/ Reviews / Vegetarian
The Power of Vegetarian Zen
by Stephanie Sherrill
on Friday, August 14, 2009 12:00 AM
Anna Maya roughly translates into "art of life" and typifies the overall purpose of the quaint French Concession cafe. Japanese owner, Kazu Koikeda, serves light, vegetarian and macrobiotic dishes focusing on balancing your yin and yang. Naturally, the menu contains plenty of whole grains and organic vegetables to enrich your wellbeing, as well as sumptuous desserts.
Stepping inside, the small café combines the soothing appeal of a Zen retreat with the familiarity of a family cottage. The dark wood antique tables, upholstered couches and chandeliers feel a bit like visiting your grandmother. She's even included a bookshelf with books to exchange - and a becalming Buddhist chant soundtrack.
Fruit juices designed to improve your health sometimes suffer a disconnection between appearance and flavor in our opinion. A case in point was the Pink Watermelon, Sweet Melon and Celery juice (RMB35), which appealed more to the eyes than the tongue. The Green Pineapple and Green Leaf juice (RMB30) zinged our taste buds, however. If juices don't boost your mood, there's a fine selection of organic teas, including both Japanese and British varieties.
While the menu changes periodically based upon the freshest available ingredients, there are always Genmai (the Japanese word for ‘brown rice'), Bean, Salad, Curry and Organic Vegetable selections. The Tofu Sandwich Plate (RMB50) of fermented tofu, avocado and gently braised tomatoes in a vinaigrette dressing came on a homemade wholegrain biscuit. Served along with the Curry of Apple and Mushrooms (RMB50) was a filling organic wholegrain rice to soak up the mild curry sauce. Both dishes were accompanied by a large side salad of summer greens and roasted root vegetables which, as Kazu explained, helps balance the meal's yin and yang.
For dessert, the flaky homemade crust of the warm Apple Pie (RMB30) once more reminded us of Grandma's house, while the sesame seeds in the traditional Banana Bread Pudding (RMB30) added a unique crunch to an otherwise soft pudding.
The Bottom Line: Vegetarians, vegans and anyone else seeking marvelously light meat-free cuisine will adore this cute little café.
