New York City feels like an endless treasure chest of new vegan gems, just waiting to be discovered. While there are a ton of vegan-friendly places all across town, there are also a large number of strictly vegan restaurants that are true crowd pleasers but don’t get as much love as more famous and press-covered venues. Here is my list with the top 4 NYC vegan restaurants to discover this fall–all of them serve delicious, home cooked foods, with flavors from all over the world.
Yes, this epic brunch is vegan! (Bunna Cafe)
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Bunna Cafe
Before moving to NYC, I had never had Ethiopian food. It’s not really a thing in Luxembourg, nor in Paris. But NYC has quite a number of Ethipoian places and Bunna Cafe in Bushwick, Brooklyn, is 100% vegan. One of the best things about Ethiopian food is that you eat it all with your hands, using Injera, a large, crepe like, sourdough bread. The dishes are similar to little curries and veggie stews, that are all served at the same time. It’s a firework of flavors! Bunna also serves gluten free Injera, just reserve it at least 24 hours in advance and don’t forget to get an Ethiopian coffee at the end of our meal. Bunna is cash only!
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Bodhi
Bodhi is heaven on earth for anyone who loves rice and dumplings as much as I do. All vegan Chinese dim sum, as well as a selection of other Chinese dishes and some plant based sushi cover the endless menu. It’s all family style, which is the best and you can easily overeat because the food is SO good and SO affordable. My favorites are the curry dumplings, the sticky rice in lotus leaf and the rice noodles with mushrooms. I always order Chinese broccoli on the side–just to balance it out.
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Lu Anne’s Wild Ginger in Crown Heights, Nolita, Williamsburg
With 4 locations dispersed over Manhattan and Brooklyn, you would think Wild Ginger is a chain. The food is nothing chain-like though–it’s comfort food as it’s best. The dishes are a mix of Korean, Chinese, Japanese, and Southeast Asian options. The Macro bowl is clean and perfectly balanced. The Malaysian stew is divine with the combination of spices, sweet potatoes and a coconut curry and the Bibimbap is to die for: it comes with avocado, seitan, seaweed, chickpeas, kabocha squash, kimchi, and a gochujang-peanut sauce. Not traditional but totally delicious! Don’t forget to close the meal with what we call the Chocolate Peanut Butter Bomb. It’s a chocolate bundt cake with a peanut butter mousse filling and a chocolate crust–and it truly is the bomb. 
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Greedi Vegan
Greedi Vegan is southern and American food with lots of passion and flavors. A new addition that popped up in Crown Heights this past summer, Greedi Vegan serves up delectable brunch with pancakes, tofu scramble and grits. Sliders and tacos are on the menu during the week, with of course, a side of Mac N Cheese. The owner has been vegan for over 30 years and you can truly feel the soul in her food.
Have you been to any of these? And what’s your favorite hidden gem, hole-in-the-wall vegan restaurant?
Also by Isabelle: 5 Best Brooklyn Brunch Spots For Vegans
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Photo: Respective restaurants
