On the Town: Lunch at Jyoti Bihanga (VeganMoFo)

Jyoti Bihanga is a wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Normal Heights (my eclectic lil neighborhood in SD) that holds a special place in my heart.  It’s the first veg eatery I ever went to and I still love eating here.  Their menu is consistent, offering a nice array of traditional dishes done with vegan/vegetarian flare. 

Though their base menu has been the same for as long as I’ve been frequenting the joint (no complaints!), they always offer a different daily special and have soups that change on a daily basis.  I have never had a soup here that I haven’t loved.  It’s stuff that would make even the Soup Nazi (let me hear all the Seinfeld fans!) proud.

My sister and I walked to Jyoti’s for lunch before heading out for some treasure hunting (i.e. thrift store shopping) and just wanting something light, I opted for soup and salad.  The soups of the day were an Indian lentil, creamy potato (vegetarian, not vegan) and “chicken” noodle.  I ordered the chicken noodle and their green salad.  Jyoti’s has a great selection of house-made vegan dressings, but my favorite is their lemon tahini.  

Many moons ago it was a Jyoti Bihanga's salad that made me realize I love raw beets.  Thank you Jyoti Bihanga! 

 

The soup came out next and looked just like traditional Campbell's, though loaded with more goodness and absent from the gross animal stuff.  It really hit the spot.  I can’t wait for my next trip back to this little gem so close to my apartment.  I’m lucky though in that I have a few vegan dining options walking distance from my place and even more that are just a short drive.  Hopefully I can get out more and report on some of those places as well. 

With a wink and a smile,

VVG