Kingdom of Vegetarian

Last Saturday, I went to Philly and dined. Some of Philly's restaurants offer masterpiece meals. Kingdom of Vegetarian is on the top of my list of favorite restaurants of all times. The dim sum section of Kingdom's menu spans a full, small-print page. I love the scallion pancakes, which are crisp on the outside and soft in the middle. They are complimented by a soy-sauce based, sweet dipping sauce. The crusty exterior of the sesame-crusted, mock chicken nuggets is rounded out by tender, moist chicken on the inside. The nuggets come with a tangy, sweet orange sauce. Mushrooms, bamboo shoots, pepper flakes and water chestnuts float in the spicy and savory broth of Kingdom's hot and sour soup. It deserves a food lover's award.

The menu expansively offers Chinese food with a few extra dishes flavored with Asian and Latin spices. In terms of entrees, I shared the Cumin Lamb and the General Tso's Chicken. As the name suggests, the cumin stands out in the mock lamb dish, but you can also taste garlic and hot pepper flakes. Sauteed, julienned green peppers and onions accompany the lamb. The General Tso's Chicken comes on a bed of steamed broccoli. The mock chicken is battered, deep fried, and coated in a hot-sweet General Tso's sauce. The chicken mimics the flavor and texture of real chicken. The broccoli is crisp. The seeds and flakes of hot peppers are abundantly scattered across the plate.

After Kingdom, I headed to Gourmet to Go, which sells Vegan Treats. I got a slice of cake there that is reminiscent of strawberry shortcake. Thin slices of vanilla cake are stacked together, held in place by a combination of mock whipped cream and strawberry slices. The cake is finished with a coating of chocolate and a chocolate-covered strawberry. Delicious, although rich.

Anyway, here's to Philly food adventures!