Franchia Edit

I treated myself to a lovely dinner here tonight. I love that all of the food is vegetarian, so I don’t have to worry about figuring out which dishes are ok. I had avocado bibimbap with ginger soy sauce, soy cheesecake, and dandelion tea. The bibimbap was quite good and the cheesecake was fantastically sweet and creamy with a lovely caramel/fruit drizzle. Everything was beautifully presented. The tea complemented the meal nicely. It had a roasty, savory flavor and soothed my stomach after too much matcha. The restaurant itself is beautiful and serene. The prices are in special-treat range for me but not completely outrageous. I’m not in this neighborhood often, but I would eat at Franchia again next time I am.

Bonus – it’s not far from the Morgan Library, which is an absolutely wonderful place to visit, happens to have free admission on Fridays from 7pm-9pm, and currently has a great exhibit on Alice in Wonderland (plus a gorgeous collection of illuminated texts and oh yeah, a Gutenberg Bible).

The food is tasty and the tea selection is wonderful. I had a iced ginger tea. It was refreshing and full of zing. I also had the green oolong. It was delicious. It comes with the leaves and a thermos of hot water. I only wish I had brought some tupperware with me since the leaves were good for a few more steeps.

The service was wonderfully discreet. I prefer to be left alone while I dine.