Hugo’s fans take note: both the restaurant and the taco stand have new specials going at the moment, and both are as expected, delicious.

Hugo’s Restaurant has currently got this Happy Happy Holiday Feast: Two ‘New American’ veggie patties with our vegan, gluten-free gravy. Served with mixed seasonal vegetables, cranberry sauce and mashed potatoes. Vegans, you MUST specify that you want to substitute either rice or roasted potatoes since the mashed potatoes are not vegan.

This is really nice, their veggie patties are always good, great texture, flavor and crunch- but what makes this dish awesome is the gravy. It’s thick & creamy with a full-bodied flavor of mushrooms & rosemary. While I wish they’d just make their mashed potatoes vegan so I could eat this yummy gravy slathered all over them, it’s really good with the roasted potatoes too. The cranberry sauce was delicious as well, more like a compote with full plump berries in juice… I don’t have a picture of it for you because they forgot to bring it at first and I had to ask for it, by then I’d already started eating this lovely plate of food you see before you.

If you prefer you could also order this special with their grilled tofu instead of the patties, their tofu is really good too, but I say stick with the patties because they rule. They’ll also make it with chicken breast, but that’s just gnarly gross so we’re not even gonna go there.

Next up, check out what they’ve got going on over at Hugo’s Tacos…

The taco stand is serving up a tasty new treat, Green Tamales. They’re so tasty in fact, and selling so well that both their Studio City and Atwater Village locations keep selling out of them. Should you happen to be lucky enough to score some, your mouth and belly will be very grateful. Hugo’s described them so well, I’ll let them do the talking:

Tamales began as a dish prepared for ceremonies and festivals, and eventually became part of the Christmas feast, so we thought this was the perfect time to add them to our menu at Hugo’s Tacos. Our version is literally green, made healthier by adding finely chopped fresh spinach. You can order them the traditional way with your choice of salsa and garnished with sour cream, or, for an extra charge, we dress them up with a topping of one of our fillings. Or take it to the next level and feast on the Tamale Plate with a side of savory organic Basmati rice and white beans with sage and epazote.

Green Tamales are made without dairy products so all you vegans can enjoy them. Just don’t forget to mention “no sour cream” when you order it!

I loved the green tamales, shown above with their pico de gallo salsa. They’re using a sweet corn and the tamale has full kernels throughout, I like that it’s not just mush but gives you something substantial to chew on. The sweet flavor along with the spicy salsa is a nice combo, I’ve also tried this with the green tomatillo salsa which was good- next time I’ll go for something spicer. I’ll bet this would also be fantastic topped with their bitchin’ soy chorizo.

I have no idea how long either of these specials will be available, at least through the month of November I think, but don’t quote me on that. I suggest you get it while the getting’s good!

Hugo’s Restaurant recently updated their menu, adding a number of unique vegan dishes to their already herbivore-friendly line-up. I’ve been making my way through the ones that have intrigued me and so far, as expected from Hugo’s, they’ve all been delicious. They’ve also added little symbols to their menu indicating what’s vegetarian or vegan, as well as what can be made vegan (they have vegan cheese which you can substitute on most of the cheesy dishes). The symbols are very helpful and take the guesswork out of knowing what’s vegan and what’s not. Good move, Hugonauts!

Note that we’re talking about the Hugo’s in Studio City (I’ve not yet been to the West Hollywood location), though they both have the same menu.

I’m just going to start this off with a bang because this is my favorite of all the new stuff so far. The Tika Masala Vegetable Patties are “made of organic sprouted mung bean, organic brown rice, assorted fresh vegetables, mushrooms, pumpkin & sunflower seeds, herbs & spices. Covered with an Indian inspired sauce of tomatoes, onions and spices. Served with turmeric rice, leafy greens and cilantro mint chutney”.

Wow, so good… the patties were perfectly crispy yet delicate, just right for sopping up the thick and piquant sauce. I love whatever spices they use in there, exotic but not overpowering. The cooks at Hugo’s really do have a special way with vegetables and greens, while simply done they’re cooked just right, always crispy and fresh tasting, never wilted or mushy. My only complaint about these yummy greens would be that I would have liked more. While the Indian inspiration was definitely in this dish, it had it’s own thing going on, tasting both exceedingly decadent while light & healthy at the same time. Excellent! So much more good stuff awaits…

Here’s a peek at Hugo’s New American Veggie Burger, a “combination of organic sprouted mung bean, organic brown rice, assorted fresh vegetables, mushrooms, pumpkin & sunflower seeds, herbs & spices. Covered with an Indian inspired sauce of tomatoes, onions and spices, fried crispy”. Hey, doesn’t that sound familiar? I didn’t realize until writing this that the veggie burger is the same pattie as used in the Tika Masala dish above. Interesting… but hey, it’s all good, because both of these dishes are great in their own way.

