Restaurants

Veganízalo’s Tempeh Burger

July 20, 2017 by Raul Colon

Veganízalo’s Tempeh Burger

A Veglatino Review

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As a vegan, it's not often that an image or a video stands out and makes me hungry. Every image and video posted by Veganízalo does just that.

El Mercado Libre in Santurce

I visited El Mercado Libre a few months ago and had a bunch of food and sweets to eat. On my way out, I saw a table setup named Veganízalo. Curiosity set in for me to come back and try what Veganízalo was offering as food options for vegans.

Veganízalo's Tempeh Burger

This past Saturday morning after my daughter's swimming practice, we stopped by El Mercado Libre to try out the Veganizalo Tempeh Burger I had seen on their Instagram Feed.

El tempeh que todo el mundo ha venido a buscar. ¡Queda poco y estamos hasta las 3pm no te lo pierdas! #veganizalo #libredecrueldad
A post shared by ¡Veganizalo! (@veganizalo) on Jul 14, 2017 at 10:31am PDT

Since I knew they would only be there during the weekend, I made sure to schedule that into our schedule for the day.

Meeting one of my Foursquare "Rivals"

I just ousted @rj_c as the mayor of Peace n Loaf on @foursquare! http://t.co/8iaJHebH
— Miss Lou Ⓥ (@missloublog) December 8, 2012

We arrived so early that the people who run the table were not ready to take orders. I walked over to get some cash at the ATM. When I returned Cindy from Veganízalo was there finishing her set-up. As I approached her, she quickly recognized me from our Twitter interactions over five years ago when we both used Foursquare and competed for mayorship at my favorite Vegan Pizzeria.

Getting even more familiar with the Veganízalo's concept was great. I was very excited to try out my tempeh burger as I watched it simmer on the grill.

Enjoying the Tempeh Tempting Burger

Once the Tempeh burger was ready, I sat down and enjoyed the most delicious Vegan burger I have had in quite some time.

The ingredients and cole slaw topping brought me memories of when I was a kid and enjoyed eating my mom's homemade coleslaw. Different to my mom's homemade coleslaw the Veganízalo version is Vegan.

I also had a small dessert which was the Vegan Cinnamon Roll Cindy made.

Watch

Quick Video Interview of Cindy

The food was so good that I went ahead and decided to create a video so you could meet the creator behind Veganízalo and learn more about what she is doing.

I hope to visit Veganízalo in the near future and can't wait to see when and where she sets up her own place.

We need more entrepreneurs like Cindy.

So one cool thing about Veganízalo is that there are other videos you can watch of their recipes on Youtube. I will be including them for your enjoyment.

Here is more on Veganízalo.

More Photos of our Visit to Veganizalo

Photos by Raúl Colón

Connect With Veganízalo

You can find Veganízalo online here:

Instagram - @veganizalo
Facebook - @veganizalo
Twitter - @veganizalo

Visit The Veganizalo.com

Veganizalo On the Map

Vegan Pastry & Rastafarian Inspired Raggamuffins in San Juan

August 7, 2016 by Raul Colon

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:

Instagram - @raggamuffinsbakery
Facebook - @raggamuffinscafe

Visit The Facebook Page

Raggamuffins On the Map

The Best Vegan food in San Juan at Berlingeri’s Cocina Artesanal

May 2, 2016 by Raul Colon

I am picky when it comes to feeling part of something. It is almost impossible nowadays for me to walk into a venue and feel that I am part of it. But Berlingeri Cocina Artesanal , definitely makes me feel at home on every visit.

As a Vegan living in Puerto Rico, I can't state how difficult it is to get food on the Island.

I have said it so many times, even my friend and New York Times Best Selling Author, Chris Brogan starts a chapter in one of his books mentioning my struggle. That chapter in, The Freaks Shall Inherit the Earth: Entrepreneurship for Weirdos, Misfits, and World Dominators, focuses on the fact that Business is about belonging.

