announcer: a kqed television production. ♫♫ sbrocco: and everybody say "opa!" together: opa! [ indistinct conversations ] sbrocco: hi, i'm leslie sbrocco. welcome to "check, please! bay area," the show where regular bay area residents review and talk about their favorite restaurants.
now, we have three guests, and each one recommends one of their favorite spots, and the other two go check them out to see what they think. this week, we're featuring three vegetarian spots. and we begin with photographer david greditzer, who shoots for the stars or shoots from a drone, searching for the perfect vegan menu. he wants fresh vegetarian
and a plate that's picture-perfect. and computer scientist ganesh ranganathan processes the data gathered from his childhood in his mother's indian kitchen. formulating these memories into his life here in the u.s. sends him on a quest to find those flavors again. but first, policy risk associate michelle runde avoids the perils of a carnivorous menu at her veggie-focused pick.
she can choose global selections all inspired by the supreme master ching hai in san jose at a place called vegetarian house. mueller: vegetarian food leaves a deep impression on our nature. it's kind, it's peaceful, it's compassionate. if the whole world adopts a vegan diet, it'll change the destiny of humankind. hi, i'm sunny.
welcome to the vegetarian house in san jose. the vegetarian house was opened by the supreme master ching hai 21 years ago. she's an extremely compassionate, loving being. we hope to show that people eating a vegan diet is not only great for your health, but also great for the environment and great for the animals' health also. we're 100% vegan, and we have a large selection
of gluten-free options. the food is cooked and prepared with love with the finest organic ingredients we can find. we're a green business, and the restaurant uses 100% sustainable energy. a lot of people don't realize, but a vegan saves 1.3 million gallons of water a year. a vegan can leave the shower on 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for an entire year
and not use as much water as meat eater. we did a survey, and we discovered that over 50% of our customers are not actually vegetarians. but they enjoy the food, and they feel great after eating. if you're coming into the restaurant, be prepared to let your taste buds be dancing with delight.
you know, there's a great menu, and we got a fresh organic fruit, vegetable juice bar. and we got a baby grand piano you can play. it's lots of fun. you'll enjoy it. sbrocco: all right, let's talk a little bit, michelle, about the difference between being a vegetarian and a vegan. runde: absolutely. so, if you're a vegetarian, that usually just means you're not eating actual, like, animal flesh
like meat -- beef, chicken, et cetera. if you're vegan, you're not eating anything -- no animal byproducts. that includes dairy, eggs, and even honey, depending on what kind of level of veganism you're at. i'm a vegan 100%. no animal byproducts for me. haven't for seven years. sbrocco: all right. and let's talk about vegetarian house.
runde: my aunt recommended it. and it was just a fantastic little mecca of vegan food. there's something for every cuisine. there's western, there's thai food, there's indian food. sbrocco: and you can get a blt, can't you? runde: yeah, exactly that. you can get anything you want. i love the mushroom soup. i'm a big soup fan, and i usually get the big bowl to start
sometimes just for myself, sometimes i share. it has a variety of mushrooms inside, so shiitake, some udon, enoki, a wonderful, rich miso broth. and it's really hearty and a great way to start the meal. i also really enjoy the sea fruits grill. it's an entire array -- it's an appetizer. and you'll get these -- little rice circles
come to your plate with hot water on the side. and you can dunk it yourself. and you have a whole platter that you can assemble your own little spring roll. so you have lots of fresh herbs, and you get a fake fish, is what they call it. sbrocco: fake fish. i like that. runde: exactly, and it's so flavorful. it's blackened on the outside.
it has a seaweed coating, and you throw it in your rice paper along with some noodles, maybe some lettuce or some cucumber. and you make your own. it's really fantastic. sbrocco: wonderful. well, you're a vegan, as well, aren't you, david? and so, what did you find to eat this restaurant? greditzer: to start with, i had the soy lemongrass kebabs. these things are little balls of perfection.
