Vietnamese-inspired, but featuring no shortage of other Asian options, this plant-based restaurant proves an unexpected hit…
From the very point of entry, there’s something likeable about La Vegana. Interior-wise, money has been spent wisely on a design that blends teal colors with wood finishes, wicker extras and statuettes of kneeling deities: you wouldn’t call it visionary, but it’s a pleasant, roomy space that partners well with the concept and cuisine.
In a word: indecipherable. Looking flimsy and a little tatty, the menu transpires to offer an exhaustive range of Asian-titled dishes accompanied by Polish language descriptions that will test your language knowledge to the max. And although gluten-free dishes are clearly marked, there’s no delineation (that we could see) made between vegan and vegetarian options. A bamboozling work of Byzantine complexity, we’ve not seen a menu this challenging for years. But think of that as a charming quirk, for it turns out to be not a bad thing at all.
As bewildering as the menu is, its sheer incomprehensibility encourages guests to throw darts blindfolded before ordering up lots of little dishes. That’s what we did, and we weren’t disappointed. Light but with the perfect amount of crunch, the tempura was one such star, while the kimchi was among the best we’ve had in recent months: a pungent, tangy mass of spiced, fermented cabbage. But even more successful were the nem rolls; tofu bulgogi; and yuba cha (fried tofu skin). Alive with fragrant, delicate flavors, all three give you pause to salute the kitchen. Irresistibly more-ish, you peck away in a state of gentle happiness.
‘Big bowls’ weigh in at around zł. 30 whilst small bowls are half that, price tags which enable even skimpy budgets to order a feast. And a feast is exactly what this is. Best enjoyed with several little bowls sprayed out across the table, it’s an exotic adventure that feels brilliantly put together. Immensely satisfying, and with friendly service to boot, it’s an experience that’s hard not to enjoy. Opened over summer, La Vegana provides proof that Warsaw’s plant-based sector is as exciting now as it was when it first exploded. Impressed? Yes we were.
La Vegana
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