Ipanema Café
“Ipanema proves that going vegan doesn’t (always) have to be a ‘missed steak.’ ”
It was a bright and breezy summer afternoon when I took my mom out for an early dinner out on the town in Richmond, VA. There was a slight chill in the air as the sun set, a crisp foreshadowing of autumn soon to come. As we paid for our street parking, we spotted the faded green lettering of our underground restaurant destination: Ipanema Cafe, a vegan eatery located beneath a hair salon. Several diners were seated outside on the little patio adjacent to the worn brick walk leading down towards the entrance.
I don’t typically go out of my way to restrict my food options, but given my parents’ religious beliefs, it felt right to be a good son that day and treat my mom to a dinner where she could have her pick of the lot and not be limited herself as she always is. Touted as one of the best vegan spots in Richmond, I couldn’t resist taking her to try it. My mother is one of the best tasters I know — able to reconstruct dishes and identify their components just by tasting them. It was a really neat way of being able to eat my favorite restaurant foods as a kid cooked from home after having only been there once. My passion for appreciating good cuisine came from hearing her thoughts on everything from how to avoid having dry bread for the table to the quality of different types of cheese used in desserts. As much of a loss it felt when she reduced her cooking as she aged and became vegetarian, I feel like much of her spirit for food was transferred to me in order to carry on her legacy.
We entered into a dimly lit bar area with small wooden booths further in the back of the cramped restaurant. Ipanema’s vibe struck me almost like a speakeasy or a well-kept secret. We had just beat the dinner rush and squeezed into the tight wooden seats. Our server came by and we ordered quickly, having already perused the menu online before coming: tofu wings tossed in gochujang sauce, Cowboy tacos comprised of seasoned “beef” and other veggies, and the BBQ jackfruit sandwich. To drink, I ordered a Smedley Butler - an Empress indigo gin cocktail with mint, lemon, and simple syrup. The Butler was refreshing, with a sweetness that completed its journey with a tart finish.
Our food arrived after a short wait. I can’t believe I’m saying this about a vegan restaurant (and for an appetizer no less), but the tofu wings were absolutely my favorite part of the entire meal and perhaps my biggest incentive for making a return trip to Ipanema. The breading was fried to perfection, forming a discrete, crispy shell outside of a fluffy pillow of tofu. The gochujang sauce could have been a little spicier, but struck that much-needed balance of savory and not being too salty as is often the pitfall for many American restaurants. Even the garnish of green onions lended a nice, refreshing texture change to the wings. Ipanema social media crew, if you’re reading this, PLEASE tell your owner to give whoever is frying these delectable bites in the back a raise because they’re expertly done. It’s not often that an appetizer is featured as the leading image for one of my reviews, but I couldn’t just leave it off.
The initial high of the tofu wings mellowed out just a tad for the Cowboy tacos, a series of three soft tacos with faux beef, purple cabbage, pico de gallo, and crème fraîche with cheddar and a side of chips. These were also amazing in their own right. Each taco was an explosion of flavor, with the “beef” being moist and not dry, and the crema accenting the crispy cabbage and house chip. If only there were an even number of tacos, then maybe my mom and I could have split them without having to play rock-paper-scissors for who would get the 3rd one.
Last on our order was the BBQ jackfruit sandwich, a vegan take on pulled pork sandwiches. I’ve long known that jackfruit, a savory sweet fruit native to Southeast Asia, was used as a meat substitute due to its fibrous texture being similar to meat fibers. While I personally don’t feel that I could ever eat jackfruit and see it as a full substitute for actual pork or chicken, I can understand how someone vegan or has dietary restrictions would go out of their way to find a dish like this. So much of this preparation came down to slow cooking the jackfruit so that it became tenderized (almost like it was a piece of meat falling off the bone) and the vegan BBQ marinade. Even though the sandwich was decent for what it was, the vegan mac n’ cheese that came as its side was the BOMB. I actually eat vegan mac n’ cheese when I can on account of my rather unfortunate lactose intolerance, and Ipanema completely nailed it that day to scratch that craving I didn’t even knew I had that day. The cheese was stringy and there were chunks of some grated bits that hadn’t melted completely that were little surprises in my mouth. Needless to say, my mother and I finished everything.
In totality, I had an eye-opening experience at Ipanema. The food was great value and well executed (still drooling over those tofu wings and mac n’ cheese). While the jackfruit BBQ and the tacos weren’t anything super off the wall, I could still appreciate them as well-executed dishes that showcased the restaurant’s purpose of providing delicious vegan alternatives to those who require it. It wasn’t a handicap by any stretch of the imagination to not be able to use meat. My only suggestion actually has to do with the layout of the restaurant to somehow rearrange the seating so that it feels less cramped and tight for those patrons who are sitting in the booths. I’m not particularly large and I found it difficult to get in and out of the bench. That being said, besides that minor critique, not going to Ipanema might be a slight “missed steak,” especially if you’re not a strict carnivore.
Food Quality: 8.0/10
Meal Value: 7.0/10
Dining Experience: 7.0/10
Overall: 7.3/10