they have the texture of meat, and i love lemongrass. and they're savory and chewy and just wonderful. sbrocco: ganesh, where did you start on your trip to vegetarian house? ranganathan: i actually went with my brother's family with two nephews. and we started with spring rolls and japanese tempura. we felt that the batter
was a little too thick and a little oily, but the sauce that the japanese tempura came with was very interesting. it was tangy, soy-based with green onions, and it was really interesting. and then our favorite dish was the malaysian curry chow mein. it had a coconut-based spicy gravy -- really tasty. and then we also tried the spicy cha cha,
which felt like a cross between onion rings and calamari. sbrocco: it's got a good name, though -- spicy cha cha. ranganathan: yeah, spicy cha cha. it was yam-based inside, the filling was, which had a pretty interesting taste, as well. runde: there really is no end to options, especially when it comes to substitute, like, fake meats --
analog meats sometimes they're called -- which lots of places i feel like don't get right. but there's so many different kinds with the yam-based ones. they have seitan-based, so even within fake meat world, there's a lot of options. sbrocco: what about the kelp noodles? runde: i absolutely love those. that is one of my go-to appetizer favorites. they are these thin --
they look like cellophane noodles, but they're kelp-based. and it makes it very light. they're not filling at all. and it comes with these incredibly fine julienned red bell peppers and onions, snow peas. and i cannot -- i have tried to replicate this at home. it cannot be done. they must have someone back there just working magic. and it has this wonderful
kind of a miso-like dressing on it a little bit. it is very flavorful, great crunch to the noodles. i get that almost every time i go. sbrocco: what else should they get or other people get when they go? what are your favorites? runde: i, as an eggplant lover, there's the szechuan eggplant dish. it comes with a really thick garlicky sauce.
in fact, there's so much sauce that i end up dunking usually the food from other dishes into that sauce. it's completely tender eggplant with some red bell peppers and onions sautã©ed all together. and it just has this wonderful punch of flavor. very salty -- that soy, garlicky taste, ginger, as well. it's really fantastic.
greditzer: i had this bowl of bun hue, and the portions are just gigantic. noodles, mushrooms, jalapeã±os, a little spicy, and i had that for the next three days. -sbrocco: so generous portions. -greditzer: generous portions. ranganathan: we also went into the western section -- the vegetable lasagna. and it had a different, interesting taste and flavor to it, as well,
because they used vegan cheese. it was still light. it was not heavy. the marinara sauce was not overpowering. so think the vegan take is very interesting even for dishes that you order in other restaurants. and definitely, it's good for the value. runde: and i love how vegetable-focused everything is. it's really light on the starches, and you're really able to eat a lot
and not really leave feeling like you're overstuffed. ranganathan: it has summer house feeling. so as soon as you enter, there's a coffee and dessert bar, and then there's the next door which has got lots of light. greditzer: and a baby grand piano. ranganathan: oh, yeah. runde: i've never seen anyone playing on it, either, for the record.
it's just there. and there's also the big, giant portrait of the supreme master when you walk in, which is a little odd when you first come in. i don't know much about the background. i just know i love the food. but, yeah, it's an interesting feel inside. sbrocco: all right, this is your spot. wrap it up for us, michelle.
runde: whether you're an experienced international vegan eater or kind of new to the non-meat scene, you'll find something at vegetarian house. sbrocco: all right, and, ganesh? ranganathan: there are a lot of options. slightly on the bland side, but it was a lot of categories that i haven't tested yet. sbrocco: all right, and, david? greditzer: with 89 menu choices, it's a great value.
you'll have some to take home. you've got to try the vegetarian house. sbrocco: all right, if you would like to try the vegetarian house, it's located on east santa clara street at 12th in san jose. the telephone number is 408-292-3798. it's open for lunch and dinner wednesday through monday. reservations are accepted for parties of five or more. and the average tab per person without drinks is under $15.
ears of corn sculpted in iron greet you at david's eatery, and corn signifies the heart of the mexican flavors created within. fresh, organic ingredients meld together in each of the vegan dishes in san francisco at gracias madre. garcia: most of our dishes have their origin in the central part of mexico. the owners, while they were traveling to mexico,
picked up a lot these recipes and came up with the idea opening a plant-based mexican restaurant. my name is rodrigo garcia, and i am the general manager of gracias madre in san francisco. our menu changes seasonally. being in california, we just have so much great produce and a lot to work with. both the fruit and drinks we make in house with 100% organic ingredients.
