Quantum Leap in the West Village

I’ve known about Quantum Leap and their two locations for quite some time but avoided it because they’re not entirely vegan. In fact, they even have fish on their menu. However, I was in the area with my hungry sister and mom a couple of weeks ago and we needed a place where they wouldn’t be scared by the all-vegan label and I would end up eating more than salad and fries. Quantum Leap was the perfect compromise and after eating there the first time, I was sorry I had snubbed it for so long.

I’m about as obsessed with burritos now as I was with veggie burgers last month (I go through phases) so I immediately knew I wanted to get the veggie burrito under the “mexican platters” heading on the menu. Everything that is vegan is labelled as such with a “V” and they always have vegan soup and dessert. The veggie burrito was huge, overflowing with fresh vegetables and rice and served with a side of tortilla chips and salsa. My little sister got the burger club which was bigger than her face so she ended up eating less than a quarter of it. I took it home, nuked it and thoroughly enjoyed it the next day. The bread bread and the creamy sauce were the highlights while the “bacon” had a strange tie dyed look (wondering what brand they use) but tasted fine. My mother got the nacho appetizer which is vegetarian, not vegan so I didn’t try it but it was huge for an app and she really liked it. All of this was served about 10 minutes after we ordered and I could tell by the taste that it was all fresh and made on the spot. Even the veggies in my burrito seemed like they had been grilled right then and there, not ahead of time.

After such a good first experience, I knew I wanted to go back. The atmosphere is cozy, calm, and quiet so it’s a great place to sit by yourself and read which is exactly what I did yesterday after a hunger-inducing yoga practice. I was feeling very detoxified and fresh from yoga so I decided to keep my lunch clean and healthy which fortunately isn’t difficult at Quantum Leap. While they have your soy chicken, your vegan sour cream, your fake cheese and your real cheese, many of the dishes are decidedly healthier like the Macro Platter and the Big Leap Bowl. At least half of the very extensive menu is made entirely of ingredients that aren’t processed or packaged. I started with a side of steamed greens which were brought out in the exact amount of time that it would take to perfectly cook kale, collards, and broccoli in a steamer.

I had trouble deciding between their array of veggie burgers and sandwiches and almost even ordered the burrito that I loved so much the last time but the Zen Platter caught my eye. It’s a lunch plate (the portion, at $8.95 would have definitely been enough for dinner) piled with very fresh steamed vegetables, brown rice, and a steamed seitan and tofu mix covered in an amazing mandarin orange sauce. I decided to get it sans tofu, extra seitan and I was glad I did because the seitan was cooked to perfection and could have passed for chinese food takeout, except much healthier. My waiter was a doll and even though he had 5 or 6 tables, he was attentive and very accommodating when I switched out the tofu for extra seitan. It was nice not to be the subject of someone’s power trip who sulks at the trouble of having to “check with the kitchen” or doesn’t know if substitutions are ok. Instead, he just said, “of course, that’s fine” and came back about 8 minutes later with exactly what I had ordered. I have yet to visit the Lower East Side location but if it’s anything like the Greenwich Village space, it will be fantastic. Take the plunge… or leap rather and try out Quantum Leap, you’ll be happy you did.