Mark's Kitchen - Takoma Park

I enjoyed a great lunch here with a vegan friend. I had the Spinat Tofu Cakes (tofu patties w/ spinach, red peppers, spring onion shiitake mushroom mixed served over steamed rice or brown rice w/ a raspberry soy sauce green on the top string beans sweet potatoes on the side) beautifully presented and delicious and a great value for $9.95. My friend had the Tofu Royal Sampler Box (drilled tofu, zucchini, eggplants, soybeans, roasted algae, Shishatake mushroom, Mung beans pancake steamed rice or brown rice) they also enjoyed. The one downer was my friend ordered a vegan milkshake (with soy), but they first took one with milk milk. They recognized her mistake and exchanged him before she started drinking him, but it would have been better if they had got it right for the first time.

My husband and I recently discovered this place and we love it! I had vegan options both times and my husband had the Korean steak. They have a nice selection of craft beers and all kinds of soda soft drinks that you would have been able to find at a general store in the 1950s (Moxie, cream soda, etc). I would recommend the tofu skewer appetizer with maple chipotle sauce (which you can buy there). I had the sesame noodles, which I found delightful. I saw the earlier review, but maybe it was a bad night? Mine were very tasty. My husband is a huge fan of carrot cake. He ordered the carrot cake, which I tried. It was moist and the icing had a nice complementary flavor. The one thing I plan on telling them then next time I am in there is that I am not sure what is up with some of the other desserts. My friend got the mud pie (I think it was called). He said it tasted like it had been sitting out all day! I got a Boston cream pie slice to go. First of all, it had the layer of chocolate on top that looked like cake fondant, the kind of thing you can peel right off (and it did). It was inedible, hard, and also had the texture like it had been sitting out all day. The server had said something about how they were getting a lot of Boston cream pies in lately which I take to mean that they are not made in-house. Personally I think this is a huge mistake, but I can say that the other food is fresh and tasty. It 's like home-cooking if you 're a vegan, or it 's like eating at a vegan Korean diner. Lastly, another reviewer said that it was pricey. Entrees run about $10, which seems reasonable to me, and there are specials every day of the week. That being said, visit as soon as you get the chance. Updated from previous review on Tuesday April 29, 2014

This place is a nice little place for the center of Takoma Park it has that little town feeling, despite being in a suburb of Washington, DC. When you walk in, there are people, tables, food and just a general sense of minor chaos and disorganization. You can purchase food items that are pre made and processed, as well as order from their menu. The menu choices are plentiful for vegans and the food is fresh, but I know that I can go elsewhere to get a better deal. I like going here to support a small, local business, but the cost is something that could prevent some from wanting to return. If you look at the menu, the costs seem reasonable. However, when you then get the order, it's a normal portion, but, these days, a normal portion is small at a restaurant. To fill up, I would probably next time order not only a salad and an entree, but maybe add on a side (almost ALL of the sides are vegan!! or starter. The menu is great for the pasta MK, the salads, starters and main courses sections. The menu is Asian/ American, and very vegan friendly. So, that's a plus you can satiate a variety of food interests in one location. I love that there are lots of options for seaweed and fresh veggies! More places should have seaweed and not just the electric green seaweed salad at Japanese restaurants. I prefer their Asian Korean style entrees to the other stuff, but it is all decent. Overall, I like the place, but if I'm hungry and budget concerned, I will leave hungry or spend more than I had hoped to spend.

Disclaimer- I don 't eat at chain or fast food restaurants. I had the sesame noodles, which tasted like soy sauce and nothing else. My mom had curry and hated it. The only reason we didn 't send it all back is that we waited 45 minutes to sit and 25 minutes for the food. Can you say, Starving!?! We were told it would be a 15 minute wait to be seated.

We went to Mark 's kitchen recently when my family was in town and it was the best posible choice for us. I am vegan, my husband although omni is very veg-friendly and my parents are both meat and potato people who would never even consider eating anything remotely ethnic . Finding a restaurant to suit all of us is nearly impossible... This restaurant had something for all of us! It didn 't hurt that the staff was very friendly and helpful. The menu was a mix of ethnic and all American burgers and stuff. There was also an entire section of vegan deserts. It is a very casual little place with limited seating so I imagine it can get a little crowded at times. We will definitely be going back though!