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 Souen
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 210 6th Ave.
New York, NY 10014
Cross Streets: (at Prince St.)
Phone: (212) 807-7421
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User Rating
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10
Highly Recommended
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Editorial Review
Choosing a meal at Souen is very emotional. From the moment you walk in the door, when the warm scent of cooked grains, fish and vegetables draws you towards the kitchen, you are met with a strong sense that the food being cooked here will affect you in a deeper way than the normal dinner.
Before approaching philosophy, Souen is first one of the better values for wholesome and satisfying food in Manhattan. The seafood menu, traditional Japanese sauces over broiled and steamed fresh fish served with soup, rice and vegetables, can’t be beat at a sit-down restaurant (Broiled Fish of the Day and Vegetables, $13). You can eat a full meal of whole grains, beans, steamed greens and vegetables for under $10.
The spicy tuna rolls ($4.50), made with a heartier grain of rice than traditional sushi and without refined sugar, were excellent. The sushi menu also includes a good selection of vegetarian ingredients, including burdock, pickled daikon, and seitan.
Souen serves a good miso soup, but be sure to take a close look at the specials, which change with the seasons. The hearty black eyed pea soup ($2 cup) was filled with fresh vegetables and had a hearty, home-cooked feel that allowed me relax into the rest of the meal despite the seemingly never-ending cold of late January.
Tucked into 13th directly behind the New School and down the block from The Strand, Souen declares its macrobiotic philosophy on the green awning outside. Souen’s menu is based on whole grains, seasonal, locally-grown vegetables, sea vegetables, beans and fish. They state: “No sugar, chemicals, preservatives, meat or dairy products are used in our kitchen.” It is this sense of philosophy that drives the menu at Souen.
Macrobiotic thought holds that each person must balance the yin and yang forces within themselves to attain optimum health. By basing one’s diet on grains and vegetables, foods that have a relatively neutral effect on yin and yang, eating a macrobiotic diet makes attaining and keeping balance easier. Unlike vegetarian diets, most macrobiotic diets include fish while excluding meat and dairy.
The Obento box choices exemplify the attention paid to the intrinsic qualities associated with individual ingredients. The Sesame Tofu in Box B, made in Souen’s kitchen, was unlike any that I have had, creamy yet pungent. The greens were skillfully prepared, steamed to a brilliant green and served with a carrot sesame dressing. Notice the proportion of the ingredients served in the meal. A small amount of rich protein served with much larger portions of fresh vegetables and whole grains (barley and sweet rice).
The desserts are satisfying, eschewing refined sugar for sweeteners such as Amazake, made by culturing cooked whole grains to release their natural sugars without removing the rest of the grain.
If you are already into macrobiotics and live in New York, chances are that you are a frequent visitor to Souen. If you are looking for wholesome Japanese food at a good price and don’t know anything about macrobiotics, Souen is a great introduction. |
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Restaurant Information
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Macrobiotic
Vegetarian Friendly
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Asian Fusion
Japanese
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$$$ ($21 -$29)
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M-Sa: 11am-11pm; Su: 11am-10pm
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