FEATURE
THE PURPLE MINT The words “Vietnamese fusion” conjure visions of slurping phở and completing the ritual of squeezing a lime wedge and dunking bean sprouts into a deeply savory broth. Chefs often achieve phở’s signature richness by simmering bones with herbs and aromatics, so discovering a completely meatless version feels like finding a rare gem. The Purple Mint in Allied Gardens serves its phở with shiitake mushroom and rice noodles resting in a vegetable-based broth with your choice of soy protein. thepurplemint.com
SAN DIEGO VEGAN MARKET Squinting while trying to read and pronounce the multi-hyphenated ingredients on a nutrition label can feel like studying for the Scripps National Spelling Bee, which explains why San Diego Vegan Market has become a cornerstone for the plant-based community. Leave your readers at home and close your Google app. It’s all vegan, all the time, and waiting for you off Mission Gorge in Grantville. @sandiegoveganmarket
EGGPLANT ENTRÉE
SPLIT BAKEHOUSE Find Split Bakehouse on the patio portion of the Grossmont Center food court, where panes of plexiglass are the only things separating you and a cache of fresh-out-the-oven pastries. You can go savory (jalapeño cheeze galette, jalapeño popper pocket) or sweet (conchas, cinnamon rolls, donuts), but don’t get attached. Split’s menu rotates seasonally, so a handheld peach tart today may be a lemon-and-powdered-sugar danish tomorrow. splitbakehouse.com
PLUMERIA VEGETARIAN RESTAURANT (VG + VE) Situated along the main University Heights drag, Plumeria shares a city block with coffee shops, ice creameries, breweries, and cocktail bars. As a Thai-fusion bistro, Plumeria distinguishes itself with noodle- forward entrées and family-sized vegetable stir-fries known for pops of lemongrass against the sourness of freshly squeezed lime balanced by the zing of Thai chilis. myplumeria.com
CONCHAS
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SEPTEMBER 2023
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