and they raved about the raw menu here. Au Lac also has a large elixir menu to help fix any of your aliments. The parking is very easy and the location is close to the 405 freeway. A definite must for anyone in the Orange County area.

Au Lac

Au Lac
16563 Brookhurst St
Fountain Valley, CA 92708
714-418-0658

Tuesday-Sunday
Lunch 11:33 am – 3:33 pm
Dinner 5:33 pm – 9:33 pm

So Cal Vegan Gal

Category Archives: Orange County