Nana

We went to Nana at 155 5th Ave in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn. Nana is a Pan-Asian restaurant that isn’t specifically vegetarian, but has a decent amount of vegan-friendly options.

Vietnamese Salad

I’m not usually a big fan of salads, but this is one that I can get behind. It consisted of mango, jicama, fried rice noodles, crushed peanut, jalapeno and cilantro piled on top of chili dressing. What really stood out about this salad is that they were able to make it light and refreshing but also packed with flavor. There was a great combination of sweet and spicy ingredients, and the textures were all very satisfying. I’d definitely order this again. -Jim
I loved this salad. Everything was so fresh and cool. And the sweet chili dressing was the best! -Ev

Roti Canai

Much like my love of Dosas, I not only love the taste of Roti Canai but also the wonderful variations to be found in restaurants around the city. The Roti Canai here wins the presentation award, because the colors of the soup were so high-contrast and trippy. The soup itself was rich, mild, and creamy and the two bits of potato inside were divine. The bread was chewy, soft, and flaky. I also loved that the size of the bread was perfect to the amount of soup. I recommend ripping some bread off and submerging it a few seconds before eating it because you soak up a lot more flavor than if you just dip it. It's not often you can get something this tasty for $3. -Ev
Word. This is my favorite thing at Nana and we always order it when we come here. The soup is coconutty and curry-licious. Some day I might just order three of these and that will be my meal. -Jim

Fried Mei Fun w/ Tofu

This was on the Noodle menu and I think it normally has chicken in it or something, but you can ask for it vegetarian (and hold the egg!) and ask them to add some tofu and they hook you right up. The dish consisted of Mei Fun noodles, scallions, bean sprouts and tofu lightly fried in a savory, Asian brown sauce. Very simple but it definitely works. I loved the texture and flavor of the tofu, and scallions and bean sprouts are two of my favorite ingredients, so I really enjoyed this dish. I also felt like it was just the right amount of tofu, which was nice. There’s nothing worse than ordering a tofu dish and getting only a couple of little pieces of tofu, or having your plate overflowing with nothing but tofu. Okay, I guess there are things worse than that. My point is you don’t have to worry about it at Nana. -Jim

Tofu Pad Thai

This was a really great Pad Thai, on account of the fact that the sauce was very tamarind-y (which is my preference) and because of the tofu. The tofu at Nana's is the best because it has just the right amount of crispness to the skin, but the inside is so soft it practically melts in your mouth. I do think, however, that next time I’ll order the Vegetable Pad Thai and ask to pay extra for some Tofu. The waiter assured me there were vegetables in the Tofu Pad Thai. To his credit, scallions and bean sprouts are vegetables, but I would've loved some broccoli and carrots too. The Pad Thai is listed only with the standard choice of meats, but a side note on the menu mentions that it can be made vegetarian. Obviously, you also have to request that they omit the eggs. -Ev

The Bottom Line

Nana might not look too vegan-friendly when you first see the menu, but they do have a decent selection of vegan dishes and the atmosphere and the quality of their food makes them worth checking out. Also, It’s important to keep in mind that they can make a lot of their non-vegan dishes vegan by request. Both of our entrees above are normally meaty and we asked them to hold the meat and egg and add some tofu. In my experience, special-ordering off the non-vegetarian menu at Nana yields tastier results than ordering off their vegetarian menu. Oh, one more thing: Nana is cash-only for some reason, so hit the ATM before you go. -Jim
YUM. The tofu rules here. Nana has a lot of great options for vegans from inventive appetizers, to Thai standards, and all-vegetable entrees. Plus the restaurant itself is beautiful (and has a really cool lower level where the bathrooms are). -Ev