An experienced vegan forces her ways on an unsuspecting freshman

We arrived at Plum Bistro, a hip, vegan and moderately expensive restaurant in Capitol Hill. We were seated at a quaint, oak table in front of a large window facing the street. We felt comfortable at the sight of the exposed brick walls lined with climbing ivy. The bulb string lights hung zigzagged from the ceiling. We were served water with a slice of orange and cucumber. We then decided that we wanted to start with the avocado rolls, spicy cajun mac ‘n’ yease, and the wheat berry salad. For dinner we ordered the Mama Africa Salad and a gluten-free vegetable pizza. The restaurant informed us the pizza was unavailable. Meat-eating people would not understand a vegan’s excitement over pizza they can actually eat. To say the least, this pizza is worth dreaming about. For this reason alone we knocked down Plum’s rating after having to settle for the tofu burger instead. Overall some of our dishes were amazing and we were left wanting more, while others were a letdown. The environment was welcoming, but parking was impossible.

Mama Africa Salad:

Hannah:  The salad was lacking in that the ingredients didn’t come together. I liked the sliced nectarines and blueberries, but there weren’t enough of them to go with the mass amounts of spinach. There was a strange sauce dolloped on top as an afterthought and tasteless quinoa and bean sticks thrown on the side. Sadly, the meal didn’t shed a good light on vegan food to my carnivorous counterpart.

James: It contained baby greens, avocado, blueberries, quinoa, almonds, mustard aioli, & tempeh, which is an abnormal tasting fermented soybean cake. It was a super plain salad overall probably could have gotten something similar (but still not organic) from a gas station.

Mac ‘N’ Yease:

Hannah: It came plated as somewhat of a pasta mountain. Despite its’ strange appearance, the flavors were rich and creamy. Having not experienced true macaroni in a long time since becoming vegan. I was thrilled with the similar substitute. James, however, was not impressed. He kept saying it tasted “too eggy” regardless of my telling him that we were at a vegan restaurant and there weren’t any eggs.

James: It tasted like soft noodles coated with eggy, crumbly, cheese. This dish didn’t appeal to me due to its soggy and somehow egg like after-taste. Again I didn’t really expect to truly love all of the vegan dishes, but I didn’t appreciate this plate as much as the other dishes we ate.

Avocado Rolls:

Hannah: The familiar rolls arrived and I snatched one quickly, dipped it into mayonnaise and soy sauce and popped it into my salivating mouth. I’m not sure how Plum does it, but their avocado rolls are better than any I’ve had at a sushi restaurant. They paired them with pink, pickled cabbage that added just a touch of tartness as well.

James: As a full-on carnivore, I was nervous I wouldn’t enjoy anything on the menu. Hannah told me that the avocado rolls were probably what I would enjoy the most. As I precariously attempted to eat an avocado roll, it felt squishy, moist, and was an unsettling texture. Although the mouth-feel was odd, the taste was overwhelmingly tangy, savory, salty, and exceptionally delicious. I agreed with Hannah that the rolls were one of the best things that we had. I give this dish a solid A.

Jerk Tofu and Yam Burger

Hannah: This was a huge disappointment. It wasn’t even served on a real bun; it was sandwich bread. The tofu was flavorless and drenched in heavy mayonnaise. The only thing

I liked about the dish were the yams.

James:  I expected the fries that accompanied the burger to be an odd variant of the French fry. I was wrong, the fries were the only “real” thing on the menu, which made me ecstatic. Not only were they actual fries but they were salty, greasy, and delicious! Next came the burger. I took a bite, the bun and condiments tasted pretty normal until I tasted the “meat”. The jerk tofu tasted like a thin, dried out beef patty with an irregular mint taste.

Final Grade: B-

By: James Garvey and Hannah Zundel-Davis