PURE CITY - Pick up in Pine Bush

Pure City - Pure gold for healthy dining

	I can't believe you're doing this to me; you're cruel." my carnivore daughter whines. "I hate vegetables, you know that.'
And she's right. It's always been a struggle to get her to eat her veggies. She and her mom, who is joining us, are resolute meat-eaters who believe roast pork, fried chicken and bacon are the holy trinity of eating well. I try to calm her, explaining that life is all about having an open mind and trying new things. Tonight we're headed to Pure City in Pine Bush, which defines itself as a "Healthy Vegetarian Restaurant." To a teenage girl and many mainstream diners there are few words less appealing than "healthy" and "vegetarian," particularly in the same sentence. But for many of us, especially those of us who are more concerned about diet, the appeal of a wholesome restaurant is sizable.
	Pure City, on Main Street, is in a small, neat building marked by a green awning. Entering, we're transported to a serene refuge from everyday life. There is a small table in the entranceway holding two large melons, a shrine of sorts. The room is adorned with light-colored wood, beautifully detailed, but the tables are dark wood. The walls display various paintings with a series of plaques quoting Buddhist sayings in the center and Chinese lanterns hang from the ceiling for a festive touch. Soothing music plays in the background while the carpeted floor keeps noise to a minimum. The room exudes tranquillity.
The menu is fairly large and divided into different categories, including Vegetable and Veggie Soy Protein, Rice and Noodles and Gourmet Specials. It explicitly states that only natural ingredients go into the food, with low sodium, low cholesterol, and no saturated fat or MSG. We sample a number of appetizers. Sliced Golden Chips ($2.50) turn out to be fried slivers of seaweed coated with sesame seeds. Served cold, they're crispy, sweet and chewy all at the same time – a perfect snack before a meal. Spring Rolls ($2.50) are small crunchy packets holding a savory vegetable mixture. Dipped into a ginger soy sauce, they're another fine beginning. My daughter, who has devoured both previous items, orders Wonton Noodle Soup ($4.95). A large bowl arrives packed with wontons made from thin, almost transparent dough holding a vegetarian mixture spiked with mint. With thick and slippery udon noodles, the portion is enough to make a meal. Our last appetizer is Fried Veggie Dumplings ($4.50). A version of the Chinese classic, these are stuffed with a gently flavored tasty mixture of cabbage, carrots and sprouts. Entrees continue to convert us. We sample Sizzling Soy Platter ($10.95), which our hostess assures us tastes "just like beef." When the platter arrives, the waiter pours an aromatic brown sauce over the ingredients, causing a dramatic sizzle and a small cloud of steam. Sliced soy protein sits atop a garden of fresh vegetables, including zucchini, cauliflower, broccoli, snow peas, potatoes and carrots. Although it doesn't really resemble beef, the entree has a smoky, fine flavor and texture. Trying Vegetable Lo Mein ($5.95), my daughter is served an oval platter holding bright green spinach noodles mingling with smoked tofu, sprouts and other good stuff. She can only smile and nod as she busily gulps down her meal. My entree sounds more like a recipe: Crispy Golden Mushrooms – "Black mushrooms, squeeze excess moisture, dredge in cornstarch and deep-fry ...." The dish ($8.95) looks like thin strips of beef. The mushrooms have a firm texture, substantial flavor and a sweet, salty sauce. A bed of julienne cabbage completes the plate. Dessert is a real eye-opener. Vanilla Tofu Cheesecake ($4.95) is a cool and creamy slice of healthy heaven. Served garnished with blueberries and accompanied by a raspberry puree, it shows how adaptable tofu can be. Service is friendly, laid-back and attentive. Dinner for the three of us comes to a very affordable $47.75 before tax and tip. Pure City doesn't serve alcohol, and consumption of alcohol is not allowed on the premises. The exact reason gets lost in translation. I've received more reader comments praising Pure City than any other restaurant, and for good reason. I leave feeling full but virtuous. For vegetarians, this is an ideal spot offering new and innovative ways to eat in a healthy manner. For the rest of us, it's a wonderful journey into a food world we don't often visit. With a lovely ambiance, friendly service, innovative food and very low prices, Pure City is a restaurant that everyone should try at least once.
More information please view the website : http://www.pinebushchamberofcommerce.org/

Interview

As a winner of Best Vegetarian Restaurant, Pure City, located right on Main Street in Hudson Valley is a tempting treat to vegetarians and health conscious customers. Owners Ben and Lisa Chen opened the restaurant in 2003, in the hope of bringing Chinese style vegetarian fare to the community and delivering the healthy dining concept to a deeper level.

It is not the ordinary fare that you would find in the typical Chinese restaurants, the food at Pure City is all vegan, and only natural ingredients are used, with low sodium, low cholesterol, pure vegetable oil and no saturated fat or MSG. You will never see any kinds of meat, even though it may appear to be present in some dishes. This is actually imitation meat made of soy proteins which have been proven to be healthy and a great substitute for meat.

Given a glimpse of the extensive menu, cautious diners might sense something different. The menu is divided into six groups: Rice and Noodles, Vegetables and Veggie Soy Protein, Salad, Soup, Desserts and Gourmet Specials. There is an especially large selection of Gourmet Specials. Some of the names may interest you,and arouse your curiosity perhaps making you want to give them a try. These dishes such as “Six Paramitas” elicit thoughts of Buddhist culture.

Among a bounty of choices, Green Jade, Golden Treasure Mountain and Crispy Jade Garden receive the highest acclaim. Green Jade is a delectable combination of veggie ham stuffed with chopped mixed vegetables, garnished broccoli, and enoki mushrooms, and the brown sauce gives the dish a tasty touch. The Golden Treasure Mountain is another treat to hold. It is made with breaded mushrooms, and was delicately made that you may know why it is called “Golden Treasure Mountain.” “Crispy Jade Garden” is another image invoking name. When presented with this beautifully garnished dish, many diners can’t help but feel excited. Steamed asparagus and garnishing greens go along with the “roast pork”, coming out to look just like a blooming garden. But never fool yourself into thinking it is meat, in fact, it is crispy seitan, and the mayonnaise? It is actually vegan mayo.

It is quite surprising that chef Ben Chen could make such a variety of vegetarian dishes based on the seemingly limited range of vegetables and soy protein food available in the market. All the food is vegan, as is mentioned above, as well as the sauce. The sauces are made with extracted vegetable juice and fruit juice, and wheat containing soy sauce is eliminated from dishes.

With a strong focus on the operating concepts, the Chens put them all into providing pure food. It is worth a visit, whether you are a vegetarian or not.