Au Lac - Fountain Valley

A fancy-feeling meat-free menu, Fountain Valley's Au Lac leaves your heart full and your belly never empty. 

Plants aplenty; in fact that's all there is. But while veganism often leaves you wanting, the BBQ Pork Rolls will fool even the most consummate carnivore. Soy pork looks like spam, and the supple texture and finishing savor mimics meat spectacularly.

Entrees like the Grilled Seafood Noodles are enriched with vegan shrimp that approximate the flavor and appearance down to the succulence and stripes. Beancurd has a crunch, and meaty mushrooms add umami. The side sauce adds salinity and makes it pop. 

The Royal Noodle Soup is the only one that misses the mark. It's supposed to simulate a bun bo hue, but this one lacks intensity and depth. It's not a bad bowl of noodle soup, but there is just no way a few slices of soy protein can conjure the sassy, spicy, sweet-and-sour, unapologetically pig-centered soup.

The Grilled Fish Rice Paper Wraps are their most impressive dish. Served on a silver tray, the soy fish is covered in a sheet of nori that looks just like skin and adds sea-savor to a flaky-textured meat that has both the flavor and texture of a dry filet. Throw a little bit of everything into a chewy wrapper, dunk in sweet sauce, and I swear it's the best thing I've eaten all day. 

They're well known for their desserts, but the drinks deserve a moment as well. The Chocoholic is a subtly sweet and foamy sip that highlights the dark notes of raw cacao and earthy hemp seeds.

For a non-liquid dessert, try a slice of Scotch on the Rocks, a cheesecake-like pie with grainy, mac-nut notes.

I've gained a new appreciation for cacao as of late, and I love the Choconut Xtasy, which is cacao-forward without so much sugar.

Like most obstinate omnivores, I'm quick to dismiss vegan restaurants as missing the meat. To be fair, tofu, seeds, and weeds just don't cut it when you don't know how to use them. Au Lac, on the other hand, highlights and celebrates them in a way that tastes delicious and feels complete. Au Lac's food isn't about the absence of meat, it's about how good the plants can be.