LumDimSum Discovery: Veggie Table’s Carrot Cake

A Thick Slice of Veggie Table’s Moist Carrot Cake (RMB 28)

The Veggie Table has been on my hit-list for months now.

After reading Bespoke Beijing‘s well-written review of Veggie Table on their blog site The Urban Edit Website, I have been really been dying to go.

“Not only are no animal products used anywhere on the menu, but every aspect of this enterprise is completely green and sustainable. From the water filters on the taps to the fact that vendors delivering their produce in unsustainable packaging have been banned – owner Laura Lawless has thought of everything.”

Check out Full Article here.

The only problem is that I have YET to have a full meal here.  I did stop in once for a quick bite – some hummus, lentils and beer (which was all OK, but nothing exceptionally great or bad), and since “a quick bite” doesn’t count as a full-on meal, I’ve decided it best to hold off before I judge Veggie Table after only trying a few dishes. Stay tuned for a full LDS review…Soon my foodies, I promise!

In any case, last week I was hell-bent on checking Veggie Table off my restaurant hit list and finally dig in to some giant veggie burgers and I hear their “stink out” is fantastic.  But to my great disappointment, they were unable to seat us and the experience itself was actually quite frustrating.  We arrived at 12:30 and there was a sign taped to their door which read “We will open at 12:30, apologizes for any inconvenience caused.”  Considering it was already 12:30, we figured our timing was just right until we looked in to see that the restaurant fully occupied in what looked like a teaching seminar.  When we stepped inside the restaurant at 12:45, owner/chef Laura Fanelli said that their event was taking longer than expected and asked if we would be willing to sit down on a sofa that was covered in coats as we waited for the seminar to be over.  No, thanks.  It’s really not a big deal that the previous event ran over-time, but the suggestion for waiting customers to sit on a couch clearly not available or suitable was a lame, half-ass effort and just not well-handled in my opinion.

We ended up eating at Vineyard (which has a great set lunch!) and afterwards, we came back to Veggie Table for a slice of carrot cake and just one bite later, all prior frustrations were forgiven (but not forgotten).  The carrot cake was just fresh out of the oven and Laura explained that it is vegan and even made with organic flour (which is apparently near-impossible to find in Beijing).

Whether or not it’s healthy or entirely organic, it was mouth-wateringly delicious, a slice of heaven if you will. It’s moist, tasty and just knowing that it’s made from Veggie Table (home of vegan cuisine and about as organic as you can get in Beijing), I feel less guilty indulging in a giant slice of sweetness.

Well-worth the RMB 28 and if I ever find another chance to make my way back to The Veggie Table, I’ll be sure to save room for more carrot cake!

Loaf of Carrot Cake Fresh out of the Oven

*LumDimSum Discovery Explanation: Whenever I try a dish worth sharing, I will post this find as a LumDimSum Discovery.  Just click tagged LumDimSum Discovery articles for more recommendations.

Other Reviews of Veggie Table:

• Time Out
• theBeijinger
• CityWeekend
• LocalNoodles

The Veggie Table Contact Details:

• Address:  19 Wudaoying Hutong, Dongcheng District  东城区五道营胡同19号
• Tel: 6446 2073
• *Note: Restaurant is not open on Tuesdays and I hear their dinners are quite busy (so try lunch instead!)