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Veganism from the Latino's Perspective.

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Vegan Pastry & Rastafarian Inspired Raggamuffins in San Juan

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One of the hardest things to find in Puerto Rico is a vegan friendly place that also offers Vegan desserts.

Difficult to Find a Fully Vegan Place with Desserts

It’s even harder to find a fully vegan place with vegan desserts. Raggamuffins is probably the only Vegan Food Vendor with 100% Vegan, creative recipes that fulfills my cravings for a sweet treat after my meal.

When I first started as a vegetarian it was very difficult for me to find places to eat.

Living in the southern part of the Island did not help at all. Places called vegetarian cafeterias and restaurants mostly sold processed options.

5+ Years as a Vegan ( 10+ as a Vegetarian)

When I made the switch to Veganism about 5 years ago, I realized I needed to stay away from those places.

4 years ago I moved to the Metro Area allowing me to have many options which were not only vegetarian but also vegan.

One of those options I had been craving for quite some time was Raggamuffins.

What is RaggaMuffins?

A Vegan Pastry and Food Cart specializing in the creation of healthy gluten free food and desserts.

My friend Misael and his wife Nicole run this cozy food cart in collaboration with the Bio Shack in Rio Piedras.

I met Misael years ago thanks to my Rastafarian friends Itegue and Martin. Misael not only lives and breaths the Rastafarian culture, his family also create some delicious and healthy vegan options that will blow your mind.

My First Visit to RaggaMuffins

On my first visit, I had the chance to try baked Red Potatoes with a Carrot Based Vegan Cheese. I had BBQ Jackfruit with carrots, beets, hemp seeds, and sweet mustard.

I also tried the two types of empanadas they had that day.

  • Potatoes and Carrots Curry
  • Mushroom, Carrots, and Onions

Since there are few places that offer a vegan dessert in San Juan, I had to try both of the options available:

  • Vegan Double Chocolate Brownies topped with Vegan Marshmallows.
  • The Carrot Muffin with a coconut topping which was almost as good as the muffin itself.

As I write this I realize my only regret was not buying even more empanadas and desserts for the rest of the week.

If you are looking for a vegan healthy option that can be accompanied by a vegan dessert, then Raggamuffins is definitely the first choice you should think about.

Connect With RaggaMufins

You can find Berlingeri Cocina Artesanal online here:

Visit The Facebook Page

Raggamuffins On the Map

Our first visit to a Kona Grill was here in San Juan.

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Kona Grill in San Juan

I have no other way to reference it against its other locations. I had been a customer of PF Changs since 2005 and had visited many of its locations throughout the US.

Kona’s Rock Star Manager

I went with my family after hearing about the Kona Grill from the manager, Jose Perez. He was the main reason why I kept returning to the local PF Changs.

When I reached out to him asking him if their would be Vegan options, he was about to start training. At that moment he replied that even if they did not have any options on the menu, he would find a way to serve vegans.

I went over on the Monday after Easter. I found parking close to one of the main entrances and the signs got me quickly to the Kona Grill.

Great First Impression

Being a fan of water sculptures and art, I was highly impressed with the Kona sign which has a waterfall effect coming down.

The host, who seem to be one of the teams helping train the local staff, was nice and got us seated. I asked for the Vegan/Vegetarian menu and they had it available.

Our waitress approached us and we requested some Appetizers on the Vegan menu.

  • Avocado Roll
  • Vegetarian Roll
  • Seaweed Salad.
  • Edamame

Vegetarian Roll at Kona Grill #SanJuan

Quickly we got the Vegetarian roll which has a simple look but was delicious. By accident we also got Avocado Egg Rolls. We mentioned that we did not order them and with a smile they were removed.

The waitress came back and mentioned that the seaweed salad had seafood ingredients in it. So I decided to pass on that one and was grateful that she and the rest of the staff caught it.

The Kona Grill Twitter account confirmed it must have been a small mistake, the seaweed salad is vegan.

We waited a bit more which is understandable when the restaurant staff is new. The staff gave our daughter an Etch a Sketch and she played with it while we waited for food.

Regular Entree Modified to Be Vegan

I requested my entree which was a Pad Thai Noodles with tofu. Lucy requested a vegetarian option which was the roasted corn + goat cheese flatbread pizza.  Our little one had her favorite french fries (for her that was a full meal) with some edamame.

Kona Grill [ roasted corn + goat cheese flatbread ]

Everything tasted fresh and well made. I really enjoyed the Pad Thai accompanied with tea.

I was extremely impressed with the level of service for a vegan/vegetarian family like ours. We had a great time. Everything was so delicious that I did not even have to pack anything back home.

Kona Grill [ pad thai noodles ]

Very Affordable without Sacrificing a Quality Experience

Our tab was at a reasonable and much more affordable price than I would have expected. My large order of food, the ambiance, and the quality of the experience made me think it was worth more.
Since the Kona Grill is just a drive across the Teodoro bridge from us, they can count on me as a regular when we feel like we don’t want to cook at home.

I can’t wait to return and see what else they have in store for me.

