Bluff City Vegan Eats: Zaka Bowl

Memphis has a new vegan restaurant! It's call Zaka Bowl, and they specialize in healthy, gluten-free bowls made with fresh veggies, grains, and vegan proteins. Last night, my former co-worker/friend Susan and I popped into their media night event, and I had the best bowl!

It's a build-a-bowl-style place, where you go down the line and tell the server (bowl artist?) what you want. You get one base, three high-protein veggies, two other veggies, and a couple of garnishes. And then you get to douse your bowl in as much sauce as you want at the self-serve table.

I went with Garlic Olive Oil Quinoa, Roasted Tofu, Roasted Brussels, Roasted Cauliflower, Roasted Beets, Rosemary Carrots, Apple-Jicama Slaw, Avocado, and the Zaka Sauce (a vegan mayo-based sauce that tasted like it might have some sriracha mixed in). I was going for a fall roasted veggie theme!

This bowl was amazing. So much food! The roasted tofu was perfectly seasoned. The apple-jicama slaw was crisp and light. The roasted cauliflower was phenomenal. And the portion of red quinoa was just right.

There were so many veggies to choose from, so the combo possibilities are endless! Susan gets anxiety at build-your-own places, so she went with one of the pre-determined recipe bowls — the Zaka Zen Bowl with Zucchini Noodles, Lemon Garlic Broccoli, Roasted Tofu, Agave Brussels Sprouts, Rosemary Carrots, Edamame, Roasted Beets, Pineapple Pico, Avocado, and Green Tea Vinaigrette. She said it was fantastic.

Other base options included the zucchini noodles, wild rice, and spinach (to build a salad). I can't wait to go back and try them all.

They also feature a few fresh juices. Last night, they had a Pineapple Mint Juice and a Mango Pineapple Lemonade. I went with the lemonade. It was tart and only naturally sweetened, so it wasn't grossly sweet like most lemonade.

Love this place! It's located in East Memphis at 575 Erin Drive. You can reach them at 901-509-3105 or their website.