[UPDATE: Feb. 1, 2008] Doomie’s has closed :(
Here’s the original post:
At this point it’s no exaggeration to say that there’s a new vegan or vegetarian restaurant opening in Los Angeles every five minutes. The vegan Thai places seem to multiply like bunnies almost overnight, while the more specialized and unique vegetarian focused restaurants are in no sort supply either. It really is a good time to be a vegetarian in L.A. and everyone who lives here should count themselves lucky in regard to the sheer number of awesome food choices that abound. And now I’m happy to report there’s yet another new restaurant to add to the list… and guess what? It’s not Thai food!
Doomie’s Home Cookin’ just opened up this last weekend in the heart of Chinatown. That in and of itself is super awesome because there’s very little that’s edible for a vegetarian in Chinatown. The area is brimming with all manner of animal horrors everywhere you look, from chickens, ducks and whole baby pigs roasting on skewers in restaurant windows, to the shops along Spring St. that will sell you live sea creatures or poultry… you know, for those who prefer to slaughter their own (how quaint). Doomie’s is like a breath of fresh air in a sea of stench, and I mean that literally. Have you walked past any of those deathpits lately? The foul odors are unbearable. To counter this, Doomie’s shines like a 2nd story beacon, a helping hand from the upper balcony, happy to help you rise above the dubious carcass parties swirling on the streets down below.
Described as offering “meat free versions of classic American diner fare”, that’s exactly what you’ll find at Doomie’s… comfort food for your vegan soul. We’re talking appetizers like: Chili Cheese Fries, Fried Calamari, Buffalo Legs, Chicken Fingers & Shrimp Cocktail. Soups like: French Onion & Clam Chowder. And then there’s the main courses: a Classic Burger, a Chili Cheeseburger, Sloppy Joes, Philly Cheesesteak, Chicken Salad, Meatball sandwich, BLT, BBQ Pulled Pork, Chili Cheese Dog, Southern Fried Chicken, Pot Roast, Meatloaf, Chicken Parmesan, Country Fried Steak, Shrimp Scampi, Spaghetti & Meatballs, Lemon Chicken Picatta, Seafood Combo… and that’s not even all of it.
Don’t let the names scare you off, everything here is vegan! They do also offer real cheese for the non-vegans, so be sure to specify (but all the meaty bits are vegan, that is not a leg from a real buffalo!). Seeing as how I adore the jackfruit “pulled pork” sandwich at Pure Luck, I figured I needed to try the version at Doomie’s to see how it stands up.
First things first, the sandwich comes served with Doomie’s vegan macaroni & cheese. You know what? This was the best veganized mac & cheese I’ve had anywhere. The previous holder of that title was Taste of Life’s mac & cheese which is just divine. Well, if theirs is divine, than Doomie’s is for sure heaven sent… this stuff is the bomb! The best way I can describe it to you is to say that it tastes exactly as if it had come right out of a blue Kraft mac & cheese box. If you gave this to your average normal macaroni and cheese eater, they would seriously have no clue that you’d pulled a vegan switcharoo on them (no, I don’t advocate tricking people, but this would surely do the trick). This is seriously as authentic as it gets. I’ve had a number of different encounters with various vegan mac & cheese offerings in my day, and while even the best have been incredible good, Doomie’s wins by a landslide.
Now let’s get back to the sandwich… BBQ Pulled Pork, southern style. I’m no Southern gal so I can’t tell you if that claim holds water, but what I can tell you is that this sucker was finger lickin’ good… for reals, it was all over my fingers. I believe the faux-pork is seitan based and it’s all slathered up in a most delicious, sweet & smoky BBQ sauce. It was absolutely delicious, with the filling having an incredibly realistic meaty taste and texture… I kept thinking how I could feed this to any meat lover and unless told, they wouldn’t even guess it wasn’t real flesh they were eating. For those how can’t deal with fake stuff that tastes too much like the real thing, stay away from this beast because it will probably make you cry. On the other hand, those like myself who relish the taste and skills involved with recreating veganized versions of their meaty counterparts… you have met your new favorite sandwich. The entrees come with cole slaw and a side of fries, onion rings or fruit. Don’t you like how I pretended to go the more healthy and less fattening route by choosing fruit? Who do I think I’m kidding?
You know you wanna get all up in it.
