Moonlight Cafe

There is an unexpected surprise waiting in the Moonlight cafe: a full second menu that mirrors the regular menu except all of the dishes (Vietnamese, mostly and some chinese) are made with tofu and fake meat counterparts. As a vegetarian, it's fun to be able to order general tso's chick'n, and other standard fare that is usually reserved for meat.

The downside of the place is that it is also a lounge, and smoking seems to be allowed inside. Also, there is a stage and a giant screen set up for kareoke, which could be fun if you're expecting it, or distractingly loud (can't talk to your tablemates) if you're not.

In the future, I think I will carry-out my food.

Araya's

Arayas, which recently moved from its long time location on the Ave in the University district to a nearby location on 45th, is fantastic, sure to please both the vegan/vegetarian (who will be extatic at the amount of amazing choices avaialble) and their meat-loving friends (who may just forget about their desire for meat while they slurp down this awesome food that doesn't seem to lack anything) with their huge variety of delicious, fresh, spicy, saucy, noodle-y vegan dishes.

A perk of Arayas is that they do a great lunch buffet, for about $6-7, i think, during which you are allowed to graze amidst plates and plates of wonderful entrees and try all of the items. they also have really delicious tom yum soup.

This just might be my favorite restaurant in seattle, and I highly recommend it to anybody, vegetarian or otherwise!

Vege Restaurant

This little gem is in an unlikely location- right on the main throughfare in Poulsbo, about 10 minutes off of the Seattle-Poulsbo ferry.

They call themselves a vegetarian Vietnamese restaurant, but their menu extends beyond Vietnam and into China. They have a delicious Ma Po tofu that consists of tiny diced carrots and peas and little cubes of tofu in a spicy brown gravy. Their vegetables and fake-chicken in yellow curry is also really delicious.

If you're in the mood for a lighter fare, they have a range of cold rice noodle salads and spring rolls that are really good and refreshing.

The water that they serve comes with a twist of fresh lime juice, and they offer brown rice.

This place is fantastic, and each time i go in there I get the feeling like I want to tell everybdoy I know to go and fill the often sparcely populated restaurant with some soon to be sasified vegetarian hunger!!!

Agua Verde

Agua Verde is a real gem located right on the water near the University of Washington.

There are lots of great options: blackened catfish tacos, yam tacos, etc. My favorite thing to do is to order "3 Sides" which comes with 3 hot tortillas. Some of the options are: jalipeno mashed potatos, pozole, cilantro rice, jicama coleslaw and on. In addition, there is a fresh salsa bar which is always brimming with delicious fresh salsa options.

There are plently of good vegetarian options and what look like really good margaritas in addition to the usual non-alcoholic Jamaica, Horchata and lemonades.

Than Brothers

Than Brothers specialises in Pho, and they have a simple but long menu of all the different (and allegeidly delicious) meat options available.

What brings me to Than Brothers is their vegetarian pho, which is sort of difficult to find and definatly difficult to find a satisfying versian of.

The soup comes in inexpensive and large portions... a bowl of steaming vegetarian broth with lightly friend tofu strips, thin rice noodles, and mushrooms, onions and cilantro. Accompanying this bowl is a large plate of fresh basil, sprouts, lime wedges and jalipenos, meant to be added to the soup at the table. In addition, there is also the requisit Seracha pepper sauce, hoisen sauce, and pepper oil.

The end result is a really tasty body warming experience of a soup.

The kicker is that a delicious homemade creampuff comes with each bowl of pho.

The ambiance is clean and relativly simple, with lots of mirrors and light, and a few plants and alters and a fish tank.

Teapot Vegetarian House

345 15th Ave E
Seattle, WA 98112
(206) 325-1010
http://www.teapotvegetarianhouse.com/

I am super excited to have found this restaurant because it has a complete menu with all of the usual meat-required Asian favorites made with either tofu or meat substitutes.

All of the dishes that I've tried have been really tasty, though heavilly sauced and often salty. The mongolian Tofu is a delicious mix of friend tofu and scallions over a bed of crisp rice noodles covered in a slighly spicy rich brown sauce.

I've also enjoyed the tofu kung pao, which came to the table with a nice mix of chopped vegies and a generous helping of peanuts under a slightly spicy, slightly sweet sauce.

The vegetables in yellow curry are also good, though not quite as exciteing as the other dishes. What I really enojyed about this was the large chunks of vegetables (like cabbage) that were slowly stewed in the curry sauce.

The ambiance is pleasant... art on the walls, christmas tree lights, a shrine, but everytime i've been in there it is almost empty. I don't know if this is just my timeing, but it makes me nervous because I don't want this restaurant to be forced out of business- it really is a good find for a vegetarian/vegan looking for a tantilizeing choice of pan-asian options.

Gorditos Healthy Mexican Food

I think Gorditos is best known for the size of their burritos... they range from arm size to presto log size and really are jaw dropping to the unsuspecting. But the main reason that I love Gorditos is their tofu burrito, which completly holds its own rather than being a lame substitute for a meat version. The tofu burrito is full of steamy soft tofu chunks that have been grilled with onions and bellpeppers, whole beans, other good stuff, and then, if you order it wet, slathered with a nice layer of cheese and salsa and then put under a broiler until brown and bubbling.

I also love their salsa, which is served up warm from a heated vat and tastes smoky and charred. They have a salsa bar with all of the usual accompaniments... pickled onions and carrots, jalapenos, salsas... but the burritos are so delicious and saucy on their own a trip is hardly necessary unless there is a surplus of chips around.

The ordering experience can be a little bit chaotic... the place is usually busy and as you stand in line somebody makes their way down the line taking orders. As you slowly walk your way to the register, you pass by the bustle of a half dozen folks in a open cooking frenzy and you can see the magic that makes the food so delicious: lots of fresh ingredients sauteed, broiled, charred... Upon reaching the register, you pay, take a little paper maché donky with his own special name and your basket of hot chips and warm salsa, and find a table and wait for a server with your food to locate your donkey.

My only complaint is that in recent times everything has started to seem a bit too salty... I wonder if recipes have changed a little bit. Either way, the burritos here remain spectacular (a little fresh cool sour cream can soothe the salty tongue), and are really not even related to the refried-bean pupae burritos often available at other lesser establishments.

Honey Hole

The honey hole isn't an entirely vegetarian restaurant... in fact most of the menu consists of meat sandwiches. But the vegetarian options are so good they deserve special note (coming from a vegetarian tired of the usual sprout/tomato/creamcheese vegi sandwich.)

The grilled sandwiches are fantastic, and all come with a choice of fries or potato salad. (good fries.)

The beers come in unusually large glasses and are the perfect beverage for a leisirely afternoon people watching at this trendy local.

I love this place for thinking beyond the typical vegetarian sandwiches and offering us spicy mayo, grilled cheeses, all the gooodies we usually have to envy from afar.