M Cafe de Chaya
Categories: Vegan, Vegetarian [Edit]
Neighborhood: West Hollywood7119 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036 (323) 525-0588
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: None
170 Reviews for M Cafe de Chaya
I'm a fan.... love the food and location however in the same breath I'm going to complain about 2 things.... terrible seating and parking! If you're close ride or walk because you rarely find close parking... and be careful because there is limited limited street side parking- believe me I've gotten 2 tickets parking there already! If you can't tell despite the above... I adore the food selection- my fav is definitely the macro burger!!!!!!! so delicious!!! You gotta go!
This review is more of a warning: M Cafe de Chaya is a macrobiotic restaurant. This means that there are not any options for one whose diet is comprised of lots of meat and dairy. And vegetables too. I'm well rounded.
To be fair, though, the atmosphere was pleasant and my friends and I got some good people watching. Lots of rich and too skinny LA ladies. Everyone else eating seemed to be loving their food, so I suppose if it had been my scene I would have also loved my food. But, alas, my terriyaki salmon was ok. There was too much of some kind of root vegetable and not enough salmon or other vegetables.
The service was excellent and it was very, very clean and well designed. But, be warned.
In LA, it seems that certain words just don't go together: "clean" and "air," "light" and "traffic," "well done" and "lip job."
"Delicious" and "macrobiotic food?" Not a chance. There's just no way. I don't believe it.
I like meat, I hate sprouts, I don't do tofu. Nope, no way, I wont even try it.
But then, I tried it, this M Cafe that everyone was talking about, and now I'm pretty convinced the chefs are magical. They don't use any refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry, which leaves them with like ... nothing, except perhaps a wizard wand?
Sometimes I dream about the peanut kale salad.
And, it pains me to admit, but the tempeh "bacon" BLTAs are actually delicious. Not only do I not trust any food that dresses up and parades around as another (that means you, turkey burger, and yes you too, tofu tenderloin) but I am also very wary of any food that jiggles moments after your hand taps the plate. To me, the only food that should jiggle is a pie at a place where the 80-year-old waitress' arm jiggles just as much.
That said, they are damn good. (The BLTAs, not the 80-year-old waitresses).
And the chocolate torte is UN-believable . (Like you will actually find it impossible to believe it has no refined sugar or eggs.)
Oh, and there is free valet behind the building. Holler snap.
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Diana is right there is one other place that makes The George a vegetarian.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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09/19/2006
I just had the California Club Sandwich with Tempeh "Bacon" with a side of Broccoli. WOW! It tasted… Read more »
I seemed to get a lot of flak from my veggie friends who thinks I only eat meat. Not true at all people!
Truth to be told, there was only one vegetarian near where I lived and none to be found around my work place. The one place that I visited in my hood was a tad disappointing, so I just chucked it up that vegetarian places are for the birds.
I was famished last Saturday on my way to a big party. I didn't want to overeat so I thought it was a good time to visit a vegetarian place to see what it is all about. To my amazement, I actually enjoyed it!
M Cafe de Chaya reminds me of what a lot counter service like Porto's would be like. You pretty much ordered up at the counter while bringing your number to a table. The place was immaculately clean and in nice way very serene. The ambiance was trying to reflect a softer kind of atmosphere in its surroundings instead of sloppy chop house of a Panda Express.
First thing I noticed was the fact that majority, if not all the dishes were cold dishes. That was clear giveaway for me in terms of what was going to be served here. Not everything is soup or salad. There were few of the sandwiches that looked quite tempting and very attractive.
I took the liberty of ordering a Falafel & Hummus wrap with cold soba noodles special http://static.px.yelp.... . It was quite delicious and much different than I originally envisioned what this was going to taste without hard meat.
With that order, I also got a mint iced green tea to go along with my meal. It was very refreshing to have a non-sweetened tea to wash down a hearty meal.
Even though it was a hearty meal, it still felt very light just as I wanted and expected it to be. I wasn't looking for something greasy and this place more than accomplished what it set out to do was to provide a clean environment for you to enjoy a light, but fulfilling meal.
