4 Things to Know About the New Ras Plant Based in New York’s West Village

1. Expect more of the same beloved dishes — and vibes — just in a bigger space.

As of now, the menu at Ras West Village will be the same as at its original location, also serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, so fans who know Ras from Crown Heights will find all of their favorites there.

And if you’ve been to the Crown Heights location, you probably already know how important the overall vibe is to Milka and Romeo (case in point: the “Issa Vibe” neon sign on display inside). It’s the kind of place where it feels like the employees like each other and are genuinely happy to be there. They’re working to bring the same convivial, friendly atmosphere to the new place by transferring over some of their current staff and having them train new ones.

The original Ras features a massive, intricate mural on the interior walls, painted by Miami-based artist RasTerms, and they’ve commissioned him to make his mark on the new space as well.

If anything, the biggest difference between the first and second location, really, is simply the size: 2,100 square feet in the West Village, compared to under 1,400 square feet in Crown Heights. We have a feeling those extra seats are going to come in handy on those gorgeous summer weekends that get Manhattanites flocking to brunch.

The new Ras is located at Bleecker and Sullivan Streets, right in the thick of the Village and NYU territory (of which Milka is an alum). Students, locals, and anyone spending time in the historic neighborhood will be able to dive into a bottle of tej or one of Ras’ fruity, refreshing house cocktails with dinner, and boozy brunches on the weekends — as long as they’re of age, of course.

2. Here’s the story behind their food.

Beating slim odds seems to be a recurring theme for Ras Plant Based. Several years ago, Romeo’s father received a terminal diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Romeo, who was already eating a plant-based diet himself at this point, decided to devote himself to being his father’s personal chef, cooking up wholesome, plant-forward meals made of whole foods. The doctors had estimated that he had just two or three years left to live, but today, Romeo’s father is cancer-free. While we obviously can’t know for a fact if plant-based eating is what nursed him back to health, it sure makes a good case for Romeo’s cooking.

“I think there’s a misperception of veganism,” Romeo says. “Vegan doesn’t necessarily mean healthy, right? You can eat French fries all day, and that’s vegan. And that doesn’t necessarily mean healthy. I always use the term ‘plant based,’ food that’s grown, living food, that process. That’s how I define ‘plant based.’”

The bulk of the menu consists of classic Ethiopian dishes that are already vegan and made from clearly identifiable, whole plant ingredients, like lentil stews, braised collards, mashed chickpeas, and plant proteins like tofu and seitan. Many of the recipes come directly from both Romeo’s and Milka’s families — in fact, the couple first met when Romeo began working at one of Milka’s mother’s restaurants, Awash, itself an early pioneer in bringing Ethiopian cuisine to New York. Ras offers an entrée called “Mama’s Tofu,” so named because Romeo’s mother once sent him a picture of a dish she had made, and Romeo asked for the recipe so he could recreate it. It’s one of the many ways Ras keeps family at the center.

“I spent a lot of time with my mom in the kitchen, and my grandma. That’s where I learned my cooking,” Romeo says. “I never thought I was going to start a restaurant.”

3. But there’s room for some indulgences, too.

All of that said, Milka and Romeo are more interested in catering to their customers than binding themselves to any strict notions of “traditional” or “healthy” food. If you’ve been to other vegan restaurants in the city, you’re likely accustomed to vegan recreations of traditionally meaty and cheesy dishes. And while faux cheeses and meats aren’t heavily featured on their menu, they’re not totally absent. As Milka tells Resy, “we also wanted to cater to people who may not be vegan or plant based, and/or people who are transitioning, because it makes it a little easier.”

Their mac and cheese, for instance, is made with Violife vegan cheese and topped with deliciously crunchy-sweet injera crumbles. It’s the kind of food that the Regallis consider more of a once-in-a-while special treat than an everyday meal — which, as they know, is exactly what many people are looking for when they go out to eat. Offering recognizable dishes is also a way the Regallis make Ras widely approachable, even to people who are completely unfamiliar with Ethiopian cuisine and may be intimidated by a fully traditional menu.

That may be key as they find their footing in the West Village, an area popular with tourists and densely packed with some of the city’s hottest restaurants. They anticipate their brunch offerings to resonate with the Manhattan crowd. In addition to more traditional Ethiopian breakfast foods, diners will find options like the mac and cheese, a lentil burger, and the French toast, which, believe it or not, is one of their top sellers. And of course, they offer brunchy cocktails, like a house mimosa made with honey wine, to sip alongside.

4. They look forward to putting down roots in the West Village — and beyond.

For Romeo and Milka, Ras Plant Based is about more than making money or even a commitment to serving really delicious food — there’s a meaningful, even spiritual component. And with that in mind, the decision to move into Manhattan was an obvious next step.

“[Ras] was opened out of purpose,” Romeo says, “and the purpose being to make the world healthier and happier, and in order to do that, yes, you start from one location, one community — you got to do it one community at a time. The natural way was to open a second one.” And while the West Village location is the only new opening on the agenda for now, don’t be surprised if you’re seeing more Ras around the city in a few years’ time.

“We plan to expand,” Romeo says. “Take it to new heights.”

Opening up in the coveted West Village will put Ras in the company of some of the city’s best restaurants, and having a storefront there will expose them to a whole new audience of people who might never have reason to come out to Crown Heights. But the neighborhood has some sentimental value for the Regallis, too. Earlier in their relationship, they used to spend a lot of time together in the West Village, particularly when Milka was attending NYU.

The new Ras is, in some ways, a chance for Milka and Romeo to evangelize about plant-based eating and Ethiopian flavors to a new crowd. But apart from introducing East African cuisine to the neighborhood, the plan is more to fit in with the local community than to stand apart from it. Out of their Brooklyn location, Ras has been a presence at pop-up events as well as service projects like community clean-ups and feeding neighbors in need. They plan to find similar opportunities at their new home in Manhattan, building relationships and trying to contribute positively to the neighborhood.

“Everywhere we open, we want to belong to the community. I think that’s the most important thing,” Romeo says. “We’re doing it to impact communities. So even though it’s gonna be the same [concept], that Ras is gonna belong to that community.”

Ras Plant Based West Village is open daily for lunch and dinner.

Ariana DiValentino is a writer, filmmaker, and actor based in Brooklyn. Follow her on Instagram, X, and TikTok. Follow Resy, too.