![\"Vegetarian](\"https:\/\/missiontimescourier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Kung-pao2-1.jpg\")
<\/a>The latter tasted exceptionally convincing in that the wok-fried soy proteins (dusted in potato flour) offered the comforting flavor and texture of crispy chicken skins. For my dining companion, a longtime vegan, the dish hit a nostalgic note from his meat-eating days. My only disappointment was that the scant amount of Kung pao sauce didn\u2019t live up to the \u201clevel 4\u201d chili heat I requested.<\/p>\n
A jungle of lettuces and leafy purple mint accompanied our crunchy \u201ceggless rolls\u201d filled with taro, king mushrooms, carrots and glass noodles. The customary way to eat them is to swaddle each roll in the mint and plunge them into the sweetish vinaigrette on the side before biting into them.<\/p>\n The combined result was both earthy and zesty, and with subtle whispers of basil arising from the purple mint, which isn\u2019t as minty as the green version.<\/p>\n A viscous, teriyaki-like sauce coated the soy strips used for satay chicken, which came with fresh, frilly lettuce for making wraps. These were of the deluxe kind, as the plate also included coconut curry vermicelli noodles, bean sprouts, pickled daikon radishes, and silky peanut sauce.<\/p>\n An assemble-yourself banh mi sandwich was my favorite starter, due in part to the outstanding French-style baguette that reminded me of the ones baked throughout the day at K Sandwiches in Clairemont before it closed from a catastrophic fire.<\/p>\n The sliced roll \u2014 crusty on the outside and dreamy light on the inside \u2014 was smeared with a touch of vegan mayo and plated with a host of veggies and our choice of lemongrass faux chicken. (Tofu and mock beef are the other options.) There was enough baguette and fillings to sate both of us.<\/p>\n We were tempted to try one of the noodle soups, which are available in eight different varieties: nam yang, pho, spicy hue-style, braised mock duck, and more. But we realized when spying on two nearby patrons slurping the soups from humungous-size bowls that we couldn\u2019t have possibly combined even one of them with everything else we ordered.<\/p>\n Just because animal fats are absent (except for eggs in a few indicated dishes) doesn\u2019t mean you can\u2019t walk out of here feeling as though you\u2019ve eaten a rack of ribs. We kind of felt that way after polishing off our final dish of yam and sweet potato curry.<\/p>\n The starchy, orange potatoes were bathed decadently in coconut milk along with mushrooms, tofu, taro and cilantro. Saucy and addicting, it\u2019s the kind of dish that tricks you into eating more jasmine rice than you normally would simply because the ingredients pair so well with it.<\/p>\n Purple Mint\u2019s menu offers diverse and colorfully presented cuisine that fits the modern-day genus of vegetarian dining, meaning you\u2019re not subjected to bland foods you\u2019d feed to the llamas in a petting zoo.<\/p>\n Other options include mock white fish in garlic sauce and tomatoes; eggplant and tofu in sweet and sour sauce; faux filet mignon with mushrooms and onions; and black rice pasta with fried potatoes and cucumbers in coconut milk, a popular dish throughout Vietnam.<\/p>\n Also, freshly made juice drinks were recently introduced. They\u2019re listed on a chalkboard outside the entrance and include crafty elixirs such as the \u201cheart beet away\u201d combining beets with apples, oranges, carrots and celery \u2014 and the ultra-quenching \u201cdetox pineapple\u201d that titillated our palates with the additions of lime, coconut water and ginger.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>Service at The Purple Mint was gracious and efficient, despite several large parties occupying the flora-filled dining room on this midday visit. The restaurant serves lunch and dinner daily.<\/p>\n