It takes a lot to make us put down a juicy hamburger, but we’ll admit it: we got mobbed. Straight off the mean streets of Brooklyn and fresh on the block of Rue Charlot, this little outer borough-inspired bodega is trying to prove that vegan food isn’t just for the ladies.

What is MOB? It’s short for Maimonide of Brooklyn, but like the philosopher from whom it takes its name, MOB also represents a state of mind, a way of life, an attitude. Armed with the right ingredients and recipes, Cyril Aouizerate, the creative mastermind behind urban playground and gangsta paradise Mama Shelter, delivers a restaurant philosophy based on healthy, vegan fast food. Just take the “sausages” dangling from the ceiling, for instance, a rather off-putting sight in a vegan restaurant. They’re actually homemade using grandma’s recipe, which includes dates, figs, and pistachios, and they’re meaty.

The “nuggets” are as good, if not better, than the real thing. Here, they’re made from leeks, potatoes, and curry, and they go well with a side of oven-baked yucca fries. Try the restaurant’s namesake MOBs, meatless pizzas baked in the shape of the arches of the Brooklyn Bridge. The toppings change daily; we had the “Smiley,” a combo of marinated tofu, tomatoes and green olives, and the “Tagine,” a spicy mix of aubergines, onions, and carrots. There’s even a “Sweet Tagine” MOB, topped with pears and date compote, and some seriously killer desserts like the “no cheese-cake,” made from soy protein cream, along with some of the best, soon-to-be-notorious, chocolate chip cookies we’ve ever had, vegan or not.

There’s also a mini convenience store that sells vegan products and a nice selection of Fizzy Lizzy natural sodas from New York, and the owner is teasing the opening of a full-size restaurant in Paris later this year. For now, we’ll just stick to MOB: part test kitchen, part concept store—totally awesome.

Location:

30, rue Charlot
75003 Paris
01 42 77 51 05
metro: Temple, Filles du Calvaire
open tuesday through satuday from 11.00am to 7.00pm

Article by Felix V.

M.O.B

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