This won't turned me into a vegetarian convert or a macrobiotic believer, but it does set a good impression for me to try other vegetarian places. A very big kudos on that front.
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Came here late evening, place was pretty busy, no where to sit. I don't know why people like this place so much.I tried a couple of their sushi rolls, which were great, but a bit on the pricey end for what you get. My friend got the Mufaletta and I also got a falafel and hummus wrap. The mufaletta was extrememly small for the 9.95 price tag, and looked a bit sad and soggy. The hummus wrap had good flavor but again was all kinda mushy together. I think this place is way overpriced and way overated. Sidenote, I am not vegetarian, but my friend is and they were disappointed in it all as well. The only redeeming feature was the sushi, which is overpriced, but still good.
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This used to be one of my favorite places to grab a healthy bite after yoga, but something has happened to this place - it's going downhill fast. I thought my first bad meal here was an anomaly, but it seems like the prices go up and the food is getting worse. Seriously guys, you can't have these prices and serve dry sandwiches and overdressed salads.
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I eat her once a week so i know this place is very consistent & healthy. It has a big common area shared bench/table that is the best seat in the house if you can find space, you have to take a number after you order then find seating which is first come first serve. M Cafe is a nice change from Real Food Daily which used to be the best vegan joint , now there are quite a few in town. On the menu @ M I stick mostly with the 2 or 3 salad combos... the best Items are the spicy peanut Kale, the soba noodle salad, indian cous cous. Then i will change up the 3rd salad for their seasonal salads like in fall they do a squash thing that is to die for and right now for summer they have a white bean and heirloom tomatoe salad that great.
I'm very picky with sushi so i won't even try that here. They do make a smoked salmon & asparagus wraps if you want some protein, they are so freaking good and tasty. The BIG MACRO is fantastic and the seasoned French fries are really really good.
The deserts are all vegan so know that going in. I do like the strawberry cupcakes..a lot i thought the full size one was fantastic & moist also the chocolate razzberry cake is very delicious :)
I always leave M filled and fulfilled. i say give it a shot..
.ps they have a great take out area too and you can ask for samples of the sides before you get them.
Well I am a vegetarian. I like the fries the best and the tofu breakfast paninni. The place is way over priced but the food is good. Beware....I got one of their strawberry cupcakes ..a miniature one, it was awful!!!! it tasted like styrofoam.
GOOD:
- Fresh, very healthy, awesome quality, clean tasting food.
- Great sushi rolls for vegetarians.
NOT SO GOOD:
- I'm a vegetarian and its always hard to find katsu, so we ordered... verdict: their katsu is not katsu... ya know what I mean?!
- If you're excited to come here and you're driving more than 10 miles, I'd think it over again...
A $14 bowl of weeds doesn't really appeal to me. Yes, even if it's pretty. The white sugar free cupcakes taste a little shallow or something. Like they're missing white sugar. And I've tried plenty of the side salads (quinoa and peanut kale come out on top. The brown rice sushi's good too.), but I still felt like a godzilla at M Cafe; I could eat through the deli case and still be hungry. Which would be fine if I were rich or they had good vandalism insurance. Yet I kept coming back, confused, hungry, parked illegally... as if I subconsciously knew that there was more to discover at the M Cafe. Then came the magical day I met the tuna burger. This place seriously gets my 4 stars on the burger alone. It's delicious, really clean tasting, and FILLING! A big Ahi patty, half an avocado, carmelized red onion and a (faux?) aioli. Did you know you can get fries with that?-- Call off the helicopters, I won't be climbing the building beating my chest in fury. I'm leaving M Cafe satisfied, having found my health food niche at last: a burger and fries. Oh and the ketchup's organic, thankyouverymuch.
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The venue itself is really cute and clean. They offer both outdoor and indoor seating. And the food is deeeelicious considering it is free of all dairy, egg, sugar, meat, & white flour.
I'm probably the biggest carnivore out there, so I think it speaks volumes when I say that I seriously heart this place. (Trust me when I say I was highly hesitant at first, too).