I had the opportunity to chat with the man himself, Mr. Doomie, who is an extremely cool guy (only extremely cool guys are allowed to wear Cocteau Twins t-shirts). His passion for good food is obvious and he’s wants to provide the vegan community with delicious food that does not compromise. He’s really intent on creating food that tastes as close as possible to the real comfort foods we all know and loved. His goal is to have it look and taste as real as possible and not like a wimpy, nutty granola vegan knockoff. He’s even devised a way to get fatty “skin” on his fried chicken, something I can’t freakin’ wait to try on my next visit. Hello? Did you hear that… vegan fried chicken… with skin, yo! Sure it sounds gross when you think about real chickens, but for me knowing it’s not a real animal does away with the gross factor completely and all I can think about is sinking my teeth in, and again, lickin’ some greasy fingers.
They’ll be adding more desserts in the future but for now another treat offered at Doomie’s is vegan J-ello, ehm, gell-o. Yup, now you can relive your childhood with blue and red j-ello, without having to ingest horse and cow bones in the process. How delightful! If only all childhoods could be bone marrow & cartilage-food free.
The g-ello was tasty with a tartly sweet punch of flavor. The texture is slightly thicker than real j-ello, a giveaway that it’s made with agar-agar. They did a good job though, it’s pretty easy to mess up with agar-agar and turn the whole thing into chewy rubber, but that was not the case here, the j-ello was quite a treat. I’m very much looking forward to seeing what other dessert offerings are yet to come.
Location wise, Doomie’s couldn’t be better situated. It’s on the second floor at 686 N. Spring St, inside of Roberto’s nightclub (that’s just down Ord St., the same little side street that Phillipe’s French Dip is on). They’ve got a giant space with an even bigger outdoor patio which provides stunning views of of Chinatown, downtown and beyond. What I love about this location is that it’s within a very short walking distance from not one, but two Metro stops. You can either get off at the Union Station Red Line stop or the Chinatown Gold Line stop, it’s pretty much the same distance from both (less than a ten minute walk). The one downside for them is that unless you know it’s up there, you really wouldn’t know it’s up there. That said, hopefully the word will spread quickly to help get and keep this place busy all the time… hey, I’m doing my part! Even though they just opened and are working out some of the kinks, I feel the potential here will be unlimited if they play it right.
To that end, I’ll admit I was a little bit confused when I first got there. I went on Sunday afternoon which is apparently the one day a week that the East Los Angeles Bikers Club (ELA) use the patio for a meeting. I didn’t know if I’d entered a restaurant or a sports bar. They were kinda loud and verging on rowdy… but unless you’re one of those people who’s afraid of everything and everyone, they weren’t intimidating… just boisterously friendly. At one point they all shuffled into a nearby room and disappeared for a while, apparently for their official meeting and then they all filtered out. They only gather out there on Sundays I was told, so if you just can’t hang with dark & handsome tattooed Latino biker boys surrounding you while you eat (hey, I ain’t complaining!), go on any other day (closed Mondays), otherwise just know that Sundays there will be a bit of an adventure.
In case you haven’t figured it out by now I’m super excited about this place and I’m looking forward to seeing how it develops. If everything else on the menu is as good as what I had on my first visit, my diet is in for a world of hurt.
www.myspace.com/doomieshomecookin
p.s.- they also have free WiFi.
omg! i love your post! and your pix are absolutely beautiful. you sum up the place and doomie’s attitude so well. i am getting HUNGRY again just reading this.
again, it was great to meet ya! and good minds do obviously think alike!
oh my god!! (also means a lot coming from me :)
I am so happy to hear this! When do you think you are going back?
PS. Don’t know if I mentioned but that Mole lady recently made the COMPLETE switch with all her moles…that’s right…veggie stock all the way!f
Forgot to mention…are you sure the mac & cheese is better than taste of life’s. That is a mighty strong accusation…
Wait, I’m confused. Is this place located inside another restaurant? How’s parking?
That menu is killer! Oh my gosh!!! Your photo skills can make many meals look incredible, but Doomie’s food really does look amazing. I want me some authentic-tasting vegan mac n cheese! The vegan fried chicken skin sounds awesome too, in a creepy way. You’re so right: it’s not gross as long as no real animals were involved in the preparation of the meal.
teenage glutster: That’s great news about the Mole going vegetarian, thank goodness for vegetable stock! Not sure when I’ll be back at Doomie’s but if I get a head start (I often end up at restaurants spontaneously and with no warning!) I’ll be sure to let you know.
As for the greatness of the mac & cheese, I stand by my word! I hesitate to say it’s better than Taste of Life because theirs is off the hook amazing too, but it’s a different take on it, and much closer to the orginal “real” mac & cheese I had as a kid. Not the fancy schmancy baked with 4 different kinds of exotic cheeses variety, but the simple poured out of a Kraft box and made in 5 minutes variety. You know, the good kind! That’s precisely what Doomie’s mac & cheese tastes like. Good stuff I tell ya!
