Starting the Tiger year with Herbivore
Being a blatant ruthless carnivore all year round, I know that going vegan one day of the year won’t help me redeem myself in hell, but I still follow my mom’s tradition on the first day of Tet. No cheese, no animal milk, no bone marrow, no lard, no skin, no fishy business. It’s the first day of the new spring, everybody deserves to live, so we believe it’s nice to spare the lives of yummy things that can move. Or at least we should try not to cause their deaths. That means I have to find a vegan restaurant in Berkeley. Mudpie was estatic. (Mudpie has been fighting to go to Herbivore down the block for months, and I’ve been “gently” suggesting other places all this time.) Mudpie went online and picked his order even before we got there: the Indonesian noodle salad with tamarind dressing (pictured above).
When we got there the place was packed to the roof. Lucky for us, we got the last free table, and some folks who came later had to wait for at least an hour to be seated. If you wonder how I knew how long the wait was, it’s because that’s also how long we had to wait for our food. I had nothing to do within that hour except looking at other customers and eavesdropping on their conversation. The table arrangement is quite efficient, everyone’s utensil is within everyone’s neighbor’s reach. We ordered a yerba mate tea to sip boredom away. The hot kind comes in three choices: organic (plain, no sugar, no milk), organic latte, and chai spice tea; the chilled bottle kind is flavored with either raspberry or mint. The plain kind wasn’t anything spectacular. It’s just commonplace bitter like any other unflavored tea. I don’t want to sound snotty, but yerba mate is just another overhyped foreign substance, worthy of seeking after only for its novelty and cultural value.
Moving on to the food. The Indonesian noodle salad was like a garden harvest. Cucumber slices, pineapple and orange cubes, a few streaks of bean sprouts, lettuce, cilantro, cabbage, onion, whole peanuts, carrots, all partied up in a spicy chili pepper tamarind sauce. It was sour and refreshing. The thin rice noodle got lost in the jungle. For a salad, it scored well. For an entree, it needed more warmth and more substance.
What the noodle salad didn’t have, the “curry-coconut udon noodle” had: warmth and substance. I don’t know why it’s not “coconut-curry,” and I don’t know why it’s called “udon noodle,” because this was not udon. Texture aside, the curry noodle didn’t have what the noodle salad had: flavor. It was coconuty, but a pinch of salt and a few tablespoons of sugar would be a nice boost. After all, vegan food doesn’t have to be unseasoned food.
It’s not clear to me why Herbivore has gained such popularity in the region. The two entrees we got did not make us oomph and aahh. Looking around at other tables, we saw many sandwiches, italians and happy faces, so was it just us not picking the right plates? Being on the verge of disappointment, I almost decided to leave without dessert, but Mudpie and a second thought made me grab the waitress to order a wedge of vegan pie with one scoop of ice cream. We heard that strawberry rhubarb was good, but since it was out, we opted for the olallieberry pie (just because of the name). According to Wikipedia, the olallieberry is half blackberry, a quarter raspberry, and a quarter dewberry. The pie filling was more tart than sweet, which is always nice. The crust was thick, dense, and plain enough to shelter us from a sugar flood. The mudslide vegan ice cream swept me off my feet with its creamy texture, chocolaty sweetness, and sneaky coconut shavings. If anything, this awesome dessert assortment would draw me back to Herbivore.
Address: Herbivore the Earthly Grill
2451 Shattuck Avenue (the corner of Shattuck and Haste)
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 665-1675
Click for Herbivore’s Menu
An order of 1 curry tofu noodles, 1 Indonesian noodle salad, 1 yerba mate organic tea (plain), 1 vegan pie + a scoop of ice cream set us back by $30. Overall, a decent and healthy catch. But in all fairness, dessert aside, Herbivore is not in the least comparable with Garden Fresh in Mountain View.
Everything is very open and very clear explanation of issues. was truly information. Your website is very useful. Thanks for sharing.
1Hey there! Someone in my Facebook group shared this website with us so I came to check it out. I’m definitely enjoying the information. I’m book-marking and will be tweeting this to my followers! Wonderful blog and fantastic design and style.
2Hello there, I discovered your blog by means of Google at the same time as looking for a similar topic, your web site came up, it looks great.
3I have bookmarked it in my google bookmarks.
Hi there, just turned into aware of your blog thru Google, and located that it is truly informative.
I’m going to be careful for brussels. I’ll be grateful for those who
continue this in future. Numerous other folks might be
benefited from your writing. Cheers!
Pretty nice post. I just stumbled upon your blog and wanted to say that I have really enjoyed
4browsing your blog posts. After all I’ll be subscribing to your feed
and I hope you write again soon!
Hi, i think that i saw you visited my website so
5i came to “return the favor”.I’m attempting to find things to enhance my web site!I suppose its ok to use some of your
ideas!!
Do you mind if I quote a couple of your articles as long as I
6provide credit and sources back to your blog? My blog site is in the very same niche as yours and my visitors would really benefit from some of
the information you present here. Please let me know if this okay with you.
Cheers!
Hi there very cool web site!! Guy .. Excellent .. Superb ..
I’ll bookmark your website and take the feeds also?
I am happy to seek out so many helpful info here in the publish, we want develop extra strategies on this regard, thank you for sharing.
7. . . . .
Hi it’s me, I am also visiting this website daily, this site is really pleasant and the people
8are genuinely sharing pleasant thoughts.
This site was… how do I say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something that helped me.
9Thanks a lot!
