Ramen & ice cream

Finding real vegetarian Ramen has become a quest of mine. You have your supermarket 20-cent variety filled with sodium and meat stock, not to mention partially-hydrogenated oil on the otherwise outrageous ingredient list (although, the smell does bring me back to my broke-ass art school days with nostalgia). Then there are the higher end places such as Momofuku and Setagaya, which do not offer anything for a vegetarian except for maybe one non-noodle soup dish (so, what's the point?) A few take-out-style inbetween'ers have tried, but I'm always wary of what's in the broth (fish is NOT a vegetable).

So when CP told us about the grand opening of macrobitoic Souen Organic Ramen in the East Village, I were there in a flash!

We started off with the fantastic "Home-made Seitan Dumplings," steamed with hakusai, ginger, garlic and scallions.

I ordered the "Vege Shoyu Ramen," with leek kombu broth, soy sauce, wakame, kombu, kimpira, carrot, scallion, sprouts and organic wheat noodles. It was not your dirty 20-cent variety taste, but it was, in fact, dee-licious! And it felt good to slurp up with a smile, knowing your not being deceived with crappy ingredients.

Another item on my foodie quest list... good quality vegan ice cream!

Lula's Sweet Apothecary is downright adorable; from their old ice cream parlor charm to the couple that owns it. Behind the counter you can purchase any veganized candy you can think of (including white chocolate!) kept in cute ol' fashion jars.


The soft-serve "Cake Batter" sugar cone with sprinkles was SOOO GOOD, and so was Tim's choice of the rich nut-based take on the popular favorite "Rocky Road."

Highly recommended!