Emme
Reviews written by Emme
We got the black pepper steak and the hot pot (upon the server's recommendation). The steak was decent but advertised as coming with roasted potatoes -- instead we got several strings of green beans. The hot pot was bland bland bland. I asked for more dressing because I thought it simply needed more sauce but when it came, I realized that the problem WAS with the uninspired flavorings. I ended up taking the hot pot home and flavoring it myself. For $14 per entree, I expected both bigger portions and better quality food. After getting our food and water, the server never returned to our table. We had several questions for her which we had ask at the prep station. Also we had to refill our own drinks at the soda station which was awkward because we had thought the server would come around to refill our drinks. At these prices, we had assumed that at the very least, we would get a water refill.
The food is the best vegan/veggie food outside of Udupi. The prices are reasonable and the food is always delicious. My favorites are the Argentine PoBoy and the Thai Peanut Rice Bowl with mock chicken. The thyme fries are slightly odd - you'd expect that they'd come tasting like thyme but in all of my orders, it's never happened. The salads have GREAT dressing choices but come with lettuce and slivers of carrot and cabbage. They would be so great if they would amp up the veggies. I also really like that they now carry stevia sweetened soft drinks.
The only dish I have tried that I don't like the Curry Bowl. You can definitely get better curry anywhere else you go. Don't waste your $ on this one.
We ordered the thai spring rolls which came as 4 small fried rolls with a sweet sauce. They were decent and a good starter.
The Green and Masam curries were "thai hot" which gave a decent level of heat. (We made sure it was "fish free.") I enjoyed the mixed vegetables and tofu in both dishes. They were nothing we hadn't tasted before but satisfied our craving for hot and spicy.
The only surprise was the rice -- which was NOT included in the price of the entree.
I've ordered the Vegetarian Ma Po Tofu several times with great results. The tofu is crisp and delicious with soft (not soggy) broccoli. I've also ordered the Coconut Curry which wasn't bad but didn't compare to the Ma Po Tofu in taste or texture. The brown rice is perfectly done (which is huge in my book) and I love having a rice option. On my last visit, I tried the Vegetarian Eggplant. I felt the sauce was a little on the sweet and heavy side - definitely NOT spicy enough for me. However, I LOVED the texture of the eggplant and I would order this again and add some chili paste to the sauce.
We went to this restaurant on the basis of the recommendations given by other reviewers. For the appetizer, we ordered the tofu satay with peanut sauce. It was delicious and very sweet, the only thing lacking would have been chili sauce to create more dimension/spiciness. For the main dishes, we ordered both the sweet and sour vegetables and the red curry with brown rice. The sweet and sour had a very delicate taste, which the brown rice overshadowed. The red curry had a bolder taste that went well with the rice. However, the brown rice was mushy and not very good (brown rice costs extra as well). Overall, the food was good and the atmosphere pleasant.
Update: I recently went back for lunch and ordered the Kang-Ped veggie. I was slightly worried that I wouldn't get enough food to feel full but they assured me this wouldn't be the case. The red curry sauce was the same as the last time but the eggplant in the dish was tender and delicious! I LOVE eggplant and this met my expectations. I also got a little mini egg-roll and a bowl of soup. The soup was so-so, just a combination of broth with a few veggies floating around whereas the egg-roll was the perfect finish to the meal.
My 3rd and 4th times here were both excellent. They give you a choice of 1-10 for heat and 7 seems to be perfect for my heat tolerance (which is pretty high). I have since ordered the Forest Curry and it's very similar to the Kang Ped Veggies but without the coconut milk. I have also never ordered the brown rice again as the white rice is satisfactory and free.
Most of the food tends to be a bit bland but it's nice to have vegan and/or raw food available in Sedona. I have eaten here many times and each time, I leave satisfied with my food. The best item on the menu is the raw blueberry shake.
This place was great! I ordered the Vegetable Red Curry (having made sure it wasn't made with fish sauce). I loved this dish! The vegetables were tender, fresh and perfect while the sauce was spicy and not too overpowering. Sometimes after I eat Thai food, I can feel a bit sick but I left Thai Spices feeling both refreshed and full.
The "egg" rolls were vegan having been made with a wheat wrapper. They were also delicious and light on the stomach.
I really enjoyed this co-op! The bulk section of the store is wonderful - much better than the larger co-ops in the Twin Cities. Prices were comparable as well. I was excited to see the deli section had GF breakfast and lunch offerings. I would definitely go back again.
I got the dolmas and tabouli salad which were decent, but I was not overly impressed, especially as the waiter put us at a table by the door where everyone had to inch past us with an unsteady table. When we complained, the waiter put a napkin under one of the table legs when clearly, open tables were available.
It's a great place to stop in and grab a snack or quick meal during breaks! They also have a microwave to heat a burrito or frozen meal, adding to the convenience.
I love the vegan muffaletta! I usually order this about 2x a month. The rinotta cheese is terrible, terrible stuff. We ordered a pizza with the rinotta and it came super soggy with huge clumps of white, garlicky goo. Now, I would order anything from Pizza Luce minus the rinotta cheese.
Nice place to sit and hang out with the added bonus of drinking from mugs you can take home!
I have been to the Cafe several times when I am in town. I really look forward to splitting half a GF berry pancake and Earthbreakfast with my sister. The bottomless tea is a big factor in going back. I love to sit, relax and guzzle tea, so this works perfectly for me!
Dec 30 08
We ordered the Spring Rolls, Curried Tofu, Rice and Peas, Corn on the Cob and Coleslaw. The spring rolls were hot, which was a good touch and lightly seared. Inside was an odd combination of plantain and avocado which becomes delicious when paired with the mango chutney but tastes slightly banana-y on its own. We hadn't realized that the spring rolls would come with a small serving of coleslaw, therefore making our order of coleslaw unnecessary and unwanted. The coleslaw was a mix of cabbage and peppers for the most part with a good sprinkling of black pepper and heavy on the vinegar. When the curried tofu came, we saw that rice and peas were included (which wasn't apparent from the menu we had read and again made our side of rice and peas unnecessary). The curried tofu was prepared carrot slices and chunks of something that appeared to be more seitan (in texture and in taste) than tofu. It was lightly spiced and the sauce was gravy-like in texture. Neither my BF or I was crazy about this dish. The last item we tried was the corn on the cob and I was surprised to only get a 1/3 cob of corn.
The atmosphere was pleasant with soothing background music, flickering tealights and people talking quietly over bottles of wine. Our server was friendly although I was irked she hadn't mentioned that 2 of the sides we had ordered came with the appetizer and entree (and it wasn't good enough to want to eat double amounts). I wouldn't go back again, partly because the food was only so-so and because there aren't any other vegan entrees left to try. Nice place for a first date but not for a hungry stomach wanting a full meal.