Franchia Vegan Cafe - New York City

Two great meals in franchia. the small cakes were the best I ever had, and tasty with crispy outside and delicate interiors. their filled mushrooms were divine! 5-star for the stone bowl meal. their rice and sweet stay super hot and crack out of contact with the one of a stone shell. the soy-finger sauce was the perfect touch. not a place for dessert, but had the flourless chocolate cake, which was heavy with mandel and dark chocolate richness. my next trip to new york will definitely be at least one (two three meals as franchia.

Franchia is a little hidden on Park Avenue in a quieter part of town. It is also away from a saturated restaurant area. The Asian fusion restaurant offers vegan cuisine and is known for its many tea options. Reservations can be made via phone. They have three levels of seating. The first is more casual and generally seating for two. Head up the stairs for level two, which is better for groups. Finally the top floor is more intimate and private. The third floor is good for date night. There is no elevator so keep that in mind if stairs are an issue. Servers are fast with orders and trying to keep the candles lit on your table. (lol ours went out a few times) Lighting can be a bit dim to read menus. We got the vegan assortment of dumplings. This is a great way to try them all. I think the kale ones were my fav but otherwise the rest were okay. The curry hot pot was our main dish. It comes out sizzling on a stone hot plate and with a small side of rice. The presentation was cool, but didn't really care for the flavor. Meh. I'd probably try something different next time. Finally, the soy cheesecake was good. Creamy and not overly sweet. The pot of tea (got it last time I was there) is the best thing on the menu. Overall an okay vegan spot. Check out their sister restaurant Hangawai, which isn't too far away. All vegan Korean BBQ (mostly hot rice stone bowls).

Excellent! Unique. Creative. Fantastic service. Too many items to try for just one visit. Highly recommended. The Wonton tastes like Wonton! Vegan skill and technique. Not just a bunch of fake meat thrown around regular dishes.

Delicious! Friendly and attentive staff who recommended a wonderful tea and entrée (bibimbap hot stone bowl with brown rice, mushrooms, avocado, tofu, and spicy chili sauce). I highly recommend!

We really enjoy the food and experience; both my non-vegetarian friends and myself were impressive with the flavor and texture. The food is very high quality. I’d recommend the Peking buns,stuffed mushroom and mushrooms bulgogi. My non-vegetarian friends loved the Korean Hot Pot with soy fish (they couldn’t believe it’s not real fish lol).