Fodor's Expert Review VeganHood

Sisters Lanise and Janine first opened a plant-based ghost kitchen on 135th Street to help the community during the height of the pandemic, but their food quickly became so popular that they opened up a new restaurant in the heart of Restaurant Row. They put a vegan spin on classic soul food dishes with starters and entrées named after familiar NYC neighborhoods, like the Flatbush (a vegan oxtail dish doused in West Indian spices) or the Bed Stuy Shrimp Fry (crispy vegan prawns served with homemade tartar sauce). The snug, bright green interior, decked out with cascading faux-flowers and ferns, feels welcoming, but you can also opt to sit in the patio area in the front. Try the mami empanadas, made from scratch every day (they sell out quickly) or the Golden Oreo vegan pudding while you're there.