by Laura Beck
Veggie Combo at Moya
Moya is so new they haven’t even had a grand opening yet and we already can’t get enough. It’s the only Ethiopian restaurant in SOMA, and a very welcome addition. Moya is a woman-owned (you go, girl!) family enterprise and let us tell you, they knows what they’re doing in the kitchen. The veggie combo is a massive plate filled with all sorts of deliciousness, from spiced red lentils to a carrot, potato, green bean combo that will blow your mind one more time. You scoop it all up with their freshly made injera bread. Bonus: an all-teff gluten-free version of the injera is also available and it’s bomb— all tangy, spongy goodness! It’s a little extra because teff is currently worth more than gold plated platinum but worth it. Ooh, and they have tofu tibs! And the Shuro, OMG. The $8 veggie lunch combo special means we’ll be there often (read: Sayanora, suckas!).
Tofu Mole Burrito at Papalote
Some people are partial to the soyrizo, some people swear by the grilled veggies, but for our money, the tofu mole burrito is where it’s at. It’s rich, creamy, chocolaty, and absolutely delicious. Never mind the fact that Papalote isn’t exactly autentico and the burritos cost as much as a college education. Screw it. It’s the price we pay for our San Francisco-fied (read: white-ified) burrito happiness. Viva la Gentrification! Kinda!
Deep Fried Eggplant with Miso at Minako Organic Japanese Restaurant
Minako is awesomely run by a mother/daughter team and they are mega dynamos. Daughter Judy (ha!) runs the front while mama goes to town in the back. They have a huge variety of outstanding Japanese dishes and vegan sushi (try the vegan eel roll! For real!) but we go gaga for the deep fried eggplant. It makes every other deep-fry experience we’ve had seem sub par. That might seem hard to believe because deep-frying is always the best way to prepare anything, but you must trust. The batter is light and crispy, the eggplant perfectly tender, and the miso sauce DEAR LORD. It’s a revelation. If you can send the plate back without licking it than you have more restraint than us. Also, maybe your taste buds/soul are dead?






