What To Order at Planta Cocina in Logan Circle
As plant-based restaurant offerings in the D.C. area continue to grow, the options are now both varied and thrilling — ranging from casual, counter-order fare to dining odysseys dedicated to vegetable-forward tasting menus. Amidst these shifting tastes, Planta has ascended to popularity as an approachable and stylish destination that’s equally comfortable for intimate dates or for big gatherings, with superb, contemporary cooking that just happens to be vegetarian.
The restaurant’s Planta Cocina concept, located in Logan Circle, has excelled within its own particular niche by offering cooking that showcases Latin American ingredients and culinary preparations, like croquetas, queso fundido, guacamole, and Baja mushroom tacos, alongside a strong cocktail list and a plush, modern dining room.
It’s the third Planta restaurant in the DMV area, following predecessors that offer differentiated concepts under the same ethos of contemporary plant-based cuisine. Planta Queen, with a site in Dupont Circle, offers a predominantly Asian-inspired menu; meanwhile, the namesake Planta in Bethesda is based on the original café, with a broad vegetarian offering. Despite its Latin American culinary focus, Planta Cocina also offers many of its sibling restaurants’ dishes, including the group’s signature sushi rolls and small plates that invariably dot tables at each service.
Founded in Toronto by David Lee and Steven Salm in 2016, there are now 16 Planta restaurants around the U.S. and Canada. The pair’s goal was to open a contemporary vegetable-focused restaurant where the dishes, as Lee tells us, “aren’t necessarily designed to mimic their meat counterparts but rather offer a similar texture or flavor profile to invoke in your mind an association, a memory.” Naming the dishes after classic meat or fish preparations provides the diner with “a guide or a point of reference when embarking on their plant-based journey,” he explains.
Plant-Based Dining in D.C.
Lee, the executive chef for the entire line-up of Planta restaurants, is from Mauritius, but was born in London, eventually moving to Toronto and finally Florida, where he and Salm now both live. He remembers growing up with vegetables being the main part of every meal, and recalls climbing trees to gather jackfruits in childhood in Mauritius, and marveling at the sweet flavors of the plentiful local fruits there. When a mutual friend introduced him to Salm in Toronto, it felt serendipitous — they were both “fanatics of plant-based cuisine” and had their hearts set on opening a vegan dining venue with a chic, lounge-like ambiance.
While Salm focuses on the hospitality and business aspects of the restaurants, Lee leads on devising the menus and dishes for the various concepts. He has found that the spices, fruits and vegetables of “Asia and South America are especially conducive to plant-based cooking,” hence the emphasis on Asian and Latin dishes on the menus at each restaurant.
With the popularity of their first location in Toronto, the business partners decided to open more locations, beginning in Florida, and later in the Northeast, Midwest, and California. They eventually opened the three restaurants in the D.C. area, to considerable success. Lee hopes that the love he developed for vegetables as a child can be passed on to others through these restaurants. Each item on every menu reflects his cooking philosophy, which is to shine a light on the extraordinary versatility of plants.
Currently, Lee and Salm have no plans to expand further, and for now are focused on constantly improving their menus and dishes, which includes “personally crafting and sampling new dishes and ingredients.” Their dedication and restraint seems to be paying off, based on the crowds coming in to dine at the three Plantas in the DMV. With Planta Cocina filling a gap for stylish Latin American vegan fare in Washington D.C., we’ve created a roadmap to showcase some of the restaurant’s highlights.
Croquetas
Divinely crunchy, these oblong-shaped croquetas are the perfect opener to your meal. Made with stretchy cashew mozzarella, smoky mushroom bacon, and fresh cilantro, these Spanish fried snacks are finger-licking good. Don’t skimp on the creamy garlic aioli that they are served with either. Pro tip: These nuggets are also on the restaurant’s happy-hour menu for half off.
Queso Fundido
Served in a mini skillet, the melted cashew-based queso in this fundido has exactly the right gooey string-cheesy goodness you need from a warm fondue. Expect to want to mop up every last bit with your warm tortillas, which are served alongside the queso that arrives garnished with a few sprigs of cilantro. It’s a dish that’s best for sharing, but one you could easily devour all on your own.
