Oh no, Otarian

I finally went to try out Otarian for lunch. Otarian declares itself to be a pioneering fast food vegetarian chain committed to being eco-conscious and healthier.

I ordered the Hearty Vegetable Biryani and a hot dessert of Apple Crumble. The Biryani was dry with a token few veggies. It looked and tasted microwaved, a no-no. The apple crumb did have apples, but tasted dry and the crumble tasted like dirt. Dry dirt.

The one bright spot was the Sweet Potato chiplets, which were fried crisp in a thick batter. But anything fried tastes better. Even grasshoppers.

Yes, all the packaging is recycled and compostable but the food is still packaged excessively. The labels and boxes are emblazoned with eco propoganda that aims to justify the bland food. It's attractively designed, but chokes the company's minimal waste flow.

Thanks to Groupon, I got a deal: $12 worth of food for $6 but even with the discount, I wouldn't go back. I applaud the company's commitment to sustainable and environmentally conscious practices. The cashier girl was nice and I liked that the restaurant had clearly delineated composting trash bins. But good vegetarian food doesn't taste like repackaged airplane food. At $8 for a bland biryani and small portions, I'll stick with the street carts and Maoz!