Vegan Nigerian At Akara House

Posted on May 20, 2024 by brooklynvegetarian

Although Nigerian food isn’t particularly popular here int he US (yet), I have been seeing a lot of posts online about Akara House and their vegetarian Nigerian-American “burgers”. Akara are deep-fried bean patties, popular as a street food in Nigeria. At Akara House they make a vegan version of the patty, and use it in place of a burger patty on their sandwiches. Most of the options are vegetarian, but there is a vegan version as well; topped with vegan cheese and vegan mayo, it’s a fun way to introduce Americans to this Nigerian staple. I also got a side of the suya-spiced plantains. Though I didn’t really taste the suya spices, the plantains were perfectly sweet and creamy, a nice alternative to french fries (which they do also have on the menu). I’d like to go back for their vegan jollof rice and moi moi.

Akara House — 642 Nostrand Ave

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Smorgasburg Is Back In Prospect Park For 2024

Posted on April 15, 2024 by brooklynvegetarian

It’s Smoargasburg time again in Prospect Park, and the crowds were there for it this past Sunday. As in previous years there are tons of vegan options; I opted for the Nasi Tempeh combo from Mas Budi, and Indonesian street food vendor. The fried tempeh was the real star here, as good or better than any I had when I was in Indonesia. I followed it with a creamy vegan banana pudding from Dylana’s Sweet Treats, served in its own glass jar.

Mas Budi

Dylana’s Sweet Treats

Smorgasburg — Breeze Hill, Prospect Park

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Vegan Brisket From JJ’s Southern Vegan Kitchen

Posted on March 25, 2024 by brooklynvegetarian

We’re at a strange place with vegan food at the moment. The ubiquity of Beyond/Impossible meats means that vegan options can be found in almost every dive bar, diner, and neighborhood bistro. It also means that sometimes there is very little thought put into those options, and we have gotten complacent. At JJ’s Southern Vegan Kitchen though, they have not gotten complacent. Located in the back of the Drift, a dive bar in the shadow of the BQE, they are turning out vegan versions of Southern staples like hot chicken and mac & cheese. I had never heard of them until recently, when the Instagram algorithm showed me a short clip of a weekend special: bbq brisket sandwich, made with lion’s mane mushrooms. I knew I had to try it. The sandwich did not disappoint; savory mushrooms with a hint of char, with crispy salt pickles and creamy slow to offset the sweet and spicy bbq sauce. I also got a side of slow-cooked collard greens, much improved by a splash of Texas Pete’s pepper sauce. It’s places like JJ’s that make me excited again about the state of vegan food.

JJ’s Southern Vegan Kitchen — 579 Meeker Ave (Inside the Drift Bar)

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Vegan At GreenPot In Greenpoint

Posted on March 18, 2024 by brooklynvegetarian

There’s a great new series on Eater about vegan, immigrant-owned businesses around the city. That’s where I read about GreenPot, a sandwich shop and small grocery in Greenpoint that’s all vegan. I got the aptly-named Sloppy Meatball, less of a meatball sandwich than a sloppy joe. I also picked up a chocolate croissant, which was light on chocolate but heavy on crisp pastry. I was more impressed with the wide variety of vegan products available, if you ever wanted to put together a vegan charcuterie board GreenPot should be your first stop.

GreenPot –– 86 Greenpoint Ave

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