For a proper meat-free option at Pierre Thiam’s Teranga, consider the so-called “Ancient Vegan Bowl.” The dish includes tomato-spiced jolloff rice, kelewele (spicy roast plantains), ndambe (black eyed pea, sweet potato, and okra stew), and efo riro (a savory, umami-rich blend of dawadawa fermented locust bean, kale, okra, and red palm fruit oil). 

Sri Lankan native Thiru Kumar has been operating his 100 percent vegan street cart inside Washington Square Park since 2001. His dosas, the naturally fermented South Indian crepes made of rice and lentils, are notably fluffy and served with chewy coconut chutney and fragrant sambar. Call for the Special Pondicherry, which gets filled with spiced potatoes, chopped fresh vegetables, crispy coconut flakes, and an amount of chili paste equivalent to your answer for “how spicy?”

On Thursdays, Superiority Burger slings their version of a fried chicken sandwich, called the TFT, which stands for “tofu fried tofu.” A giant puck of squishy marinated tofu is encased in a tangy and craggy breading, complemented with a peppery carrot-cabbage slaw, and finished with vegan mayo on a soft sesame bun. It’s a phenomenal creation, with each juicy bite imparting a tingling sensation.

Intricately spicy and pungent, the mapo tofu at Spicy Moon is top-notch. Silky cubes of tofu are suspended in a bright-red, oily liquid made from fermented broad beans, garlic, Sichuan peppercorns, and chili peppers, then topped with a sprinkling of scallions. You won’t miss the minced meat, although Beyond Beef is available as an add-on.

Cocoron’s most satisfying bowl of soba is the signature mera mera, composed of their buckwheat noodles and a rich, spicy broth made of sesame sauce and dashi. The vegan version subs minced chicken with gingery stir-fried tofu, and the dish also comes with bok choy, scallions, and bean sprouts. Order it as a warm bowl or in dip form, where the noodles and broth are served separately.

Cross Korean gochujang wings with popcorn chicken, then swap out the poultry for broccoli, and you get this marvelous creation courtesy of chef Amanda Cohen. Equal parts smoky, spicy, and sweet, each fried orb reveals a verdant-green inside—the reminder that you’re eating your vegetables.

You could go to Scarr’s for the Caesar alone and leave completely satisfied. Developed for the pizzeria by chef Gerardo Gonzalez (formerly of El Rey and Lalito), the romaine-based salad is tossed with a healthy amount of creamy cashew dressing, umami-heavy nutritional yeast in place of Parmesan, plus spirulina and seaweed for an anchovy-like flavor. The peppery breadcrumbs on top give the dish a feathery crunch, in contrast to a classic Caesar loaded with stiff croutons.

Billing itself as “the original Kosher Vegetarian” restaurant in Chinatown, Buddha Bodai’s answer to char siu is an impressive feat. Although it’s technically an appetizer portion, the BBQ’d meat consists of a giant pile of honeyed, crystallized strips of seitan that produce a similar character to brisket burnt ends. Once you start eating them, you might find it hard to stop.

High Low Beverage Company brought on Matthew Tilden of the now-closed Scratchbread and forthcoming Seven Grain Army to develop a menu of bar snacks and Vietnamese-inspired treats. The highlight is his completely vegan bánh mì, a mastery in texture and flavor, composed of smoked mushroom pate, ginger-braised beets, pickled papaya slaw, cucumbers, jalapeño, cilantro, fried shallots, and smoked pepper cashew cream.

Veggie Castle II opened in Flatbush in 1998. That storefront is now closed, but at its second location in Richmond Hill, Queens  there’s a steam table loaded with Ital delicacies catering to the local Rastafarian community and the restaurant’s devoted followers alike. Finish off the mix-and-match plate with a few BBQ drumsticks, which are made of soy chicken and married with sticky-sweet sauce. Or just order a dozen and call it a day.

Although Guevara’s B.E.C. might be the go-to sandwich here, the breakfast torta is the real star. It’s a tall thing of beauty, with colorful layers including a vegan egg patty, smoked provolone “cheese” made with coconut oil and potato starch, purple cabbage, refried beans, slices of tomato and avocado, crispy king trumpet mushrooms in lieu of bacon, and mole mayo. The sandwich is just large enough to be alluring without requiring intimidated bites.

A blend of jasmine and brown rice, quinoa, and dates are used to make Maya’s silky congee. The porridge bowls come with all sorts of toppings, including an all-vegan combination of shaved broccoli and cabbage for crunch, savory fried shallots, salted peanuts, and a spicy turmeric salsa.

Head to one of Natural Blend’s four Brooklyn locations for their excellent vegan patties. The savory Jamaican turnovers come in flavors ranging from chicken to callaloo, but the best is the pumpkin. Flakey, buttery, and golden-orange pastry is the perfect foil to a soft and warming filling that tastes like a pumpkin pie, just less sweet.

Ras Plant Based makes injera that’s unrivaled in sourness and sponginess. Luckily, they give you more than enough roll-ups of the teff flour flatbread to sop up the array of complex, savory stews and slow-cooked vegetables that come in the Mercato platter. Rip off pieces to pinch up braised collards (gomen), fiery red lentils (missir), and more.