ShopEatSleep

SunCafe

ShopEatSleep was invited to try out the expanded menu at SunCafe’s new location in Studio City. Being a total novice to vegan food — my experience with veganism was limited to a vegan burger that I had a great many moons ago — I was curious to see if the meatless offerings at SunCafe could satiate my usually insatiable appetite.

Known for serving up imaginative plant-based cuisine, SunCafe operated out of a modest Studio City storefront for five years before moving to its current home on Ventura Boulevard. With more than triple the capacity, including a spacious outdoor patio, the fully renovated 1920s-era ranch-style house delivers a good blend of old and new, lending itself to a cozy and relaxed ambience.

The restaurant’s new location comes with another welcomed change: an eclectic selection of beer and wine — all of which are vegan and follow organic production practices — as well as a few signature cocktails. The previous location had no liquor license.

Never one to pass up a good drink, I asked to sample the Zurra Blanca Sangria and Carosello Cooler. The pinot grigio-based sangria with peach, orange, lemon and coriander presented a good balance of sweet and tart flavors, with a dash of cinnamon to bring it all together. The Carosello Cooler was the bigger winner in my book. The combination of the Flemish sour ale Cuvée Des Jacobins Rouge, Cynar, lemon and spearmint syrup made for an exciting cocktail that left me wanting more.

Zurra Blanca Sangria

Carosello Cooler

The depth of flavors found in SunCafe’s appetizers and entrées were equally impressive. It’s important to note that almost everything at SunCafe is made from scratch, including several different vegan cheeses and a meatless chorizo.

To start, head chef Roi Elam sent out two of his signature dishes: lettuce leaf tacos and sun nachos. The tacos sort of blew my mind. As a proud carbivore, I never could understand why some people opt for a tortilla-less burrito or taco. While I still love me a tortilla, the lettuce leaves topped with chorizo, cashew cheese, pico de gallo, avocado and basil ranch dressing were so delectable that I truly didn’t miss it.

Lettuce Leaf Tacos

The nachos, another popular dish on the menu, came with a choice of raw jicama “chips” or baked blue corn chips. The jicama could have been cut slightly thinner and the corn chips were fairly standard, but they both worked well with the chorizo, nacho cheese, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeño, green onion and cashew sour cream.

Jicama nachos

SunCafe’s revamped menu also offers seven different pizzas, such as the classic Supreme with marinara, bell peppers, chorizo and cashew cheese. The rice flour, gluten-free crust (there is a raw version with buckwheat) hovered somewhere in the middle between chewy and crispy. I wish it had been one way or the other. Granted, I’d never had anything gluten-free before and couldn’t make any real comparisons. Overall, the pizza was solid and I could taste the freshness of the ingredients.

Supreme pizza

Next came the baked mac and cheese. Quinoa pasta, tomato, cashew cheese and smoked paprika came together so harmoniously that my fork was in overdrive. Unlike a typical mac and cheese, this one had a creamy texture, almost akin to cream pasta but without the heaviness.

Mac and cheese

A slice of key lime pie rounded out the meal. Maybe I expected too much but I wasn’t keen on the dessert. The consistency of the pie was less key lime and more cheesecake. I later found out that avocado is used as the base, which explains the richness of the dish. I found the lack of sweetness to be the biggest problem; the tartness was there, perhaps too much of it, but not enough sweet to balance it out.

Key lime pie

I appreciate good service and SunCafe really delivered on that front, from the attentive busser to the knowledgeable server. The cherry on top was talking with co-owner, Ron Russell, who shared a few behind-the-scene stories of how it all began. One of the most interesting aspects of SunCafe’s beginnings was the birth of its robust menu. A panel of six, including two meat eaters, tasted hundreds of recipes, and only the recipes that got a 100 percent approval rating made it onto the menu.

SunCafe proved to me that healthy food doesn’t automatically mean less flavor and fewer options. I, who by nature love all things fried, battered and drenched in buttery goodness, left the restaurant feeling satisfied. And truth be told, I can’t wait again to stuff my face with more of SunCafe’s healthy creations.

Note: This meal was hosted.

Further reading:

SunCafe Organic Opens on Ventura Boulevard by Los Angeles Times

SunCafe, A Bright Plant-Based Eatery in Studio City by EaterLA

SunCafe by hoopLA