This morning after meeting (3rd week in a row!) Bobby and I went to Souen, a macrobiotic restaurant, for brunch. You might remember that I experimented with macrobiotics last year (actually it was just over a year ago this month) and I really enjoyed it. I cultivated my love of kabocha and I learned a lot about how the food we eat impacts the way we feel. Here are some resources:
- Becoming Whole, by Meg Wolff (book review)
- 2-week wrap-up
- 1-week thoughts
- Lessons learned
So today I wanted to try going back to macrobiotics again. I opted for “Brunch A” ($8.50 – well worth it!! Huge portions for me):
- Kenchin-Tofu Drop Soup: tofu, shiitake, burdock, carrot and watercress in kombu kuzu broth.
- Corn Bread or Spelt Bread (I got corn bread, duh – with miso tahini dressing)
- Steamed Vegetables (carrot, daikon, squash and greens)
Bobby got “Brunch B” ($11 – oddly enough this was less food than Brunch A):
- Yuba: steamed tofu “skin” marinated in kombu-shiitake broth.
- Mixed Grain of the Day (basmati wild rice)
- Goma-Ae: steamed special greens with black sesame sauce.
- Goma Tofu: soy free, creamy and nutty sesame “tofu”.
- Stewed Vegetables: cooked carrot, gobo, yam cake and lotus root in tamari broth.
I thought this was possibly the best lunch/brunch I have ever had. And there were flowers, soy sauce, and sesame seeds:
My soup came first. Bobby and I actually swapped soups because we each liked the other’s better.
The cornbread was really interesting (in a good way) – it was not very sweet at all and tasted healthy (again, in a good way). It came with miso tahini dressing (I finished this dressing and got more – so good). Two related recipes that I made before:
- Corn bitelettes (a BSI entry)
- Cornbread pudding/casserole
My veggies came last. The kabocha was ripe and perfectly steamed. The carrots and daikon were also perfectly steamed. Even the kale was delicious! (Sometimes I think it’s boring.)
Here was Bobby’s spread (clockwise from top left: spinach, rice, tofu skin thing, sesame tofu thing, and soup):
I thought that Bobby’s gomae (steamed spinach with sesame sauce – I have a recipe here) was really yummy. He thought it tasted a little bit like dirt, but I honestly thought it was great. I also thought his goma tofu (tofu made with sesame) was good, but he didn’t like the texture much. Next time he is getting fish. We’re going to bring his mom here when his family visits in March (!). I think she would appreciate it.
Brunch dessert was a piece of Macasure chocolate. I saw it at Whole Foods yesterday and picked it up. Really good! Bobby liked it too.
I’m gonna end with a mantra that I was contemplating this morning during my hour of silence:
May everyone be happy, well, and peaceful.
How was your weekend?
TheSaladGirl Tweets
I love Souen! Did you go to the one near Union Sq. or the one in Soho? I actually think the Soho one is better…
Hope you have a restful Sunday evening!
Everything looks SO good and fresh, yum! Amazing price for the portions, too.
well you know that i am in love with your brunch dishes!! mmmm delicious
and that kabocha definitely does look perfectly steamed.
beautiful mantra!
have a great week
xoxo
Looks good! I don’t think I’ve ever tried kale, it looks good on that plate, though! I hear a lot that it can be bitter, so I always get nervous about foods like that since I’ve never cooked them b4.
I want to brunch there – I’d be in heaven. I was sold when I read miso-tahini dressing.
Weekend was good, and about to enjoy the last few hours of it.
Have a good week Maggie!
That looks so good!
oh… that must be my favorite brunch too… you have to take me to that place next time I go to NYC. That kabocha looks really ripped… sooo good!!
I also think the Souen in Soho is much better in both atmosphere and service. I’d love to go back soon too. Glad you had a wonderful brunch.
Glad you guys liked Souen! I’m still too big of a baby/chicken to try macrobiotic food! :O
i LOVE cornbread! i just made some quinoa cornbread the other day. it was very healthy and interesting with the quinoa crunch. not sweet at all!
Maggie, I so admire your ability to always eat healthy! I wish I had the dedication, and I do try…but I struggle haha that food looks scrumptious though!
That restaurant looks like so much fun! Gorgeous setting, too. I don’t like sweet cornbread, so the cornbread you had looks perfect. What a nice variety for brunch
Your brunch looked delicious and healthy which is such a surprise (for me) to see. At the risk of sounding like a lunatic, I am SO in love with kabocha lately that I’ve been craving it for desert! It’s delicous
Loved your mantra, too.
[...] Sunday’s best lunch ever? I went to Souen with Bobby and I loved the food. Well, now I’ve had the Best Dinner Ever. We [...]
[...] pretty obvious that I really love Souen – I have been there 3 times in the last week (brunch, dinner). Practicing a macrobiotic [...]
[...] Today I will include food, or at least mention it. I am on a Souen kick (macrobiotic, vegan and vegetarian – but has fish restaurant) and I cannot get enough. For brunch Bobby and I went to Souen in Union Square. I got the Brunch A ($8.50, the best deal ever) again: [...]
[...] mom got “Brunch C“, which is similar to [...]