The Menu: Fiction Kitchen’s vegetarian menu has broad appeal

The Fiction Kitchen

☆☆☆ 1/2

428 S. Dawson St., Raleigh

thefictionkitchen.com

Originally reviewed by Greg Cox on 8/9/2013

You may find it hard to believe, for starters, that the soy protein “chicken” in The Fiction Kitchen’s take on chicken and waffles is not in fact a boneless, skinless breast. Even allowing for the fact that the vegan Belgian waffle is not as light and fluffy as a traditional waffle, the dish is nonetheless a convincing one.

Nor is it a big stretch, when you bite into a tinga taco, to imagine that you’re in a taqueria. Granted, the pale green of the nopales tortilla is a giveaway, as is the quinoa that dots an accompanying bowl of cumin- and cinnamon-tinged black beans. But the meaty, well-spiced shreds spilling out of the tacos are on the money, and the coarse slaw that’s piled on top supplies a delightfully crunchy contrast.

You might find yourself wondering whether the onion fritters, served with a small ramekin of agave-sweetened “butter,” are more like Southern hushpuppies or Indian pakoras. Either way, you’ll no doubt find them addictive.

This story was originally published October 8, 2015 at 11:00 AM with the headline "The Menu: Fiction Kitchen’s vegetarian menu has broad appeal."