The burger comes with lettuce, tomato, onion, Veganaise, and your choice of their various toppings. As shown above I got it with their tasty grilled green chilies, as well as the grilled onions which I forgot to have them leave off… easily picked off after photo op. The burger really is in there under all those toppings, and it’s very tasty. In this version it was a more softer type of pattie, which is why it got so smushed down in the photo… check out this very different version below that showed up the next time I ordered this same burger…

This time around the pattie was fried to much more of a crisp (it’s not burned, just a bit dark in the photo) and the texture was a more solid with a nice chew to it…. good stuff. You’ll notice this time around I added guacamole to the grilled chili party, and whoever put this version together went wild with the Veganaise. Obviously two different people cooked these on different days, I liked it both ways.

Ah yes, the tamales. The Tamale Plate comes with “two tamales filled with a blend of vegetables, soy chorizo, sauteed peppers, onions & potato. Covered with tomatillo sauce and mozzarella cheese. Served with garlic spinach and a zucchini, corn, roasted red pepper medley”. Substitute the real cheese for their vegan mozzarella or just leave the cheese off like I did and you’ve got a vegan feast. I must admit that when it was first placed in front of me, I gave a little gasp because it looks just like two pieces of salmon! Doesn’t it? But no, thankfully no beautiful fish were needlessly killed for my meal… this case of mistaken identity turned out to be just that, and I heartily dug into my tasty corn tamales.

Here’s an up close and personal view of the inside. The combination of the delicious soyrizo and the equally delicious tomatillo sauce is a hit… there’s a nice sweetness from the corn being set off just right by the spiciness of the salsa. As you can see in the first picture of this dish, the sides that came with it were not what was described in the menu, but their rice is always good as are their vegetable sides, so I was just as happy with what I got.

This next dish, which is on their current breakfast specials menu, was really great too, though I messed up and got something that wasn’t vegan. This is the Roasted Beet Casserole which is a combination of beets and leafy greens, with “onions and garlic in a carrot ginger sauce topped with crispy potato pancake croutons and crumbled Gorgonzola cheese”. This sounded so tasty, I figured without the cheese it would be vegan so I ordered it. I didn’t stop to think that potato pancakes are usually not vegan… I was imagining more along the lines of hash browns and like a dolt I ignored the handy-dandy symbol key which I just finished telling you was so helpful (it’s only helpful if you’re actually paying attention). When this arrived it looked gorgeous and I dug right in. It didn’t even cross my mind until later when my mother who I’d been dining with wondered aloud how they managed to make the potato pancakes stick together without eggs. I thought about it for a second, then the big DUH of it all hit me… these were not vegan hash browns, they’re real latkes made with eggs. Crap.

Well, you can’t win ‘em all. Vegans, don’t get the potato topping (have them sub the vegan cheese for you or just leave it off). Vegetarians and the rest of you rowdy lot, eat this one up because it’s a really nice change of pace for breakfast or brunch (they serve breakfast til 4pm so you could even call it lunch or early dinner!). I’ll definitely have this one again, minus the one non-vegan fatal flaw of it all.

Finally, what a better way to wrap up a big giant post of vegan meals than with a big giant vegan dessert. Currently on the specials menu is the Best Vegan New York Style Chocolate Cheesecake Ever. That’s its official name. Described as: “An incredibly smooth blend of nutritious white sweet potato, cashews, organic agave and lemon zest. Filled high inside a crust made of coconut, nuts and spices. Topped with coca powder”. I had this to-go, and you can see they even packed it up for me with a nice splash of chocolate sauce. Très chic.

It was really, really delicious and this photo does not do justice to the size of this slice they gave me, it could have easily satisfied three people. It was super rich and thick, with a chewy, sticky crust. To be honest, I don’t think it passes as a cheesecake, the texture is too thick for that and it doesn’t have that sour cheesiness to it that real cheesecake (or good fake ones) has. That said, it’s wonderful. There’s this heady, intoxicating something to it that gives off a hint of… oh I don’t know, it reminded me of rum, though there’s no alcohol in there. Maybe it was some kind of magic pulled off between the coconut and the spices, but whatever it was, it really works. This was a hardcore dessert that I’m willing to bet would be enjoyed by both cheesecake lovers and dark chocolate cake fans alike.

All in all, Hugo’s was already a top-notch joint… with the addition of all their exciting new dishes, it’s just that much better. The best part is there’s even more great sounding new stuff on the menu that I have not tried yet… Tofu Mole anyone? Or how does the Black Bean Chili Casserole strike you? Not in the mood? Then have a Hippie Hemp Seed Black Rice Salad or the vegan soup of the day.

