Aarti B.
Yelp
Delicious vegan food bursting with flavor! You can score some great deals during happy hour (cocktails and 1/2 dozens apps for under $10) or the power express lunch on the weekdays ($28 for entree, app, and cookie!), otherwise the food is a bit pricey. I've been here 3 times and twice to Planta Queen.
The Bethesda location has more American cuisine and southern comfort foods ex. chicken and waffles, spinach artichoke dip, and loaded burrito, pizza as well as some Asian dishes like sushi, bao buns, etc. There's outdoor seating in front of the Bethesda restaurant (great for people watching!)The DC location Planta Queen is more focused on Asian cuisine.
All the dishes are made from scratch with a bold earthy flavor from mushrooms, broccoli, eggplant, and cashew cheese. I've explored the menu and enjoyed trying all of these dishes and most of them hit the mark.
Udon Noodles (5/5) - Hands-down the highlight of dinner The creamy dish tastes like fettuccini alfredo with al dente udon noodles with mushrooms and truffle oil.
Loaded Breakfast Burrito (5/5) - My favorite lunch dish, hits the spot! The burrito tickles my taste buds with sweet veggie bacon, chorizo, egg, spinach and topped with shoestring onions wrapped in a warm grilled tortilla. It's very filling and flavorful! I wish it came with a side of home fries!
Cauliflower Tots (5/5) - The crispy bite-size were tasty topped with the flavorful truffle aioli sauce. Even our picky toddler enjoyed some of the tots!
Bang Bang Broccoli (5/5) - The battered tempura broccoli was fun to try smothered in spicy peanut spice.
1,000 Layers of Potato (5/5) - The bite-size of a thick stack of square scallop potatoes topped with yogurt and chia seeds resembling sour cream and caviar was fun to try. A truffle aioli dipping sauce would have also paired well.
Spinach Artichoke Dip (5/5) - The creamy spinach dip with artichokes hit the spot! It was hard to tell the dip was vegan and made of cashew cheese. It's on happy hour, even better!
Zucchini and Eggplant Fries (4/5) - The battered tempura veggies fries were tasty and part of the March menu specials. Sadly, they couldn't be used as an app for the Power Lunch.
Mez Call Me Maybe (5/5) - The Mezcal combined with passionfruit and ginger beer hit the spot! It was so good that I didn't even mind paying full price for it during lunch, will come back to score a happy hour deal on it!
Lychee Please Cocktail (4/5) - Beautiful pink cocktail that has a bold gin flavor with a mild mint of lychee.
The Notorious OBG (5/5) - Fresh squeezed juice with orange, beets, and ginger was refreshing.
One in a Melon (5/5) - The watermelon, cranberry, Eldenflower mocktail was sweet and refreshing.
Eggplant Rollatini (3/5) - While I enjoyed the juicy eggplant, the spinach cashew ricotta filling was a bit dry. I saved more room for the Udon noodles!
Planta Veggie Burger (3/5) - The house-made patty made of mushrooms, lentils, oats, and blackbeans is quite mushy with crispy edges. I wasn't a big fan of the housemade dijon mustard sauce or the vegan American cheese. While the classic raw thinly sliced onions, tomato. lettuce, pickles toppings helped to elevate the flavor of the burger, it didn't hit the mark. The truffle fries with a side of miso aioli sauce was the best part!
Spaghetti Carbonara (2/5) - I was really rooting for this dish, but sadly not a fan of it. It was very spicy, tangy, annd the creamy sauce has a funky taste with the tempeh resembling pork and the mushroom bacon. While the flavors blended well, I didn't settle well in my stomach.
Bianca Pizza (2/5) - While the white vegan pizza with bacon and leeks looked promising with garlic cream, sadly I wasn't a fan of it. The flavors are very similar to the Spaghetti Carbonara dish with mushrooms mimicking bacon and the cashew sauce had a funky flavor. After eating the pizza in 3 sittings, I vowed never again.
Cucumber Mint Lemonade (3/5) - The lemonade was a bit tart with a strong cucumber flavor. It was not sweet.
Big Cookie (4/5) - While the power lunch typically comes with a smaller cookie, the nice waiter/waitress treated us to the Big Cookie (both at the Bethesda and also Planta Queen in D.C.). I def wasn't able to save room for dessert and glad I tackled them at home! Great tip from our server - warm them up in the microwave for 45 sec, they are so gooey and delicious!
Download the app, you can get rewards and I scored a $10 off coupon. Will be back for happy hour!