we had a mole recipe contest. and one member of our staff won the contest. that's her family recipe, and that recipe, we still serve. what makes gracias madre unique is attention on having a great work environment. we want our workers to enjoy being at work as part of their lives. we invite everybody to come with an open mind
and an open heart and be excited to have a different experience with plant-based mexican food. sbrocco: and how did you find gracias madre? greditzer: i have friends that are vegan that said, "you've got to try gracias madre." and i love it. the kitchen is huge and open, and the light just bathes this place.
the place, again, is just filled with love. you can just tell that all these people know each other. they're in the kitchen having a good time. and it turns out that it's all one family. sbrocco: are there a couple of dishes that are your favorites? greditzer: so the guacamole is fresh -- couldn't have been made more than 30 minutes ago. big chunks of avocado. two kinds of salsa --
you know, the red and the green, which are spicy. the texture is just beautiful, and the color is just wonderful. i love the tacos. so, the tacos i had were mushroom and cauliflower. sbrocco: that's certainly one of their signatures and that fresh-from-the-farm cauliflower. what did you have, michelle? runde: well, we started with the quesadilla that had a sweet potato filling inside.
it also had some kind of vegan crema sauce on top. fresh vegetable sautã©ed inside, some red bell peppers, i think. and that sweet potato filling was just so unctuous and creamy. like, i just wanted to scoop that out of the shells, as well. and we also had the fried cauliflower with the nacho cheese sauce, which i will say -- i usually try to stay away from fried food,
trying to be healthy, but this was a treat. and that nacho sauce on top, it was yellow, it looked like it came right out of a synthetic can. it tasted like it, too, in the best way possible. you'd never know that this had no dairy in it. it was 100% delicious and served hot and fresh, too. it felt like it must have just come right out of the fryer. greditzer: that cream is cashew cream. runde: it's phenomenal.
i would just buy that as a bottle from them. sbrocco: what did you have when you went, ganesh? ranganathan: so, we started with the empanadas. and on the day we went, it was filled with sweet potatoes. and yet, it was crispy and spicy. and also, this cashew crema with the fat in the cashew, feels like you're actually
eating with cheese or something like that. it was very rich but very tasty. it was the right base for it. so, we ordered the enchilada con mole, and we really wanted to taste their homemade mole, which was fantastic. greditzer: and it's hard to do. it's really hard to get a good mole. ranganathan: exactly. and it was creamy, it was spicy.
it had a color to it, like a chocolate color to it. and also, we really enjoyed the two salsas -- the red salsa and the salsa verde. and the interesting thing about their salsa verde is it's zucchini-based, but it's got a zing to it. -greditzer: i did not know that. -runde: i didn't either. no, we had that, as well. greditzer: and i also had the espinacas, which is this spinach salad.
it's lightly sautã©ed, and it's got some mint in it. and if you put mint in anything, i'm a sucker for it. and it's not drowned in the dressing because that's just cruel and unusual punishment for... sbrocco: for those poor spinach leaves. greditzer: yeah. and walking by the kitchen, all of the stuff there in the prep areas, it's all clean and fresh and green. sbrocco: straight from the family farm.
that's right. runde: someone else at our table got the daily special, which was like peanut-based mole. and it really tasted like fresh peanut butter, but very reduced. came with a side of rice and black beans. and the black beans, i normally kind of skip them with mexican food because they're a little heavy or kind of bland,
but these were flavorful and fantastic. greditzer: they've got really good black beans. -ranganathan: i agree. -runde: absolutely. and also, someone ordered bowl uno and bowl dos. sbrocco: you get those big bowls. runde: yeah, and each one had a different one. and even though it's uno and dos, they were completely different. one had chorizo in it, a fake vegan chorizo,
which was one of the only dishes that had fake meat. everything else didn't try to fake meat. it just went with pure mexican flavors. it had lots of the crema on top. it had layers of lentils, salad, avocado sliced on the side, and everything was just flavorful and delicious. ranganathan: it's communal seating, so you get to say hi to fellow folks at your table.
sbrocco: there's a bar. ranganathan: there's a bar. people sit at the bar and order drinks, as well. sbrocco: absolutely. ranganathan: and service is fantastic. sbrocco: any other dishes you had or desserts or drinks? runde: we did have one dessert. we were pretty full afterwards, but we got the chocolate cake with the ice cream on the side.
