This post contains affiliate links. Please see our disclosure policy.
I just returned from my third trip to Los Angeles this year. I should really just pack up and move out there, shouldn’t I?! This trip was a mix of “work” and pleasure. Work is in quotations, because making videos and having meetings with the coolest people in the world feels nothing like work. The trip was scheduled around one of my best friend’s weddings. She and her husband got married on August 1st at a beautiful house on a hill, and we all danced the night away under the gaze of a nearly full moon. It was spectacular! Plus, there is SO much opportunity for vegan eating in Los Angeles!
Even my mom flew in for the occasion! From Friday until Monday afternoon we explored Los Angeles together. We ate at a ton of restaurants, discovered neighborhoods, house and car gawked, and spent invigorating time outside at the beach and hiking.
We ate very well on this trip. My favorite restaurant we ate at was Satdha in Santa Monica. As you’ll see in the video, it is a 100% vegan Thai restaurant that makes unique and insanely delicious food. I could eat there daily. My other favorite restaurants were Real Food Daily, for their Mediterranean bowl, and Café Gratitude for their I am Irresistible Coconut Chocolate Swirl Pie. LEGIT!! Oh, and now I really love Mohawk Bend in Echo Park too. I can’t wait to return!
I attempted to capture as much of our adventuring as possible. My mom is so much fun to hang out with because she’s always energetic, and loves to be active. I’m a girl after her own heart.
Below the video I’ll write a little about my favorite restaurants from the trip. You’ll have to let me know if you’ve been there, and what you think. Also, do you have any LA restaurants I should check out the next time I’m in town? Let’s chat!!
Mohawk Bend
This restaurant is cool. It’s located in Echo Park, a hilly neighborhood not far from downtown LA that has a lot of hipster charm. The restaurant is in an old theatre, so it’s spacious and open. For sure, the coolest part is the menu. Mohawk Bend isn’t totally vegan or vegetarian, but instead of marking their vegan options as such, they mark their non-vegan options with an NV. I think that’s beyond cool! This place is perfect for anyone, and their food is fantastic. I ordered the Bahn Mi Pizza and we shared the Coconut Ice Cream & Brownie Sundae for dessert.
Gjelina
Also not a vegan restaurant, but the options for delicious veggie plates abound. Gjelina is a super popular restaurant in Venice on Abbott Kinney. My brother and I ate here, and we were lucky to get a table without a reservation. We each had a pizza, I had the mushroom pizza––which is vegan as is––and he had the pizza blanco. We also shared masterfully wood roasted cauliflower, and za’tar zucchini. This place is pricey, but well worth the splurge.
Satdha Thai
I’m working my way through the menu! So far I’ve had the crispy garlic tempeh with broccoli, green curry, beet dyed noodles, Tom Kha soup, a seasonal special (in May), and the black sticky rice. Even the hot teas at this place are fantastic. And the food is inexpensive! Satdha is that restaurant whose food I crave from 2,000 miles away.
Next time I’m in town I look forward to trying Sage, Flore Bistro, and Make Out. I’m always open to suggestions for more!
Liked learning about vegan eating in Los Angeles? Leave a comment below!
I loved watching you and your mom explore Cali! Next time you are there, my cousin leads a SoulCycle class in Malibu. Don’t let her gorgeous face and petite frame fool you. She is fierce in every way!
Awesome! I know the SoulCycle studio over there. I’ll check her out. What’s her name?
Tiffany! She is a relatively new instructor, I think, but has already had some really cool classes. She did a Madonna themed ride on Madonna’s birthday. She did a RirRi themed ride a few weeks ago. She is a lot of fun!
So cool! I’ll check her out 🙂