Located on 81 Clinton St., Parlor City Vegan offers a new twist to comfort food classics. Established in 2016, its many dishes were inspired by co-founder Sara Liu’s family recipes and a larger goal to bring the community together.

Parlor City Vegan is known for its ever-changing menu inspired by local produce from partnerships with local and upstate farmers, as they strive to bring an authentic and unique vegan dining experience to Binghamton residents.

For this year’s Restaurant Week, Parlor City Vegan’s lunch menu was $18 and their dinner menu was $30, a fairly accessible treat for anyone looking to dine out or try something new. My photographer, Jacob, and I were excited to try the dishes at the restaurant, as neither of us frequently eat vegan food. Experiencing new culinary styles was a crucial part of our meal because we both got to try dishes that we don’t normally gravitate toward.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were taken aback by the decorations, as the string lights, leafy plants and natural lighting created a welcoming ambience. The marble granite tables added to the beauty of the restaurant; each table had a small candle, adding to a gentle, cozy and open feeling that Jacob and I appreciated.

We were greeted by one of the servers, who led us to our table by the bay windows. For their dinner menu, Parlor City had a variety of options, and we both struggled to decide which one we wanted to try. Ultimately, we decided to order one item for each course and share the meal. It turned out to be a great idea, as the portion sizes were generous, which we greatly appreciated. Throughout the meal, our server’s timing was great, as she brought out each new dish as we finished the previous one.

For the first course, I decided on the General Tso’s tofu, golden fried and doused in sauce, scallions and sesame seeds. Jacob ordered the smashed cucumber salad, which was marinated in chili and topped with sesame seeds and cilantro.

Jacob’s dish was a crash course in dish presentation, as it was artfully plated to enhance the colors and richness of the marinated cucumber. He described his dish as cool and crispy, with a spicy, salty sauce. The cucumber salad was topped with thinly shredded scallions, adding to the intricacy of the dish.

My dish was delicious as well, and we were both taken aback by the portion my plate had, as the tofu was cut into thick pieces and fried to perfection. The General Tso’s sauce blended the richness of the tofu and the spiciness of the sauce, and the topping of sesame and shredded scallions added to the crispiness of the dish.

For my second course, I went with the Korean rice cake mac and cheese, which consisted of soft Korean rice cakes that were cooked with Parlor City’s house-made spicy cheese sauce. The dish itself was topped with sesame seeds and scallions as our previous dishes were. My dish was a mouthwatering mix of both cheesy and spicy, as the rice cakes were cooked in an incredible sauce that paired well with the softness of the rice cakes, and the scallions on top balanced out the flavors of the dish.

Jacob went with the bulgogi tacos. The dish was made with Parlor City’s house-made bulgogi “beef,” complete with sriracha cream, sesame seeds and a small side salad with dressing. The tacos were loaded with veggies, as the shredded cabbage and carrots added to the crunchiness of the dish and balanced out the sweetness of the bulgogi “beef.” Jacob called these tacos the “star of the show,” saying that he wouldn’t be able to tell that the dish was vegan if he was blindfolded.

As we finished our main course, we saw that the dinner rush had begun, with families and friends arriving to enjoy Binghamton’s Restaurant Week. It was a nice change of pace since we arrived when there was a lull between lunch and dinner — which we appreciated as we got to enjoy our meals at our own speed.

For dessert, we each had a small slice of the cake of the day. We were pleasantly surprised that we each got a different dessert: I got the ginger orange cake with toasted almonds, and Jacob got the chai cake with powdered sugar. Jacob immediately commented on the beauty of the plates that the cakes were served on, as the small antique china was covered in floral designs that enhanced the aesthetics of both the restaurant and the dishes.

After Jacob took several pictures of the cakes, we both dug in and went silent for a while, taking the time to enjoy our dishes. My cake was a delicious blend of the sweetness of the orange and the rich, nutty flavor of the toasted almonds. The ginger flavor was present but not overwhelming, creating a sweet and flavorful dessert. Jacob’s chai cake was light and airy, and the gentle dusting of powdered sugar on top added to the flavor, balancing out the cinnamon and vanilla in the cake.

Parlor City Vegan outdid itself with its dinner menu. With its attentive service and calm environment, it definitely makes for a unique visit and a delicious meal during Restaurant Week.