The Veg Heads: On-campus vegan food

The original version of this article contained an error and has been changed. See the bottom of the article for additional information.

Since the second week of school, the Veg Heads have explored Westwood and beyond in search of delicious, healthy vegan and vegetarian food. Discovering new food in unfamiliar places is always fun, but for those hungry commuters and busy students tired from a long day of class, the many on-campus restaurants often present the most convenient options for quick-and-easy dining.

However, it can be hard to tell what’s truly animal product-free and what’s not, turning dinner into a hassle for many vegan diners. This week, columnists Shreya Aiyar and Regina Napolitano head to campus to dig up vegan options from North and South Campus UCLA restaurants.

BY SHREYA AIYAR (South Campus)
A&E; contributor
saiyar@media.ucla.edu

As a physiological science student, I’ve found that South Campus restaurants are a haven of comfort food and study snacks to tide students over between classes.

With eateries such as Bombshelter Bistro and Café Synapse catering to the engineering, physical science and life science crowds, there isn’t a shortage of food to try and enjoy. But finding a good vegan option in South Campus proved much harder than I expected.

Regina and I first went to Fusion, an eatery located in the Court of Sciences Student Center, the area students affectionately refer to as the Bombshelter. A restaurant that specializes in a create-your-own-meal method, Fusion offers options from cuisines around the world to please even the pickiest eater. We went with the Fusion Veggie Platter, which allowed us to choose three sides that ranged from pinto beans to southwestern-style corn, a type of bread (between pita bread and a corn tortilla) and a type of sauce, all priced at $4.99.

We found out through a cashier that the black bean side and the corn tortilla are both vegan. We decided to order the garlic green beans, black beans and corn succotash with a corn tortilla topped with pico de gallo. Both Regina and I enjoyed a healthy yet slightly bland meal.

After asking employees at the other student center restaurants for vegan options, I compiled some noteworthy observations. Out of the many bread selections offered at Subway, I discovered that the Italian and sourdough breads are completely vegan. Bombshelter Bistro also sells a vegetarian patty melt, which is available without cheese and after trying it, Regina and I decided that it tasted good but was a little too mushy and greasy.

At Café Synapse, which specializes in light, gourmet meals and is located farther into South Campus in the Gonda (Goldschmied) Neuroscience and Genetics Research Center, nothing seemed to be either vegetarian or vegan on the menu. Maybe it was because I was a first-time customer and the vegan options just weren’t obvious to me. Perhaps it was because the menu changes daily and includes different specials for each day of the week, but I was saddened by the lack of vegetarian and vegan options.

Overall, the vegan offerings in South Campus were disappointing.

If you’re looking for something vegan to eat, South Campus offers a select few options. But, if all else fails, bring a tasty tried-and-true sandwich and salad combo from home or stick to Bombshelter Bistro’s veggie patty melt – it’s pretty good and it’ll keep your stomach from growling all throughout class.

Have any favorite vegan choices from South Campus eateries? Email Aiyar at saiyar@media.ucla.edu.

BY REGINA NAPOLITANO (North Campus)
A&E; Contributor
rnapolitano@media.ucla.edu

While I do not expect a gourmet vegan meal from every on-campus restaurant, I usually assume that they will serve something reasonably tasty that I can eat. That expectation is complicated when looking for vegan options in North Campus.

I was sure that once we started looking, we would find lots of vegan offerings at every restaurant. Sadly, I learned that such offerings at on-campus eateries are rare.

Shreya and I decided to try our luck in the North Campus Student Center. The center has five stands – Tossed, Harvest Market, Pizza Fresca, Curbside and The Lighter Side – as well as a salad bar and Northern Lights coffeehouse. Pizza Fresca, whose menu changes daily, seemed to have no vegan options the day I visited. However, there are a few good options at the other eateries.

The Lighter Side has a multitude of tasty vegan vegetable, grain and bean sides that you can combine to make a vegan plate similar to the one we ate at Fusion. Salads can be made vegan at the salad bar. Tossed serves made-to-order salads. A few vegan wraps and sandwiches are at the Curbside stand. Northern Lights also often sells vegan cucumber and avocado sushi rolls.

The only other vegan entrees I could find in North Campus were the garden burger at the Great American Roadside Grill and an eggplant dish at Jimmy’s Kitchen, both located in Lu Valle Commons.

Our search revealed that there are indeed a few vegan offerings on campus. However, people shouldn’t have to feel like they are on a treasure hunt when they’re just trying to find something to eat quickly between classes.

Have any favorite vegan choices from North Campus eateries? Email Napolitano at rnapolitano@media.ucla.edu.

Correction: The bread at Il Tramezzino does not have eggs or animal product in it. Vegan options are available.