5812 N. Broadway Ave., Chicago
(Red line to Thorndale, walk 1 block west to Broadway and 2 blocks south)
(773) 275-8797
Alice and Friends is an adorable little all-vegetarian and mostly-vegan asian place on the far north side of Chicago, renowned for their fake meat dishes. The food is mostly Korean/Chinese with a couple of Japanese dishes thrown in. The things they do with TVP are absolutely amazing, the Kabobs and Korean BBQ are some of the "meatiest" soy I've ever had anywhere, with a great smoky, grilled flavor. Most things on the menu are excellent, but if you've never been there and want to try one thing, I'd make it the Kabob (if you like meat analogs), since that's got lots of veggies, tofu and fake meat. The Donkatsu is also exceptionally good, and vegetarians who don't mind eating whey could also try the Smoked Veggie Duck, which I've heard many people rave about. They have excellent vegan desserts (cakes, cookies, etc) which may come from the Chicago Diner (I don't think they're made in-house) and awesome vegan shakes.
My only complaints are that they sometimes put too much dressing on the salads, which contain iceberg lettuce (why, god?), and that the menu rarely if ever changes. Even so, it's definitely worth going, the food is great and the girls who work there are sweethearts. Oh, and lastly, this place also has a religious foundation, the owners are followers of the Supreme Master Ching Hai, a kind of living deity who lectures to massive crowds in China, Vietnam and abroad. You can usually see videos of her on their television and read her literature while dining. She's quite entertaining and very good-humored.
Sample Dishes from Alice and Friends
Alice and Friends Himalayan Spirit...root vegetables with mock beef on skewers, bento-style. A bit more expensive than other dishes, around $12-13.
Alice and Friends Kabobs. This photo does no justice; they're everyone's favorite dish there. Very smoky flavored fake meat, tofu and veggies.
Alice and Friends Donkatsu breaded cutlet with sweet sauce. This dish is totally, totally amazing. You must try to believe.
Alice and Friends Fried dumplings. These are like Japanese Gyoza, and are stuffed with lots of goodness.
Alice and Friends Green Tea Shake (vegan). Very good, and so is the Ginseng Shake. 5 bucks.
Alice and Friends Veggie Donburi. Fake meat in kind of a stew with shrooms, broccoli and more. Oishii!
Alice and Friends Sweet Tang Su. I recall this being just so-so.
Alice and Friends Bi Bim Bop w/ Tofu. Famous Korean dish; somewhat bland but okay. Spicy sauce.
Alice and Friends Almond Un-Chicken. Great, breaded-and-fried texture, if not a very diverse dish.
Alice and Friends Tofu with beansprouts. I think there were also pine nuts in here. Pretty good.
Alice and Friends Full Moon. I'm not crazy about this white sauce that ANF uses on almost everything. Haven't tried this dish.
Alice and Friends Korean-Style BBQ. Similar to Kabobs, but not as good. I'd get the kabobs instead.
Please note: My site is NOT any kind of official "Chicago Vegan" site. For a great restaurant guide from an excellent organization, visit VegChicago.com. With the proliferation of digital cameras and cheap web hosting, I encourage every vegan to document their own good-looking vegan food to share with the world...the more the scarier!
