Kalm Bistro, A Vietnamese Restaurant in Gray, TN Offers Plant-Based Options!

by Danielle Bussone

 

While visiting EarthFare in Johnson City, and cringing at the exorbitant prices of their organic produce (Don’t get me started…), Rich and I happened into a conversation with a fellow foodie. She told us about a Vietnamese restaurant a few miles away that offered a vegetarian menu. We were so excited to learn of this! We adore Vietnamese cuisine, and both of the restaurants that have recently opened up in the city had nothing we could eat that did not include shrimp paste or fish sauce. To our delight, there seems to be an upsurge of interest in East Tennessee of this exotic cuisine.

 

 

Kalm Bistro is a little gem of a restaurant nestled among several bright little stores in what appears to be a relatively new strip mall. Located In Gray, TN about a half mile off Interstate 26, exit 13, Kalm has only been open for a little more than a year. There is no sign from the street nor in the mall billboard, so you have to keep your eyes peeled to find it. This is a tee-niny little restaurant whose advertising has strictly been word-of-mouth.

 

 

Kalm Bistro does not open until noon, so we had to quell our excitement for another hour. We arrived at 12:04 and already most of the tables were filled. That’s a great sign that we were in for a treat! Kim, (who is co-owner of Kalm), greeted us immediately and showed us to our table. She handed us a menu which offered six vegetarian options, which as it turns out, were also vegan.

 

Kim, co-owner of Kalm Bistro

 

Kim has been interested in cooking since she was a little girl. Her dad, however, would never allow her into the kitchen for fear she would hurt herself with sharp knives. Her grandfather, however, recognized Kim’s love of cooking and convinced her father to allow her to attend cooking school when she was old enough. Eventually, she and her family started Kalm Bistro, the capital “K” in the name represents the “K” in her name, Kim.

 

 

So, let’s get to the food! We started with a spring roll. Comprised of fresh, crisp vegetables, aromatic herbs, rice noodles, and a slice of fried tofu, it is a combination of soft and crisp textures is complemented by a sweet and savory hoisin dipping sauce. YUM!

 

 

I ordered the Pho, a rice-noodle soup with an onion-based broth, generous slices of tofu, bean sprouts, fresh herbs, and lime. This was a new broth flavor for me; I’ve come to realize that every Vietnamese chef makes his or her own special broth for Pho. This one had a lovely, delicate flavor which allowed the characteristics of the herbs to sing.

 

 

 

Rich ordered the ramen noodle dish. Its flavor is difficult to describe. It tasted to me like a light infusion of peanuts in a sauce with a little turmeric, but I may be completely off-base here. I can tell you though; it was delicious. The thin curly noodles were tossed with a variety of fresh, slightly crisp vegetables, fried tofu, and bean sprouts. The portions were generous and filling.

 

 

 

Discovering Kalm Bistro was one of those happy accidents that occur when discussing food with strangers. We will certainly be visiting Kalm Bistro again when returning to the Johnson City area.

 

Co-founder and editor of Veggin’ Out and About!, Danielle writes restaurant reviews, profiles, and interviews of people making a difference in the plant-based community. She is the author of, “Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health,” and is a co-founder of the plant-based cooking blog, Time For Change Kitchen. Contact Danielle directly to share your restaurant finds, to make comments or just to say hello.
Read more

Healthy Vegan Summer Rolls

    

Our friend, vegan super-middleweight boxing champion, Omowale Adewale, is always looking for new ways to engage his children, Rayne, Aziza and Chi, in the kitchen. Danielle created these videos to teach them how to make summer rolls with a spicy Thai peanut sauce. So easy, anyone can do it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Read more

Au Lac: Vegan – Gorgeous And Delicious Living Foods In Fountain Valley, California

by Roberta Walker

Located in a dated nondescript strip mall, flanked by Asian restaurants, a nail salon, massage parlor, and insurance agency, Au Lac is a health conscious culinary oasis. As you stand outside of the plain white mall, the darkened door in-front of you, with it’s simple Au Lac sign above, it’s easy to assume this asian inspired restaurant will be much like the other’s in the mall but once you step in the change begins. Serving plant based food with a commitment to offering healthy and delectable bites, the food will wow and delight your senses.

