As I mentioned in my restaurant review last month, it’s time to pay homage to the two fully vegetarian restaurants in Fresno. Last month’s review covered the newest, New Stars Vegetarian restaurant. Now we’re back to an old (if one year is old) favorite, the Tower District’s Au Lac Café.

The appearance and continuation of this, the first vegetarian restaurant in Fresno, proved that vegetarian restaurants can do well here! As you stand at the register trying to make a decision and place your order, you’re assisted by Au Lac’s no-nonsense and affordable menu, which clearly indicates which items are vegan and what is just vegetarian. Although I tend to freeze up in vegetarian restaurants because I’m overwhelmed by the existence of choices, three clear vegan favorites have emerged for me at Au Lac. One is pho, a Vietnamese noodle soup that is rarely vegetarian in other establishments. Pho is especially warm and comforting on cool and rainy evenings (but you can still eat it in the summer).

Another one of my favorites is the Happy Burger. Who can resist the urge to order something Happy?! The Happy burger is extremely messy with mushrooms and a teriyaki sort of sauce that slides all over the place and is worth every sloppy moment. The patty is unlike most other restaurant veggie burgers I’ve had, and it comes with either rice or potato chips.

My other favorite is the Au Lac Fish. I always encounter raised eyebrows and doubtful looks when I mention this one, but it is fantastic. It is a soy protein wrapped in seaweed, but it is cooked to create a more intermingled peppery surface texture. I don’t know how else to describe it. I too was a little wary of this one at first, but now I order it often. It comes with rice and a small side salad.

Other Au Lac menu offerings span primarily American and Asian styles and include the teriyaki burger, veggie sandwich, fried rice, curry fried rice, lemon grass chicken, garlic chicken, teriyaki drumsticks, tofu delight, chow mein, avocado delight salad, eggplant tofu, and chow fun. New menu items are on the way, probably for later this summer. Vegan chocolate cake is available (sometimes they run out later in the day), and it’s also really good.

Each entrée costs either $5.95 or $6.95. Au Lac only accepts cash (no credit cards, debit cards, or checks).

Although there are no wait staff (you order at the register and they bring the food out to you), the staff at Au Lac is consistently courteous, and the décor in the restaurant has improved since it opened. If you haven’t tried Au Lac yet, check it out. Once you discover your favorite items, you’ll be hooked!