SolFood Kitchen had me at “BBQ jackfruit.”
Or rather, they didn’t. Frankly, I was little scared of the idea and said so.
“Scared?” laughed my friend, Toni. “Of what?”
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There was nothing to fear, our server assured us. SolFood Kitchen is a mostly vegan/vegetarian restaurant on the first level of Surrey Center, in the former location of Surrey Tavern. We sat at a little round table outside, under a trellis hung with greenery; and inside the restaurant itself, the entire ceiling is hung with pots overflowing with plants.
I’d mapped out the menu ahead of time and was going to try a food I’d at least had before: the Korean-inspired Bibimbap bowl, or maybe the Big Dill, a sandwich piled with RecTeq smoked turkey, veggies and a dill sauce on a brioche. But where else would I ever get jackfruit?
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“And if you don’t like it, I will run right back and put in an order for the Big Dill,” our server promised. Sold.
We enjoyed our sweet waters and tart conversation until she came back with our plates. It looked just like a barbecue sandwich and came with a pickle spear and my choice of side, the dill potato salad.
I took a breath — and took a bite. Dressed in the mild and slightly sweet barbecue sauce, to my surprise, the shredded jackfruit was a great dupe for real full-meat barbecue. Our server looked hopeful.
“I love it,” I said, and took another bite.
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The broccoli carrot slaw on the sandwich added a great touch of crunch and tang, and the toasted, slightly warm brioche roll was another layer of flavor and texture.
I also felt very virtuous as I was eating it — it was a filling meal, but a light one and gave me a healthy dose of veggies, too. The cold potato salad was light and refreshing, dressed simply with vinegar, onions, dill and a touch of garlic.
The restaurant also offers an array of sake cocktails that would have to do for another time (including a mule with sake, muddled lime, ginger simple syrup and ginger beer that sounds divine), but we did try a couple desserts, the strawberry crumble topped with real ice cream and a blueberry banana bread with vegan whipped cream. They were both beautiful. While I didn’t enjoy the texture of the bread, the strawberries were topped with an oatmeal-like crumble and sweet vanilla ice cream— and both were probably among of the healthiest desserts I’ve ever sampled.
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Still, getting out of my comfort zone definitely paid off. SolFood Kitchen has a refreshing concept that’s definitely going to bring me back. More jackfruit, anyone?
Danielle Wong Moores is a local freelance writer who’ll never turn down a shrimp cocktail, sushi or cheese dip. Her greatest food influences are her mom and writers MFK Fisher and Amanda Hesser. Her Dine & Dish column will run the second and fourth Friday of each month.
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