I ♥ Vegan New York

Will walk for vegan food: On a beautiful afternoon, I strolled from Brooklyn to Manhattan to check out Nix, a new casual restaurant from Michelin-starred chef John Fraser. The attention to detail–from the space to the water to the service to the, of course, the menu–was impeccable. First, from my walk over the Manhattan Bridge…

Manhattan’s Chinatown

The vegan version of the menu.Next up: libations. Soft, pillowy, oiled and seasoned Tandoor bread with two dips: spiced eggplant & cilantro and avocado, mint & curry. Heavenly… and a sign of things to come. These simple ingredients are prepared with such skill and understanding of flavor.   The “lighter” Haricots Vert salad with paper thin slices of golden beet, kohlrabi pieces, and a flurry of horseradish and hijiki. This really awoke the palate. Spectacular.   Next, a “bolder” Tofu Skin pockets with a butternut squash, quinoa and tomatillo-pepita salsa. These may not photograph well, but they are absolutely delicious. With a spritz of lime, they hit every note you want hit. The also “bold” cauliflower tempura… an interactive dish, the yummy “it” vegetable is served with soft, steamed buns and a variety of pickled goodies. Make your own Bao. Another dreamy dish.. but I wish we hadn’t opted for that second Tandoor bread. I was stuffed! But we had to have dessert. This was a wonderful flourless rolled chocolate mousse cake. With a passionfruit smear and salty chocolate crumble, it’s another winner. This was a meal that will be etched in my memory for quite some time. I’m simply floored.  It is amazing that non-vegan accredited chefs are taking on plants. The vegetable is clearly revered by the back house and the result is mind blowing. I’ll be seeing you again, Nix.