Coriander

Coriander, a new Vietnamese restaurant, opened in Midtown recently. I looked at their online menu and saw they had two items that appeared to be vegan. Naturally, I had to check them out.


The first dish I tried was the Tofu Noodle Soup, a huge bowl of vegetarian broth filled with noodles, carrots, mushrooms, and a very generous helping of tofu. It was flavorful and satisfying, and I found myself wishing we weren't already experiencing temperatures in the eighties and nineties, since this soup will be perfect for fall and winter.

On my next visit, I had the perfect spring and summer dish: the Tofu Salad. It consisted of walnuts, cranberries, and lots of tofu, served on a bed of greens and tossed with the house vinaigrette. I enjoyed it immensely.

I emailed the restaurant staff to make sure there were no hidden non-vegan ingredients in either of these two dishes. The response I received was that they "are completely free of animal products. We fry the tofu in separate pans, soups are simmered in an exclusive pot, and all noodles are strictly rice noodles, no eggs or dairy products."


I also want to mention the Chrysanthemum Jasmine Iced Tea, which I had during my first trip to Coriander. It was delicious and I had hoped to have it again on my next visit, but they were out of it. If you have a chance to try it, I would certainly recommend it.


Coriander is located at 1899 Alhambra Boulevard, and their phone number is 916-456-0888. Their website address is http://www.savorycoriander.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/savorycoriander. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday from 11:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. until 10:00 p.m.