Dinner: Gobo

The other night my friend Janet had suggested we go to this vegan/ vegetarian restaurant for dinner. I am always looking for good healthy places to eat, so I was pretty interested in this place. I had a pretty optimistic outlook on this place since my experiences with vegan restaurants were usually very pleasant and surprisingly delicious. The menu was extensive, and we decided to get 4 appetizer plates to share.

The outside, located at one of the busier parts of the West Village

The inside was very roomy and had a modern earthy feel to it. It also had an open kitchen and a juice bar in the front.

Complimentary 7 Grain Toast

The waiter gave us this with a side of sweet potato and raisin spread. The bread tasted like the standard packaged bread you would get at a supermarket, nothing special. The spread was kind of bland as well, though it had a nice creamy texture to it. It would have been nice if they blended the raisins in with the sweet potato, or if they added a tad more honey. 

Price: Free

Five Spice Tofu Rolls

This was actually one of my favorite dishes of night. The tofu was very well seasoned, and the flavors marinated deep into the tofu. It was very soft and tender, and was served with a mango puree. The tang danced around my mouth playfully and had the consistency of milk. The roll was crispy and fun to crunch on, but for 6 dollars I wished there was more than 1 roll!

Price: $6.00

Steamed Green Tea Vegetable Dumplings

These were hand wrapped dumplings and came in a set of 5. The skin was the perfect thickness, though I couldn't get any green tea flavor out if it. The mixed veggies inside the dumpling managed to somehow taste like meat, but was soft, light and chewy. I love that they served pickled veggies with it, which added a nice tartness to the dish.

Price: $8.00

Eggplant Stuffed with Herbed Tofu Cheese

Yum! Is it wrong to say that this tasted like a very well made de-constructed pizza? Two nice generous slices of grilled eggplant sandwiches together the tofu cheese which had the texture and taste of herbed goat cheese. The stewed tomatoes had a very bold flavor which almost overpowered the delicate earthiness of the eggplant. The sauce was a bit too oily for my taste, but over tasty.

Price: $12.00

Seitan with Malaysian Curry

This was a slow cooked seitan stew with chunks of potatoes and carrots. This reminded me of a nice winter beef stew except there was a lingering flavor of curry after each bite. This would be wonderful to eat on a cold winter night, but felt too heavy when it was so warm out. It was hardy and the seitan, carrots and potatoes were all equally tender and well cooked. They had given a cereal sized bowl full, but neither Janet nor I could finish it

Price: $12.00

Verdict: I really enjoyed the atmosphere here and the service was excellent. It was very cozy and I didn't feel overly stuffed, but full and satisfied. Each dish had it's own very bold distinct flavors textures ( if not a bit salty). I would like to come back again for more healthy tapa's style eats.

Gobo Restaurant

401 Avenue of the Americas (6th Ave)

New York, NY 10014

www.goborestaurant.com