 

Au Lac Exterior

Au Lac Exterior

(more…)

Read more

CO, A Vietnamese Gem in the Middle of Charleston, SC, Offers a Vegan Menu!

By Danielle Bussone 

 

It is the second Sunday of the month, meaning King Street has been cordoned off for the day. Restaurants spill onto the curbs with tables and bright umbrellas in an air of camaraderie and joie de vivre. Waiters carry fragrant platters of myriad foodstuffs and drink to cheerful tourists. Dog walkers and young mothers pushing baby strollers maneuver around them and the city becomes alive with students, street musicians, Citadel cadets and sundry on-lookers, the young and wizened alike.

The first leg of our vegan trek through the historic city of Charleston, SC, takes us to CO, a charming Vietnamese restaurant located on King Street. It is nestled amid the lovely sunbathed pastel architecture indicative of Charleston, right in the heart of its busy shopping district near the intersection of George Street.

 

CO Exterior

CO Exterior

 

Upstairs

Upstairs

 

We order our usual water with no ice and I ask Sam, our waitress, to point out the vegan items on the menu. She exchanges the menu in my hand with a vegan and gluten-free menu and the issue is immediately resolved.  The name “CO” means “Feast” in Vietnamese, which certainly is appropriate for this restaurant which offers a wide range of choices.  We spoke at length with Josh, the general manager. He explains the produce used in preparing CO’s food is locally sourced, though no great attention has been paid to the presence of GMO’s. After suffering, with patience and grace, through my lecture on the subject perhaps in the future that will change. One restaurant at a time is my policy! (He’ll be quizzed on the subject on our next visit.) 🙂

(more…)

Read more

Cam Ranh Bay in Banner Elk

by Danielle Bussone

One of the most delightful eateries you’ll find in the High Country is a Vietnamese/Japanese restaurant in Banner Elk, NC.  Vietnamese native, Nancy Nguyen, moved to the mountains eleven years ago and now considers Banner Elk home.  Since immigrating to the US after the Vietnam War, Nancy has worked in both Vietnamese and Japanese restaurants and knows both cuisines well.

Until recently, Cam Ranh Bay was known as Tokyo Express. Nancy changed it’s name to reflect her origins, having grown up  in the town of Cam Ranh Bay, Viet Nam.

Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup

Vietnamese Sweet & Sour Soup

I first became acquainted with Cam Ranh Bay when I attended a dinner for Nancy created for our vegan group, VegBoone, of 49 attendees.  The food was amazing and the service flawless.  To illustrate how much the community embraces Nancy, several Banner Elk residents showed up to work as voluntary servers for the event!  We recently held another event at her restaurant and it was even better than the first, if that’s possible.

Vegan Sushi Rolls

Vegan Sushi Rolls

Nancy also has a great deal of experience working with plant-based clientele.  She worked at a Vietnamese restaurant in Boston where all employees were required to be vegan.  She is fully versed in the concerns of the plant-based diner. (more…)

Read more

Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant, Richmond, VA

by Danielle Bussone

We discovered a real treasure in Richmond, Virginia. Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant offers Vietnamese cuisine and is the only completely vegan and completely organic restaurant in the city. The food was as gorgeous to look at as it was delicious. We were traveling late at night en-route to Washington, D.C. and only had time to review one restaurant during this mad dash through Richmond. We used a particularly ingenious and sophisticated method to determine which restaurant we would review. One of our monsters is a beautiful dog named Phoenix so we decided to grace Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant with our first review of the area’s cuisine. As it turns out, it was meant to be!

Phoenix is chef and co-owner with her husband, Vi Trinh. Phoenix became a vegan three years ago. She wanted to experience the foods she enjoyed as a child in Vietnam so she began preparing vegan Vietnamese food. They opened their Phoenix Garden Vegetarian Restaurant a year ago. The food is so flavorful it is no wonder it attracts visitors from as far away as Boston and Miami. It is a perfect stop when traveling I-95, accessible easily from the interstate. (more…)

Read more

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive weekly news and updates from VegginOutAndAbout.

You have Successfully Subscribed!