Hi just wanted to give you a brief heads up and let you
know a few of the pictures aren’t loading properly.
I’m not sure why but I think its a linking issue.
I’ve tried it in two different web browsers and both show the same outcome.
10We stumbled over here from a different web address and thought I
11might check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you.
Look forward to looking into your web page for a second time.
It’s hard to find experienced people on this topic, but you sound
12like you know what you’re talking about! Thanks
Your style is so unique compared to other folks I’ve read stuff from.
13Many thanks for posting when you have the opportunity, Guess I’ll just book mark this web site.
naturally like your website however you need to
14test the spelling on several of your posts. A number of them are rife with spelling issues and I to find it very bothersome
to tell the truth nevertheless I will certainly come again again.
At this moment I am going away to do my breakfast, once having my
15breakfast coming again to read additional news.
Thanks to my father who stated to me about this web site, this website is genuinely awesome.
16It is appropriate time to make a few plans for the future and it’s time to be happy.
17I’ve learn this submit and if I may just I wish to counsel you some
attention-grabbing things or suggestions. Perhaps you could write
next articles referring to this article.
I wish to read more issues about it!
May I simply say what a comfort to find someone
18that truly understands what they are talking about on the net.
You actually realize how to bring an issue to light and
make it important. More and more people need to look at
this and understand this side of your story.
It’s surprising you are not more popular given that
you surely have the gift.
Appreciate this post. Will try it out.
19Wow, this article is nice, my younger sister is analyzing such things, therefore I am going to convey
20her.
I’m not sure why but this weblog is loading very slow for me.
21Is anyone else having this issue or is it a problem on my end?
I’ll check back later on and see if the problem still exists.
he blog was how do i say it… relevant, finally something that helped me. Thanks
22Thanks a bunch for sharing this with all people you really realize
23what you’re speaking approximately! Bookmarked. Kindly also consult with
my website =). We may have a link exchange arrangement among us
Hello there! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
24I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve worked hard on. Any suggestions?
Would you be desirous about exchanging links?
25Some really fantastic info , Sword lily I noticed this.
26Yay google is my king assisted me to find this great website ! .
27An outstanding share! I’ve just forwarded this onto a friend who had been conducting a little research on this.
And he actually ordered me lunch due to the fact that I found it for him…
lol. So allow me to reword this…. Thanks for the meal!!
But yeah, thanks for spending the time to talk about this subject here on your web page.
28What’s up, just wanted to say, I enjoyed this post. It was
29funny. Keep on posting!
fantastic put up, very informative. I ponder why the opposite specialists of this sector do not realize this.
30You should continue your writing. I’m confident,
you’ve a great readers’ base already!
Heya i am for the primary time here. I found this board and I in finding It truly helpful & it
31helped me out much. I hope to offer one thing back and aid others such as you helped me.
Hi mates, its enormous paragraph about educationand completely defined, keep it
32up all the time.
I truly love your blog.. Pleasant colors &
33theme. Did you build this amazing site yourself? Please reply back as I’m attempting to create my own website and would like to
know where you got this from or exactly what the theme is called.
Thanks!
Hi, i read your blog from time to time and i own a
34similar one and i was just wondering if you get
a lot of spam feedback? If so how do you protect against
it, any plugin or anything you can advise? I get so much lately it’s driving
me crazy so any assistance is very much appreciated.
It’s genuinely very complex in this active
35life to listen news on TV, thus I simply use world wide web for that reason, and take the newest news.
Today, while I was at work, my sister stole my
36iphone and tested to see if it can survive a forty foot drop, just so she
can be a youtube sensation. My iPad is now destroyed and she has
83 views. I know this is entirely off topic but I had to share it
with someone!
This is really interesting, You are a very skilled blogger.
I’ve joined your feed and look forward to seeking more of your great post.
Also, I’ve shared your site in my social networks!
37You are my inhalation, I own few blogs and very sporadically run out from brand :). “Actions lie louder than words.” by Carolyn Wells.
38You are my intake, I have few blogs and infrequently run out from post :). “Yet do I fear thy nature It is too full o’ the milk of human kindness.” by William Shakespeare.
39great points altogether, you just gained a logo new reader. What might you suggest in regards to your post that you made a few days in the past? Any sure?
40Saya senang menjadi salah satu dari banyak pengunjung di situs web hebat ini (:, sangat dihargai telah memposting.
41I like what you guys are up too. Such clever work and reporting! Carry on the superb works guys I’ve incorporated you guys to my blogroll. I think it’ll improve the value of my web site 🙂
42My brother suggested I would possibly like this website. He was totally right. This publish actually made my day. You can not consider just how a lot time I had spent for this information! Thank you!
43Thanks for this post, I am a big fan of this web site would like to go along updated.
44What’s up to all, because I am really eager of reading this blog’s post to
45be updated on a regular basis. It consists of pleasant information.
Great delivery. Outstanding arguments. Keep up the good spirit.
46I like the helpful information you provide in your articles.
47I will bookmark your weblog and check again here regularly.
I’m quite sure I’ll learn plenty of new stuff right here!
Good luck for the next!
Thanks for the auspicious writeup. It in truth used to be a leisure account it.
48Look complex to more brought agreeable from you! However, how can we
communicate?
Hey! Do you know if they make any plugins to safeguard against hackers?
49I’m kinda paranoid about losing everything I’ve
worked hard on. Any suggestions?
I savor, cause I discovered exactly what I used to be looking for.
50You have ended my four day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a
nice day. Bye