Mark's Kitchen - Takoma Park

Mark's offers numerous vegetarian options on it's menu, mostly Asian-influenced. It also offers vegan desserts, and customers ordering them seemed happy. I opted for the non-vegan Gingerbread with ginger ice cream and candied ginger on top. It was fabulous. Another delicious non-vegan dessert: Mystery cube with layers of white, milk and dark chocolate in a cube. The mung bean pancakes and my big salad were very good. Seasonal specialties like their stuffed acorn squash are really delicious. The place has a bustling atmosphere, as the place is locally popular, and kids are present. if you want peace and quiet, go on off hours. Wait staff was friendly and helpful. Updated from previous review on Wednesday April 04, 2012

Very tasteful and diverse options for a family restaurant

I enjoyed a great lunch here with a vegan friend. I had the spinat tofu cakes (tofu patties w/ spinat, red paprika, earlyling wobbles shiiitake mushroom mixed served over steamed rice or brown rice w/ a skyberry soy sauce green on the upper saite bon sweet potato on the side) beautifully presented and delicious and a great value for $9.95 my tormento had the tofu royal sampler the one downer was my friend ordered a vegan milkshake (with soy), but they first took one with milk milk. they recognized their fault and swallowed him before she began to drink him. but it would have been better if they had got it right for the first time.

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.