-greditzer: ooh. -runde: it was big. it was good that we split it between us 'cause it was a pretty hearty serving. i felt like the cake was fluffy. it was wonderful for a vegan cake 'cause there's no eggs, so it was amazing they had that kind of volume. maybe i would have wanted a little more kick of that chocolate flavor. there was a sauce on top,
so when you had it with the sauce, it was really good. on its own, maybe a little dry, but that's what the ice cream was for. and the service was absolutely impeccable. cannot talk about that enough. the server was attentive. he wasn't overbearing. he made someone an iced tea dish that didn't even exist. he just made it for us. we got an extra beer at the table.
never complained about that. so it was phenomenal service. sbrocco: all right, this is your restaurant. wrap it up for us. greditzer: if you're looking for quality mexican food, you won't even notice that it's vegan. got to try gracias madre. ranganathan: a creative vegan twist to mexican cuisine and excellent ambiance. sbrocco: all right, and, michelle?
runde: impeccable service. every single bite was just packed full of well-thought-out flavor. i will definitely be returning. sbrocco: all right, if you would like to try gracias madre, it's located on mission street at 18th street in san francisco. the telephone number is 415-683-1346. it's open for lunch and dinner every day. reservations are accepted,
and the average tab per person without drinks is around $30. when you find yourself with a little extra wine, don't waste it. make vinegar. it's simple. pour equal parts of a starter vinegar, like this unfiltered version, and wine into a jar. now, make sure to keep your white wine jar and your red wine jar separate. now, cover it with cheese cloth,
and store it somewhere dark for a few months. the mother will kickstart your vinegar, and soon, you'll have delicious bottles of your own. now you can keep adding to it whenever you have a little left, and it gets better with time. i've had my vinegar jar going for over 20 years. the southern indian food at ganesh's place reminds him of home. here, the spices and aromas embroider
a tapestry of flavors on every plate. in sunnyvale, it's called madras cafã©. ramasamy: to make a dosa, it is not easy. it is an art. it takes a lot of time to create the perfect dosa. my name is ramamoorthy. everybody goes with "ram." my restaurant's name is madras cafã©. we named our restaurant as madras cafã©
because that where i grew up. everybody knows madras because that's one of the south indian cities. and anything from that name reflects the south indian flavors. quality and taste is very important to us because that's the reason we are making the item. we have to bring out the real south indian flavor from india for the local indian community.
we have three sauce -- one is pimento, another one is cilantro, another one is coconut. these three sauces will go with all the items. both indian people and european and local people, once they eat our food, they have to appreciate the amount of importance we've given to the flavor of the south indian food. we feel very happy
when the customers say that it's awesome. "this food is really, really tasty and quality. we liked it, we love it." sbrocco: all right, ganesh, let's talk a little bit about your background and maybe the difference between northern indian food and southern. ranganathan: so, i grew up in the southern part of india in bangalore.
and my parents come from madras, which is a region in india called tamil nadu. and the south indian and north indian cuisine is quite different in terms of the spices, in terms of staple food. sbrocco: so having grown up with this as a background, that's a high bar to set for madras cafã©, isn't it? ranganathan: that's one of the reasons i honed in on that restaurant because you go to that restaurant for the food,
plain and simple. and it's authentic. it represents the tamil nadu region. the choice of the dishes, the way it's prepared, it reminds me of how my mom cooks. so, their claim to fame is the different varieties of dosas. so, there's the masala dosa, which has a filling of potato and onions inside the dosa itself.
and they make it really fresh and really well, like in terms of the potatoes that are mashable with the onions. it's one entity as opposed to the potatoes and the onions staring at each other. -sbrocco: it's a face-off. -ranganathan: yeah. and so they also have plain dosas, where if you don't feel like potatoes and onions, you don't have to have the filling.
and there's also a rava dosa, which is made of cream of wheat and rice flour, which takes a longer time to cook because you have to cook it in low flame. and so, there's more preparation involved for it. and then the uttapam is a open-face pancake, which... sbrocco: a little thicker, a little more dense than the dosa. ranganathan: it's more fermented.
