Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2015 -- Lou's Sushi

The Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge ends tomorrow, which means I'm running out of time to visit all the participating restaurants. I didn't want the challenge to end without a visit to Lou's Sushi, though, so I had lunch there today.


I don't usually go to sushi restaurants because, frankly, I'm not a sushi fan. Fortunately, the vegan menu at Lou's includes several non-sushi dishes.


I started with the elegant tofu and grilled asparagus salad, served with miso dressing. The asparagus was grilled to perfection, crisp but not raw, and the dressing gave just the right flavor to the silky tofu cubes. And what a beautiful presentation!

I also ordered the portabella katsu, which made me very happy. I haven't had any type of katsu since I went vegan more than thirteen years ago, and I used to really like it, so I was thrilled to see a vegan katsu on the menu at Lou's. In this particular dish, the portobello mushroom cap was grilled rather than fried, then breaded and sliced. It was served with a sweet sauce that was just right for this dish.

For those of you who do like sushi, Lou's is offering six different vegan rolls, including the popular OMFG roll they had on their Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu last year. Better head on over there before the challenge ends!


Lou's Sushi is located at 2801 P Street, and their phone number is 916-451-4700. Their website address is http://www.lousushi.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/LouSushi/?fref=ts. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Saturday from 3:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and Sunday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2015 -- Baagan

October is always a busy month for me, and last week was even more hectic than usual. Unfortunately, that meant I was able to visit only one of the restaurants participating in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge. On the bright side, that restaurant was a good one -- Baagan, which is all vegan all the time.


I hadn't been to Baagan since they moved into their new location, so I turned on my GPS and headed to Rocklin. There are so many good things on Baagan's regular menu that I was momentarily distracted, but I finally remembered why I was there and ordered one of everything on their Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu.


Their entrée is a plate of two cauliflower tacos, roasted cauliflower served with a spicy mix of onions and peppers, then topped with shredded cabbage and an avocado drizzle. Very tasty!

Along with the tacos, I ordered the green chile sweet potato side dish. The spicy green chiles provided a surprising and flavorful contrast to the creamy sweet potatoes.

Dessert was a soft chewy brownie, drizzled with salted caramel sauce. Delicious!

Baagan is located at 2620 Sunset Boulevard, Suite 1, in Rocklin, and their phone number is 916-824-1688. Their website address is http://www.baagan.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/Baagan-215358211841877/. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m., and Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2015 -- Evan's Kitchen

Chef Evan Elsberry at Evan's Kitchen has been participating in the annual Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge for many years. In fact, he has embraced the challenge with such enthusiasm that he offers tasty vegan options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner year-round.


My husband Phil and I had dinner at Evan's Kitchen Saturday night so I could check out this year's Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu items. There was a nice selection of appetizers, soups, salads, entrées, and desserts to choose from. Since I always love the soups at Evan's, I started my meal with a cup of split pea and rutabaga soup, garnished with vegan sour cream and a beautiful star anise. The soup had an excellent flavor and left me wondering whether I should have ordered a bowl, rather than just a cup.

For my entrée, I ordered the crispy tofu and sticky orange stir fry. This colorful dish had a nice mix of textures and flavors, from the crunch of the tofu to the tang of the orange sauce. Very nice!

This gorgeous strawberry salad was my dessert. It consisted of a scoop of strawberry-red wine sorbet surrounded by raspberries, blackberries, and strawberries. It was the perfect ending to a wonderful meal!

Evan's Kitchen is located in the 57th Street Antique Mall at 855 57th Street, and their phone number is 916-452-3896. Their website address is https://www.chefevan.com/home.html, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/evanskitchen/timeline. Vegan options are available all day long, with breakfast served Tuesday through Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., lunch served Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and on Sunday from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and dinner served Tuesday through Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2015 -- Orchid Thai

My friend and fellow vegan Amanda and I had lunch at the always vegan-friendly Orchid Thai on Thursday. Amanda ordered the lemongrass salad with tofu from their regular menu, but I decided I needed to try every single thing on their Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu.


First up were the caramelized tofu skewers, cubes of soft tofu in a glaze of Thai chili, lemongrass, garlic, and sesame oil. They were not only delicious, but they looked beautiful too, no?

My entrée was fried tofu with grilled asparagus, topped with minced mushrooms, onions, carrots, and cilantro in a soybean paste reduction sauce. Fried is my favorite way to eat tofu, so this hearty dish really hit the spot.

