I'm so lucky to have sampled a media preview at Vegetable in Studio City. I had already checked out the restaurant's menu photos online, so I knew that we were in for a treat, but the food was truly next level.
Chef Jerry Yu creates organic, vegetable based cuisine and does not try to recreate popular meat dishes. Rather he focuses on truly highlighting and bringing out the best in his fresh and seasonable vegetable ingredients. Chef Yu is native to Los Angeles and he opened Vegetable in 2015. The interior of the restaurant is welcoming and rustic and was designed by Chef Yu.
The restaurant opens at noon on the weekdays and was quickly packed. There was also a surprising number of manly men enjoying lunch at the restaurant also. We allowed Chef Yu to take charge of the menu and send out his favorites and we were deeply satisfied at the end of the meal. Chef Yu is not shy with his spices and frequently features a killer char on his vegetables, giving rich, caramelized smoky flavors.
Here is what we tried:
Spicy BBQ Sweet Potato Sandwich
The spice on the bbq sweet potatoes packs a seriously delicious punch! It's flavored with Bulleit Bourbon and serrano pepper bbq sauce.
Roasted Garlic Broccoli
The broccoli was generously bathed in a in a rich cashew alfredo sauce. Chef Yu really excels in his creamy and luscious gravies.
Roasted Winter Squash Fusilli Pasta
This pasta was definitely one of my favorites, featuring roasted roma tomatoes, butternut squash and delicata squash. Very fulfilling and heartwarming, perfect for winter!
Charred Brussel Sprouts
These smoked charred brussels sprouts tasted so good with the sweet starkrimson pears dotted throughout.
Herbed Focaccia and Gravy
Another stunning gravy featuring mushroom and sweet onion cashew cream ragu makes this dish another favorite!
Roasted Golden and Red Beet Salad
Normally this salad would come with a goat cheese. My lunch partner is a vegan so the salad was prepared with a cashew cheese instead, I love goat cheese but the cashew cheese was so delicious that I didn't miss the goat cheese at all. The beets are also soaked in fruit juice for a maximum tangy flavor, delicious!
I definitely want to return to check out the generous $20 lunch menu which features a seasonal soup to start off, a vegetable choice and a main dish, including soup and salad options.
Make sure to go visit Vegetable, even if you're a meat lover like me, you won't miss meat at all in this memorable meal.
Vegetable | Phone: 818-754-1149 | Address: 3711 Cahunega Blvd W., Studio City CA 91604