No one is storming the Bastille, but there is a revolution at Ladurée, the French restaurant group based in Paris. It’s going vegan, entirely so at its Beverly Hills location, and it will offer many of its plant-based options elsewhere, including in New York. Elisabeth Holder, an owner of the family-run company, said her brother, David, also an owner, already leans vegetarian. “Our children have been pushing us, and vegan has become very popular in France,” she said. The company is working with Matthew Kenney, the French-trained vegan chef, to interpret dishes like onion soup, vol-au-vent, gâteau St.-Honoré and croissants with strictly vegan ingredients; the results, in these instances, are astonishing. The brioche passes muster despite a whiff of coconut. They’re doing golden, eggless crepe-like “omelets” which might please a vegan but not me. “The hardest part of this project has been reproducing their style,” Mr. Kenney said
Ladurée, 398 West Broadway (Spring Street), 646-392-7868, laduree.us; 864 Madison Avenue (71st Street), 646-558-3147; Plaza Food Court, 1 West 59th Street, 646-883-3080.
Follow NYT Food on Twitter and NYT Cooking on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest. Get regular updates from NYT Cooking, with recipe suggestions, cooking tips and shopping advice.