Kelp Caesar
The Caesar salad was invented in Mexico in 1924, and only later soared to popularity throughout the U.S. The version at Planta Cocina is unlike any other, yet has all the flavors that the classic salad has become famous for. Instead of Romaine lettuce, kale is tossed in a dressing Lee describes as “a rich, umami-flavored Caesar dressing made with vegan mayonnaise and sugar miso,” and topped with nori (which brings an earthy saline note to the dish), compelling shards of crispy mushroom bacon, paper thin slices of ‘Parmesan,’ and chewy kelp noodles, which, if you have never had them before, will have you marveling at their texture. With its Mexican origin, American interpretation, and a twist of Asian flavors, the dish is a prime example of Planta’s globally inspired point of view.
Crispy Gyoza with Chimichurri
While many of the group’s restaurants offer gyoza on their menus, each differs slightly depending on the location’s concept. Here at Cocina, the gyoza are stuffed with spinach and cooked to a sizzle and then receive a good splash of a flour and water mixture in the hot pan, which through boiling and steaming “forms a thin crispy layer on and around the skin of the gyoza,” explains Lee, making them uber crunchy and delectable. For a South American twist, these gyoza are served on a puddle of aji chimichurri, the spicy, herb-packed sauce commonly served with meat dishes in Argentina and Uruguay.
Al Pastor Bowl
Planta Cocina’s riff on tacos al pastor perfectly captures the smoky caramel flavors of the Mexican classic in an al pastor bowl. Lee’s interpretation of the dish features charred, juicy hunks of pineapple, a chorizo crumble made of potato, chunky guacamole, and crema drizzled on top. Served in a bowl over chipotle rice, the medley of flavors and textures will have you swooning, which is not only plant-based but also happens to be gluten-free.
Spicy Crab Roll
Although each restaurant in the Planta group promotes diverse culinary traditions on their respective menus, their overall global spirit means that all the restaurants share a sushi menu, which is one of the hallmarks of the brand. Each sushi dish is charmingly inventive, from eggplant unagi to spicy ‘tuna,’ but one of the restaurant’s most well-known dishes is the spicy crab roll. Here, crab is substituted with hearts of palm, an ingredient that Lee recalls from his childhood and fell in love with in Florida, finding it to have the “right flakiness [to double] as crab, along with a slightly sweet taste that is also similar to crab,” he says. The shredded hearts of palm are combined with a creamy sriracha-infused mayonnaise, ponzu, rice, and chile oil for a touch of heat, and the blend of ingredients serves as the filling for the sushi roll. Enrobed in rice paper, the dish is a symphony of sweet-spicy-salty notes, and an essential part of any order at Planta.
Crispy Chick’n Sandwich
While many of the dishes at Planta Cocina highlight Lee’s affinity for Latin and Asian flavors, the restaurant also serves several classic American dishes. One notable favorite is the chick’n burger – here, with a Meati chicken fillet made from a mycelium chicken substitute, made from the root structure of mushrooms. The end product resembles the white meat you’d find in a chicken nugget. Lee and Salm are particular about which products they use in their kitchen, and they insist all ingredients in their dishes “must be made from plants and have few — if any — artificial additions.”
The patty has a satisfying meat-like texture, while the breading is crispy and crumbly. The sandwich is garnished with classic burger toppings, including pickles, lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise, and mustard. Satisfying and hearty, it’s served with fries and will definitely remind you of your favorite childhood or late-night chicken burger – in vegan form.
Udon Noodles
As Lee notes, the culinary team at Planta is perpetually engaged in research and development, “trying out new recipes, launching favorites as monthly specials, and then rotating in new dishes that are the most well-received.” Some dishes, however, are staples, which remain on the menu “no matter what.” Due to its enduring popularity, Planta’s udon noodles are one of those dishes — a result of “the heaps of full-on umami coming from the mushrooms and truffle in the sauce.”
As a chef, Lee always seeks to bring out the umami in his dishes, and no other creation on the menu quite shows off the fruits of that labor like this one does. The dish is a real indulgence — one that’s not exactly Japanese nor exactly Italian, but not neither either — with thick, springy noodles swirled in a coconut milk sauce that’s infused with truffle puree and tossed with cremini mushrooms that lend satisfying bite and texture.
Tres Leches
Popular across South America, tres leches is traditionally a decadent dessert that features cake soaked in a combination of whole milk, sweetened condensed milk, and evaporated milk. The tres leches at Planta Cocina is no less extravagant than the traditional recipe: the sweet, spongy cake is soaked in non-dairy milks, topped with a dense vanilla “buttercream,” and doused in a tart, bold passionfruit sauce. It’s a memorable way to close your meal here.
