I was excited when I found out that Le Pain Quotidien's new spring menu included a vegan Curried Tofu and Pineapple Tartine, aka open faced sandwich. A spicy cranberry chutney on the side, organic flax and pumpkin seeds sprinkled on top. I'll admit I was not convinced that the combo of pineapple and curried tofu would be a winner. Check out my taste test...
Le Pain Lunch to-go:
I love wandering into Le Pain for a quick bite. Maybe a vegan blueberry muffin. Perhaps a soy latte. Soy chai. A steamy vegan mushroom or other veggie soup of the day. Or maybe some of that delicious vegan Harvest Porridge (farro, nuts, cranberries and almond milk) I love so much. I adore Le Pain for it's wide variety of vegan and non vegan options. It's a crowd-pleaser for me and my family. Onto my taste test review and more of my photos...
Taste Test: Le Pain's Vegan Curried Tofu and Pineapple Tartine
with flax and pumpkin seeds, on spelt bread
Looks divine. Lots of chives, radish, cucumber and baby lettuce speckled throughout.
It comes with some sort of spiced cranberry/raisin chutney. I'm not really into Indian food (chutney's and curries) as much as some of my friends, but this was delightful and light. Perfect protein-packed lunch.
Taste Test:
The chutney is amazing. Love that stuff. Cinnamon, spices and cranberries. A little bite of heat too.
The curried tofu was very light and creamy. I liked the subtle curry flavor. I probably would've added a bit more salt to the tofu, but I guess if you are dining at Le Pain - they always have those big pepper and salt grinders at each table to add your own. So for my taste buds, I'd add a big grind of pepper and a little grind of salt - but the flavor and texture for a chilled tofu curry is impressive.
The pineapple was super fresh, firm and chunky. I was so glad they weren't little mushy clumps or anything that seemed canned. No way. They tasted fresh-chopped to me. I'm guessing they are..?
The spelt bread was brilliantly fabulous as always.
I would've liked more organic flax and pumpkin seeds on my tartine! It was such a small sprinkle I could barely find the flax seeds. More seeds please! Since the seeds made the 'menu description' I'd like to see a lot more of them on the tartine. Love the seed-ingredient addition to this seasonal menu item.
And the to-go package is good if you are on the go - however, I always advise eating at Le Pain because it's such a nice modern, calm space. ..Except during weekend brunch-hours. The noise level can get pretty intense! Especially at their NYC locations. I like the energy though...
Last Word: I really like it! I don't really crave tofu for lunch all that often, but I would buy this for lunch again and again. That says a lot! Something about this is just so light and balanced. The acid from the pineapple, the sweetness from the chutney and pineaple, the spice from the chutney and radishes, the softness of the mellow curry and the light crunch of the spelt bread crust and cool cucumbers. Plus those fabbo organic flax and pumpkin seeds - more seeds please.
Yum.
chutney:
Yellow Pineapple, Yellow Tofu:
to-go box:
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..or just read my blog - I comment on their #vegan products quite often!
Kathy says
Nora - I totally agree! That's why I said "more salt and pepper". Def needs more salt. But other than that, I found the curry flavor to be light and inviting.
I wasn't really a big fan of the Le Pain tofu curry in the past (I always order the vegan black bean hummus with avocado and that spicy orange sauce) - but something about the pineapple addition as well as the chutney gives this tartine a nice flavor boost.
Too light for dinner, perfect for lunch or brunch. Side of a foamy soy latte - yum.
~K
nora says
I've gotten their curry tofu sandwich before (not with pineapple though) and i thought the tofu was EXTREMELY bland. like i had to load it with salt, and i'm not a salt fiend or anything. glad yours was good!
Kathy says
Thanks Stacy!
...I don't!
I'm kinda deficient in "curry" recipes. Hmm..I'll put it on my long "recipes to-do" list though!
🙂
Stacy says
Great post Kathy.
Do you have any recipes for making a similar curried tofu?
Kathy says
oh and btw, while I'd love to solely support 100% vegan restaurants with my dollars, I have to give cheers to the mainstream restaurants out there that DO serve vegan meals - and notate that on their menu. Le Pain is incredibly vegan-friendly, and I appreciate how they embrace vegan customers. All their soups are vegan and most muffins. Plus they have several vegan entrees and beverages.
Kathy says
Anon,
Hmm, well is there anything at Pure Food and Wine I DON'T like? Probably not. I adore everything at the takeaway counter (though I haven't tried everything) I love the Bunny Juice, mallomar, raw cheesecake (I had lemon raspberry), and the lasagna and falafel/tabouli meals are pretty much amazing.
I usually like to order the special tasting menu when I go to pfw for special events. I went there for Valentine's Day last year and loved the raw soup, the salad with Dr Cow cheese and then an amazing raw chocolate dessert. I also had a fantastic mushroom appetizer on one visit - I forget the details, but they do mushroom/truffle flavors very well. I'll admit I go to takeaway more often than the restaurant.
I'm going to do a blog post soon about my love of PFW. Probably in the next month - so stay tuned for that!
~Kathy
Anonymous says
Wow, that sounds like a great vegan meal offered at a place that is largely non-vegan. I wish I had heard about it sooner- I was in NYC this Sunday and was able to go to one lucky duck and pure food and wine, which I first heard bout through your website. I'd love to know what entrees you like at one lucky duck/pfw.
Flower Gyrl says
Sounds fabulous! Thanks for your great review and loads of pics!!