Seva in Detroit

All throughout this hectic week I’ve been looking forward to trying the vegetarian restaurant Seva, located on East Forest Avenue in Midtown, Detroit. Similar to L.A. Café and Java, Seva had received convincing reviews from Yelp and Urban Spoon. Also, their online menu proved to be very vegan friendly, with each item clearly identified as either vegan, able to be prepared vegan, or vegetarian. And almost every single dish sounded mouthwateringly scrumptious.

At around 1:30pm earlier today, my parents, sister, and I arrived at the location. Initially, we had trouble finding a place to park, but a space right in front of N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art opened up pretty quickly. Unbeknownst to us, there was also ample parking behind the restaurant. Taking cues from a cute, decorated chalk sign, we followed the sidewalk to find the entrance to Seva, tucked behind the gallery. You wouldn’t know it from the street, but between Woodward and John R, the exterior of Seva provides somewhat of an oasis. It houses a vast patio space, which is very appealing with large, light green umbrellas and charming horticulture. We almost decided to be seated outside, despite the sweltering heat of the early afternoon. Once we stepped inside, though, we were just as delighted with the interior.

Right when we entered, we were welcomed into a refreshingly open dining area. The natural light leaked in through the many windows and was complimented by some low, glowing lamps. Looking up, I gazed into an industrial, exposed ceiling and felt the gentle fans wafting the warm scents of cuisine into my hungry nostrils. The host, whom we later found out to be the manager, led us deeper into the restaurant to the bar area, just as bright and airy, with red brick covering half of the walls. Those seated in this area could watch as the staff turned fruits and veggies into nutritious juices behind the bar. On some of the walls, just enough beautiful and colorful art from the N’Namdi Gallery were displayed.  For a Sunday afternoon, the restaurant appeared to be somewhat busy, yet the noise level remained pleasantly low, only occasionally interrupted by the loud sounds of the juicer. It was quiet enough, though, for a small toddler sprawled across two chairs at a table behind us to remain sweetly asleep throughout our entire dining experience.

Once seated, we were almost immediately greeted by a friendly waiter who offered ice water, while handing us Seva’s regular menu, a brunch menu, and a list of this week’s specials. I made sure to place an order for the General Tso’s Cauliflower as an appetizer, since I had read from some online reviews that this dish was a must have. We did need more time to decide on our entrees, since every item on the cleanly organized menu was calling our names. Eventually, we all reluctantly made our choices. I ordered the Burrito, but without the cheese or sour cream in order to be made vegan. The server was not sure if this item could be prepared in this way, though the menu stated that it could. Just to be certain, he promptly checked with the kitchen, which was appreciated. My sister ordered the Seva club, also vegan, which had slices of Tofurky and smoked coconut, along with other typical club sandwich toppings. My father ordered the Omelet and my mother decided on the Spinach Enchiladas, both vegetarian choices. There was a long gap between visits from our waiter, which I attribute to the high level of activity in the restaurant. Yet, other members of the wait staff were happy to fill our water glasses while passing by, and the lack of faithful attentiveness from our assigned waiter was almost irrelevant to our experience.

When we did receive our appetizer, I must say, I was simply blown away. The General Tso’s Cauliflower looked fantastic when it was first placed on our table. Sprinkled with sesame seeds and chopped green onions, the dish emitted the decadent scent of salty sweetness. Now, I love vegetables, but have never been a big fan of cauliflower. This appetizer may have changed my mind, though. The fluffy cauliflower was coated in a crispy, yet light tempura batter and smothered in the General Tso’s tangy sauce. It was unbelievably delicious. This savory dish could satisfy any vegan or vegetarian’s meat craving. My only complaint is that a couple of our small appetizer plates were a bit dirty. Yet, the uncleanliness of our plates was soon forgotten as we quickly devoured this well-portioned starter.

Later, we were given our actual entrees, which were just as attractively plated as the appetizer. The burrito I ordered was much larger than I had expected it to be, stretching from one end of a long plate to the other. It was coated with rich, red sauce that was almost flowing over the lip of the dish. Once I had cut into the burrito, I was a little disappointed to find that the contents of it were a tad cool, but not enough so for me to send it back to be reheated. The burrito consisted of a tasty combination of black beans, rice, corn, and fresh salsa, all wrapped up in a huge whole wheat tortilla. It was quite appetizing, yet a tad spicy. I suspect that the cheese and sour cream that are served with the non-vegan version of the burrito work together to cool down the spiciness of this dish. However, I thoroughly enjoyed this vegan burrito and the fiery flavors were not too overpowering.

Equally as pleased, my family happily dove into their entrees. I had a couple bites of my sister's Seva club and was very impressed with the way the faux turkey, mixed with the avocado, coconut, tomato, and lettuce, fooled me into thinking I was eating an actual meat sandwich. It was scrumptious, as were the yam fries that were served on the side. It is also worth mentioning that many, if not all, of the various breads that Seva uses come from the Avalon bakery, which is also located in Midtown.  I did not taste either of my parents’ main entrees, except for a tortilla chip from my mother’s meal, which was unfortunately a bit stale.

Aside from a few bumps in the road at Seva - such as the slightly inattentive waiter, a few dirty dishes, my sort-of chilly burrito, and some stale chips – I had a very enjoyable experience. I loved the pleasant exterior, along with the open, calming interior of the restaurant. The successful way Seva turns typical meat dishes into extraordinary vegan and vegetarian meals is especially noteworthy. Also, although the prices of the appetizers and entrees were moderately expensive, the portions must have been more than adequate, since we all needed about half of our meals to be boxed up and brought home for leftovers. I would love to visit Seva again. After the appetizer and entrées that I had tasted soared beyond my expectations, I am eager to return to try more items from Seva’s diverse menu. I definitely can confidently recommend this place to not only vegans, but to all of my meat-eating friends and family.

                Seva – 4.5 out of 5 stars.