and usually, in south indian households, if they have the dosa flour left over and it's fermented for a second day, they end up making it as uttapam so that they don't waste their flour. sbrocco: what did you have, david? greditzer: i had the idli, and i don't know what these are made of. ranganathan: they're also made of rice and lentil flours,
but they are steamed. greditzer: just wonderful stuff. white and puffy and really great texture. so, the first thing i noticed when i got there was it's full of indians, so i knew this was the real deal. but you order at the cashier, and i was completely unprepared. and the menu doesn't have any descriptions. and so i was like, "aah."
ranganathan: yeah, i mean, it's best to go with somebody who knows what's going on -- initially, at least, for the first time. but it's very functional. you just order whatever you want to order. they bring it to you. -so in terms of ambiance... -greditzer: there's none. ranganathan: that's not the focus. sbrocco: what about you, michelle? what did you have?
runde: i mean, the food was fantastic. it was packed, which i find always is a compliment for a restaurant. of course you want it just full of people. we were there friday night, so when we got there, we put our order in sort of guessing. we asked the person behind the counter if she had any recommendations. and she didn't give us a lot of feedback,
so we kind of went on our own a little bit. but right next door is a madras grocery. so, while we were waiting, we just hopped right over there and kind of explored. so, the wait for our table after we ordered didn't feel so bad 'cause it was kind of a fun place to go by. and we had two dosas -- the masala dosa, and then she recommended also the mymar? -ranganathan: mysore. -runde: so much good flavor.
great value. big, beautiful roll. we were just tearing off chunks and dipping it in the sauces. couldn't ask for fresher food. ranganathan: yeah, the hallmark of a good south indian restaurant is the chutneys. so, you can measure the quality of the restaurant, the authenticity of the restaurant of the chutneys. if you don't get that right, next. runde: the coconut one in particular
was a little unique, but very nice. ranganathan: yeah, it's creamy, and it's also crunchy. runde: mm-hmm. ranganathan: and they also have wheat-based dishes like puri and chapati. puri is deep-fried, which comes out puffy on one side and crispy. on the other side, it's soft. that might have been our favorite dish
just because the texture of the bread was just so fluffy and flaky. but it was so much good authentic flavor. we could see there were whole seeds in the dal. and that was a runaway hit. i had to restrain myself for just polishing off one of those circles myself. sbrocco: i thought you said, "i had to restrain the others from polishing off." runde: well, that, too.
ranganathan: that's the one where it comes out puffy, and you poke a hole into it, and intense steam just comes out. greditzer: i had the vegetable dosa. the thing's a baseball bat. i had no idea what was coming. crispy and fresh. beautiful vegetables inside -- onions, green peas, carrots,
some potatoes, as well. some chilies. sbrocco: all right, ganesh, your spot, give us a quick summary. ranganathan: authentic south indian homey cuisine. you can be a regular there. sbrocco: all right, michelle? runde: if you're looking for a quick, really hearty meal, definitely have to stop by for lunch or dinner.
sbrocco: okay, and, david? greditzer: the real deal indian food. great value. great food. sbrocco: all right, if you would like to try madras cafã©, it's located on el camino real at bernardo avenue in sunnyvale. telephone number is 408-737-2323. it's open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner tuesday through sunday.
reservations are not accepted. and the average tab per person without drinks is around $15. i have to thank my wonderful vegetarian and vegan guests on this week's show. michelle runde with the international cuisine at her eatery, vegetarian house in san jose. david greditzer, who settles into the veggie mexican kitchen at gracias madre in san francisco. and ganesh ranganathan, whose favorite indian spices
imbues all the dishes at madras cafã© in sunnyvale. now, we really want to hear about your experiences at any of the restaurants we've been talking about, so find us on facebook, and follow us on twitter. and don't forget that you can watch any of the shows on our website at kqed.org/checkplease. it's where you'll find links to the restaurants and where you'll find my notes on the delicious wines we're drinking today.
so join us next time when three new guests will recommend their favorite spots right here on "check, please! bay area." i'm leslie sbrocco, and i'll see you then. cheers, everyone. -ranganathan: cheers. -runde: cheers.
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