Kalachandji’s

Looking to expand the horizons of your taste buds? Then walk yourself to the SU and place an order at Kalachandji’s. This new addition to the Dining Hall prides itself on its plant-based Indian cuisine and offers dishes to try from all over the country.

The popular choice at Kalachandji’s is the create-your-own style meals, ranging from $7-9. These allow you to combine 1 to 3 dishes and create your desired pairing of rice and traditional Indian sides like paneer gravies and lentil curries. The restaurant also offers specials during the week, as well as separate meals of chaats, or Indian street foods, oven-fired pizzas, and classic Indian breads. Since the restaurant is vegan/vegetarian, these dishes can be altered to fit your dietary preferences, and many Indian dishes are inherently vegan. If you’re unsure of what appeals to your appetite, the restaurant staff also offers samples of anything at their counter.

I ordered a samosa chaat, a spin on the well-known samosa where the potato-stuffed pastry is broken apart, covered in a chickpea gravy, and topped with sev and cilantro. The chaat was enjoyable and true to its roots, with its slight spice balanced out with the more mild samosa filling and variety of textures from crunchy pastry to smooth sauces. If you’re okay with dairy, Kalachandji’s also offers mango and strawberry lassi, which are the perfect yogurt-based chilled drinks to wash down your meal. I bought a sweet mango lassi to go with my chaat, which wrapped up a solid lunch for around $12. Kalachandji’s is a great choice to spend your lunchtime with a variety of classic Indian flavors.

Freshii

It may be November, but it’s never too late to get started on your new year’s resolution to eat healthy. Located about 10 minutes from campus, Freshii lives up to its name with its menu filled with salads and wraps, all created with fresh veggies in flavorful, energizing combinations. They also offer their own line of superfood fruit smoothies and energy juices that can accompany your meal or be enjoyed on their own.

The appeal of meals at Freshii is how customizable they are. The popular options are the salads and bowls, almost all of which are inherently vegetarian. The salads are made with a variety of leafy greens, while the bowls are carb-based with either rice or noodles. Adding either meat or vegan proteins like tofu or falafel is an option as well. All of these meals are created individually, so the toppings can easily be switched out according to your preferences and customized to be vegan or gluten-free. The bowl meals can also be made into wraps for a different and slightly less expensive eating experience. 

I ordered the Bamboo bowl, swapping out the brown rice it comes with for rice noodles. For about $10, this bowl comes with the base rice or noodles and is topped with a variety of raw veggies like mushrooms and carrots and a green curry sauce. The Bamboo bowl is one of the milder options, making it a good choice for those who want to avoid spice or a great base to top with flavorful sauces. The noodles were also tasty, with some extra soy sauce to fit my taste, and this bowl made for a fresh, filling lunch. 

If you’re looking to save some cash (aren’t we all), Freshii also has daily offers to order one of their bowls for around $8 rather than the full price. This restaurant offers a variety of dishes that can be a bit on the expensive side depending on your customizations, but Freshii is a great option for fresh, plant based meals.