Truly Vegan: No Meat, No Dairy, No Pretension

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Author: Jacob Goldstein

Let’s face it-to the general public, the phrase “vegan food” does not have too many positive connotations. Chances are, it brings to mind visions of endless salads, soy meat substitutes and carob cookies-not exactly the stuff that induces instant salivation. Or perhaps it triggers your memory of that chance lunch encounter with an activist vegan. You wanted to eat your ham and cheese sandwich; he wanted to discuss the negative social and political aspects of your food choice.

Fortunately, Truly Vegan shatters this unfavorable (not to mention ill-informed) portrayal of vegan cuisine. There is nothing self-righteous or pretentious about this tiny Hollywood restaurant, located at 5907 Hollywood Boulevard. The menu is surprisingly mainstream, offering a wide variety of salads, sandwiches and noodle dishes. Sure, you’ll see your fair share of soy cheese and seitan, but even the diehard carnivore will find something appealing to order if he puts aside his preconceptions.

The most shocking aspect of Truly Vegan is not its food, but rather its interior. It would be an understatement to say that the restaurant is tiny. The dining area is about the size and shape of a Norris quad common room, and it holds a mere seven tables. Sadly, a Norris quad has more ambience than Truly Vegan-the restaurant’s walls are painted a shade of muted pastel pink commonly associated with retirement homes and are completely bare except for a single, small poster of a flower. These aesthetic shortcomings are forgivable, however, when you factor in the pleasingly inexpensive menu. Entrees top out at a mere $8; you can easily order a drink, an appetizer and an entree for less than $15.

In the end, however, what matters most is the taste and quality of the food, and this is where Truly Vegan succeeds. At my recent dinner there, my dining companions and I started with a trio of impressive appetizers. The Guacamole Supreme (a generous plate of chips with creamy, tomato-studded guacamole) and the Fresh Rolls (two spring rolls stuffed with crispy tofu, lettuce and cilantro) were delicious vegan versions of proven classics. Our third appetizer, a bowl of miso soup with tofu cubes and nori seaweed, was both tasty and an insanely good value-the $3 dish easily served three people.

Our entrees followed the same formula of fresh ingredients, generous portion sizes and low prices as the previous dishes. The nine-ingredient Yummy Salad-an attractively presented plate of lettuce, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, carrots, beets, celery, tomato, onion and large slices of avocado-was the standout dish of the night. It offered an enticing mix of crunchy, sweet and creamy vegetables, all held together with a mild but flavorful peanut sauce dressing. The only thing disappointing about the Loafing About-a grilled lentil loaf with peppers and onions-was its overly cutesy name, as the dish itself was both hearty and flavorful. The kitchen’s sole misstep was the pad thai plate. While the noodles were certainly passable, they lacked the spice and complexity of flavor characteristic of authentic (albeit non-vegan) pad thai.

While a meal at Truly Vegan will probably not have you swearing off meat and dairy, it is certainly an intriguing alternative to yet another hamburger from the Cooler. If a day of Hollywood sightseeing has left you both hungry and short on cash, give Truly Vegan a try. Who knows? You might even discover a hidden love for soy cheese.

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