Ali Baba’s Authentic Turkish Cuisine

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One of the challenges that Puerto Rico has in global cuisine is that restaurants will completely modify their authentic recipes for the locals. It is not strange to walk into a Mexican, Chinese, and Japanese restaurant and find Mofongo, Tostones, and Carne Frita. Although I know some modifications need to be made to keep a restaurant running on the island, I think we need a few places that maintain the integrity of the history behind their food so others can enjoy as if they were visiting their country.

Ali Baba Entrance

Ali Baba is Authentic Turkish Cuisine

About a year ago, we were invited by our neighbor Djat to visit a Turkish restaurant named Ali Baba. I fast forward to about a month ago and here we are eating with our friend Nando while Djat’s son, Nabil who works at the restaurant, welcomes us.

Catering to Special Diets

If you're visiting Ali Baba, make a reservation and let them know what special dietary requests you have, and they will tell you what they can do and can’t do. I am so use to walking to a restaurant and having one or no options, that when they go a bit further and cater to my needs it enhances the experience significantly.

Vegan Turkish Lavash

The Special Vegan Lavash

I was quickly informed that since I had made a reservation and I am vegan, they made Lavash, a Turkish bread without dairy or eggs so I could enjoy a vegan version of it. It is even more difficult to have a restaurant cater to special diets on the island where vegan food means iceberg lettuce and tomatoes.

Ottoman Casserole

Cucumber Martini

Ask for the Cucumber Martini

Nabil offered to make me a Cucumber Martini ( I think it's a secret Bar Menu Item) and with the warm tropical night, the recommendation was refreshing and went perfect with my appetizers.

Turkish Tea

Turkish Appetizers

For the meal we started with Turkish Tea and our daughter Daniela had some Falafels. I also ordered some Tabouleh and Hummus which was extraordinary.

. Falafels Ali Baba's Tabouleh

Turkish Entrees

I personally ordered the Vegetable casserole and Lucy ordered the Vegetable Moussaka. Our friend Nando went with the Ottoman Casserole which he enjoyed.

Vegetarian Casserole

Turkish Dessert and Coffee

For dessert Nando tried the Baklava and I decided to have some Turkish black coffee.

Baklava Turkish Coffee

Great Location

What I really like about the restaurant is that it is very accessible in Condado right in front of our old friends at the San Juan Marriott Condado but yet its sort of not in the busy movement of Ashford Avenue. The restaurant is cozy and you can see the chefs preparing the food through a window and yet its relaxing enough where you can sit to have a romantic dinner or just have dinner with family and friends.

Next time you're in Condado and you want to try some Turkish Cuisine mixed with great service and perfect ambiance stop by Ali Baba. I want to thank Chef Suleyman, Nabil, and the rest of the Ali Baba staff for creating a unique experience.

Ali Baba Staff

San Juan Vegan Eats with Asian Flavors

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Lamp - 1st Visit to Sogo Asian Bistro

When I find a place that has Vegan options in Puerto Rico I feel need to share it with you so you can help me spread the word.

I shared on my personal blog part of the awesome experience I had a few days ago during a business lunch  at SOGO Asian Bistro in San Juan.

The next day I took my family for lunch and here is a quick review of the delicious and well prepared meal we enjoyed.

My company eating at SOGO.
Lucy and Daniela ready to try SOGO.

Fast Service with a Smile

We got there during the lunch hour rush which seemed pretty packed. As the patrons left to get back to their duties, we sat and enjoyed the rest of our meal.

That said if you want a good meal at a great value and don’t have more than an hour for a lunch break, the food is served in a very timely manner.

Kahoo Yu - Owner of Sogo
Kahoo Yu, Owner, always smiling.

Vegan Asian Appetizers

We started our meal when the owner Kahoo, (a good friend of mine) recommended ordering sautéed vegetables as a side and some spring rolls. They were both great options.

We also started off with some Jasmine tea to set a relaxing tone to our lunch.

Vegan Options in San Juan, Puerto Rico
Vegetable Spring Rolls
Vegan Appetizer - Veggies
Mix of Sautéed Vegetables

Vegan Asian Entrees

When I visit a restaurant with Vegan options,  I usually ask for as many vegan food items as I can fit in my stomach (I hope my personal trainer is not reading this).

I ordered a bento box which included the following:

  • Salad with Ginger Dressing
  • Fried Vegetable Rice
  • Sautéed Vegetables
  • Veggie Sushi Roll
Part of my Huge Bento Box
Vegan Bento Box

For my daughter (and me) I ordered fried tofu with black mushrooms and Lucy ordered a few sushi vegetable rolls that where all delicious.

Fried Tofu, Black Mushrooms and Vegetables
Fried Tofu, Black Mushrooms and Vegetables

Vegan Dessert

Lychee in Martini Glass
Lychee

After our entrees, we had dessert which were Lychee Fruit in a cute martini glass.

Overall the meal was great and very tasty; something difficult for many regular restaurants when they prepare vegan options.

I am so thankful for Kahoo and how he went the extra mile to cater to our lifestyle, the attention to detail he paid to Daniela, so we could have one of the best meals in a long time.

If you are near San Juan and you’re seeking some vegan eats with an Asian, twist feel free to stop by SOGO Asian Bistro.

More About SOGO Asian Bistro

SOGO Asian Bistro
Centro Comercial San Francisco
San Juan, Puerto Rico
(787) 766-0111

1st Visit to Sogo Asian Bistro