Home on 8th

We recently went to Home on 8th at 391 8th Ave between 29th and 30th St in Manhattan. Home on 8th is a Chinese restaurant that isn't strictly vegetarian, but has a vegetarian (mostly vegan) menu that's as big as (if not bigger than) their non-vegetarian menu.

Soy Drumsticks

These were okay. They were softer than usual and had no seasoning- just lightly fried soy meat on a stick with duck sauce. Nothing extraordinary but still inherently tasty. I remember liking them better before; maybe this was just an off day. -Ev
These were similar to most fake drumsticks you can find at NYC vegetarian restaurants. Their outer texture was extra crispy, which was cool. Their inner texture was a little more soft and mushy than most fake drumsticks, which I wasn't into so much. It seemed to me like they tasted more like chicken than most fake drumsticks I've had, which was actually a little weird. They were good, though. I'd order them again. -Jim

South Asian Red Curry

What my appetizer lacked in fireworks, this meal made up for. That's a little misleading because you're probably expecting me to say how spicy and fiery this was, but it wasn't spicy at all. This was a delicious, comfy, coconut curry. I usually can't handle the idea of finishing coconut dishes because they can get heavy, but this was perfect. The veggies were soft but still had good bite. There was the perfect amount of soy meat. The best part was the broccoli- specifically how well the broccoli soaked up all the delicious sauce. The sauce was at once pot-pie-ish and cheese-like, all with an undercurrent of coconut goodness. I would definitely get this dish again. -Ev
This was like Thai comfort food. Really good. -Jim

Ginger Spiced Soy meat with Fresh Garlic & Sautéed Spinach

This dish was a spinach-lovers dream. Like, to the point where you might not like it if you're not a hardcore spinach-lover. The dish consisted of some pieces of ginger chicken, which had a very satisfying texture and a sweet flavor, and about a pound of spinach. There wasn't really a sauce or much added flavor in this dish, which worked for me at first because I was in the mood for something simple and light. But halfway through it got a little old and I started adding soy sauce. To be fair, I have jaded, salt-addicted taste buds, so you might not need to add soy sauce like I did. This was a good dish, but it was a lot of the same thing. Terry from the PPK was with us and she got almost the same dish only with bok choy rather than spinach. Personally I prefer large quantities of bok choy to large quantities of spinach, so I would probably get what Terry got if I could do this over. -Jim

The Bottom Line

From their Mexican wrestler decor (mixed with an impressive Bruce Lee doll collection) to their wide variety of soy stylings, Home on 8th offers yummy, filling food for a decent price. I order lunch from them all the time and have yet to be disappointed by a dish. It's also convenient for going out with people because they have both a vegetarian and meat-eaters menu. You should know they give you a choice of white or brown rice, but the brown rice is $1 extra. I should also add that Home on 8th is all about the soy- pretty much every dish has some type of soy meat, bean curd, or tofu in it. Lastly, ask your server if there is egg in your dish. They specify in most cases, but we've been surprised before so it's better to be safe than hungry. -Ev
Home on 8th isn't fantastic, but it's consistently good and there's a nice selection of vegan options. The best part about this restaurant, though, is the location. It's tough eating vegan in midtown, and this restaurant is an oasis of soy for vegans who are working or hanging out in that area. -Jim