Day 16 – Hitting Mainstream
Another amazing dinner out in LA! I’ve wanted to try Susan Feniger’s Street, an asian-inspired street food restaurant for quite a while, but never made it until now. I made a reservation on Open Table after calling in advance to confirm they had vegan options. The reservationist was so friendly and said “Absolutely, there are definitely options. Be sure to let the server know when you arrive and they can help you with the menu”. This got me pretty jazzed because as much as I love pure vegan food, I was ready for something other than tempeh.
Upon arrival, I reiterated my dietary handicapability to the host who indicated she’d tell the server. We were seated outside at a lovely table in the back. It was pretty dark back there so the tables came equipped with flashlights (well except our’s so I stole one from the table next to us).
I told the server I was vegan and with a big smile she happily helped me navigate through the menu. A number of dishes could be made vegan if they weren’t already.
First things first, get me a drink! I ordered a tamarind based margarita which was scrumptious.
Next, the Mandoo Vegetable Dumplings were crispy little pillows of goodness. Asian vegetables, sweet potato and kimchi filled dumplings with roasted ginger yam and sesame dipping sauce (YUM!). Totally satisfied my gyoza craving. I think we’re 1 or 2 short in this pic because yet again, I dove in without thinking. You’ll notice a pattern here.
Next, the New Jerusalem Bread Salad (without feta). A chopped salad with chickpeas, persian cucumber, tomato, and parsley, topped with cumin toasted olive bread drizzled with warm sumac oil and fresh lemon. This was similar to the traditional chopped salad I’ve ordered at Lebanese and mediterranean restaurants. Soooo fresh and delish. They were happy to prepare it without the cheese but oddly, it showed up with a hard-boiled egg as a garnish. Clearly, someone missed the memo. Unless maybe one of the chickpeas laid it?
For our main entrees, the husband got the chilled soba noodles (with orange, sesame, mirin, chile, and soy). I had the Thai Rice Noodles (flat wide rice noodles with Chinese broccoli, (no seasoned pork), tomato, mint, Thai basil and chiles. The server kindly asked if I wanted tofu instead of pork – so thoughtful.
The soba noodle dish was nicely flavored with the citrus/sesame combination, but the overall texture was a bit mushy for me. I liked the Thai Rice Noodle dish but wished there were a few more noodles. Perhaps I’m just used to the bad Thai in NYC that is 99% noodle/1% vegetable.
We also got a side of sautéed brussel sprouts (with apples and hazelnuts, no goat cheese). I was a little disappointed when they arrived shredded since I prefer them halved or whole.
The food was good, but for me, the service is what really stood out. I was so surprised how helpful and accommodating they were; I must be a scorned NYorker because I felt like asking why are you being so nice? I think some of their “star” dishes were probably the meats, but I was still pleased with my dinner and even more thrilled to have a change of pace to eat at a non-vegan restaurant. Thanks Street for a fun night out!
Food Buff 