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CLOSED: Vegan Cooking Today
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2
Closed
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Vegan
Vegan
American
International
Take-out only
Offers takeaway vegan food and hosts cooking classes. Confirmed closed Oct 2018.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
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12638-15 Jefferson Ave, Newport News, Virginia, USA, 23602
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Last update on 30 Oct 2018 by Guest
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7 Reviews
First Review by ChrisHaxton
RachelEvelynMcCready
Points +36
Disappointing Vegan Food - Edit
As a vegan of over 6 years, I hate giving a bad review to a vegan restaurant, but this place was pretty awful.
Read moreMy family and I were visiting Newport News, and were so happy to find a completely vegan restaurant. We tried ordering online, but there weren't great descriptions, and the website is poorly made and confusing. No problem, I thought, we'll drive to the restaurant and figure it out there.
Arrived at the restaurant and were less than impressed. The decor is strange and uninviting. The owner was impatient, and the format is really weird. The ONLY way to order most things is to do it on online, otherwise there are a few things available right away (you fill out a piece of paper and give it to the owner at a window, apparently the menu changes on a daily basis). Again, poor descriptions. We didn't want to have to figure out the online thing again and then wait at least 30 minutes for food, so we opted for food available right away.
The food was really disappointing - my white bean chili was okay, but everything else was poorly seasoned, not very hot, and/or super over-cooked. The chocolate pudding was down-right disgusting, steamed broccoli was sooo overcooked it was pure mush, and my daughter's scrambled tofu burrito was seasoned really aggressively (not in a good way), overly salty, with cold cheese. Everything was served in Styrofoam or plastic, and there wasn't a place to recycle.
Maybe the food you order online is better, or maybe the chef was having an off day, but this food was not good representation of how amazing vegan food can be!
Guest
Vegan CM-X
Points +20
Lovely 4 course Meal - Edit
I attended the second monthly 4-course dinner tonite with my Sweetie. The food was visually appealing and tasted great. The stuffed mushroom was perfect, the avocado salad was so fresh, the mushroom Wellington was delicious, and the chocolate avocado pudding was amazing!
Read moreIn addition, the interaction with Princess (the owner) and the other guests was awesome. I’m headed back tomorrow to try some vegan donuts.... I’m planning to make the monthly dinners our official date night (he agreed). I’m really looking forward to breakfast options in September.
Pros: Good food, Lots of variety, The menu changes daily
Guest
SusanBaldwin
Points +6
1st time vegan - Edit
I am not vegan and was very nervous about trying the food. The owner was very knowledgeable about healthy foods and put my mind at ease about trying something different. I had the jerk chicken with plantain and pineapples for sides. The chicken wasn't really chicken but you couldn't tell. It was seasoned well and had a great taste. Had the tiramisu for dessert which was also delicious. Everything was fresh.
Read moreGreat food and atmosphere. Can't wait to go back to try something else. Also, considering taking their cooking classes since I realize now that eating healthy also tastes good.
Guest
AmyBethDudley
Points +47
🌱 - Edit
Super friendly atmosphere.
Read moreA menu that changes daily!
And can't wait to come back and be delighted with another dinner I don't have to make 🤗 after a long day at work 😁🍍
Pros: Thankfully there'$ a Vegan $top and $ i$ great
Cons: there just a 🐇 skip 🧚♀️ and a jump🐸 away.
Guest
rvarnes
Points +62
Ok - Edit
This is such a conveniently located spot for me; I just wish that they offered some quick takeout options throughout the day. I’ve eaten here twice but the amount of planning that goes into ordering and then waiting to see when the pick up time will be just doesn’t work for our busy family. I’ve had a few nonvegan coworkers think about trying it too but we’re turned off to the fact that they couldn’t just pop in and grab something.
Read morePros: All vegan, Food not bad
Guest
veganmommy09
Points +47
Personal Chef To-Go - Edit
Vegan Cooking Today seems to have the business model that anyone can have a personal vegan chef without the expense of actually hiring someone to come to your home and cook. A plethora of options are available, and food is cooked to order, to be ready at a specified time. As opposed to traditional take-out, VCT doesn't keep a lot of stuff ready to toss in a bag, it's cooked fresh for the customer.
Read moreIn theory, this is a great idea. In practice ... it needs work. The menu is mind-boggling, but the food is never really astonishing. Better than mediocre but never quite hitting great. It may be simply that the owner/chef is trying to offer too many items while not truly perfecting any of them. The other big issue is that this is not a place for last-minute "too lazy to cook" take-out. You have to plan to order from VCT hours in advance, which somewhat defeats the purpose of take-out for many people.
I've ordered from VCT twice now and both times I've been surprised, both pleasantly and negatively. The chicken legs are good, but the sauce is inconsistent. Some items are nearly flavorless, while others are uncomfortably spicy. The menu doesn't really specify what is or is not spicy either, so unless you've ordered from them before you have to just take a risk. The owner told us you can specify levels of spicy on the order form, but if you don't know what is or is not supposed to be spicy, it seems rather moot. It also doesn't specify which type of vegan protein is in most dishes so unless you're comfortable with all varieties of meat substitutes (including mushrooms) be wary or call with questions.
I've tried two desserts. The banana coconut balls are tasty, but seem overpriced. The avocado chocolate mousse was ... weird. The flavor was quite good, but there were bits of something in it that I couldn't identify. It was almost like bits of cardboard, with a woody pulpy texture. I wound up eating it while spitting out a portion of each bite, unsure of whether my order was made improperly or if that texture was intentional - though I can't imagine anyone wanting that in chocolate mousse.
Honestly, I want to love this place. I want to support it and encourage others to give it a try, but I feel like I would always use the caveat that this is not the finest examples of vegan cooking out there, or even locally. It's not bad food overall, but if VCT is going for "Personal Chef" in model and pricing, they really need to up their game.
Pros: All vegan, Extensive menu, Made fresh
Cons: Kinda pricey, Inconsistent flavors, Must order well in advance
Guest
ChrisHaxton
Points +18
Yummy! - Edit
Had the BBQ Ribs, BBQ Chicken, Tofu Tacos. They were all amazing! Thank you Vegan Cooking Today for an awesome dinner. I loved how different the textures of the chicken and ribs were. Also while the tofu tacos were unexpectedly spicy they were fantastic (my younger son had to trade me for the chicken, which he liked quite a bit). For dessert we got the banana coconut balls, which were pretty good.
Read moreGuest
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