The Lunch Room

Jess Chen  

It has only been a month since I arrived, but as a freshman and a vegan, I already dread going to the dining halls. Being aware of the thriving vegan and vegetarian culture in Ann Arbor, I ventured out to numerous vegan-friendly restaurants this past month. These restaurants include the more well known Seva, New Jerusalem Garden, Silvio’s, and Jazzy Veggie. However, I still had one more vegan restaurant, (okay, food cart) to tackle. Located at Mark’s Carts on W. Washington between Ashley and First streets, The Lunch Room is the newest, hippest, vegan eatery around.

The menu consists of a variety of fresh and healthy options for brunch, lunch, and dinner. From Barbeque Tofu sliders to Pad Thai, The Lunch Room doesn’t fail to deliver. For eight dollars, “Nick’s Combo Plate” allows customers to choose three out of the four most popular dishes. My combo plate had the Banh Mi Chay, Tangy Thai slaw, and the Harvest stew. The Banh Mi Chay is a sandwich that consists of spicy tofu layered with cucumber, carrot-radish pickle, herbs, and a garlic mayo served in a baguette. The Tangy Thai slaw is a salad with a mix of green and red cabbage, carrots, parsley, scallions, red onions, cashews, and sesame seeds. Lastly, the Harvest stew is a blend of potatoes, chickpeas, carrots, and other yummy vegetables. Of course, I couldn’t complete the order without desert! In front of the cart lays a cabinet of cookies waiting to be eaten. I choose the Blackstrap Molasses Gingersnap cookie and the Chocolate Chip Cookie, which are both made with Michigan beet sugars.

As I sipped on the Harvest stew, crunched on the tangy slaw, and bit into the Chay, I couldn’t help but feel so satisfied. Why can’t the University dining halls serve quality, vegan food? Although the meal was a bit pricier than I would have liked ($11), I would not mind eating lunch here once a week. Unfortunately, with the cold weather on the way, the owner informed me they would only be opened for a couple more weeks. She noted that they are hoping to turn The Lunch Room into a restaurant. But for now, I’ll be content sitting at Mark’s Carts picnic tables and enjoying the rare taste of vegan paradise.