Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe

The next few weeks are going to be rather hectic; The Music Man goes on NEXT WEEK, so our rehearsal schedule is nonstop. The day after The Music Man's last show, I start school. Sometimes I wonder if I'm insane! :) Anywho...on nights that we have certain rehearsals, it doesn't make sense for me to drive all the way home from work beforehand. I'll stop off at Dei & Chuck's, snack on some dinner, and drive up the road for rehearsal. Like tonight, for instance. I go to work, hang with MacKenzie, then go to rehearsal, then home. I packed myself a lunch but forgot to pack dinner, too!

Since I only had one meal with me, I decided I was going to treat myself to lunch. It's Monday...I got my first paycheck last week...plus I'm in a really good mood. I deserve it! I looked up restaurants on Happy Cow to find a Vegan-friendly restaurant near work. That's where I found it.

Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe
My own personal piece of Heaven on Earth.
The little green leaf next to food items marks their vegan dishes...which is nearly every one.
Ahhhhhhh.

After going to the post office, I decided to head over there and check it out. The girl behind the counter was informative and quite friendly. Since I had previewed the menu, I had an idea of what I wanted. The South Indian Sampler Plate sounded perfect since it had a little bit of everything. I asked her if it was entirely vegan, she said yes, and also told me that anything on their menu can be made vegan and gluten-free. Because I wasn't already in love with this place. Next, she asked if I wanted something to drink, and I was not about to pass up Chai Tea in an Indian restaurant. Immediately she asked if I wanted it iced and with soy milk. <3 <3 <3 Yes & yes.

I sat down with my number and a few minutes later, the cook brought my food out to me. The plate was massive and consisted of a little bit o' this and a little bit o' that. It had one Masal Dosa (think thin crepe filled with spicy vegetable mix and some coconut chutney to go with it), a piece of Vadai (kind of like potato latkes), a bowl of Sambhar (spicy, brothy, yellow split mung bean soup with vegetables...by far my favorite thing on the plate), and two Idlis in the soup ( rice, lentils, and cilantro steamed into moist cakes). The total cost of my lunch was $9.95, which included a free refill on my absolutely perfect Soy Chai. I didn't even make a dent in the platter, so I will be eating the rest for dinner.



The Sambhar was absolutely phenomenal. The perfect blend of spicy & sweet...the vegetables were tender and the Idlis had a texture that was new & wonderful. The Vadai was fried...which automatically makes it good...and its flavor was mild yet unique. I thought it was great dipped in the coconut chutney. The Dosa was different. My taste buds weren't prepared for its potent flavor, so it took a few bites to really understand what they were putting out. Once I got accustomed, though, it was all I could do to not finish it off in one sitting.

When I was just about ready to throw the towl in, the manager came over and introduced himself to me. I had seen him going around to other guests but I assumed they were regulars and he was just saying hello. As it turns out, he just likes to connect with the visitors that grace the cafe. He explained to me that Annapurna's wasn't just about good food, it's about balance. Annapurna is a Sanskrit word meaning "complete food" and is also the Goddess of food and abundance. Annapurna's delivers food that is "complete", using Ayurveda (the Science of Life). It teaches people to pay attention to how and what we eat and to take responsibility for our own health. It incorperates six tastes in every meal: Sweet, Bitter, Sour, Astringent, Salty, and Pungent.

To my husband, family, and friends who might think that sounds too hippie for them, stop your judgemental thoughts in their tracks. It was the perfect ambiance, the perfect food, and just enough friendliness to make my great day even better.

A gigantic two-thumbs up for Annapurna's World Vegetarian Cafe. I will be frequenting this marvelous restaurant often. If you live in the Albuquerque (or Santa Fe) area or you're planning on visiting, please make this one of your places to visit!

Cheers!