Review of LA Vegan

I gave LA Vegan an overall score of 3.2, or 3 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 1 of 5 price range 4 of 5 family friendly? 3 of 5 % menu vegan 2 of 5 quality of service 4 of 5 quality of food 3 of 5 local mainstay? 3 of 5 Comments: Upon a friend’s recommendation, we ventured out of town a bit to LA Vegan in West LA. It’s an Asian Buddhist place with a lot of Thai on the menu. It’s fairly typical for this type of place, right down to my “not really vegan” fears. We parked in the street out front and chose to sit inside; they do have 2 small tables outside. The interior is nicer that the exterior and they have some artwork that brightens up the place. Though it has that, “we tried but didn’t try that hard” look. We ordered a couple plates with the friendly wait staff, confirmed that everything is vegan, and got our order fairly quickly. My mouth watered when they arrived because they looked and smelled delicious. However, my 1st bite brought back some familiar fears; something didn’t taste quite right. …could it be fish sauce or egg which is often the case with these cheap imported ingredients. This only turned out to be a minor setback since I was hungry and gave them the benefit of the doubt. Once I returned home however, I found this article which seems to suggest that they aren’t always vegan.  This happens all too often in these restaurants. I find it astounding that SE Asia Buddhists monks justify eating fish and fish sauce by rationalizing that they voluntarily commit suicide by swimming into fishing nets. I think this speaks toward the lax nature at these Asian Buddhist places. I try to stay away from Asian Buddhist places since they seem to always spawn my “not really vegan” fears. I put that aside for this friend’s recommendation and got burned. If you are vegan and want to feel comfortable eating in the area, do your research before making the trek to LA Vegan.

Additional Info
Address: 4507 S Centinela Ave, 90066
Area: Outskirts - West LA
Reviewed Meal: Lunch
Ethnicity: Thai
Click for more info.

Review of Cora's Coffee Shoppe

I gave Cora's Coffee Shoppe an overall score of 4.6, or 5 stars, based on the following 7 categories: number of visits 4 of 5 price range 4 of 5 family friendly? 3 of 5 % menu vegan 3 of 5 quality of service 4 of 5 quality of food 5 of 5 local mainstay? 5 of 5 Comments: Cora’s has really good oatmeal and toast. Their prices are high, but it‘s in a good location, has solid eats, and seats you at a very cozy table to bring in the new day. Cora’s is located on Ocean, where it has been for many years. And although it’s very close, there are no ocean views since it faces east. It’s a very small building with a much larger, but still small, outdoor area under a floral arch. It’s a beautiful place to sit with birds going about their daily business in the canopy, the sun cheating through and illuminating portions of the table, the sounds of the cyclists and runners seemingly overpowering the cars on Ocean, and any coldness being quenched by the background radiation of the patio heaters. The food at Cora’s is solid, though not many options for vegans. My regular is steel cut oatmeal with fruit, dry rye, and jam. The oatmeal is usually cooked to perfection, but the toast is the highlight; it is thick cut, toasted appropriately, and ready for the not too sweet, chunky and delicious jam. I always polish it off with a reliably solid cup of Joe. The service is rather laid back and not too aggressive as evidenced by their somewhat gray opening time. We’ve arrived a good 15 minutes after open only to find them unlocking the door with sleepy eyes. It’s the service that I prefer that early in the morning; though I shy away if I have somewhere to be. As I stated before, Cora’s has really good oatmeal and toast. Unfortunately for vegans, that’s about all they have. If you’re not into oatmeal, then stop by early to welcome the sun with coffee and toast. It beats any chain coffee house scene, though it’s probably more expensive.

Additional Info
Address: 1802 Ocean Ave, 90401
Area: Ocean
Reviewed Meal: Breakfast
Ethnicity: American
Click for more info.