La Rouge Bistrô - Vegan Food can be Fancy (and Delicious!)

I'll be the first to admit that the idea of Strict Vegetarianism (a.k.a. Veganism) is a foreign one to me. I'm used to this Gaucho culture that surround us in Porto Alegre, with the Barbecue in the weekends included. However, the world of vegetarian food has been interesting me for the last few years, since I decided to give it a try.

This time I went with my girlfriend to a relatively new place, called the La Rouge Bistrô. It's funny to see how a Cow is in the logo, but it does make sense: they love the animals, so much that they won't harm them. The place is run by Gunter Filho and his wife Roberta Kleber, both of them used to hunt japanese boats in the Sea Shepherd and that is impressive by itself.

The menu is simple, but it offers some interesting options. I choose the Kebabs as an opening to our meal.

I'm not into the Satay Sauce (made with peanuts) but other than that it was a really good dish, I was surprised to discover that the "potato" in the end was actually a pineapple, the taste and the juice of it caught me with my hands down.

After that my girlfriend got the Tagliatelle with "meatballs" and I got the mixed-grains Risotto. The pasta and tomato sauce was very fresh and went very well with the pasta, but it was the "meatballs" that stole the show. Probably the best part of the meal, they are made with all kinds of nuts and grains, are crunchy in the outside but soft inside, you can ask for them in a separate dish, for a snack, and I couldn't recommend it more.

My dish, the Risotto, did hit the spot as well, with a lot of flavor going on, thanks to the spinach cream all over it.

If you are searching for something different to eat, or are a Vegan looking for somewhere to go in this city of "Churrascarias", this is a great option. They have a website and a FanPage where you can discover more about the menu and what they can offer to you.