The Scene
Healthy eating and eating out are usually diametrically opposed. When you walk into Souen, you know that doesn’t have to be true. A small restaurant just off of Sixth Street in the East Village, it could be easy to miss its narrow white exterior if not for the circular window, like one from a ship’s cabin, and the sandwich board out front that reads “Healthy Starts Here!” in big, groovy, chalk letters.
Souen has nothing to prove, and it shows. The place is minimalist and unpretentious, both in its design-white walls with Japanese posters detailing each letter of the alphabet, a blackboard listing specials, a single row of white booths with wooden tables-and its now unique offerings. Once one of many macrobiotic restaurants around the city, it is the last one standing and counts artists, models, designers, and loyal locals among its fan base.
The macrobiotic diet is based on the Zen Buddhist principles and means no meat, dairy, preservatives, or refined foods. This could conjure up the scene of mashed yeast balls à la Annie Hall, but Souen’s customers are loyal for good reason: the food is healthy, but more importantly, it is delicious.
The Drinks
When I come here, despite my usual loyalty to coffee, I feel compelled to drink tea. The space demands it. Souen’s signature tea is the kukicha, a green tea made from the stems, twigs, and stalks that would otherwise go unused, giving the tea a slightly nutty flavor. If I want to feel particularly virtuous or I’m recovering from a cold, that’s my order, but if it’s just an ordinary day, then I go for the fruitier hibiscus and lemon balm tea.
They do serve beer, wine, and sake from a small but thoughtful list. The beer is Japanese (Sapporo), naturally. The wine producers are natural or biodynamic, and the sake comes from Kato Sake Works, a local sake-brewery in Brooklyn.
The Food
If you like vegetables, you will love the food. Souen serves Japanese classics like gyoza, miso-based soups, ramen, and sushi along with some of their own twists like udon and vegetables drowned in a fresh pesto sauce or a peanut-sauced pad thai.
The dishes come with the variety of sauces which help skip the usual problems of too-bland healthy food. The curry miso ramen and the pesto noodles are both great choices for those who may be squeamish of heading into entirely steamed vegetable territory or for comforting meals on cold days.
But their signature is the crown jewel of healthy food and my go to order. The Macro Plate. It’s a plate full of steamed vegetables served with a dressing of your choice from the four options available: Tofu dill, sesame vinaigrette, carrot ginger, or miso tahini. This sounds like extreme health food but somehow they are able to make steamed vegetables appetizing. Perhaps it’s the high quality of the (always organic) vegetables or the textural and flavor contrasts between the savory beans and brown rice, the hearty chunks of kabocha squash, slightly sweet wakame seaweed, and earthy broccoli.
I always splurge and order the $1 upgrade to maze rice: rice cooked with sesame oil and slivers of carrots, mushroom, and burdock. When I want protein to round out the meal, I order a side of the melt in your mouth, buttery Saikyo black miso cod on the side.
I don’t skip on dessert here, either. If anything, a healthy meal makes me feel more entitled to a sweet treat after! Their yogurt parfaits and pies are delicious but my personal favorite is actually on the appetizer menu: The cornbread. It’s hard to believe that it isn’t made with butter because it is so rich and dense without a hint of dryness. I order it with their lightly sweet apple butter for a spectacular end to my meal.
Final Thoughts
Souen is a cleansing kind of a restaurant. When I’m feeling sick or bloated or just off, a meal at Souen brings me back and that couldn’t happen if their food wasn’t prepared so thoughtfully and so well. It’s impossible to leave Souen without feeling better.
Fast Facts
Location: East Village, NYC
Cuisine: Japanese, Thai, Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly
Price Point: $$
Takes Reservations: No
The Vibe: Unpretentious, minimalist, Zen-chic
Our Favorite Thing on the Menu: The corn bread for indulging, the macroplate for full health benefits
The Attire: Casual
Hours: Monday - Sunday, 1:00 PM - 9:30 PM
New York City, New York, United States
