Viably Vegan: The Cozy Plum Bistro
The Cozy Plum Bistro entrance Sep 23, 2021 (Photo: Alexa Rios; The Puma Prensa)
By Alexa Rios Soto, staff writer
I had the pleasure of visiting The Cozy Plum Bistro with my dad. Before eating there, I had never tried vegan food. At first, I was a bit hesitant to go as I love meat. Despite being a vegan restaurant, The Cozy Plum Bistro, “100 percent dedicated Vegan Kitchen” according to their website, has dishes that substitute meatless options for traditional meat dishes. As they put it: “Being healthy means eating healthy, and our plant-based food is a great way to do that.”
Upon arriving, I was greeted with a nicely lit ambiance, scattered plants all around, and a tidy and neat interior. It also really lives up to its name by being cozy. Upon arriving, I ordered right at the cash register. I really liked the menu. It was well organized and had something for everyone. Since I adore burgers, I decided to get the BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger while my dad got the Marinated Chicken Taco. One thing I noticed was that many things on the menu weren’t actually available. For example, I really wanted to try the BBQ Drumsticks, but that wasn’t an option due to the restaurant not having the ingredients. For our beverages, we ordered a Kola Cola and a cucumber soda, which despite sounding strange was really good, with almost no taste of the cucumber itself. The Kola Cola was too sweet for my personal taste, but overall it was a good substitute for regular Coca Cola.
When the food arrived, it came in to-go boxes. From the first glance at the food, everything looked really good, and it genuinely looked like meat. After taking a bite, I noticed some of the positives and flaws of the burger. Some of the strong points were the bun, the patty, and the barbecue sauce. The bread was absolutely fantastic as it tasted just like sourdough and had a firm but soft texture. The “meat” was also great. It had a slightly off taste from regular meat but it did taste pretty similar to the real thing and had a similar texture to that of a burger patty. The BBQ sauce was also excellent: it was sweet but had a smoky taste, and it complimented the patty very nicely. However, weak points included how the cheese felt a bit like jelly, pretty unpleasant. I didn't like it much, but it was edible. Another flaw was the bacon; it tasted like a piece of ham with only a vague resemblance to bacon. It also had a weird texture, kind of like lunchmeat, that I didn't enjoy much.
I also tried the chicken tacos. I don't have anything bad to say about these tacos; they were well-rounded. The amazing spicy creamy sauce on the tacos really stood out, too.
Overall, if you're vegan or want to try something new, The Cozy Plum Bistro located at 1899 Mendocino Ave Suite B, should be your next stop. It is a really nice restaurant with great service and super friendly cashiers. This restaurant isn't very expensive either. The cost for plates ranges between 15 and 22 dollars. The restaurant experience was pleasant, with good food and a lovely environment. I would definitely go here again and would recommend it to anyone. It’s somewhere you should consider visiting!