Hangawi
Manhattan, New York City

Lunch specials are WAY cheaper than dinner ($10 vs. $25), but the food doesn't seem as high in quality and the restaurant is empty so you don't get the full dining experience.

For lunch, I had a spicy tofu and veggie soup with rice, which was good, but I wouldn't say it was spectacular. It was mostly cabbage, tomato broth, and the tofu was soft, which isn't my favorite--especially in soup. I also had the steamed dumplings with nut filling for an appetizer, and this was phenomenal.

For dinner, I had the rice cakes w/ mixed veggies, which was okay but I thought the "rice cake" texture was a bit odd (I'm not really used to Korean food). The cakes were big chunks of glutenous rice flour or something, but the sauce and veggies were good. A friend ordered the Mongolian tofu, which I sampled and thought was phenomenal.

The restaurant is absolutely beautiful and the service is impeccable. Definitely a great place to bring a date or bring folks skeptical of the quality of vegan food.

For ambience and novelty-value alone, Hangawi stands apart. It's a completely different dining experience, with submerged seating (sans shoes). I found the prices to be low considering the atmosphere and the unusual nature of the food (vegan Korean joints aren't exactly common). All of the dishes were delicious, from the mushroom pancakes to the tofu stone pot. Their vegan cheesecake was also delectable. This is a great place to take a date or to simply eat healthy, tasty food in large portions.