Bite Of The Day: Feasting On Spicy Curry, Pumpkin, Lentils & More At Strictly Vegetarian

As the world seemed to slide into some strange alternate universe yesterday in which a November chill reigned supreme, we set our sights on something warm and spicy that would make us push aside the blankets we’d so optimistically shoved to the back of the closet.

As we debated what we wanted while navigating the sea of puddles and hastily purchased umbrellas on Church Avenue, we ultimately decided on Strictly Vegetarian (2268 Church Avenue, between Flatbush and Bedford Avenues), in part because it had been a while since we’d been there and because we wanted to support the Caribbean eatery after it was held up at gunpoint just last week.

A vegetarian spot that has landed rave reviews for its menu that changes daily, Strictly Vegetarian is, self-explanatorily, a veggie-heavy spot where, for $14, you can get a giant feast of a meal that left the two of us with far more food than we needed for dinner (and, happily, the leftovers were great today for lunch).

While the spot is pretty sparse — there are a couple chairs to sit down, but most of its business is take-out and delivery — it definitely makes up for its lack of ambiance with a variety of flavorful dishes that, yesterday, included: rice with pinto beans, vegetable lo mein, spicy curry, lentils, zucchini with tofu, pumpkin, and kale with carrots.

We tried each of them in our large entree and also ordered two homemade tamarind drinks (an amazing blend of tamarind, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and brown sugar), bringing our meal to $20. (And, you of course don’t have to get the heaping large, there’s also the more manageable $8 small order and $10 medium dish.)

Each of the entrées were fresh and well-rounded, often balancing spice with sweetness — especially in our favorites, the pumpkin, the vegetable lo mein and the spicy curry. Plus, we were thrilled when the spicy was actually spicy — not make-your-eyes-writhe-with-tears spicy but a dish that gives your taste buds the kind of welcome mouthwatering kick that brings you back for seconds.

Add to the food an incredibly friendly staff who are more than happy to tell you about each of the dishes, Strictly Vegetarian is a great to-go eatery that we definitely won’t be waiting so long to go back to again.

Strictly Vegetarian is located at 2268 Church Avenue, between Flatbush and Bedford Avenues. The restaurant is open from 12pm-9pm daily and can be reached by calling 718-284-2543.