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Di Lac Cuisine (Vegetarian cuisine)  $

 8.5
JaT Rating

1644 E Capitol Expressway, San Jose, 95121  (Directions)


408-238-8686


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Large Vegetarian and Tofu restaurant with an impressive menu.


Reviewer: Jason
Total Reviews: 1040
Reviewed: 3/6/2006
Rating: 8
My photo gallery 		We've been on a veggie kick for the last month or so it wasnt a hard sell to visit vegetarian restaurant Di Lac Cuisine. If you're dining in, walk past the buffet trays and the hostess will sit you down. Di Lac Cuisine provides a well lit dining room with a peaceful fountain towards the front. Eating here can be a relaxing experience, then again, anywhere but work can be relaxing :)

Im always interested in trying new foods and whats more appealing is the way the fake meats are prepared. Most of the faux meats Ive tried have a spongy texture smothered in salts with artificial coloring. These preconceived notions proved to be wrong after I ordered the Hot, Spicy Veggie Beef and Pork Noodle Soup. I also shared the Golden Tofu Nuggets with Eddie and Terry.

Hot out of the deep fryer and laid out on top of a lettuce garnish with a sweet and sour dipping sauce. They look like chicken nuggets, they are golden brown, crispy, and even the right size. Took a bite and quite impressed with the fake nuggets. The batter is what makes this nugget. The fake chicken doesnt taste anything like chicken but from whats its worth, it tasted damm good. The texture reminds me of the processed chicken nuggets you get in the freezer. This appetizer would satify any chicken nugget lover. Impressive 9 for this dish.

Hot, Spicy Veggie Beef and Pork Noodle Soup - this dish came out fast just like your pho house. For Vermicelli, Di Lac serves a thick gauge. I have a feeling they were serving spaghetti today. The noodle was way overcooked and tasted terrible. I resorted to using the broth over my rice. The flavorful broth was heavy on lemongrass, cilantro, and chili oils. For a dish touted Hot and Spicy, it rates a 7, it will get your nose running, nothing more. I think the fake pork needs some work. There is no way you're gonna get some meat eater to order this by itself. It was like a tube of sponge sliced like coins? Hard to explain but 2 pieces of this stuff and that was enough.

The beef was a work of art! I cannot believe this fake piece of beef looked and had similar texture of real meat. It even had meat fibers that ran in a particular direction. The taste was respectable for what it was.

I wasnt too fond of my pho and ate 1/2 of it. I like the idea of using alternative meat ingrediants but there are times where I think they sacrifice the taste just to make it look like the real thing. For instance, the roll of pork...oh boy, it was a horrible attempt and should be removed from that dish. Maybe substitute a fresh eggplant? The ground pork in eddie's dish was much better.

Di Lac Cuisine has many vegetarian options and prices are inexpensive. Portion sizes are huge and even hours after lunch, I was stuffed. I thought my pho dish was just ok but with the awesome nuggets and impressive work on the fake beef, Id rate Di Lac Cuisine an 8.
 


Reviewer: Terry
Total Reviews: 739
Reviewed: 3/6/2006
Rating: 9
My photo gallery 		Di Lac was a wishlist request that I was eager to fulfill. As a tofu, vegetarian restaurant I was rather impressed by the large selection of fake-meat items. It is a sit down restaurant which was nice too.

I decided to go with #35: Pan Fried Chowfun & Veggie BBQ Pork. I also got to sample the #6 Crispy Golden Veggie Chicken Nugget w/Spice Sauce.

The Nuggets arrived first and tasted very legit. Even Agent Eddie (who joined us, and admitted to snarfing on dozens of Chicken Nuggets in the last month) said these fake ones were pretty tasty.

My place arrived and was stacked high. The dish consisted mostly of Veggies with some fake meat mixed in. All on top of a crispy layer of noodles that had a burned-wok flavoring that I really liked.

The vegetables were standard. Not too greasy, but a little bit. The fake BBQ meat was tasty and close - but still won't be confused for the real deal I think. I finished my plate (except for some of the noodles) and was overly stuffed. I could have skipped the appetizer and finished it all I think.

I will definitely return and try more items from the menu. I noticed a sign inside that proclaimed a new Milpitas location which is closer to home for me. So I will definitely try that location as well, and update my review.
 
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pyunnyhana ate...

Soymilk

“I've never had any of their dishes, but my mom frequently buys their fresh soymilk(around 2 bucks for what looks like a half gallon), which I love. ”

4/13/2007 2:21:00 AM