Vegan-friendly
American
Chinese
Delivery
Take-out
Asian
JAN 2016 Phone messages states closed for renovation -- please let happycow know when it re-opens! Extensive Asian food menu with some American dishes (like sandwiches and soul drum stix). Offers faux meat in many dishes and has dim sum. APR 2016 SHUT DOWN AND RE-BRANDED RE-OPENED AS GO ZEN - SEE THAT LISTING.
19 Reviews
First Review by Poundie
vegan-ese
Points +46
It's really a 1 star... - Edit
Walked in because I didn't want to wait 45 minutes at Red Bamboo, a few doors down. Noticed that they had a "grade pending" sign en lieu of a letter grade. Sat down to a dirty table and handed a sticky menu.
Read moreOne of my dinner guests went to the washroom and reported back that everything was sticky and the crud on the toilet seat could be scratched off with your fingernail... not that anyone would dare do that. Being the matron of the group, she convinced us to promptly leave.
Glad I did because, three days later, I just read this:
"A restaurant has two chances to earn an A in every inspection
cycle. If it doesn’t earn an A on the first inspection, it’s scored but
ungraded. An inspector goes back to the restaurant unannounced, typically within a month, to inspect it again
and the re-inspection is graded. If the grade is a B or C, the
restaurant will receive a grade card and a grade pending card. It
can post either card until it has an opportunity to be heard at
the Office of Administrative Trials and Hearings Health
Tribunal.
Until a restaurant has a graded inspection, it is listed as Not
Yet Graded on the Health Department website."
Those grades posted in the front windows are so reassuring. On my last NYC trip to didn't even bother to walk into a crummy C-graded restaurant. I haven't visited a B-graded place yet, but I think that's as low as I'd go. Maybe.
I wanted to give this place 1 star but for some reason the lowest rating you can give a vegan/vegetarian establishment is 2
Guest
SikkepikChan
Points +27
Fast and Good - Edit
The food was fresh and fast. I had sizzling duck/orange. taste was good. The service is fast and polite.
Read morePros: Fresh, Many Choice, Fast
Cons: Dark interior , Old interior
Guest
Brok O. Lee
Points +3380
Highs and Lows - Edit
First, the lows: The wasabi-avocado appetizer was served with very greasy tortilla triangles. The spread had no wasabi flavor at all and was quite devoid of flavor. We left this pretty much untouched. I ordered the citrus mock chicken with broccoli. There was no hint of any citrus flavor, and the dish was made of mock beef, and not chicken, which was too salty and tasted of MSG. The broccoli was undercooked. My companion ordered the Chinese broccoli and ended up wiping off the brown sauce from the Chinese broccoli.
Read moreHowever, there were two amazing highs: We both ordered the wonton soup which was served in a delicious and not over salted broth. The wontons and vegetables, including snow peas, were fresh and delicious. For dessert we got the carrot cake which was absolutely out of this world!
I hope this restaurant will improve...
Pros: Great wonton soup, Fabulous carrot cake
Cons: Some dishes may have MSG
Guest
baruchadam
Points +398
Nice, but used to be excellent - Edit
Nice experience, but does not come close to the original VP restaurants.
Read moreGuest
NCC
Points +62
Not impressive - Edit
I used to live in the nyc area, but I'm currently working in Asia and have eaten my fair share of mock dishes. I would come here if I wanted some vegetarian food nearby, but I wouldn't go out of my way.
Read moreIf your a fan of mock meat, this restaurant has quite a few dishes with it. The number of options in the menu reminds me it's definitely asian, but it's definitely overpriced. I'm not impressed at all by this place.
Pros: Lots of options, Chinese food
Cons: Overpriced
Guest
steveveg
Points +2186
Fine choice - Edit
We had dinner here recently. It was quite enjoyable. The dim sum we had were quite good - tofu roll and siu mai. The Spicy Shitake Mushroom With Roast Duck was made with tofu skin, and did not have enough mushrooms. All in, we were satisfied.
