wanderings of a vegan foodie-donut friend

When I moved from Tokyo to LA in 2007, the vegan options in Tokyo were still few and far between. Most of my favorite places were somewhere in the Omotesando vicinity (If you're ever planning a trip to Tokyo, let me know! I can recommend a few amazing places.) I made a trip back back to Japan this past winter after eight years of living in LA, and it was a completely different place! There were so many juice bars, and the ease with which I could find vegan food offerings blew my mind. Tokyo is constantly re-inventing itself, and I love that about that city.

Being that the options were still few in Japan eight years ago, coming to LA was like moving to a vegan paradise. Whole Foods was my new Disneyland, there was vegan fast food, and being plant based was totally accepted by most people I met. It was an exciting time getting to try out all of these amazing restaurants.

I'm happy to say that LA is still a vegan paradise, and the options are even more endless. Now that I have a toddler, its's important for me to go to places that have kid friendly options, as well. I'm always excited to share great finds with others, so I thought some vegan restaurant/store reviews were in order. Having yet another excuse to visit some of these eateries didn't contribute to this idea at all... ;-) So, to kick things off:

LA now has its very own almost vegan donut shop! In the heart of the ever hip Highland Park, this donut shop takes donuts to another level altogether. You can either customize your donuts, or choose from a vast menu of concoctions that range from your traditional cake donut with glaze and sprinkles to creative donuts filled with coconut cream and and glazed with vanilla glaze and lime zest, such as my favorite "Coconut of Conformity".

Most donuts can be veganized, there is a gluten free option, and they informed me that they have plans to go all vegan in the near future! Pure music to my ears and taste buds :-) If you are a donut lover and happen to be in the area, or feel like making a special trip (it's worth it.), I cannot recommend this place enough.

P.S. If you feel like making a full meal of it, Town Pizza is a couple doors down with a stellar vegan pizza on menu. (Review to come.)

Donut Friend
5107 York Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90065
(213)995-6191
They are closed Mondays, and are open 7 am-10 pm tue, wed, thurs, sun & 7 am-12 am Fri, Sat