After spotting Jaycelab's stand at this past weekend's Vegan Faire in Anaheim, I knew this was the place I wanted to eat at. My expectations were pretty high based on all the praise I'd seen from friends on social media. I'm happy to report that not only were my expectations met, they were exceeded. The food is fantastic!
Being a festival, there weren't too many options available from any of the vendors. At this event, Jaycelab was offering vegan deviled eggs, beet-pickled deviled eggs, Hawaiian chicken katsu, and a dish called salchipapas (cheesy fries topped with hot dogs and sauces). The chicken katsu caught my eye, but I also recalled hearing that the deviled eggs were amazing so we ordered a regular one as well.
The chicken katsu plate was awesome! The chicken filet was so crispy, savory, and meaty. It came with a zesty tonkatsu dipping sauce and was presented atop a small mound of coleslaw. Accompanying this amazing chicken was a portion of tasty white rice topped with sesame seeds and sliced green onions and a serving of macaroni salad. I'm usually not a fan of macaroni salad because it's often oddly sweet and just too greasy, but that wasn't the case here. This macaroni salad was so delicious that my husband and I were dueling forks for the last bite!
Now that deviled egg, that was a sight to see. It was just adorable and looked very much like the chicken egg version albeit on the smaller side. But the flavor was huge! It had just the right amount of creaminess coupled with slight sharpness from the mustard -- and yes, it did indeed have an eggy flavor. I actually enjoyed this more than any "real" deviled eggs I've tasted because this one didn't have that weird rubbery texture that the egg white part always seems to have.
With plentiful vegan options in Orange County, it's difficult for a place to distinguish themselves from the others. Jaycelab has successfully done this with their inventive and well-executed dishes, and I'm excited to see what they come up with next! read more