This ain’t your granddaddy’s vegan food. The Blossoming Lotus Restaurant in Kapa‘a – home of Vegan World Fusion cuisine – has just received the honor of being named the number one vegetarian restaurant in Hawaii by Zento Magazine. “This stellar
This ain’t your granddaddy’s vegan food.
The Blossoming Lotus Restaurant in Kapa‘a – home of Vegan World Fusion cuisine – has just received the honor of being named the number one vegetarian restaurant in Hawaii by Zento Magazine. “This stellar vegan restaurant has raised the bar for vegetarian restaurants everywhere,” writes Zento. “It is a zero compromise, high energy, skillfully balanced, creative fusion of the world’s best techniques and tastes, magically executed in a dairy free, veggie focused form. Kauai is so lucky.”
Indeed, the food is so tasty that you’ll probably forget it’s vegan. Which ain’t easy for most American carnivore types. Owner Mark Reinfeld spent many years perfecting the art of Indian, Hawaiian, Mexican, Thai and Italian, among others. The result is nearly potent alchemy of fatfree, low-calorie food that fakes the mind into thinking you’re eating something heartier than, say, “Shalom Alechem Mid-East Chick Pea Soup.”
Located in the historic Dragon Building in downtown Kapa‘a, the restaurant’s new digs is symbolic of the popularity of the restaurant – and that Reinfeld is doing something right.
“I started out in California with a deliver service and just taught myself the art of Vegan cooking,” he said.
Today, Reinfeld and a few investors have a beautiful restaurant and a retail shop, and they are planning to open another Lotus restaurant in Portland – nothing as extensive as the one in Kapa‘a, but certainly Reinfeld isn’t ruling out potential growth. Back in Kapa‘a, however, Reinfeld says he feels free to experiment with a multiplicity of flavors and techniques, including Hawaiian featuring ulu, luau leaves, papaya – less the pork, of course.
The Kapa‘a location now offers free nightly live entertainment, including hula and bellydancing. Open 7 days a week for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and for dinner 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Be sure to sample their amazing gourmet vegan brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. They’ll be holding their grand opening with loads of food and fun entertainment on Saturday January 15, 2005 at 5 p.m..
And in honor of its grand reopening, they’re donating one of its Vegan World Fusion Cuisine cookbooks to every school, hospital and nursing home on the Island of Kauai.
As part of its larger “Wage Peace” campaign, the folks at the Blossoming Lotus are devoted to introducing healthier dining options into our public institutions. Their cookbook, with a moving foreword by Dr. Jane Goodall, shows how fun and simple it is to prepare healthy and delicious meals in the comfort of your own home.