Menu items to try: I LOVE their M Burger, Breakfast Burrito, Japanese Bento Box, veggie brown rice sushi roll, and chocolate chip cookies.
And you really DO walk out of this place feeling good - not all weighed down, gross, and regretful.
Only con would be that parking can kinda suck (so be sure to check the lots in both front AND in back).
I love the whole Chaya family (M Cafe de Chaya, Chaya Brasserie & Chaya Venice). Yay for Chaya!
i finally had my chance at this place at a food tasting. and, as more than usual, the food there (mass produced and sitting there) was fine. but i have wanted to come for some time now. so i spoil myself today...
it was a simple lunch of the chop salad while my girlfriend had the collards and peanut sauce and the heirloom tomato and white beans. her food was wonderful--clean, light, and comforting. my salad was fresh, clean, light, and guilt-free (do we have a trend here? i do enjoy the fresh, clean, and light...and not just in the food).
i can't wait to get back there for the club sandwich, the sushi rolls, the side salads...more more more.
there is also very convenient free valet parking behind the restaurant.
i'll be back.
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Personally, I'm generally not a big fan of places that try to make things that aren't meat taste like meat. If you can do it, you have to do it REALLY well. Otherwise, it just tastes like veggie mush and liquid smoke.
So, alternately, let's just accept the fact that some things aren't meat, and enjoy them for what they are.
M Cafe is really good at that.
Let's start with the side salads. Yesterday I had wasabi sweet potato salad. I swear, it was a little piece of starchy heaven right there in a neat little pile. They have lots of crazy side salads, that I'm truthfully blanking on, but I'll attribute that to the fact there are combos I wouldn't ever imagine.
And the sushi. With a strangely wide variety of Inari, there's a refrigerator case full of love in little bean curd cups. Ranging from eggplant to seared tuna, they only use brown rice. There's also a delectable selection of salmon/tuna rolls.
And last, the sandwiches (I've heard the breakfast and dinner is stellar, but given a girl can only eat so much...) are fantastic. The California Club is a delicious mix of tempeh "bacon" (which I'm pretty sure is only called bacon to appease those who would focus on "tempeh" and get scared), avocado, carrots, sprouts, tomato, and veganaise on the most amazing multi-grain bread. Served just like a club sandwich, so you're not even missing the experience.
The only negative is that I honestly feel a little yuppy coming in. Yes, these are my own issues, but perhaps next time I'll wear some leather and spikes. Might make me feel better.
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I like this place,
I feel really good when I eat here.
The food is good for you and also tastes good.
Most of it.
Its great for people who are trying to follow diets and healthy lifestyles.
very LA.
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YUM. I went twice in two days. I have been struggling with what Macrobiotic means for a couple years now, but when it's presented at this place, it just =s YUM.
Super nice/ cute cashiers. Good prices for the freshness of food. Celebs are all over the place. It's nice because there's no real service, you just get your food rung up and take a table. I love it.
The tofu, salads (especially seaweed), sushi, baked goods...so f-ing good. If you haven't had enough amazingness and you're a little more mainstream, there's a Pinkberry next door. You can be all healthy and shit.
Absolutely the best in vegan-cafe fare in Los Angeles. The servers are always friendly, albeit very busy these days. If you aren't a fan of crowds and having to elbow your way to a seat you should probably avoid lunch on Saturday, but otherwise M Cafe is flawless.
I particularly recommend the fries + ketchup, the club sandwich, and the strawberry canton. Their coffee cake, cookies, and cupcakes are amazing also....and all of the soups. Basically everything I have ever had there is amazing. You don't have to be vegan, or even vegetarian, to fall in love with this place.
M Chaya has good food. Okay they have really good food. My boyfriend got a bbq seitan burger that he somehow managed to woof down while incessantly talking about how good each bite was ("wow - this is so juicy!" "I mean, this is really really juicy!" "this tastes better than chicken!") I got something made with "spicy salami." It's pretty cool to be able to walk into a place and get an already made seitan sandwich.
I personally thought it was a little pricey for a cafeteria type eatery (macrobiotic or not) but I guess they got it like that.
