Watermelon Flower

Downtown Santa Cruz is a great place to people watch and window shop.  During my last visit there, I spotted this beautiful edible “flower”.

This certainly gives new meaning to the concept of playing with food, eh?

Watermelon Carved into Flower

Vegan Sri Lankan curries

Asian Rose was a restaurant in Santa Cruz, popular for its delicious and rich Sri Lankan cuisine.  It’s just over an hour’s drive for us, down beautiful and scenic Highway 1. We made it a point to visit at least once or twice a year.

Over the recent Labor Day holiday weekend, little did we know that it would be our last trip. The food has always been entirely vegetarian, with many vegan choices. For example, all of the curries on the menu were vegan, and the prices were incredibly reasonable: one item was $6, two items $6.50, 3 items $7, and 4 items $7.50.

Another three Item Curry - Asian Rose

The first two photos shows two typical plates of three item curries – a deal at $7, including rice and a papadam. I opted for the Mixed Vegetables Curry, Spinach Yam Curry, and Basil Eggplant Curry shown in the first photo.

My biggest regret, every single time I’ve eaten at Asian Rose, is that there is a finite amount of food on the plate and I eventually reach the end.

As dire as my title sounds, Farewell Asian Rose, it’s really not that grim.  We are not facing the end of vegan Sri Lankan food (yea!!)

Sri Lankan Spicy Potatoes

It’s sister restaurant, Malabar Cafe in Santa Cruz, remains open for dinner only, serving much of the same delicious cuisine.  They’re now open daily from 5 pm to 9 m, and to 9:30 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings.  And when I talked to the owner/chef during my most recent visit, he was going to be adding crepes.  When we told him we were vegan, he assured us there would be vegan ones available, too.

So, whether it was Asian Rose or the remaining Malabar Cafe, it’s well-worth the journey to Santa Cruz for vegan Sri Lankan food.

Sri Lankan Curry - Asian Rose, Santa Cruz

One of my favorite places to eat vegan in the San Francisco Bay Area is in Santa Cruz.  It’s a favorite with locals and with vegetarians in the know.

With seating for about 60 people, this rustic yet elegant ambience is the perfect setting for their wonderful food.

During the day, the Asian Rose menu features delicious Sri Lankan cuisine, entirely vegetarian, with lots for vegans.  During the day, diners have their choice of luncheon options which include a dozen vegan curries.  Price is based on the number of items selected.

Sri Lankan Curry - Asian Rose, Santa Cruz

During the evening, Asian Rose becomes Malabar Restaurant, with an expanded menu of vegetarian Sri Lankan foods, including ample appetizer and entree choices for vegans.

My only complaint about eating at Asian Rose is when I finish eating:   I simply want to eat more.  Our last visit was on New Year’s Eve 2008.  We each chose the Tempeh Goreng, yam curry, and differed on a chickpea curry versus a vegetable curry.  A papadam was included with each lunch.  The total cost for both meals was a mere $15.19, which included tax & tip.

For those who are new to Asian Rose/Malabar Cafe, it may seem odd that this one restaurant has two names.  Originally, however, there were two separate restaurants.  Malabar Cafe resided on Soquel, and closed in December 2006.   Asian Rose was located on Pacific Street, and closed in June 2006.  Both restaurants featured Sri Lankan vegetarian and vegan foods.  For Asian Rose, it featured foods cooked at Malabar, and sold in a deli case.

[ Got comments? ]