Suma Cafe - Vegetarian and Vegan Nirvana in Richardson, Texas

When it comes to culinary delights, small towns are usually not the place you think of when searching for scrumptious vegetarian cuisine. In Richardson, Texas there are not one but two vegan restaurants within a mile of each other. Today, I'll focus on Suma Cafe.

Suma Cafe, during the lunch hour, is a completely vegan restaurant. I say at lunch time only, because at night there is one dish on the menu that has condensed milk in it. Just ask them when you arrive after 5:00 p.m. and they'll happily point you away from it.

Between 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday, Suma Cafe is bustling with people eager to get their chopsticks and forks into the fair priced all-you-can-eat buffet. The cuisine is Chinese with wonderful entrees to serve both the health minded and the flavor minded individuals who pass through their doors.

The menu at lunchtime includes: hot and sour soup, spring rolls, fried rice, sesame breaded "chicken" nuggets, sweet and sour "pork", "beef" and cabbage, Kung Pao tofu, sauteed broccoli and carrots, and sugared donuts. The sesame "chicken" is the most popular dish at the buffet counter and you frequently have to wait at the noon hour to get your share.

Lunch also comes with free iced tea if you ask for it.

Taking a moment to note the ambience, there isn't much except for the noted popularity of the locale. The owners are very warm and welcoming, but the building itself is a mere box to sit in. It has no aesthetic charm, but that's not why the regulars come every week. They arrive in droves, both vegetarian and omnivore to enjoy the best vegan food in town.

If you prefer a sit down experience with a larger menu selection, Suma Cafe is open from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The selection includes over 30 selections in the faux meat selections of beef, chicken, duck, seafood, and simple tofu.

When you swing by in the evening, try their amazing Vietnamese spring rolls as an appetizer. They are spring rolls prepared in rice skins that are steamed not fried. It's a translucent work of art containing tofu, faux ham, lettuce, sprouts, and turnip shreds. An enchanting peanut sauce is also included for dipping.

Vegan cuisine has been tarnished over the years as "health food" but let me dispel those notions with Suma Cafe. Their menu is not 100% healthy, but it is 100% amazing and tasty! Their popularity among omnivores is very apparent because during lunch every table is full and there just aren't that many vegetarians in Dallas!

If you love Chinese food, please visit this little gem of a restaurant. You won't even miss the animal on your plate.

Suma Cafe is located at: 800 E Arapaho Rd # 120, Richardson, TX 75081-2255
All-You-Can-Eat lunch buffet: $7.50 (Ice Tea included). Evening menu prices range from $5.00-$9.00 for entrees and $3.00 - $5.00 for appetizers.