The salads looked too small to be $11 so I stayed away and ordered a sandwich and fries (wow - its not until I wrote that it I realized I actually used that flawed logic. Thats pretty fat ass of me.) The sandwich was really good and I recommend that everyone at least try the fries.
Yummy-yum-yum! I come here a couple days a week, sometimes more. I'm a fanatic for the Kale and the Gado-Gado salad. I love the sushi, the BLT, the tuna, etc. Really, the list goes on. I'm afraid to try the fries, though - might like them too much. Do I wish it were a little cheaper? YES. But, I'm willing to pay for the good that goes into my body temple. I hope you aren't reading this in hopes of good writing. I don't have it in me today. ; )
My mission is to find more faves like this as I am leaning away from meat for the most part. Steak has to rot in your tummy before digesting - ick! A lot has changed since I wrote my Yuca's review. I don't retract my review at all. That place is still amazing and cheap.
M Cafe is great. Period. Full stop.
You can't go wrong with the wraps! They have basically anything that a vegan/vegetarian could possibly want. I'm not a huge fan of sit-down meals there, however. I usually get it to-go. Delicious and veg-friendly!
if you want a healthy, guilt-free, tasty meal, this is the place. do something good for you body and go here!
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I was gone there last Sunday with my friend. Food was very good. But the service was just terrible. They should keep their eye on the customers. (i.e. No. of ppl, need extra plates for shared and etc) My friend and I felt more like, you pay the food and just wait. When I asked for extra plate, the lady at the casher looked at me with upset. If the food was horrible, I would never wanna come back. But since the food was so good, I would go to different place in Culver City soon. No more on Melrose.
Organic fries and Macro ketchup with the brown rice tuna rolls are the best. And the tea.... oh man. I had the minty green tea, and it was amazing. A little pricey, but I didn't mind because I had wanted to try this place. The parking is horrible :( but its a really cute place.
The good:
-I love the food here, and I find it's just my speed for lunch-- light, but satisfying. My favorites are the M Chopped Salad (nuts, faux bacon bits, greens, etc) and the Gado Gado salad (tempeh, peanut sauce, etc on greens). But pretty much everything I've tried was good, even the baked goods and desserts.
- I love that you can see all the food to help you make your decision. Their tantalizing glass case is a lovely way to store and display the food. (I do wish they labeled it better though.)
- They have a to-go line if you just want to walk away with some pre-prepped, wrapped food.
The bad:
- Their lunch rush gets pretty out-of-hand. You have to find your own table, and sometimes when they're very full, you have to hover a while and dodge the poor frantic food-runners.
- On the same note, their space is small and they've crammed in a lot of tables so you'll usually be sitting elbow-to-elbow with other diners.
Word to the wise: Go for an early lunch. If you get there right around noon, the rush hasn't really hit yet. Mid-afternoon is fine, too. 1 pm seems to be their busiest time.
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I decided to go to this cool place because I saw it in an episode of the hills....yes, i'm lame...
Ok! So, headed over here after church on Sunday, and it was a pleasant surprise. It's a small place, and actually looks like a deli. After standing there like an idiot for a few longs seconds, I realized that there were menus propped up for ordering. I picked it up and looked at the menu...and looked at the menu...and looked at the menu.
I did not know what I was looking at. Tofu cheese WHAT? WTH is that....Ok, well...let's order...wth should we order? OK...I see the word seitan "salami"...let's order that...and oh, fries..ok..and..pea soup...and...the chopped salad.
Well, food arrived. Pea soup was just GROSS. boo. Fries were GOOD. Chopped Salad was pretty good. and the sandwich with the 'salami'...
....you know, while I was eating that, I really said, "i can't identify a single thing in the sandwich, but it is freaking GOOD." soo...it was good...and I just found out right now while writing this review, that seitan salami...is NOT salami. oops. ANYHOW, it was good. :)
I really walked out of the place feeling healthy and as if I did something good in this world. I like that feeling....I think I'll go back there again.
