It seems as if there has been a sudden growth of vegetarian-friendly restaurants in New Orleans. For years we used to complain that there was no "healthy" options (besides getting a salad at Cafe Raine for $40) for dining out. There is no doubt New Orleans has an eclectic dining scene that produces delicious, original, and thoughtful, plates of food. But until recently there did not seem to be much by way of vegetarian options. I'm not a vegetarian or a vegan, but me and my wife both prefer to eat mostly a plant based diet. So now the prospect of veggie dining in New Orleans that isn't just mushrooms sauteed in butter, or steamed broccoli, or cheese pizza, makes me quite excited.
Last night we had the joyful opportunity to try the Wandering Buddha. It is operating out of the back of the Hi-Ho Lounge with the efforts of only two people. The menu does not suffer from "too many" options, as so many restaurants are oft to do. The server is one of the geniuses behind this operation (his girlfriend is in the back cooking) and he does an excellent job of explaining the dishes. For appetizers we had seaweed & rice rolls and the scallion pancake. The former was like sushi rolls but without the sushi. The latter was a savory pancake cooked until the onions caramelized and the cake is a golden brown. Both were delicious.
For entrees we had stir fried glass noodles and braised tofu. The stir fried glass noodles was similar in taste to a vegetarian pad thai. The noodles are actually made of sweet potatoes, but you would never know unless told. The braised tofu was prepared more thoughtfully than any tofu I have ever tasted. It was accompanied with seasoned spinach, spicy cucmbers, and kimchi. Overall the food was exceptional. If you're in to trying different ethnic foods and you enjoy vegetarian this is the place for you.
The real gem about this place is that you are eating vegan and you're not sacrificing the flavor or satisfaction. This is a place you could bring your parents and they probably wouldn't realize it was vegan unless you told them. Of course, assuming they enjoy Korean food which is spicy and consists of many pickled dishes. The Wandering Buddha gets a good review because the food was spectacular. The negative to this place is the location, it is in a bar and there was smoking. I imagine that soon this place will outgrow itself and find another location. Finally, they accept cash only, and do not accept the restaurant.com coupon that everyone has been talking about.
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