So the St. Louis Vegan Scene isn't on par with New York, but neither are our taxes. We can buy homes & find parking spots. I have to point out the benefits of Midwest living because it's hard to forget what those are after you have eaten at the New York Dosa Cart or Babycakes. But Raj's Rasoi Rocks. It is a little bit of trek for those who are city dwellers and won't venture past the 170 border. However, you will be greatly rewarded if you do!! Raj's is Vegetarian all the time and has lots of vegan options on their menu. In addition, Wednesdays have a Vegan Brunch, which when we went put us out something like six bucks. Six Bucks? Yeah, so before you think it's a long drive, if you have a hybrid it truly might be economically worth the trip!!
Chana Masala, Okra Masal, Dal, Aloo Gobi, Saag.
Raj's Rasoi. Vegan Wednesday Buffet.
The place is slightly off the beaten path, so make sure you get the address & mapquest it first. It is tucked away in a StripMall, and I don't mean naked lady mall, I mean the main architectural basis of the midwest mall. Raj's boasts a huge selection of food. So happy that Okra Masala was on the menu that day! They also have movies certain nights, think Bollywood & Curry. It doesn't get better. Raj is a super sweet host who is ridiculously humble.
Okra Masala.
Aloo Gobi.
Chaat & Chutney.
Pappadum. "Lentil Wafers"
Vegan Pakora.
Buffet.
Okra Masala, Saag, Dal.
Gotta love this!
Vegan Jalebi
Vegan Ladoo
file:///tmp/PreviewPasteboardItems/Rajs.pdf
"What Would Jesus Eat" Christian Vegetarian Reading Material!
Veg Starter Kits.
The place boasts some reading material that is pro-vegetarian and flyers for upcoming events such as Kirtans. They also had some of Deepak Chopra's animated books of Shiva & a beautifully illustrated version of the Ramayana. Homemade, handwritten signs denote each dish, which is slightly adorable. And you can tell it changes daily. It's like Raj just made all the food & then labelled it himself! I ate way too much and so did my hubby, but that hasn't stopped him from wanting to go back!
Have any readers eaten at Raj's?? What did you think? What are your favorite dishes? What are your favorite vegan friendly restaurants in your town? Does it matter to you whether the atmosphere/vibe is specifically "Indian" or is it just about the food?
We have eaten at Indian places in a lot of cities, but I can't think of any that just make me think, "Oh, that's the best place". We really liked Madras Cafe in New York, which had Vegan Dosas, but they moved! Oh, "NY Dosas" rocks, a Food Cart with Vegan Dosas!!. Will be blogging about that soon too!
Okra Masala.
Fennel.
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I love that fennel stuff at the end of a meal. Do you specifically ask for vegan things or does it say somewhere what is or isn't made with ghee? I love Indian food but my one fear is the BUTTER! Never had okra; that dish looks like a great way to get into it!
The Wednesday Vegan Brunch is basically ALL vegan!! And a couple of the places in St. Louis don't use ghee in all their dishes. I know Gokul's & Raj's are all vegetarian, so I think they keep that in mind when dealing with the ghee issue. It's easy enough for them just to use veggie oil. But Raj's menu also states which dishes are vegan or can be modified to be vegan. It's very cool! And I get the feeling that they actually know which dishes contain milk/dairy/ghee. Both Gokul's & Raj's have Vegan "Times" Brunches & Dinners so they really do cater to us vegans!! It's not ALL vegan, but it's at least nice to know that there isn't dirty beef back in the kitchen. And they have Bollywood Movies!! Yeah! Gotta love the Indian Places equipped with Film Projectors!
Not a huge fan of Indian vegan cuisine. Had a few while vacationing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (with very bad experiences) plus one in Boston (ended up with some strange food allergy reactions).
But it's nice to know St. Louis has some vegan eateries on certain days... :)
All of the food looks fantastic! That's so awesome that they have the veg fliers, too.
ReplyDeleteYummy! I love Indian food!
ReplyDeleteI love that fennel stuff at the end of a meal. Do you specifically ask for vegan things or does it say somewhere what is or isn't made with ghee? I love Indian food but my one fear is the BUTTER!
ReplyDeleteNever had okra; that dish looks like a great way to get into it!
The Wednesday Vegan Brunch is basically ALL vegan!! And a couple of the places in St. Louis don't use ghee in all their dishes. I know Gokul's & Raj's are all vegetarian, so I think they keep that in mind when dealing with the ghee issue. It's easy enough for them just to use veggie oil. But Raj's menu also states which dishes are vegan or can be modified to be vegan. It's very cool! And I get the feeling that they actually know which dishes contain milk/dairy/ghee. Both Gokul's & Raj's have Vegan "Times" Brunches & Dinners so they really do cater to us vegans!! It's not ALL vegan, but it's at least nice to know that there isn't dirty beef back in the kitchen. And they have Bollywood Movies!! Yeah! Gotta love the Indian Places equipped with Film Projectors!
ReplyDeleteNot a huge fan of Indian vegan cuisine. Had a few while vacationing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (with very bad experiences) plus one in Boston (ended up with some strange food allergy reactions).
ReplyDeleteBut it's nice to know St. Louis has some vegan eateries on certain days... :)
xxx from Vienna
gokul is the best in st.louis
ReplyDelete