Veggie Table: Hip and Healthy

Despite the CNY holiday, The Veggie Table has been packed with patrons this week, no doubt there to take advantage of the abundance of variety on the venue’s vegetarian menu and to soak up its hip interior design.

The bustling Wudaoying Hutong café and diner is nominated for two awards in our ongoing 2015 Reader Restaurant Awards – you can cast your ballot here through March 8. Veggie Table is up for Best Vegetarian as well as Best “Green” Restaurant, awarded to an establishment that has demonstrated a commitment to local/organic sourcing and/or environmentally conscious practices.

Throw pillows, cozy couches, latticework, and rows of hanging plants combine to make The Veggie Table a cross between a nookish loft and a courtyard garden. It gave the eatery a warm, laid-back atmosphere, despite the humming crowd.

After taking a seat I ordered the Hummus and Vegetable Sandwich (priced at a steep RMB 65). It arrived promptly and, as already mentioned, the gooey hummus and roasted vegetable blend was so abundant that it oozed out the sides of the sandwich. It makes for a very no-frills but satisfying menu item, thanks to the contrast between the creamy hummus and the firm whole grain bread, with its delightfully crunchy crust.

Equally tasty alternatives to this menu item include Falafel (RMB 62, served with a side of pita bread and fresh vegetables), the Southwestern Bean Burger (RMB 65, made with organic kidney beans, corn and cilantro), and the Mushroom Burger (RMB 68, which features a shiitake patty topped with Italian herbs).

Patrons that are put off by the price of these burgers and sandwiches can opt for Chili or Lentil Soup (priced RMB 25 and RMB 30, respectively), the Organic Stir-fried Greens (RMB 26, featuring fresh vegetables and garlic from an organic farm).

The Vegan Pizza (RMB 78) is made with local organic flour dough and topped with eggplants and onions and is entirely cheese-free.

I also tried the Beet Salad (RMB 29). Its presentation was fantastic, a thick, gleaming bright purple disk. With traces of crunchy walnuts, the dish was nourishing comfort food, though on the bland side for my tastes. Adding a few more flavorful ingredients into the mix would have improved this promising menu item.

To wash it all down, I ordered a furnace-hot cup of Spiced Chai (RMB 38, although more fun-loving patrons may opt to add a shot of rum to this drink for two kuai more). It was a bit tricky to choose a beverage, thanks to The Veggie Table’s astounding variety: from flower fruit tea (a cup of which costs RMB 35 per cup, RMB 65 per pot) to vegan smoothies (all RMB 40 and featuring varieties like chocolate peanut butter and papaya banana), to hot mulled wine (RMB 38). The spiced chai proved to be a fine choice though. It was wondrously aromatic thanks to the generous heaping of Southeast Asian spices.

But this is far from the only exotic choice on the menu, which boasts the aforementioned falafel along with other items like Baba Ganouj (RMB 30) and Moroccan-style Couscous (RMB 62) , ensuring The Veggie Table is not only a top spot for healthy fare but also a destination for adventurous diners.

Images: Kyle Mullin