Local Bites: Veggie Heaven

One of the drawbacks to being vegetarian is that most restaurants don't provide food options beyond what's listed under the salad section. Things get even more difficult for vegans: The croutons peppering a salad dish could very well contain whey (also known as milk plasma).

But every so often a vegetarian restaurant sets up shop -- and doesn't immediately go under. This has been the case with Veggie Heaven, a vegetarian Asian restaurant chain with branches in north New Jersey.

The restaurant -- which is located in Teaneck, Montclair and Denville -- offers ans eclectic menu full of healthy alternatives to traditional Chinese cuisine. From sesame chicken to California rolls, all of the restaurant's dishes are prepared using vegetables and vegetable derivatives. Instead of "meat," "poultry" and "seafood," you'll find yourself enjoying ingenious blends of bean curd, taro root, wheat gluten, mushrooms, yams and other vegetables.

Veggie Heaven also boasts that its chefs only use pure olive oil and other healthy, nutritional vegetable oils. Furthermore, the restaurant does not use MSG, artificial preservatives or flavorings, and all of its dishes contain zero cholesterol and saturated fat.

Still, nobody goes to a restaurant worrying about their saturated fat intake (if they did, McDonalds would go out of business). The good news is that Veggie Heaven's food is also delicious.

For appetizers, the scallion pancakes, which come with a creamy peanut sauce, are a must. And the boneless barbecue ribs might convert even the most obstinate of meat-eaters.

Main course options run the gamut from burgers and sandwiches to curries, sushi and stir-fries. But if you enjoy curries, Veggie Heaven does them particularly well: I would suggest ordering the Thai coconut green curry with chicken, beef and mango, which manages to find the perfect balance between heat and flavor.

All of Veggie Heaven's food is very affordable and tea is provided for free. Though some may be surprised to learn that a meal without any meat can cost $15, that's the most you'll pay for a dish. And no matter what you order you won't be disappointed.