Ode to Koi

Here it is, just day three of the Vegan MoFo challenge, and I'm already finding myself working under the wire. It's not quite midnight central time, though, so I'm okay! (Blogging on the daily isn't quite as easy as I thought it'd be.)

Tonight I'm blogging about another favorite Kansas City restaurant: Blue Koi Noodles & Dumplings.

Blue Koi has some pretty great vegan appetizers to start out your delicious dining experience. My recommendation is the eggplant pockets. They're a bit greasy, but oh so good. (Get ready for some kooky lighting since these pictures are from dinner, which means dim mood lighting.)


Big crispy pockets of veggie goodness, drizzled with raw garlic sauce.


For my entrée, I went with the tofu with black bean sauce. Blue Koi has magical tofu cooking powers. They get the texture just right - braised to perfection!


Succulent chunks of tofu served with red and green bell pepper slices and thick, juicy portobella mushroom chunks, served with a hefty portion of fluffy jasmine rice.


The portions are generous at Blue Koi, which means I'll be enjoying these leftovers for lunch tomorrow!

Don't forget the bubble tea!


(I've heard that the only fruity flavors that are vegan are mango and passionfruit, FYI.)

Blue Koi is another great restaurant for diners of all different persuasions: omnivore, vegetarian, and vegan. Everyone can find a great meal. And if all else fails, there happens to be a Genghis Khan location practically next door!

Good Eats in KC

Here are some delicious pictures of delicious food from a delicious day in Kansas City!

It begins with lunch at Eden Alley, a vegetarian cafe on the Plaza with many vegan, gluten-free, and raw options. The group started with multi-grain and sourdough bread with vegan agave butter. I have to tread lightly with wheat products, so I just took a bite from one of my lunch companion's slice.



It's really all about the agave butter, anyway.

I ordered the "Steak and Potatoes," which included a marinated Portobello mushroom "steak," garlicky mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, and a sweet-and-tangy tomato sauce.


One of my lunch companions ordered the Verde Cruz, perfect for all you avocado lovers.


The best of Eden Alley lies in their desserts. With 5-6 different cakes to choose from, including one raw torte, I split a slice of chocolate-coconut cake with one of my lunch companions.

Honestly, I felt the chocolate overpowered the coconut, and I do like coconut, but you just can't go wrong with chocolate, anyway.

The Verde Cruz diner decided to continue the avocado theme with a slice of lemon poppy cake with avocado glaze.


The picture does not do this cake justice, but know that it is exquisite! The bright, tangy lemon... the sweet avocado glaze... the slight crunch of the poppy seeds... and the level of moistness was heavenly. Just a perfect slice all around.

After strolling around the Plaza and checking out a wonderful improv show, we had worked up enough of an appetite to swing by Blue Koi Noodles & Dumplings.

One dining companion ordered the Fire Bird with tofu. I personally was not a fan of the sauce (something just tasted off about it), but he was very happy with it.


I was thrilled, however, with my order: tofu with black bean sauce.


For starters, you just can't go wrong with fried tofu. Crispy outside + soft inside = heaven. Secondly, those sweet bell peppers were a perfect complement to the savory black bean sauce. Juicy shitake mushrooms round out the dish. Blue Koi DEFINITELY has the best black bean tofu I've eaten thus far.

Our little group stuffed ourselves silly to the point where we couldn't even order bubble tea. (Gasp!) We had no choice but to waddle down to a karaoke bar and sing our meal off. (It helped!)