Vegan Sushi Chain Opens New Location in Heart of NYC – Proving Vegetables Can Do Anything Fish Can

It’s been five years since Guy Vaknin, founder of popular plant-based sushi joint Beyond Sushi, opened his first storefront. Since then, Vaknin’s entirely vegan sushi restaurant has seen enough success for the little restaurant, which started as a takeaway-only spot in the East Village, to sprout two additional locations. One of these restaurants came in the hubbub of the famous Chelsea Market and the other in Midtown West, just blocks away from the Museum of Modern Art. Well, things just got better, because Vaknin was just able to open a fourth location, right in the heart of NYC.

At Beyond Sushi’s newest location, which is now open for business, Vaknin and his wife Tali are offering something to customers that the other locations don’t have: a full-service restaurant experience. According to a report in The New York Times, the new location, which is situated at West 37th Street in the Garment District, has 72 seats as well as a bar that will serve beer, wine, and sake by the glass and the bottle, and summer cocktails. Other than sushi, the new location will offer all-vegan bowls, dumplings, a new line of soups, and seasonal menu items.

Anyone who’s ever tried to enjoy the intimacy of dining out at Beyond Sushi’s other locations knows that it’s next to impossible, which is why we’re glad that we’ll now have 72 seats to choose from. But even without the full restaurant experience, a trip to Beyond Sushi is totally worth the dining experience. No other plant-based sushi can compare to Vaknin’s creations. Rather than the usual cucumber avocado roll that you can get at just about any Japanese restaurant, Beyond Sushi’s menu proves you don’t need fish for vibrant, flavorful sushi with creations like the Mighty Mushroom, a roll with six-grain rice, enoki mushrooms, baked tofu, braised shiitake, and micro arugula.

We have our sights set on one of Beyond Sushi’s new seasonal creations, a sushi roll that features black rice, blackened goguma (Korean sweet potato), avocado, and baby arugula with lemon dill fava bean topping. 

With multi-chain locations like Pret A Manger launching 12 new vegan items, major pizza chains offering vegan cheese options, and White Castle adding a new black bean burger to its menu, it just goes to show you that whether one is vegan, vegetarian, flexitarian, or just veg-curious, plant-based food is rising in popularity — and it’s profitable. According to a recent informal customer survey by Vaknin, 60 percent of his customer base is not vegetarian or vegan. Other than being a testament to just how good Beyond Sushi is, this tells us something else, everyone wants to get their hands on delicious, innovative plant-based options.

If you love vegan sushi or just vegan food in general, then we highly recommend checking out the Food Monster App, which is available for both Android and iPhone. With over 8,000 vegan recipes (sushi included — and over 10 new recipes added daily), you’re going to find something you love!

Image source: Beyond Sushi/Facebook