Vegan on the Playa
Best Vegan Restaurants in Playa del Carmen
So along this journey of spending time in the sweaty wonderland of the Yucatan Peninsula, I have been stumbling upon some drool-worthy vegan restaurants along the trail. I feel like eating plant based is healthier for the environment and for our little animal friends (I have a little kitten animal friend making an attempt at eating my shirt at the moment) - and this is where I differ in train of food philosophy from Anthony Bourdain (RIP Anthony, I love you. Chefs in Mexico outdo themselves with their creativity, ability to dance with the ingredients presented to them, and their ability to withstand the heat. Is there any way to get more creative in the kitchen than with vividly colored vegetables?
Also writing about my culinary experiences gives me an excuse to … eat more delicious plant based food! How can I do anything in the world justice if I can’t appreciate the food I eat through the written word? In my opinion, restaurants in the Yucatan Peninsula are much more vegan friendly than the town that I live in - Portland, Oregon. At least, it seems a lot easier to eat healthy, and actually plant-based vegan food here than it does in Portland (unless you start stealing from the Whole Foods salad bar). I am really excited by the number of home-grown, family run, mom and pop business that I have run across here in the Yucatan (specifically in Playa del Carmen). It feels like in the US the idea of being “vegan” is just another meme - “oh, another vegan in Portland” (eyes roll). The ethos behind veganism is to support the planet and spread the idea of AHIMSA to our little animal friends. AHIMSA in yoga philosophy is the quality of “non-harming”, it essentially means “do no harm, take no shit”. and the high quality of the food that I have eaten during my time here. No violencia! Comer Plantas!
Plantivoros
Plantivoros is a small and mighty restaurant that lives next to a motorcycle repair shop appropriately named “Moto Sixto”. The prices of a taco at Plantivoros are more than fair for the food that you receive. One taco is prices at $45 pesos - which is essentially $2.25 in USD. So, for $45 pesos, you can consume a delicious, mouth-watering fresh piece of juicy cauliflower steak, served up on a corn tortilla, with a sprinkling of cabbage and carrot. Ordering one of these bad boys in the Pacific NW would cost you close to $6 for .. just one. The cauliflower in Plantivoros’s “Baja” taco is plump and juicy, and tempura battered Cauliflower with love. Not to mention that there is home-made chili oil available.
The kombucha offered at Plantivoros drew me in right away, being a resident of the PNW I am definitely the type of girl that enjoys a good kombucha. Today I tried a kombucha with the Baja taco for lunch and it hit the spot. If you find yourself in the Yucatan Peninsula and are looking for a yummy place to eat a taco - Plantivoros is a vegan taco joint that has your back.
Besides this, the menu at Plantivoros also offers guacamole, oyster mushroom tacos, and a “kfc” inspired taco (for your vegan yearning to break the seal after one too many road-trips passing fast food restaurants). The mole sauce at Plantivoros is also delicious, and personally I would highly recommend the Enmolades.
Buen Provecho!