Read morePros: Good food, convenient location
Guest
bwolmarans
Points +90
Fair - Edit
Rolls sampler an exercise in deep fried batter. Avoid.
Read moreBut, on the plus side, the Soy sizzling steak was excellent!
Well, it was almost excellent.
Beer glass had lipstick on it, I consider that a minus.
Is next door to, and seems to be very closely related to, Red Bamboo. Shares the same flavors and cooking styles.
Basically the same place, with a different look.
Updated from previous review on Monday February 04, 2013
Pros: Steak, Friendly
Cons: Rolls, Dishwasher
Guest
vegan_ryan
Points +3865
Great food - Edit
While more expensive than some of the other veg options in the city, VP2 is definitely good food. You may have to wait for a while if you go at dinner time (especially on weekends), but it's worth the wait. The 2 times I've been here, friends and I have ordered different things and sampled off each others' plates, and everything was always very good. Nothing I didn't like.
Read morePros: All-vegetarian
Cons: Price, long waits
Guest
·X·
Points +17394
Vegetarian's Paradise 2 - Edit
The line was long at Red Bamboo, so we headed next door to Vegetarian's Paradise 2 and it did not disappoint. While the menu was very long and cumbersome, we did managed to find some good options per the recommendations from our waiter. For starters we began with the Roll Sampler, consisting of a spring roll, a curry roll, a hoisin roll, and a satay roll - this appetizer was fun because each roll looked the same but contained different fillings, all of the rolls were good. I was in a veggie mood so I went with a veggie Beef Szechuan, although I think they messed up and gave me the chicken instead. I was tired of vegan chicken at this point in my trip, so I pushed all of the fake meats to the side and just at the veggies - the sauce and the veggies were really wonderful. My bf went with the Crispy Soul Chicken and was very impressed. He even said that he's had real chicken that didn't taste nearly as good as this vegan version (it was very crispy and very well flavored), so I'd definitely give it at try if that's the type of food you're looking for. I'll definitely go back to VP2. And P.S., they carry baked goods from Vegan Treats.
Read moreGuest
TrudiBruges
Points +18845
lots of choice on the menu - Edit
Didn't really fancy this place. Not so nice atmosphere, in a demi-cellar, none or hardly any daylight.
Read moreLots of 'faux meats' on the menu. enormous variety.
Soup was good. The fake veg chicken (also looking like a piece of 1/2 chicken) was placed on top of the salad which made it soggy and unappetizing. The large piece of faux 'chicken' itself was quite boring to eat (and needed a better knife to cut!).
as there are so many dishes on the menu, I would maybe go again to try different things.
Pros: varied menu list
Cons: atmosphere
Guest
NIBsmf
Points +910
Good if you want Asian-style mock meat - Edit
I've eaten here a few times, and it's never really impressed me too much. I like it, but it's not fabulous. I prefer the creative dishes of Red Bamboo (a few doors down the block), as this place just seems to be standard Chinese food dishes with mock meat. I agree with reviews below that the food is reasonably prices and comes in large portions.
Read morePros: Great variety of food, Reasonably priced, Cozy atmosphere
Cons: Not the tastiest veg/vegan food I've had
Guest
gonepie
Points +36
Awesome choy sum - Edit
I have to start off by saying I am a long time fan of this place. We used to live off their delivery service when I worked on the lower east side. I can't possibly mention every dish I have eaten there. And loved! The last time I was there I got the most exquisite dish of choy sum and shitake mushrooms. It was presented in a most striking way on a long platter. The stems of the vegetable were peeled so they were nice and soft. The dish was cooked to perfection. Crunchy, but not too. Aside from that, I have my safe standards that I order over and over. They make an awesome vegetable chow fun, a delicious hot and sour soup and excellent vegetarian roast duck. I am not a fan of the fake meat nomenclature. However, on one of their menus over the years they explained this is a Buddhist tradition for times of religious observation that do not allow meat consumption. I like that it is traditionally based and not just FAKE MEAT.
