Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Forbidden City Bistro

Forbidden City Bistro
335 Main Street
Middletown, CT 06457
860-343-8288
website

To be honest, we had planned to have dinner at It's Only Natural on this visit to Connecticut but discovered that on Sunday they are only open for brunch.  My poor planning resulted in us seeking out an alternate plan.  Middletown has a surprising number of vegan options, so this afforded us an opportunity to try something new.

We wandered down Main Street, checking out menus posted outside numerous restaurants, and at last settled on Forbidden City Bistro.  They have a completely separate vegetarian/vegan selection.  Most items are vegan.  Vegetarian ones are marked as such.  We were blown away by the variety of appetizers and entrees available.

The food was delicious.  We sampled Edamame Dumplings flavored with truffle oil and served in a delicious broth.  In addition, we tried Shanghai Wontons that came with a wonderful peanut lemongrass sauce.  Everyone enjoyed them.

For dinner, we had Five Elements Quinoa, Longevity Noodles and the Layered Tofu Cake.  The quinoa was flavorful and the goji berries worked quite nicely in a savory dish.  I ordered the noodles and the mung bean threads were pleasantly spiced.  The tofu cake was made of pan fried yuba.  If you aren't a fan, it can be a bit off-putting.  I enjoyed it; my girlfriend did not.  However, she loved the bok choy and the peanut and sesame sauced noodles that came with it.  We'll definitely be planning another visit soon.  Note: You can see pictures of most dishes on their website.  Had I known this, we wouldn't have been surprised with yuba when ordering something that was labeled tofu cake on the menu. 

Also, don't forget It's Only Natural has a great whole foods market down the street. They are open even if the restaurant is not.  If you need any hard-to-find vegan or bulk foods, it is worth a stop.   Parking here is easy.  There is plenty of on street metered spaces.  A town lot is also available behind the stores.

Shanghai Wontons

Longevity Noodles

Layered Tofu Cake



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