Cheap Fast Eats goes vegan, with meatless dishes across LA for around $10

It all started with an Instagram comment.

After LAist host Brian De Los Santos and I posted our recent Cheap Fast Eats video from Pico-Union on Instagram, someone left a comment: "Lmk if you need a buddy to do a cheap vegan eats version 😉”

It turned out to be my good friend Kathy Mirescu. She has been vegan for over a decade and often tells me she loves the Cheap Fast Eat series, even though I don't always emphasize vegan food. She commended us for helping people find a good meal for less here in L.A.

The wheels immediately started turning.

There’s a stereotype that vegan food is expensive, and caters only to affluent white people who can afford to shop at Erewhon. But having seen the diverse types of vegan food available throughout the city, I knew there were restaurants offering unique takes on plant-based cuisine, distinct from current trends on social media.

So I reached out to Kathy to see if she wanted to join me, and thus, the first-ever vegan Cheap Fast Eats was born.

This time around, we’ve bent the rules. Instead of sticking to one neighborhood as usual, we scoured the city — from the Valley to Silver Lake to Crenshaw — to find great, affordable vegan food. Turns out a bunch of the places I'd selected were also familiar to Kathy, who was able to weigh in to give this (decidedly non-vegan) food editor a view from the inside.

Enjoy!

Vegatinos (North Hollywood)

Carol Paniagua of Vegatinos has been making and selling her plant-based Mexican food for over a decade in various locations, including as a pop-up, a ghost kitchen, and a brick-and-mortar restaurant.

Pupusas with curtido (top), and Chikin and al-pastor street tacos (bottom)

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Vegatinos, inside Leonor's Vegetarian restaurant on Victory Blvd in North Hollywood.

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Growing up in the working-class Latino neighborhoods of Panorama City and Pacoima, where there were few vegan food options, she decided to start her own business with her partner at the time.

Nowadays, Paniagua, who has since gone solo, can be found at Original Leonor's Mexican Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant on Victory Boulevard in North Hollywood, situated between a beauty shop and a laundromat.

Walking into Leonor’s, you’re greeted by the general vibe of long-standing neighborhood Mexican-American restaurants. This one just happens to serve vegan food.

The friendly faces of the women who work in the kitchen greet you as you enter the space, which is adorned with brightly colored murals. Paniagua is sharing the restaurant space with the owners of Lenor’s, and currently, both Vegatino’s and Leonor’s plant-based menus are being offered. (We’re focused on Vegatino’s this time, but we look forward to trying Leonor’s on a future visit.)

Start with a few street tacos by ordering the solo bundle ($7.50), which gives you a choice of two, including al pastor, asada, and “chikin," all made from soy protein. Each is made with a handmade yellow corn tortilla and garnished with fresh cilantro, a wedge of fresh lime, and their house-made red or green salsa. The contents of both tacos were cooked exceptionally well, bursting with soulful flavor.

Kathy was also a fan of the tacos. She's followed Paniagua over the years and said, “I’m  consistently impressed with the freshness of everything. Everything always tastes homemade and made with a lot of love.”

We were also treated to a few pupusas ($4.50 for two), one stuffed with black beans and vegan cheese and one made with loroco, a flower commonly used in Central American cooking that tastes similar to artichoke or broccoli.

The savory flavors of each pupusa melded well with a crispy, grilled exterior, especially when topped with homemade curtido, a fermented vegetable slaw made with sizeable sliced carrot coins, similar to those found in Mexican escabeche. Each pupusa's savory, fresh bite tied together for a deliciously light meal.

Hot Tongue (Silver Lake)

From left clockwise, classic slice, vegan vodka slice and vegan lil Sicilian slice

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According to Kathy, Hot Tongue is “just good pizza,” and she says she often orders it for delivery when she has friends who are both vegan and non-vegan. "It's my go-to for pizza night, period.”

Specializing in both vegan and non-vegan pizza, a regular slice at Hot Tongue will set you back $6, but there is also a $10 lunchtime combo option for two slices and a canned soda.

Try the vegan classic made with cashew mozzarella and a sweet and balanced red sauce, topped with strips of roasted red pepper and mushroom and crumbled vegan fennel sausage. Or try the vegan vodka with garlic, featuring a creamy, velvety vodka sauce intermingled with light almond ricotta, underscored by fresh basil, and sprinkled with house-made almond parmesan.

Silver Lake's Hot Tongue specializes in vegan and non-vegan pizza

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The hot pink signage of Hot Tongue pizza in Silver Lake.

