Playing the taste trump card

Vegan Zone attract carnivores and herbivores alike with mix of cusines

The Buzz

Vegan Zone

859 Hornblend St., Pacific Beach; (858) 272-1913;

Lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.

THE FOOD: All-vegan Asian fusion and Thai dishes, Western-style sandwiches, wraps and breakfast.

THE SCENE: Small, relaxed, health-conscious spot, steps from the beach.

THE BOTTOM LINE: Starters $3-$7; curries, noodle dishes and other entrees, $8.50-$10.

PARKING: Street parking.

DON'T MISS: The Thai vegan dishes are the stars, with delicious sauces that more than make up for the lack of animal-based flavor.

It used to be that people shunned vegetarian eateries, thinking of bland cheese sandwiches, drab salads and less-than-filling entrees. Eventually, the cuisine and its exposure blossomed and vegetarianism no longer is a synonym for “boring and flavorless.” As it expanded, the various subcategories had to be delineated, and vegan (no animal products of any kind) assumed the mantle of the most unexciting food genre.

Still trying to break through the stereotypes, the words “vegan restaurant” are met with disgusted nose-scrunching from nonbelievers, as images of flax seeds and soy-everything fill their carnivorous minds.

But meat eaters and herbivores alike will be pleasantly surprised by Pacific Beach's Vegan Zone. Tucked away in a narrow, simply decorated space just blocks away from the beach, Vegan Zone serves up mostly Asian fusion and Thai dishes with Western-style breakfast items, sandwiches and wraps thrown in for good measure.

Like other veggie and vegan joints, the Vegan Zone uses soy-based alternatives to fill in for chicken, shrimp and beef. When working with the soy substitutes, dishes inevitably rely on the accompanying sauces for the fireworks. The Vegan Zone delivers admirably, creating flavorful curries, memorable broths and savory sauces. The various attempts at molding soy into facsimiles of seafood and meat are commendable.

The soy “shrimp” at Vegan Zone approach the shape and texture of their ocean counterparts, and a couple lines of reddish-pink food coloring add all the realism you really need to suspend disbelief and bite down. The Hong Kong Seafood with fried tofu, soy shrimp, fish and squid mixed with shitake mushrooms, carrots and green onions served over brown rice is a hearty, well-balanced dish in which the faux-seafood shines.

For those that prefer their food straightforward and do not need tofu to pretend to be anything it is not, there are also plenty of dishes that keep it simple like the P.E.T.A. Plate or Buddha's Delight, which mix different assortments of vegetables together into a stir fry over brown rice.

Strict vegans can also find alternatives to popular dishes such as the nondairy cheese quesadilla, garden and tofu burgers, and vegan sausage burrito. The menu is designed to appeal to meat eaters, but with an eye toward the specific needs of vegans. Providing a boost in a nutrient vegans can find hard to come by, the High Protein Salad is loaded with garbanzo beans, soy beans, avocado, red onions and tomatoes topped with crunched walnuts. Also, at least in part due to the lack of meat, all the meals are surprisingly affordable with almost everything coming in under $10.


