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Vegan restaurant opens on College Drive

Menu based on Buddhist tradition

The owners of East by Southwest, a sushi and Asian fusion restaurant, are venturing into vegan fare.

Sergio and Hydi Verduzco’s new restaurant, Zen Cuisine, opened next door to East by Southwest on College Drive last week.

The menu is based on Shojin Ryori, a plant-based Buddhist style of cooking, owner Sergio Verduzco said. But the menu items have been modernized and adjusted for American palates.

For example, he will be serving tempura pillows, kabocha squash and silk tofu with tomato and ginger relish and shitake mushrooms in spicy chili oil. Some dishes are a veganized version of the East by Southwest’s menu offerings, including some plant-based sushi.

Zen Cuisine has been in the works for two years, and it was inspired by vegan restaurants Sergio Verduzco visited in San Francisco with his cousin over the last five years. These eateries spanned many Asian cultures, including Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese and Mexican.

“She really opened up my vision and my world,” he said, although he isn’t vegan himself.

The 40-seat restaurant is in the space formerly known as The Golden Triangle. Verduzco opened the former Thai restaurant just before the recession, and it ended up being absorbed into East by Southwest.

The space has served as overflow seating for East by Southwest on the weekends, but Zen Cuisine will allow Verduzco to make better use of the space and serve a growing market segment.

The two areas have been separated by a sliding screen, and Zen Cuisine will have a dedicated kitchen to prevent cross contamination.

“We are not going to dilute the two restaurants,” he said.

But items from Zen Cuisine will soon be available at East by Southwest so omnivores and vegans can dine together, he said.

Verduzco is from Mexico City, but the chef was drawn to Asian cuisine by the flavors.

“It’s bright. It’s beautiful. It’s delicious,” he said.

He doesn’t believe the vegan style of Zen Cuisine should deter anyone.

“It’s just good food. ... I think anyone can come in and enjoy it,” he said.

mshinn@durangoherald.com



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