By Who’s the most annoying food group there is? Yes, you guessed it right! Vegans. (Sorry Vegans, it’s true) Vegans are worse than someone greeting you with, “You gained weight” or “You’ve been eaten good, haven’t you?” Well, Yes, yes I have brokie, not get away from me. Vegans aren’t all that bad though. You learn a lot from them. There are advantages with every food group, you just have to listen. I have a friend who went cold turkey after watching a documentary about food, so the next minute he became a Vegan. I applaud him because the closest I’ll ever get to being a Vegan, is becoming a vegetarian.
I wanted to find a really good Vegan restaurant in the D.C. area so I stumbled upon Fancy Radish. It opened not too long ago and I’ve been putting it as an after-thought, but I finally had a chance to try it out. Fancy Radish, is a Vegan restaurant that offers globally flavored, plant-based dishes. I was intrigued by some items on the menu and I had one of the best Vegan experiences in California about a year or so ago, so I figured this place couldn’t be bad. The interior of this restaurant gives me an upscale feeling. It has an open kitchen where you can sit at what they would call the “Chef’s Table” or you can sit in their big dining room.
During my visit I was able to indulge in four dishes. Stuffed Avocado, Chermoula Tofu, Peas & Carrots Ramen, and Spicy Dan Noodles were my choices for the evening. I’ll start with the Avocado and Tofu. The Stuffed Avocado consisted of Romesco, pickled cauliflower, fried rice, and black salt. Unbelievable. The exterior of the dish can be described as flavorless pig rinds but the Avocado and Cauliflower Fried Rice saved the day. The earthy flavor of the Avocado to go along with the sweet tomato flavor of the Romesco and the saltiness of the Black Salt brought all the different flavors together. The Chermoula Tofu was the next dish. It consisted of Smoked Eggplant, Pickled Carrots, Olives, and Preserved Lemons. The Eggplant was the star of the show. It had a slightly bitter taste, but once you add the pickled carrots the sour flavor of the carrots to go along with the bitter taste worked well with each other. The Tofu had a similar taste to a light salmon and the presentation was stunning.
The final dishes were the Ramen and Spicy Dan Noodles. The Spicy Dan Noodles consisted of Sichuan Pepper, and Five Spice Glazed Mushrooms. The Spiciness of the Noodles and the creamy sauce had a very light taste. The Mushrooms and scallions gave it a dry but onion flavor, but worked well with the buttery sauce the noodles were surrounded in. With each bite, there was a spicy kick to it, which made it that much better. This is a dish that I would recommend ordering consistently. The last dish was the Peas & Carrots Ramen. It consisted of Miso Carbonara, Black Pepper, and Almond. This dish wasn’t my favorite. The Ramen was a bit over-cooked and I couldn’t quite taste the Peas & Carrots. I was looking for an earthy, vegetable taste, but the dish tasted like Egg Yolk and Noodles. I would’ve preferred an egg yolk to be centered on top of the pasta but if I want it that way, I guess I have to make it myself.
Overall, this restaurant is a go-to. I enjoyed the different flavors, and I didn’t leave hungry. The dishes were light, flavorful, and well presented. If you’re in the area, let me know what you think.
SavoryTravels 