Before going to Bryant Terry’s Speaker Series, TJ and I headed to Souley Vegan in downtown Oakland for some delicious vegan soul food.

For starters, we had Artichoke Garlic Dip with Garlic Bread and Vegan Butter. The creamy dip tasted pure bliss especially because it had  strong flavors of my two favorite ingredients: Artichoke and garlic.

What TJ ordered: Combo of black eyed peas, mustard greens, and mac and cheese. Souley Vegan must have changed chefs. The mac and cheese I had before at this place couldn’t compare to this one. I tasted more cheese without the gummy texture. The black eyed peas and mustard greens were also a winner.

What I ordered: Southern Fried Tofu Bowl, which was their Special that day. Their presentation may not be clean, but maybe it wasn’t supposed to be. Regardless, this bowl tasted amazing. I’d order it again.

The ambiance transcended us to a cozy Southern-like dining.

The menu:

TJ & I enjoying our meal.