The dessert was cinnamon-poached pumpkin slices, served with coconut cream and garnished with toasted coconut. Wonderful!

These three items, plus a tall glass of this fabulous Thai tea made with coconut cream, is available for $25, or each item may be purchased separately.

Orchid Thai is located at 1609 16th Street, and their phone number is 916-476-3681. Their website address is http://www.orchidthai916.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/orchidthai916?fref=ts. The restaurant is open Sunday through Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., Thursday from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to midnight.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2015 -- El Papagayo

Vegan Mexican food seems like it should be easier to find than it actually is. While beans, rice, and vegetables are staples of Mexican cooking, so are cheese, sour cream, and meat. The great thing about a restaurant like El Papagayo is that not only are vegan options always available, but they have the same authentic taste as the Mexican food I remember from my pre-vegan days.


El Papagayo in Carmichael is participating in the Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge again this year, so I dropped by for lunch yesterday to see what special vegan dishes they were offering. The menu wasn't written down, but the server told me they had vegan meatball tacos or sopas topped with vegetables. It was a tough decision choosing between those two options, so I took the server's suggestion and ordered one of each. An enormous plate arrived at the table holding one taco, one sopa, and generous servings of beans and rice, garnished with salsa, guacamole, and avocado. The vegan meatball taco was really good, but the sopa was outstanding. "Sopa" is short for "sopaipilla," which is basically a piece of fried pastry. This one was topped with mushrooms, bell peppers, salsa, guacamole, and I don't remember what else.

El Papagayo is located at 5804 Marconi Avenue in Carmichael, and their phone number is 916-487-7742. Their website address is http://elpapagayo.net/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/El-Papagayo-Restaurant-151929308155836/. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2015 -- Metro Kitchen + Drinkery

Metro Kitchen + Drinkery opened only a few months ago at the WAL Public Market on R Street, but they've already jumped into this year's Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge with a special menu containing lots of options. They're offering a vegan fixed-price three-course meal, several salads, some specials, and a dessert. Way to embrace the challenge, Metro!


I had lunch there yesterday, and ordered the organic three salad plate. The three salads I chose were the market salad, consisting of mixed greens, cucumber, tomato, fresh herbs, pecans, and champagne vinaigrette; quinoa salad, with roasted vegetables, olives, fresh herbs, and champagne vinaigrette; and the beet and citrus salad, made from beets, grapefruit, orange, roasted pumpkin seeds, and lemon pumpkin seed vinaigrette. They were all delicious!

Metro Kitchen + Drinkery's special Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge dessert is supposed to be the YES! PleaseCake -- a cashew-coconut cheesecake with a walnut date crust. Unfortunately, it wasn't available yesterday at lunchtime. However, Sugar Plum Vegan's excellent lavender-lemon cupcakes are on the regular menu, so that's what I had for dessert.

Metro Kitchen + Drinkery is located at 1104 R Street, and their phone number is 916-346-4610. Their website address is http://www.metrojuicecompany.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/metrojuice?fref=ts. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge 2015 -- Tower Bridge Bistro

My husband Phil and I had dinner last night at the lovely Tower Bridge Bistro. Chef Clay Purcell is a Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge veteran, and his menu for this event always includes multiple appetizers, entrées, and desserts.


The appetizer choices this year are celery parsnip soup, eggplant caponata, or Brussel sprouts salad. I had a tough time deciding between the soup and the Brussel sprouts salad (Brussel sprouts, pears, walnuts, and red wine vinaigrette), but finally chose the soup. It was creamy and flavorful, made with celery root, parsnips, apples, vegetable stock, and almond milk.

Main course options included ratatouille, succotash, or portobello gratin, which is what I chose. This delicious dish consisted of a portobello mushroom smothered in mashed potatoes, then topped with rainbow Swiss chard and kale.

There are two desserts offered on this year's Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu: mango mousse and mocha crème brulée. While I love crème brulée, I don't like coffee, so I skipped the mocha dessert in favor of the mango mousse. It was light and refreshing -- the perfect way to end this wonderful meal.

Tower Bridge Bistro is located at 100 Capitol Mall, inside the Embassy Suites Hotel, and their phone number is 916-326-5050. Their website address is http://www.towerbridgebistro.com/, and their Facebook page can be found at https://www.facebook.com/towerbridgebistro?fref=ts. The Sacramento Vegan Chef Challenge menu is offered only during dinner, which is served Sunday through Thursday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.