Vegan Tickles: The restaurant is located in a space that is also used as a nightclub in the evenings. The space itself is called Roberto’s… the restaurant operates out of there during business hours (til 8pm I believe), then in the evenings the club takes over.
As for parking I don’t know, I took the Metro! I think it’s only street parking at this time, which usually isn’t terrible in that area when there’s no crazy events going on nearby. There are a few public pay lots in the area as well.
Your reviews make me want to move to LA. And that is saying A LOT. Also, you had me at fake fatty skin on chicken. Le sigh.
ruby red vegan: Oh good, I’m glad it’s not just me who’s excited by the concept of realistic vegan fried chicken! Bring it!
i just had the Mac N Cheese at Madeline’s Bistro and it was pretty darn tasty. so was their “fried chicken” .
Looking foward to trying this new spot
DANG! Another place I need to try in LA.
I’m so jealous that you have all of these great places to eat! Another reason to visit LA, thanks for the great review!
That pulled pork looks amazing… I am so excited thanks for sharing
zesty
I’m having a very hard time keeping up with all of our LA restaurants! Yet another I need to try! I’m not complaining, though… :)
Mac & cheese that’s better than Taste of Life? Aw shiz, I’m there! Ps, thanks for the tips, you and QG are my fave sources on where to eat!
OMG, this looks amazing!!
The only place i’ve seen vegan comfort food like that was sould veg in atlanta, and I’ve been craving it ever since.
Great review! Holy moly that texture on that sammich meat is crazy.
Thanks for the follow up comments folks. I’m glad to hear that some of you have already been to Doomies and are liking it as much as I said you would! As for the rest of you, you’re in for a treat!
I’m going to wait a while before trying out Doomie’s new place. Unless something has changed extremely recently, he’s was at least somewhat known as an adamant carnivore, having hot dog/hamburger cook-offs, along with carne asada tacos, barbecues, etc. at his clubs.
So, while I believe things are probably at least vegetarian, I’m not 100% convinced things here are vegan unless I’m allowed to see the ingredient list.
not sure: Just because someone eats meat doesn’t mean that they can’t cook good vegan or vegetarian food… and it certainly doesn’t imply that they are outright liars trying to pull one over on vegans either.
I’m willing to bet that if you spoke to the owner he would be as open to discussing ingredients with you as he was me. Might be a good thing to actually look into before making such public accusations, no?
From what I saw he’s going farther out of his way to make sure everything is vegan than many other places out there, seemingly putting more effort and concern into it than some of the better known and well-established vegan restaurants. He’s even got a disclaimer on his menu regarding not being able to guarantee that the sugar comes from vegan sources. I can’t think of any place else in town that goes that far or even acknowledges the sugar issue.
Really, I think it’s terribly unfair to judge either Doomie or his restaurant based on what he himself likes to eat or cooking events he’s been involved with. Personally I could care less if he’s had hamburger cook-offs in the past, what has that got to do with the vegan food he is serving now? If I only went to vegan restaurants owned and run by vegan owners and staff, there would be very little available for me to eat.
I’m not implying that he’s lying or trying to pull one over on anyone in the least.
How many places have you been to claiming something is vegan only to learn later it has whey, casein, honey, lactose, mono-diglycerides of unknown origin or some other ingredient people don’t know is not vegan unless they’ve looked out for it themselves in the past? I certainly have.
I’m not saying don’t go there because he isn’t vegan, I’m saying that *I* am personally weary because of what I’ve just mentioned.
not sure: I don’t fault you for not wanting to eat there if you don’t feel comfortable doing so, but I don’t think the logic follows through. Going by what you just mentioned, you’d basically need to be suspicious of every single restaurant out there, not just Doomie’s. I don’t think it’s wrong to have those suspicions, but ultimately you have to choose between always cooking your own food and being in total control of everything you eat, or, if you want to eat at restaurants, you need to relinquish some of that control and trust that when someone cooks you meal and says it’s vegan, that it is. That’s just a risk you have to take if you want to eat out anywhere. It’s unfair to assume that the food Doomie is serving isn’t vegan if he says it is, just because other restaurants have messed up in the past or because he isn’t a vegan himself. In my opinion neither of those have any relevance to what’s going into or coming out of Doomie’s kitchen.
I really think that your concerns about this restaurant would be put to rest if you took the time to speak with the chef himself about his ingredients and the vegan-ness of his food, like I did… at length. He’s put a lot of time and testing into creating his menu, and it shows.
