The menu at Supreme Master Ching Hai Vegetarian House may confuse first-timers; the vegan restaurant's menu has an entire section devoted to meat dishes and another dedicated to seafood entrees. It's no misprint, though. Veggie House, as regulars call it, uses soy to produce imitation meats, which it cooks into Asian-themed dishes.
Veggie House is one of the only vegan-friendly restaurants in the Valley, but it has something to offer meat-eaters as well. With an open mind, carnivores might like the Sizzling Rice Soup. Soft-spoken servers bring a plate of half-cooked brown rice to the table and pour it into steaming, savory vegetable broth, producing the sizzle that gives this dish its name. The soup makes for a sizable entrée or is great to share as a starter with imitation chicken and hearty vegetables like carrots, cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and peapods. Or diners can start with crunchy spring rolls and won't even notice the absence of meat in this appetizer.
Customers can find most traditional Chinese dishes on the menu at Veggie House, and the majority of them are fairly similar to their meaty counterparts. The realistic texture and flavor of dishes like the tender, flaky fish covered with rich brown gravy make it easy to forget the meat is made of soy. Negative stereotypes about the flavor of vegan bread will be dispelled with the first bite of the thin, floury pancakes in the Moo Shu. Diners who are uncertain about diving into such a bold dish might feel safer with the House Special Chicken, which is doused in a sweet honey glaze. With crisp, breaded "chicken," it's difficult to remember no birds were harmed in the making of this dish.
There are a few dishes to avoid, however. Order the lobster, and receive a plate of magenta chunks that taste more like black licorice than real lobster. Skip the Yang Shi Pork, as well. The "shredded pork" that tops the pile of shredded vegetables in a spicy red sauce looks like wontons but tastes like nothing at all.
Instead of dessert, enjoy the complimentary fortune cookies servers bring with the bill. A hint of coconut flavors these delicate sweet treats. They're a pleasant end to a daringly different meal.
— jessica.kokal@asu.edu or foodinphoenix.com
