Sorry, Matchbox Twenty, for butchering your song title.
Much of my most-recent vacation was spent visiting relatives in the northeast. I was lucky enough, however, to steal a few trips to the NYC. One such trip included a dinner stopover at Hangawi, a favored restaurant not only for the food, but also for the ambiance. Upon arriving at Hangawi, diners are asked to leave their shoes– and their worries– on the doorstep as they enter a peaceful, spa-like oasis, which paints a stark contrast to the hustle and bustle of the surrounding city.
Mr. Handsome Dinner Date and I arrived at Hangawi after a grueling day of walking under the unforgiving city sun (hey, at least it didn’t rain!). Therefore, Hangawi’s calming music, dim lighting, and refreshing zen atmosphere were quite welcome. We seated ourselves on the tatami mats and prepared for what we hoped would be a delicious dining experience.
Hangawi did not disappoint.Two soothing cups of Ginger Tea accompanied us as we perused the menu. Normally the tea comes with honey, but the server graciously left it out of mine. (I’m unsure where I stand on the “veganism and honey” issue. More bugs probably die in the making of my organic kale or broccoli! So I don’t go out of my way to eat foods with honey, but I also won’t flip out if I happen to consume it accidentally.)
The tea was chock-full of real ginger strands. For his main course, Dad decided on the Tofu and Mix Vegetables with Brown Sauce and a side of multigrain rice. I’m assuming he liked it, as he polished off every last bite, save for his archnemesis zucchini (I magnanimously took those offending zucchini pieces off his hands).
I went with a specially-prepared Mushroom and Garlic Medley for my Hangawi dinner. One of my special requests? Lots of garlic! (Another request was for extra broccoli. Broccoli Girl must be satisfied!)
And then there was dessert. I’ve talked before about my distaste for sugary foods. Oreo-bottomed double- caramel chocolate-chip sprinkle cake with extra whipped cream? Not so much. However, this girl still loves a good slice of velvety, melt-in-your-mouth cheesecake. And that’s exactly the kind of cheesecake one can find at Hangawi. Please, Hangawi, open a location in Texas!
We ordered two slices of Hangawi’s vegan cheesecake to go: one for me, and one for my adventurous dad. Now, I’d planned on eating my cheesecake the next day at snacktime. But… when I came in the next morning after my run and saw Daddy Dearest devouring his cake for breakfast, there was nothing else to do but join him!
Dad: “This vegan cheesecake tastes exactly like real cheesecake!”
looks like a fantastic meal!!! and that cheesecake 🙂 love that you guys had it for breakfast!
You ordered perfectly! The mushrooms with broccoli look incredible. The cheesecake looks pretty amazing as well!
I love how you edited the post with all the colors! It’s awesome!
Nice to hear your thoughts on honey – I don’t know how I feel about it at this point either, esp after watching Bee Movie! 😉
that cheesecake looks so smooth and creamy! and you and your dad are so cute! i always love reading your posts. i just created a wordpress blog today, and your blog is the first one i subscribed to. 🙂
Everything looks fantabulous! I laughed at your comment about the zucchini–I am known as the family’s “veggie garbage dispose-all.” I gladly take any unwanted veggies off my fellow diners’ plates:)
LOL, your dad is such a trooper! I can only imagine my father, king of grilled meats and potatoes, eating tofu at a (fabulous) restaurant like that! Woot CCK’s Dad!
That ccake looks TOO good. And I also despise ruining it with sauce of any kind. Plain is best.
Looks like a great spot for goodies!!!!
That cheesecake looks amazing….I’m going to look your recipe up. Your “dinner date” looks so cute. I love your pictures-the black & white with some color 🙂
I went to Hangawi recently!! It was kind of random, we totally didn’t plan it, but I went with my dad and brother. I talked about it on my blog too, I loved the ambiance!
I would definitely go back, there is something so unique about it 🙂
I love how you adjusted the photos! And yes, that cheesecake certainly LOOKS exactly like the “real” thing. . .!! Sounds like you BOTH had adorable dinner dates!