Vegan MoFo #12: Pei Wei - Central Houston, TX

Some of my friends wanted to watch football at BW3, which is definitely not vegan-friendly. I was with another person and the place I picked was closed. Pei Wei was nearby and definitely open, so we headed there. I thought this was going to be like Panda Express, where they scoop pre-made food into take-out containers. Nope! Pei Wei makes the food when you order and they have real silverware, plates, and water glasses. I was surprised. The menu is marked with little green leaves for meals that can be made vegetarian when tofu and veggies are used instead of meat. A quick Google search on my iPhone led me to believe this would be vegan choices. I picked the spicy Korean tofu and veggies. The tofu was so, so good! I honestly wouldn't have believed this was a from a quick-serve type of restaurant if I wasn't there in person. Again, I got to practice my chopstick skills! This isn't exactly close to where I live, but it's good to know that a chain like Pei Wei has vegan options!

Vegan MoFo #11: Aladdin's Mediterranean - Montrose, Houston, TX

On Labor Day, I went to the park to play frisbee with a friend. We ran around for an hour or two, then rode the train around the park, and walked around some more before deciding to grab dinner. I suggested Aladdin's because I've been on a falafel kick. Clearly, I'm having issues with obsessions this MoFo - first Vietnamese food, now falafel, what's next?! I ordered the falafel special, pairing my falafel with lentil salad, roasted cauliflower, and spicy hummus. My friend didn't want the pita bread, so I got to eat all 3 pieces. Best day ever! Their bread was incredible! Probably the best pita bread I've had in Houston since it was still hot from the oven. The strawberry juice was also really awesome. My friend's watermelon juice looked good too. Perfect after a day in the sun. :)

Vegan MoFo #10: Niko Niko's Greek - Montrose, Houston, TX

When I was vegetarian and visiting Houston for a day as my friend picked up a car, our mutual friend from the city took us to Niko Niko's. I remember getting vegetarian lasagna and french fries. Carbs! I was recently at a friend's for a pool party, which lasted into the evening. Since her apartment does not have a community grill, someone suggested Niko Niko's for dinner. While everyone was cleaning up, I did a quick Google search and found the Vegan Houston Blog post about Niko Niko's. (Yes, it's run by the same person as the facebook group.) After seeing that even the bread was vegan, I knew I would get a falafel sandwich or plate. Of course, it took a while to get our food because the place is always crowded, but it was very good. I almost forgot to snap a picture!

Vegan MoFo #9: Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet - Houston, TX

I recently had my AC unit replaced. The unit was leaky and mold was starting to grow. The first AC repairman showed up and switched the breaker to off, so he could tinker with the unit. After a few hours, the other AC repairmen showed up with the new unit. It was 82*F in my apartment before the new unit showed up! I was a little bummed that the first guy let the air be off for so long, it made my house almost unbearably hot. I had intentions to make dinner in the oven, but it was just too dang hot to turn on the oven. I took a shower and headed over to Dimassi's Mediterranean Buffet, another suggestion from the Vegan Houston fb page. The buffet is clearly marked with little vegan logos, so it was easy to pick out what I wanted to eat without asking any questions. I ate my weight in falafel! My only complaint was that the pita bread was tough, but I was there 30 minutes before closing. I think it could be better when it's fresh from the oven. I could see Reliant stadium from the restaurant, so it would be a great place for people to stop before/after an event held at the stadium.

Vegan MoFo #8: Whole Foods Falafel Wrap

It is no secret that I love falafel! I've posted many different falafel recipes on the blog in the past, summarized in a MoFo post from 2011 here. When Whole Foods was out of vegan pizza for the day, I got a falafel wrap. The employee said that there are no eggs in the falafel. The wrap should come with spicy aioli, but I don't like mayo or Veganaise. I asked for roasted red pepper hummus as the spread. I got my wrap grilled/pressed, then bought a cup of vegan chocolate pudding and a bag of Beanfield's Nacho chips.

Vegan MoFo #7: Vegan Comfort Pop-Up Brunch - Houston, TX

Vegan Comfort is a local business run by Chef Sabali. She made the seitan main dish for last year's Thanks-living event and she gave a food demo on making chocolate-avocado pudding at VSOP last year too. When her facebook page showed that she was hosting a pop-up brunch, I immediately bought a ticket. The ticket was discounted for early birds too. Once I saw the menu included french toast, I knew it was money well spent. I've never had vegan french toast, because I never liked the eggy taste of regular french toast. I got one piece of french toast, since it was slow to be served, but I enjoyed the rest of the buffet. The buffet also had eggplant bacon, fresh fruit, tofu scramble, hummus wraps (in tortillas and collard greens), sweet potato hash browns, and mimosas. I purchased two tickets expecting the guy I'm seeing to go with me, but he landed in Dubai this morning and was scheduled to be in Iraq for a week for work. Thankfully, his company decided to videoconference from Dubai, so he will not be going to Basra! Worst timing ever with all the chaos in Syria! I found another vegan friend who wanted to go, so the ticket wasn't wasted at least.

Vegan MoFo #6: Pho Saigon Vietnamese - Midtown, Houston, TX

Clearly, I spend a lot of time at Vietnamese restaurants in Midtown. I know I can get vegan food there easily, regardless of who is joining me for a meal. A friend and I went to see Candlebox in Midtown recently and we stopped at Pho Saigon for a quick bite. After asking about the pho, it turns out that they use chicken broth in all the pho dishes. I requested a vegan meal of noodles, veggies, and fried tofu. The server was able to suggest a rice noodle dish, which made me very happy. The fried tofu was good! I topped my meal with sriracha and started eating before I realized I didn't take a photo. Trust me, this dish looked beautiful when presented to me, but I mixed everything together to eat it. The upside of spending so much time in Asian restaurants lately is that my chopstick skills are getting much better.