*picture posted*
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It seems so cliche for me to be giving M Cafe a great review. Everyone loves it, it's trendy. Lotsa pretty people on the patio, usually a celeb sighting. I have to say, I understand why people love it. I'm not even a health nut, I just love good food. Everytime I've gone here I've seen a celeb. Lindsay Lohan in her car in the parking lot, sending her boy toy of the moment in to get her food. Meanwhile she is trying to hide from no one, putting her lap dog over her head. No one was bothering her, not a Papp in sight. I've seen Jason Schwartzman, as well as Hayden Panatierre. I'm a sucker for a celeb sighting, and I see them all the time at work...anyway the food, it's fucking great. Love the breakfast Enchilada there. Oh and the Dessert's are to die for.
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The food is spectacular. Cafe M is pretty Asian fusion, with all their sushi rolls, soba salads, use of sesame paste.
The Kale salad is super delicious. It is a perfect blend of sesame paste,spices and other asian influenced flavors. It has a great light flavor.
The chick peas salad is also pretty yummy. I ordered the falafel hummus wrap and pretty satisfied with it. Parking wasn't easy, found something and ran across the street.
The place itself was full of beautiful looking people, gay people, people who look very Melrose. There is limited seating, so we had to be like vultures, and stand next to a table that was almost finishing their food. Oh also, the barley tea is very refreshing. They add some crushed mint to it.
Yo Yelpers,
To kick off the start of what I hope to be a long lasting yelp relationship, I'm going to review my all time favorite neighborhood breakfast-lunch-dinner-dessert-snack-etc spot, M Cafe de Chaya.
Life changed after I found this gem, located near the corner of Melrose and La Brea - right on the same block as the overrated Pink's Hot Dogs. (By the way, I don't under the ridiculous lines that nearly wrap around the block for that "world famous" hot dog stand. For a hot dog? Really? I just don't get it.)
If there was a line that wrapped around the block for M, I'd probably be in it, with lawn chair and all. Actually, I'd prob pay extra to get closer to the front of the line, though, if the cravings kick in. IT'S THAT GOOD.
M is a cute little bistro, serving macrobiotic and vegan dishes to a hip crowd of locals that would much rather indulge in a seitan bento box over processed meat in a bun. Although I do have a few friends who eat both ways, but admit that M's healthy dishes can easily win them over. Almost everything offered on the menu is displayed deli-style behind glass, so patrons have a first look of what they're ordering. And it all tastes just as amazing as it looks.
My perfect meal consists of the Madras Tempeh Wrap (filled with masala-baked tempeh, basmati rice, toasted almonds, raisins, vegetables with curried soy yogurt), and a side order of kale with peanut sauce. Finish it off with a berry tart (made with no refined sugar or dairy!!!) and you'll be thinking "why not eat right every day?"
I mean, who would have thought that kale would be on anyone's top dish list? This is a place that makes even kale taste like an indulgence. Trust me, you've never experienced healthy dining like this before.
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opened by Gwyneth Paltrow // Madonna's former personal chef...
in~~~turrrr~~estting ...
*shrugs* seems like everyone and their freakin moms own SOMETHING in LA...
soooooo, MOST people would check this place out, given that it WAS owned by GP/M's former chef, while folks like me, come in because they love healthy food and because they love chaya overall ...
yeup, it's true ... i am a beverly hills chaya brasserie fan... not the one in venice, not the one in sf, but in beverly hills ... prior to my move to SF, you would most likely find me at Chaya, literally once a week... my favorite spot to be ... since i have gone on a strict diet for the next 2 months, i squeezed in a vegetarian place despite of all the cravings i had in LA ... not a bad place ... hasn't changed much since i last came. i guess, the only difference is that it's just MORE crowded ...
even though i consider chaya to be a slight chain, it never fails when it comes to service ... don't be fooled by their long ass line... line moves fairly quickly..one register for those who want to sit down and eat, and another for those who want it to go. what a great concept!
let's see ...
you walk in, you order up at the counter (large deli filled with salad galore, sushi (made with brown rice) and pastries (made with natural grain sweeteners) and walk outside and enjoy the scorching sun on the back of your spaghetti tankys ... or you can sit inside, but that's stopid, because the weather is gorgeous... despite the fact on how it ruined my tan for the summer, the weather never fails to disappoint... and of course, the cute lil umbrellas that adds to a sweet charm...
