sun in bloom

sun in bloom
460 bergen street
brooklyn, ny
(718) 622 4303
www.suninbloom.com

type of cuisine: light vegan, organic, raw
culinary excellence: 4
vegan friendliness: 10

i spent a few hours over at sun in bloom last weekend reading stieg larsson on my (eh-hem, luca's) kindle. the space was pleasant, but seemed a bit too spacious for the amount of goods they had to offer. the fridges were half-filled with various nut milks, green juices, pastel pink raw pies and prepared salads. there were lots of empty shelves by the register and around the seating area that could have used some plants, at least. it made it feel like the cafe was not entirely ready for customers. amy, the woman behind the counter was very friendly, introducing herself to all new customers and greeting regulars warmly. the menu consisted of some smoothies, breakfast options, sandwiches, fresh baked vegan muffins and assorted sides including some fine-looking kale chips. everything was vegan with a raw/macro bent. amy told me it would take a little while to make my morning energizer burrito, which was fine by me, so i hung out with lisbeth salander at one of the wooden tables and sipped from my half-bottle of fresh brazil nut milk. i'm sorry to say it was not the revelation of brazil nut milk served up at jubb's longevity. the taste was fine - they spiced it up with a bit of cinnamon - but the consistency was a bit goopey. i prefer my nut milk strained and light. the burrito was not much better. it tasted like the dreaded "health food" that omnis tend to associate with vegan cuisine. a tasteless whole wheat tortilla filled with tasteless brown rice, somewhat undercooked black beans and bland tofu with the slightest smattering of avocado puree throughout. on the side was dulce-sprinkled green lettuce and some tasty salsa. i felt bad that the burrito was so boring because it did seem to be made with love. it just needed more flavor. i bet their macro bowls are good, since they are supposed to be simple and plain. final verdict: if you're a yoga-doing, meditating, whole food sort of vegan and you live near flatbush, you'll probably like sun in bloom. if you're a red bamboo and soy ice cream sundae sort of vegan visiting from philly, you might be better off having breakfast at s'nice.