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One of Hot Tongue's most impressive vegan offerings is the Lil Sicilian ($6.50), a thick square slice featuring pizza sauce, cashew mozzarella, basil, garlic, pesto stripes, and almond ricotta. The chewy bite, with its buttery texture, is so convincing that you’d swear you were eating the non-vegan version. Therein lies the beauty of Hot Tongue — it’s just that good.

Earle's On Crenshaw (Crenshaw District)

Earle's on Crenshaw serves up vegan and non-vegan foods.

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One of L.A.’s most beloved historic Black-owned businesses offers not only some of the best hot dogs in town, but some of the best vegan options, all for a reasonable price.

When you enter Earle’s on Crenshaw, you feel a sense of communal love, from groups of neighborhood folks catching up on their lives to the joyful presence of Mama Earle, who works almost every corner of the restaurant space by stopping and speaking with all customers who walk through the door.

Vegan chili cheese hot link with a slice of vegan chocolate cake from Earle's on Crenshaw.

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People line up to make their orders at Earle's on Crenshaw.

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Their vegan options include hot dogs, hot links, and burgers that pack a punch. I opted for the hot link ($8.49), topped with vegan chili ($2.49), freshly diced red onions, and a light drizzling of yellow mustard on a wheat bun. Each bite provided a hearty sense of sustenance.

Another option is their Beyond Meat burger ($12.99), topped with cooked New York sweet onions and vegan chipotle dressing. The condiments dance in perfect harmony, providing a mixture of savory and sweet tastes. If you still have room for dessert, grab a slice of their moist vegan lemon delight cake ($7.49), which features heavenly ribbons of delicate yellow frosting. I’m told that the vegan chocolate cake is also great.

Kathy said the cake exceeded her expectations for vegan baked goods, which can sometimes be dry. “I would never have known it was vegan. It was very moist, and the icing was fantastic. I even saved a slice for my son and husband to try, and by the end, there was nothing left.”

Tian's Dim Sum Restaurant (Chinatown)

Next time you’re in Chinatown, stop by Tian’s. I received a recommendation from Matt Ruscigno, a vegan and licensed dietitian, that they serve several excellent vegan dim sum options, which intrigued me immediately. They're not described on the menu as vegan, but if you look carefully you can find them. Unfortunately, there aren’t trolley carts inside the small space to deliver your food; instead, you order from the menu, and the staff bring the food to you with a quiet sense of efficiency.

From left clockwise, tofu skin bao buns, veggie dumplings and rice rolls in peanut sauce

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Tian's Dim Sum Restaurant in Chinatown

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A good option is their rice roll with peanut sauce ($7.99). The long rice noodles are rolled up into tubes and then drizzled with a sweet, silky peanut sauce with hints of salt that make for some excellent munching.

Other vegan choices include soft, cloud-like steamed tofu skin bao buns (four for $5.99) with a slightly sweet, airy texture and a savory taste from the tofu skins. Or you could try their veggie dumplings ($7.99 for six), perfectly folded with fresh veggies that deliver just the right amount of bitterness and work well with a slight drizzle of soy sauce.

Vinh Loi Tofu (Cerritos)

Vin Loi Tofu in Cerritos

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Inside a newish strip mall shopping complex is where you’ll find Vinh Loi Tofu, owned by Khoi Tran. If the name sounds familiar, it’s because Tran’s brother Kevin owns the other location in Reseda, which has been around for over 20 years. The brothers have made it their mission to celebrate a vegan lifestyle through a message of health and wellness.

Kathy said she feels loved every time she visits the Reseda location. "Kevin comes out, greets you, and cares about people's experiences.”

I felt a similar vibe when visiting the Cerritos location. The lively space offers Vietnamese-style dishes prepared with vegan meat substitutes. Khoi Tran recommended their soy popcorn chicken ($12), served with a plum dipping sauce. The fried tender bits of soy protein worked well with the plum sauce's sweet-meets-tartness. I also loved the lightly fried basil leaves mixed with lettuce, julienned carrots, and a slice of lemon to squeeze over the dish, adding a hint of acid that provided the dish a fresh-tasting brightness with each bite.

Teriyaki duck rice bowl from Vin Loi Tofu in Cerritos.

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Inside of Vin Loi Tofu in Cerritos

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Another tantalizing aspect of the cooking at Vinh Loi is their vegan duck dishes, with their ability to mimic the flavors and textures of the fowl on an expert level. Two great examples are their duck rolls ($11), spring rolls wrapped with rice paper packed with fresh mixed veggies and vermicelli noodles, served with a stellar peanut sauce for dipping. At a slightly higher price point, the other is their teriyaki duck bowl ($14), served with white rice, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, carrot, daikon mixture, and soy duck. Pile it all on a fork or chopsticks to form the perfect bite.