scrambled tofu $9.25 was quite good.. that is, if you are a tofu lover... $11.45 for gado gado? well, considering the fact you are paying for such "rich organic leafy-ness" you might as well pay for your time that is well spent in digesting them leaves... but yes, i would order that again ... Madras Tempeh Wrap* ~ well, for $10.75, it wasn't ALL that ...
i'd rather have gone to CA Chicken Cafe...
sadly i didn't get to try their brown rice stuffed sushi, but in being an LA girl at heart, i always have time for LA...
PS. have fun circling around LOOKING for parking.. you think SF is bad for parking? shiet. m cafe de chaya is worse. only 2-3 in front... don't be fooled and park in the Pink's Hot Dog lot, unless you want a ticket... hahaha.. what did WE do? my friend didn't really care for tickets that she just parked somewhere illegally.. and fair enough, we come out, and got a ticket, but didn't care to shed a tear.
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This is one of my favorite spots to chill at with friends as we grab great tasting FRESH foods, I've tried so many things here and taken my fair high numbered share of people. all so tasty soba noodles are wonderful, spicy tuna sushi with avo is yum, inari with lotus is wonderful, ahi tuna salad is great etc. Its ALL just great. The wraps are great tasting as well and if you have room at the end of your meal; they have the most delicious vegan strawberry cupcakes with an amazing topping that will make you feel much better about yourself instead of going next door to Pinkberry for frozen non-yogurt. word ;)
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Veggie burger so good!
cous-cous good
mint iced tea thumbs up
falafel wrap thumbs down
parking thumbs down (got a parking ticket dammit)
oh well id go back again just to try more goodies
Surprisingly this place has the freshest sushi I've tried in LA. Considering they only have about 10 rolls, that is all I need for now. The spicy tuna rolls reminded me of Hawaii, the smoked salmon rolls and shitake mushroom avocado rolls were all rolled to perfection. These are two huge rolls per order for $2.50!
Their tempeh bacon in their California Clubs and BLT is the real deal. This is the closest thing I've tasted to real bacon and I love it. I continue to go back weekly and try new things, but I've been stuck on the Club sandwich and sushi for now :)
2 bottles of water, 3 orders of sushi (2 large pieces per order), HUGE California Club = $22
INEXPENSIVE EXCELLENCE RIGHT HERE FOLKS!
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I know everyone love-love-loooooooves this place, but I do not. Unless you're a vegetarian and already enjoy shitty-tasting food, or unless you're hoping for a celeb sighting, there's no reason to go here. Blech!
I gave up meat for Lent and took it as an opportunity to check out a few of the vegetarian-friendly places in town. Boy am I glad I stumbled about M Cafe (which I continued to visit after Easter).
Though not strictly vegetarian (they are macrobiotics, which is basically vegan + seafood) they have a plethora of vegetarian friendly items, from wide range of gorgeous looking deli salads to assorted wraps, sandwiches and entree items filled with fresh veggies and deliciously-flavored veg-proteins (tofu, tempeh, seitan, etc.)
I am not a big fan of meat substitutes, so didn't order any of their imitation meat stuff, but all the items I have tried are delish -- including the madras tempeh wrap that had a wonderful smoky-nutty flavor and texture to the sweet and aromatiic sesame soba noodle salad.
The only downside is that given it's healthy image and offerings, I am hesitant bring any ole friend/acquaintance to M Cafe -- but it's a definitely a good & not -too-pricey spot for any health-conscious dining companions.
Review & photos from my Lenten excursinon here: http://la-oc-foodie.bl...
Hate the location, like the restaurant! Came here for Sunday morning brunch and ordered...I can't remember. You know why? It isn't on the friggin' menu, but I could have sworn it wasn't a special. Weird. But it was really good. They even have a vegan eggs benedict, which I plan on trying the next time I come here. After brunch, my friend and I ordered chocolate and strawberry cupcakes and brown rice pudding(?), all of which were egg-free, dairy-free, refined sugar-free, and delicious.
