Central Vegetarian Cuisine – 1613 Park Street, Alameda, CA 94501 – (510) 522-3745

February 3, 2013 – Central Vegetarian Cuisine serves all types of Asian-style vegetarian and vegan dishes. The food is very fresh and light and expertly prepared. Greta says, “I like Central Vegetarian Cuisine, not only because I am a vegetarian, but because it tastes good and I don’t always have to make excuses for not eating meat.” We visited on Superbowl Sunday, so we didn’t have too much competition for tables. The restaurant is very good at making faux meats.

Here is what is substituted for the animals:

Chicken/Beef: soy protein, wheat gluten, starch

Lamb: root of shitake mushroom

Shrimp: yam and yam flour

Shrimp (breaded): soy protein, wheat gluten, corn starch, flour

Salmon/Fish: soy, wheat, starch seaweed

Bean curd fish: bean curd, seaweed

We were originally a bit apprehensive, but left the restaurant very impressed.

We had:

• Pot stickers – Greta says, “The pot stickers have an exquisite taste.” They were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Instead of pork, there was ground tofu and seasonings. Very delicious.

• Won ton soup – Very fresh and delicious with a basil-flavored broth. Lots of vegetables, and very good won tons. Vera says, “It was very good. I liked the broth.”

Sesame eggplant tofu

• Sesame eggplant tofu – Greta and Vera were a little suspicious of the eggplant. But they tried it and found it to be good. Others in our party loved it.

  

  Before trying eggplant

  

  

  After trying eggplant

  

Before trying eggplant

After trying eggplant

  

• Vegetables in black bean sauce – Fred says, “Nice and fresh, light tasting, didn’t coat your palate like lard.”

• Cashew nuts with vegetarian shrimp – Jen says, “I loved this dish and the faux meat was extremely convincing. The sauce was deliciously sweet and full of some great vegetables.”

Vegetarian shrimp

Vegetables in black bean sauce

    

• White rice and brown rice - Vera says, “I really liked the white rice and Thai Iced Tea.”
• Thai iced tea and Vietnamese iced coffee – You can order the vegan or non-vegan. We ordered the non-vegan and they were delicious.
• Coconut juice – Greta says, “The coconut juice came in a real young coconut so you can also have the coconut meat from the inside. It was good. 5 out of 5.”

• Banana wontons and carrot cake – We were treated to some vegan desserts. Vera says, “I really liked the dessert at the end because it was free.”

Compost Report – Central Vegetarian Cuisine is on the MASC program and recycles and composts. We told them that we were friends of Jessica’s and asked if they needed any more training or equipment. Our waiter told us that everything was going very well. They have reduced their trash volumes (and reduced costs) and it just takes a little extra effort to keep materials separated.

So, please go to Central Vegetarian Cuisine and try the delicious, fresh vegetarian and vegan dishes. You will really like it. And don’t forget to thank them for composting!