A little birdie also just let me in on the fact that Hugo’s has free WiFi, excellent news if like me, you’re attempting to be less of a shut-in. Here’s to free internet and full bellies for all!

www.hugosrestaurant.com

(Update: Both these specials are now over. Aren’t you sorry you missed ‘em?)

There are currently two great vegan meals on the “Specials” menu at Hugo’s Restaurant. I don’t want to wait any longer to share them with you because soon enough they’ll be gone. If you want to try these, and yes… you do want to try these… you’ll need to head on over to Hugo’s quick like a bunny.

This first interesting dish is the Red Lentil Veggie Patties: “an outstanding combination of organic red lentils, sweet potatoes, diced fresh summer vegetables, herbs and Indian spices. Served with mango chutney relish, black forbidden rice and sauteed leafy greens”. Outstanding was their adjective straight from the menu, but I heartily agree, these lentil patties were delicious. The Indian flavors were full and fragrant yet didn’t overpower the great flavors of the vegetables and lentils. The crispy outside and soft inside were just lovely, and the mango chutney kicked ass. It tasted slightly pickled, so it was both sweet and zingy at the same time.

The black forbidden rice was good, though I’m more inclined to the black sticky rice at Lotus Vegan, for which I as of yet have found no equal. The leafy greens were very tasty too, lots of garlic going on in there, just the way I like it. Overall an excellent meal.

On a subsequent visit I was far too intrigued to pass on the Very Green Enchiladas: “green corn tortillas filled with wilted leafy greens and garlic. Covered with a roasted poblano chili sauce and toasted pumpkin seeds. Served with green spanish rice and green zucchini”. It would also usually come with Cotija cheese, which they state right on the menu they’ll do without to make it vegan.

These enchiladas were outstanding! I was concerned that 1.) this would be kind of boring without cheese, and 2.) that the garlic would be too overwhelming. These concerns quickly melted away as I eagerly shoveled in my first bite. So good! The poblano chili sauce was amazing, full bodied and not too spicy. The enchiladas themselves were excellent, the greens and garlic perfectly seasoned and surprisingly filling. Both the zucchini and the spanish rice made for great accompanists in this very green orchestra. If you only try one new dish in the next few days or weeks, consider making it this one.

Now, a minor word of warning. Two words really: green poo.

You read me right. Now I know this is food blog so the last thing you want to read about are bodily functions. The thing is, how are you to trust that I’m telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, unless I told you the entire story, from start to finish so to speak? In the spirit of full disclosure, I’d like to save you an awkward moment of surprise after you eat this meal: my morning constitutional one day after eating the Very Green Enchilada plate was Very Green Poo… bright green poo the likes of which I’ve never seen before, neither from a baby nor an elephant. A quick run down over the past 24 hours worth of food immediately led me right to the culprit: it was the green enchiladas, in the kitchen, with a fork. All I’m saying is, forewarned is forearmed. Don’t fear the green!
www.hugosrestaurant.com

(Both of these are on the current specials at both Hugo’s locations, though all the stuff featured on this blog (so far) refers to the Hugo’s in Studio City -call if you’re going specifically for either of these items, because I don’t know how often the menu changes.)

Now for something completely different: here’s a delicious new breakfast special on the menu at Hugo’s, the Mung Bean Fritters.

“Three fritters made with sprouted mung beans blended with zucchini, green pepper, green onion and Chinese 5 spice. Topped with two poached eggs, sauteed leafy greens and an apple-mint drizzle”. I had them substitute the eggs with grilled tofu.

This was a really great dish. Being that they’re called fritters, I was expecting something more… well, fried. I assumed they’d be kind of like potato pancakes (you know, with shredded stuff like latkes) but instead they’re like regular pancakes and they didn’t taste or appear to be fried which is actually a good thing. I’d say they were more like savory griddle cakes. The flavor was delicious, delicately spiced and not too oniony for my taste. The apple-mint drizzle is what made this a real stand-out, being both sweet and minty at the same time, much like an Indian chutney, but with apples. Overall, a perfect breakfast.

This is a very tasty seasonal item currently on the specials menu at Hugo’s in Studio City.

The “Blood Orange Salad” is made with “a blend of Napa cabbage, organic mixed greens, strawberries, slivered fennel, roasted baby beets, blood oranges and California pistachio nuts. Accented with a dressing made from balsamic vinegar and blood orange juice reduction”. It comes with a choice of protein, I had their grilled tofu which is always reliably good.

The salad was great, what with all it’s different flavors going on… it’s got your sweetness coming from the blood oranges, strawberries and beets, and it’s also got the unexpected licorice flavor of the crunchy, raw fennel (and carrots too), and all this is backup by the powerful underhanded punch coming from the balsamic vinegar. It makes for a unique and delightful (and not cheap) combination.