They also have macrobiotic cuisine, if you're into that.
Oh and we sat next to Ali Larter, who was raving about her food the entire time she was eating. That was pretty cool.
I love M Cafe. I used to try to not go there because of all the lame hipster, wannabe actor, botox types that would frequent the Melrose location but low and behold they have opened a Culver City location for us regular folk.
So on to the food..... all the food is delish. the soups are perfect (especially the barley mushroom soup). I usually go for the deli combo. for around 10 bucks you can pick 3 different deli options. I always go for the spicy peanut kale, the wasabi potatos, and the Moroccan couscous. This is the deadly combo people. You can't go wrong with these 3. Try them out and if you don't like it i'll give you a refund personally.
I also like the fries with the fancy organic beet ketchup they make.
I wish the prices were better at M Cafe since I eat there every single day but i've come to terms with going broke for delicious, healthy vegan food in a beautiful and clean atmosphere.
A friend of mine is a vegetarian, and she drags me all over town to every single meat-free whole grain carrot juice place she can find. I have never had a bad meal, but never as good as at M Cafe. I find the service for some reason is particularly good at veggie places and this is no exception. Technically this place is macrobiotic which means fish is on the menu. We both had sandwiches, I ordered a scarlet salad which is like quinoa soaked in beet juice and she got fries. Her fries were outrageous and they serve a vegan ketchup that, as a ketchup lover, is the best things featuring tomatoes I have ever had. My sandwich had "salami" and "cheese" and this incredible olive spread which resulted in a fantastic smoky and complicated flavor. We shared an apple tart which was a little plain but I did not have high expectations of dairy and egg free pastry. Theres a serene and inviting environment with lovely patio seating and a diverse menu that includes sushi. I would come back for lunch, dinner, and anything else they got goin on.
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A couple of friends recommended this place to me, and I've been on a course of experimentally treating my hangovers with "healthy" fare like RFD and Flore Vegan as a variable on my usual diner-greasefest.
This is not a place to come with a hangover. It's bright, it's friendly, and there's absolutely no room to stand and squint at the counter amid the chipper, fit weekend crush. I pointed at "the big macro" (veggie burger, "special sauce," lettuce, tofu cheese, pickles, onion & sprouts on a whole wheat bun) and chose sesame noodles as my side dish. My brunch date ordered the "panino margarita" (sandwich with soy mozzarella, tomato, and basil) and a side of fries.
It's one of those "take your number on a stick to your table" joints, and we spent about 20 minutes hanging out on the patio, watching busboys with armfuls of vegan food wander around, trying occasionally to foist it on the right parties with varying degrees of success. As in other places where there are a lot of customers and not much space, this system blows. Can we please dispense with it, Los Angeles?
The fries totally missed the party. My buddy had to visit the counter twice to get a lead on them. I would have cancelled, but I'd already paid and we had no real "server" so there was no one to ask. Like a lot of the other reviewers, I definitely felt good AFTER I ate the food, but during is another story. What was the weird sugary pink-red sauce on my veggie burger? Strawberries? Beets? The noodles were good (though not as good as RFD's version), but my buddy's panini was cold (was it supposed to be?) and tasted like silken tofu on matzo. Not tasty. It also arrived about fifteen minutes after my food. It still managed to beat the fries, which, when they finally arrived, were pretty good.
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Great place for vegans and people on a macrobiotic diet. There are no refined sugars, eggs, dairy, red meat or poultry in any of the menu items. The sushi rolls and bento boxes are pretty good... especially the spicy tuna rolls. They use this wholesome, organic brown rice that is soo delicious in their sushi and rice dishes. Love their deli-style side dishes... I recommend the kale with peanut sauce or the cous cous. For dessert, try the fruit kantens (a type of gelatin-like pudding, made from agar (seaweed), or the chocolate fudge cake (made without eggs, dairy, or refined sugars!)
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Love it! Love it! Love it! If you are Vegan, Macrobiotic or Veggie there are so many choices. Soup of the day is always Delicious!
