Daily Allowance

Mi Lah Vegetarian

by Kelly White

What goes on at Mi Lah Vegetarian would made a U.S.D.A. dietitian tear up with joy. Government-recommended vegetable consumption guidelines are met so readily, one wonders where the garden is. A lively rush often takes over the BYO's lower floor, but the juice bar-boasting second level, where servers crank out frothy nectars, counters it with a hush.

In its silence, a question bounces off the pale green walls: When is the last time you had a radish? A zesty pumpkin hummus serves as a simple reconnection, easily scooped up with shards of lavash flatbread and whole bulbs of those peppery root veggies.

Chef Tyler Black's (Govinda's, Horizons, Grocery) bountiful vegan menu deals in well-prepared vegetation instead of relying heavily on imitation products. The veggie parade kicks off at lunch, where the ALT compresses avocado, lettuce and tomato with spicy Vegenaise on rustic bread. The sauce used for the barbecued eggplant is one of Black's signature condiments. Made with brown sugar and Barbados molasses, it sticks to the fleshy body of the eggplant itself, which is supported by a jalapeño zucchini corn cake and braised mustard greens.

The endive BLT, a sendout of smoky, leafy green-wrapped tempeh salad tossed in Vegenaise, is pure Americana sans heart attack. Each jewel-toned vegetable strung along the seitan skewers is cooked to perfection, a harmonious calibration of grill times. But the jerk sauce slathered over the not-meat — another one of Black's own recipes, made with Philadelphia Brewing Co.'s Walt Wit — packs too much tang. I could use a beer to chase it away.

Good that there's brew to be found on the Sunday brunch menu. Don't miss the Yards IPA-battered seitan and waffles, where flavor camps in each of the crisp Belgian's crannies. (Black uses Ener-G egg replacer for the batter.) Onions and parsley are tossed in with the seitan for a glorious output.

Back on the dinner menu, an underseasoned red curry polenta cake falls flat. The braised spinach in coconut-lime sauce surrounding the cake is where the real flavor lies.

Desserts sound wicked on paper. But while the peanut butter custard — topped with vanilla soy ice cream, a blackberry drizzle and a sprig of mint — is a refined interpretation of your mom's PB&J, the bready consistency is more akin to cake. The chocolate cake is dry once you shovel past the crackly skin. Pair it up with some squeezed-to-order juice or a BYO beverage, however, and you should be fine.

(editorial@citypaper.net)

Mi Lah Vegetarian | 218 S. 16th St., 215-732-8888, milahvegetarian.com

Hours: Lunch, Mon.-Sat., 11 a.m.-3 p.m.; dinner, Mon.-Sat., 5-10 p.m.; Sunday brunch, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Appetizers, $6-$8; Entrées, $14-$17; Fixed-price brunch, $20

BYOB