For what it’s worth, the restaurant does not claim to be 100% vegan, they also serve some items that are vegetarian (for example he offers a choice of vegan bacon or a tastier vegetarian version), and they also offer real cheese for people who want it. Everything that is not vegan is clearly marked on the menu.
Well, if you aren’t at ease with Doomie’s guarantees of his food being vegan, you can trust me when I say that we carefully inspect what goes into everything that we cook. And I’m no carnivore! Yes, Doomie eats meat, but he makes sure all his stuff is vegan; I wouldn’t let him cook me something that had animal products in it, and I certainly wouldn’t let him cook it for other people either! No whey! (har har)
Doomie will be more than happy to come out and talk to you or show you an ingredient list if requested. He’s open with the fact that he’s a carnivore, yes, but doesn’t that show that he’s not trying to hide something or pull a fast one? He just loves cooking in general and loves even more to see vegan/vegetarians thoroughly amazed at what he can do.
No meat is cooked in our kitchen and we even have a seperate cutting board for our cheese!
By all means if you feel uncomfortable, we can’t force you to eat here, but know that we’d be more than happy to put you at ease with the ingredients.
And Doomie just made tacos (including vegan ones!) at his club, no hamburgers or hotdogs =).
Melanie: Thanks for the clarification. I for one have no qualms with continuing to stuff my face with Doomie’s amazing vegan food :)
poor ole doomie. i trust the hell out of him! i hope everyone goes and tries that place out. of all the vegan restaurants i eat at, this is probably the most upfront about ingredients. like foodeater said, the fact that he went all out of his way to discuss the sugar says a lot.
eat it!
This article got me so hungry that I ate a plate of pickles.
One thing that bugs me about this review is that it kinda badmouths Chinese food. Now, I know Chinatown is a big zero for vegans, but until all these non-health-food vegan places opened up in the western part of LA in the last few years, it seemed like all the vegans went to the numerous Chinese vegan restaurants, out in the suburbs, that catered to Buddhist vegetarians. Also, in every Chinese market, there’s a vegetarian section with a lot of fake meats (along with the live seafood and whatnot), and in the Chinese immigrant communities, there are vegetarian supply stores. Perhaps more to the point: I get the impression that vegetarians aren’t considered total weirdos in the Chinese culture, because, while it’s difficult to eat vegetarian at a BBQ restaurant, it’s possible to do so in a regular Chinese restaurant, and it’s very easy to be a vegan by shopping at Chinese markets.
Happy Family is a longtime vegan institution in LA. You should check it out.
alienation: I’m really not sure how you read this post and got out of it that I was badmouthing Chinese food, because I did no such thing. I love Chinese food! The point is that Chinatown in Los Angeles has nearly zero options for vegans or even vegetarians (at least it didn’t until Doomie showed up… but he’s not serving Chinese food). At best, someone might get lucky and find a vegetable dumpling or a mystery tofu dish somewhere, but at the same time it would be nearly impossible to find out how it had been prepared or to verify that there was no hidden fish bits or sauce in it.
My post was specifically about Chinatown in L.A., not about all of Chinese food as a whole, and not about all of Los Angeles. Happy Family is great, but it’s not in Chinatown. There’s also Garden Walk in Reseda and Vegetable Delight in Granada Hills, but again, these are nowhere near Chinatown. While one might be able to find some vegetables and gluten or tofu packed with MSG in some of the Chinese markets, there are no Chinese markets in Chinatown specializing in vegetarian food, and for the most part the only food to be found in the restaurants down there is made from animals. Not only that, but the streets are filled with slaughter shops which spill out on to the sidewalks… it’s every vegetarians nightmare down there. I love Chinatown and I love Chinese food, but this does not change the fact that Chinatown in Los Angeles is not a friendly place for vegetarians to easily find a Chinese food meal, and it’s certainly not a friendly place for animals in any way whatsoever, that is, unless they are sadomasochistic animals with a deathwish and a perverse desire to be roasted on a spit with their agonizing death displayed in a window for all to see and/or eat.
wow, killer writeup and photos. checking out this place tonight with some friends! thanks.
[...] off by FoodEater’s post about Doomie’s Home Cookin, the BF and I braved LA traffic this afternoon to drive to [...]
I have eaten Doomie’s vegan tacos, and they are outstanding. I will be sure to attend Doomie’s Home Cookin’ ASAP.
Does anyone know if Doomie’s allows you to bring well behaved dogs into the patio area? I rarely leave home w/o them will not leave them in the car in an unsafe area.
Chim chim: No, they do not allow dogs. They used to but they recently got hassled by the health department for it so dogs are no longer allowed.
Sad news: until further notice, Doomie’s has closed :(