Last weekend I ventured into the world of the unknown. I went with a friend of mine to the well-known Baltimore vegetarian restaurant One World Cafe. I have always enjoyed tofu and vegetarian dishes, so I had high hopes of enjoying One World Cafe.
Upon entering One World, I was immediately struck by the colorful walls and modern appearance. The front of the space is used as a coffeehouse. There is a counter where patrons can order coffees, sweets, and small entrees. The coffeehouse takes up a large amount of space and is very much the focus of the eatery. Beyond the coffee bar however is a sit-down portion of One World that is more akin to a traditional restaurant. The restaurant has seating for about 50 patrons and is contained in one large, square room. The space is colorful and cute. The atmosphere is relaxed and quaint. The atmosphere is a little trendy, but certainly still casual.
I order a Thai tempeh stir fry dish that was amazing. The texture of the tempeh was more meat-like than tofu. It almost has a texture as though it's got pieces of ground nuts in it, although it is very much made from soy like tofu. The dish had more of an Indian curry taste than a Thai vegetable stir fry, but the flavors were delicious nonetheless. The vegetables and tempeh were exceptionally well prepared and the dish was full of flavors. I had the feeling I was eating something with numerous ingredients, of which I could only make out a certain few. The iced tea was nothing special and the restaurant does serve alcohol. The desserts are fabulous and I have a special place in my heart for the red velvet cake, although I admit to having a special place in my heart for almost any red velvet cake.
