CW: I fought the rains down in Providence. When you’re doing some fishing up in the Narragansett, you might work up a hunger. While Rhode Island is not necessarily known for it’s vast, vibrant Jewish community, what it does have is a local Orthodox rabbi who gives his hechsher on vegan joints.
Today we are at Veggie Fun, Providence, Rhode Island.
It’s more of a Pan-Asian joint, It’s not just a strict vegan Chinese joint. One of the things that really called out to me on the menu, in the appetizers… This is why it really called out to me. ‘Cause in the appetizers menu, they have a fried donut. And if I’m going to a place that has a donut as an appetizer, I’m gonna be a happy person. Alright? I’ll eat it as an appetizer, main course and dessert. So we got the donut here. Oh, man! It’s just fluffy, fried, yeasty. It’s like an apple-y kinda sauce. Deliciously fried, just perfectly fried little round yeasty dough.
The roll sampler.
Now a lot of us are very familiar with a common egg roll or what we call a spring roll. Sweet sour. A lot of people also know what is called a summer roll. Which is a rehydrated rice paper wrapper and veggies and crunchies. I love these.
This is something new to me. It’s very exciting. So this is an autumn roll. Spicy sauce. It’s a fascinating crunch. Spicy sauce is super garlicy sriracha type thing.
General Tso Chicken is a standard. It’s like an American/Chinese classic. This is the vegetarian version, so it’s like these crispy little cutlets. But, what really is always special about General Tso is the fact that it has this double fry action with this crispy crust. And then you have like almost a sweet and sour but like a spicy sweet and sour. That’s hitting the spot so hard. So hard right now!
This is called Seitan. Seitan is a meat substitute that’s been used in Chinese cuisine or Asian cuisine for a very long time. It is not for the gluten-free because it is in fact 100% gluten. It’s got a black pepper sauce. Kinda like a Steak au Poivre but imagine like a Chinese brown sauce that’s just peppery. That’s exactly what it is. They serve it on some really good greens. Cruciferous veggies are good for you sometimes.
We love Samosas. Samosa is like an Indian dish. It’s like a little crispy, crispy triangle. Some mint chutney.
You come to Rhode Island. You’re with your family, you’re vacationing, you’re just driving through. Whatever finds you in Rhode Island, I hope it’s the fishing. But whatever finds you in Rhode Island, also will find you a couple of kosher, vegan options certified by the local rabbi. Ask your own rabbi. That’s not our department. But, there are some great options. We’re just here in Veggie Fun. Really, really great spot. Really comforting and really filling. Great meal.