Read morePros: Food, Price, Location
Cons: Gets crowded at times
Guest
jtct203
Points +79
Love it! - Edit
I have honestly been going to VP2 for like 15 years now and I love it! Genral Tao's Chicken with cashews and vegetables is my favorite!!
Read morePros: great selection, good prices, great hospitality
Cons: small and cramped sometimes
Guest
kindlizard
Points +1086
we dig it; - Edit
Same as its neighbor, mostly I think, but we dig what we get here. Been here 4 times, had one off meal, though it wasn't bad, it was just not a rush to get back...
Read moredef check it out, its worth the trip and it is not outrageous on the wallet.
Pros: good stuff, not too spendy, neighborhood
Guest
teal_ocean
Points +122
Enjoyable Meal - Edit
We took everyone's advice and tried the soul chicken. It was a little too much like chicken flesh for me, but my dining partner loved it. We also had the lemon "duck" and "BBQ Ribs". Had good flavor if you like meat substitutes, the staff is friendly and meals are served quickly.
Read morePros: Varied menu, Near Subway, Tasty
Cons: Close tables, Small
Guest
condekedar
Points +9370
Decent, but not stellar - Edit
I found Vegetarian's Paradise to be less tasty or eclectic compared to its neighbor Red Bamboo. My stir-fry was sticky and heavy and they don't have any standard desserts like tofu cheesecake or pies. The service was slow and inattentive, too. There was nothing special or unusual about this place and I'd probably skip it on the next trip. Red Bamboo has a bigger, better menu with more desserts and better service.
Read morePros: Location
Cons: Limited desserts, Service, Mediocre
kennyp353
A top tip if the line at Red Bamboo is too long - at Vegetarians Paradise 2 they will give you the Red Bamboo menu and you can order from it, or mix and match with their own menu.
Read moreGuest
Nickysr
Points +140
Simply the best! - Edit
The best Asian style mock meat place ever!
Read moreA couple of doors away from its' sister restaurant, Red Bamboo, this chinese style place has a huge variety of dishes on the menu and every one I have tried has been awesome. Always busy, you normally have to wait for a table but it is worth it. huge protions, fresh juices and freindy staff, VP2 is a must when in the West Village (or New York in general!)
Pros: mock meats, big portions, variety
Guest
A.Z.P.
Points +623
I miss vp and vp3 - Edit
Im probably being harsh on one of the great vegetarian restaurants of our time, but i've been eating at Vege Paradise since janet owned the original on the bowery and i was a fetus in the womb. VP2 was a franchise of the original with different ownership which has unfortunately changed the recipes. The spicy gluten which i dreamed of when out of town isnt good anymore, The Peking spare ribs which used to be made from taro (and were the most mouth watering food ever known to man) are now soy based and not as good. Meanwhile in fairness this restaurant does still ave some great old selections and amazing new ones. the curry bean curd is still the only tofu dish ive ever eaten where the tofu is 100% immersed in the sauce. vp2 still has the most al dente cooked broccoli ever. Meanwhile the mango chicken is awe inspiring and The szechuan beef is delicious. This restaurant is a culinary force to be reckoned with, unfortunately neither this or any other vege chinese restaurant will ever live up to the legacy and standards set by vp and vp3.
Read morePros: mouth watering food, Amazing variety of flavor, Quick Service
Cons: Doesnt live up to name, crowded atmosphere
Guest
Poundie
Points +13129
Excellent place - Edit
This place has recently been overhauled (as of September 2006) and is much improved. It is run by the same people as Red Bamboo (three doors down) and is of similar high quality, except that VP2 serves Chinese food. Like Red Bambook, the food here is delicious, the portions are are huge, the price is reasonable, and the place is often very crowded. Much better than the vegan Chinatown restaurants, though not on the same level as Gobo (of course, few places are).
Read morePros: Huge portions, decent price, good taste
Cons: can get crowded
Guest
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