Vegan Zone, Pacific Beach

It still shocks me that for such a gastronomical explorer such as myself the majority of my friends in San Diego have aligned themselves with the vegan movement! Focusing on the glass-half-full mentality, this does offer me the opportunity to dine at establishments that I might tend to overlook, or at least not actively seek out. One of these is Vegan Zone, an all-vegan restaurant in Pacific Beach, somewhat off the beaten track on Hornblend Street just a few blocks from the beach. Our Bostonian friend assured us that though small, the selections were good and prices reasonable for the animal-friendly Asian bistro. We stopped by for snacks and light fare, and with seating for only about 25, at 3 o'clock the place was deserted.

The menu was standard Asian fare sans any animal product, but looked tasty and the prices decent. We shared an order of the Golden Nuggets (fried soy chicken nuggets) with their "barbeque sauce", which tasted like cocktail sauce mixed with BBQ sauce with a dash of black pepper. Not the greatest, or even exciting, but not bad by any means. A clean presentation added some bonus points.


Ashton got the Tom Yum soup (traditional Thai soup flavored with khaffir limes leaves, chili and lemon grass served with soy shrimp, straw mushrooms and tomotoes), which was great! Served hot in a crisp white bowl, it was chock full of fresh ingredients and the perfect amount of lemongrass. The faux shrimp was wonderful and made me believe it was swimming in the sea only a few short hours ago. For $5, it was a lip-smacking delight.


For vegans, definitely a place worth trying. I can't vouch for the quality of the entrees, but based on the solid ingredients and elegant presentation, I'd guess that it would be a nice experience!

Vegan Zone
859 Hornblend St
San Diego Ca 92109
858-272-1913
Delivery/Take Out

Hours:
Tuesday - Sunday
11:30am - 9:30pm
Closed on Mondays