Mana Chicago – A Vegetarian Restaurant that knows how to please even Non-Vegetarians
I would've never thought my first restaurant review would be for a vegetarian place, but it is.
Mana Food Bar is situated on Division St. in Wicker Park, Chicago. Division Street is one of the major streets that make Wicker Park and Bucktown the vibrant place to go in Chicago for a neighborhood experience. This area has expanded to include a huge variety of boutique shops and restaurants. You feel the high energy and see many fashionable young people during the weekend nights. We've been residents of Wicker Park and Bucktown for the last 13 years and have witnessed this amazing growth of the neighborhood.
Well... going back to Mana, I'm not a vegetarian but I have never been a big meat eater either. Having grown up eating Korean food (which has lots of spice, flavor, and variety), I'm not usually satisfied with the bland food that most restaurants have in comparison.
They don't serve 'Fake Meat' like other vegetarian places, which I never thought sounded very appetizing, creative or authentic. Mana takes very simple and healthy food, makes it extremely tasty while keeping it "original" and makes it all look very appetizing in their presentations with proper portions. Since it's a small place, I recommend going as early as possible on the weekends or week days. Otherwise there is a long wait at the door.
Buen Provecho!
Sun
Mana Food Bar is situated on Division St. in Wicker Park, Chicago. Division Street is one of the major streets that make Wicker Park and Bucktown the vibrant place to go in Chicago for a neighborhood experience. This area has expanded to include a huge variety of boutique shops and restaurants. You feel the high energy and see many fashionable young people during the weekend nights. We've been residents of Wicker Park and Bucktown for the last 13 years and have witnessed this amazing growth of the neighborhood.
Well... going back to Mana, I'm not a vegetarian but I have never been a big meat eater either. Having grown up eating Korean food (which has lots of spice, flavor, and variety), I'm not usually satisfied with the bland food that most restaurants have in comparison.
I've tried a few vegetarian places in Chicago where real vegetarians think they have great food and I felt sorry for vegetarians until I tried Mana! Mana is a small and cozy place with great food and great price. The menu is simple but each dish is infused with such flavors, you crave for more after each plate, which come in small and large portions, giving you an opportunity to balance out your selections to fit any level of hunger you might walk in with.
Obviously some dishes are better than others but you won't regret ordering any of the items from the menu. The first dish we tried was 'Sweet Potato Pancake' followed by 'Lasagna', 'Mana Chili', and 'Mushroom Saute over soft polenta'. Everything was fresh and tasty. I'm planning to go back and try the other dishes on the menu.
Obviously some dishes are better than others but you won't regret ordering any of the items from the menu. The first dish we tried was 'Sweet Potato Pancake' followed by 'Lasagna', 'Mana Chili', and 'Mushroom Saute over soft polenta'. Everything was fresh and tasty. I'm planning to go back and try the other dishes on the menu.
They don't serve 'Fake Meat' like other vegetarian places, which I never thought sounded very appetizing, creative or authentic. Mana takes very simple and healthy food, makes it extremely tasty while keeping it "original" and makes it all look very appetizing in their presentations with proper portions. Since it's a small place, I recommend going as early as possible on the weekends or week days. Otherwise there is a long wait at the door.
Buen Provecho!
Sun