Restaurant profile: Balasia
by Express-Times staff
Friday May 16, 2008, 12:20 AM
Original Article
Hours:
Noon to 3 p.m. Tuesday; noon to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Friday; 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday through Saturday; 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday.
On the menu:
A vegan restaurant that specializes in Asian fusion meals with fresh local ingredients from the Lehigh Valley.
Owner and chef Wendy Landiak has traveled to India and Indonesia. She's put culinary secrets she discovered into her food. The result is a combination of fresh vegetables with exotic and comforting spices. The menu is packed with meals that are both healthy and tasty.
And fear not, diners who aren't vegetarian or vegan. The food rivals what you'll find in good ethnic restaurants for flavors and taste.
And it's BYOB. So bring your favorite beverage.
The rave:
The menu changes daily, which is part of the restaurant's appeal.
Some recent dishes: rosemary miso soup, which is a combination of Japanese and Italian influences; white Indonesian seitan curry over an organic greens salad; and an Indonesian tofu tower, which features three layers of tofu each with its own flavor.
The Sunday brunch menu has included Indian breakfast tostadas, Asian pear pancakes and coconut waffles.
Dress:
Casual. Diners can eat either indoors or outside.
Check, please:
Lunch items are $6.95 and up; dinner items are $8.95 and up. Balasia also features three-course meals called Balasian Adventures for $35 each. Sunday brunch entrees are $15.50. Desserts start at $6.95.
Diner confidential:
"I wanted to eat gluten free and organic and there aren't a lot of restaurants around here where you can get that kind of food and have it taste so good," Gloria H., Macungie