Best Vegan Food and Service in Puerto Rico

What It is even more difficult to get in Puerto Rico is great quality food that is vegan and service.

Lately, my favorite place in San Juan to get a Vegan meal is Berlingeri Cocina Artesanal.

This is an oasis of great food, exotic flavors, awesome staff, and very creative cuisine.

Family and Locally Owned

This family-owned business pretty much sets the standard on what Artisanal cuisine is.

The owner, Joseph Berlingeri, creates an awesome menu that usually includes many vegan options. He usually accommodates requests to veganize any item on the menu.

I have visited at least 5 times and everytime I go, Berlingeri sets the bar higher. At this point Berlingeri is exactly what I want in a place to have a delicious Vegan lunch in San Juan.

Puerto Rican and Latin American Themed Vegan Cuisine

Some of the creations on the menu exceed what high-end and fine dining restaurants usually offer.

My Review of Berlingeri

This past week we visited and I brought my camera to capture some of the greatness.

In no way do my pictures will do the plates justice because the food is so delicious.

What to eat at Berlingeri?

The menu that day was made-up of all Vegan Plates:

Potato Curry with “apio”, “verdolaga”, and lemongrass.
Hummus Wrap
Homemade Falafel Pattie
Pastelon de Malanga filled with brecol, portobello mushroom, and beans.

With each entree you can choose up to two sides:

Arroz Con Cilantro
Lentils Salad
Beets Salad
Cucumber Salad
Green Salad
Carrot Salad
Sweet potato soup with coconut and peas.

I went with Lucy and we ordered two separate plates.

Her plate was a Falafel Pattie with two sides. One being a delicious cilantro rice and the other was lentil salad.

I myself asked for a Potato Curry along with the Cilantro Rice and a Beets Salad.

What to Drink at Berlingeri?

Berlingeri also has a Juice Bar. On the day we visited they were offering the following juices:

Melon & Lemon
Lemonade with Thyme
Horchata
Tamarind, Dates, and Curcuma

Lucy asked for a Melon and Lemon Juice and I asked for the Horchata.

The horchata was so delicious I had to order another one.

Take out for Dinner

As I finished my meal I took a bite of Lucy's Falafel Patty. That made me decide to take an order for myself so I could have that for dinner.

It's don’t normally go into a place to eat and order two plates. Most of the time it's hard for me to order one as a Vegan.

One of the best vegan desserts ever.

One of the cool things Berlingeri has is the fact that they have some solid vegan desserts. I ordered the Vegan Key Lime Pie.

When I took my first bite and tasted the glaze, I had to baptized it as my favorite Vegan dessert on the Island.

Great People and Awesome Food

Not only is the food great but the staff is awesome. The staff is always seeking to improve the experiences of anyone having a meal at the restaurant.

Yamil is usually the one taking care of serving guests. Take a few seconds and observe Yamil and the owner Joseph preparing the dishes once you’ve ordered ; you can see how nicely they decorate each plate and you can perceive how much they love what they do.

Where is Berlingeri Located?

Berlingeri is located near Kasalta Bakery. Kasalta is known by the locals and is well known for the place President Obama had lunch when he visited a few years ago. It was a big deal to have the first President visit the Island Colony since JFK visited.

Map Berlingeri Cocina Artesanal.

You need to Visit

If you live on the Island or just visiting, this is the one place you should go get a meal even if you're not vegan or vegetarian.

For now Berlingeri is #1 on my list to have a meal and I can't wait to find another reason to visit them in the coming weeks.

Berlingeri Cocina Artesanal On the Map

Visiting TBC Food and Drink for the First Time.

April 17, 2016 by Raul Colon

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

April 9, 2015 by Raul Colon

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

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.

@rj_c We completely agree! better safe than sorry! Glad your experience was positive! Hope to see you again soon!
— Kona Grill (@konagrill) April 7, 2015

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.

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.

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

July 26, 2014 by Raul Colon

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 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.

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.

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 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.

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.

Turkish Dessert and Coffee

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