Phuc Yea Celebrates Meatless Mondays With Vegetable-Focused Menu

Miami, it's Meatless Monday. Switch up your routine with a visit to Phuc Yea on the Upper Eastside. Here, dig into three plant-based specials available only on Mondays.

"Chef [Cesar Zapata] and I believe we need to eat to live," says co-owner Ani Meinhold, "not the other way around. We make conscious dining decisions, which is why we figured creating a menu for others who also lead sensible lifestyles was important."

Highlights include pho in a shiitake mushroom broth with bok choy, exotic mushrooms, eggplant, tofu, and rice noodles; cha gio chay, in which Vietnamese spring rolls are stuffed with cabbage, wood ear mushrooms, carrots, and glass noodles, and served with a sweet chili and lemongrass dipping sauce; and a tofu and lomo saltado mash-up plate in which shaken tofu comes with red onion, tomato, fingerling potatoes, and black pepper. Prices range from $10 to $22.

Phuc Yea references the environment as a reason to incorporate meat-free days into one's lifestyle, according to Meinhold. "Choosing to eat either vegetarian or vegan is a lifestyle decision," Meinhold says. "We want to attract those like-minded people and give them flavorful, vibrant options at an approachable price point."

Besides Meatless Mondays, the restaurant features a number of plant-based options throughout the week. Standouts include broccoli bao buns with sweet and sour broccoli, pickles, cucumber, sriracha, and tofu cream ($12); edamame hummus made with tahini and lemongrass chili oil, and served with rice crackers ($10); and eggplant curry, which includes exotic mushrooms, bok choy, sweet potato, tofu, and jasmine rice ($20).

"We're trying to get diners to think about eating more vegetables without feeling like they are missing anything," Meinhold says.

Phuc Yea. 7100 Biscayne Blvd., Miami; 305-602-3710; phucyea.com. Meatless Mondays happen every week beginning at 6 p.m.