Express Yourself with Latin Vegan Food!

When people think vegan food, the word savage isn’t a word that usually comes to mindGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. However, one vegan restaurant kicks up the flavor with their food and juicesGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. A vegan café called Savage Sicko takes the bold flavors of Latin food and infuses them into vegan dishesGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. Everything about this café is vibrantGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. From the restaurant’s logo to the back patio filled with colorful umbrellas named La Isla Bonita; Savage Sicko will make you feel like you’re being transported to a tropical paradiseGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

The creative mind behind Savage Sicko is Alex Ayala, who originally envisioned the idea as a lifestyle brand and juice company before a restaurantGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

“Savage Sicko’s slogan is “Express Your ObsessionGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.” And a Sicko is highly obsessive with what they are passionate aboutGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. I ran with that idea and that’s why everything created here is connected to something meaningful to me,” said AyalaGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

During his time playing professional soccer in Europe, Alex learned how to use nutrition to maximize his energy on the fieldGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. After his professional soccer career came to an end, he returned to New York to study mixologyGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. Combining his passion for mixology and nutrition, he started bottling juice drinks, and Savage Sicko was bornGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

Along with his passion for nutrition, Alex also advocates for ocean life conservationGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. The shark logo represents his goal to save sharks and reduce plastic useGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

“The restaurant is a vehicle for raising awareness about saving sharks and doing all we can every day to reduce plastic use hereGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. That is why 15% of our clothing sales are donated toward shark tracking devices,” shared AyalaGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

If you are trying vegan food for the first time, order the tempura-fried cauliflower wings with spicy buffalo sauce and ranch aioliGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. If you want a more traditional meal the La Cha Cha Arepa is the way to goGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. This arepa sandwich is packed with tofu, guacamole, vegan mozzarella cheese, pico de gallo, and a side of sweet plantains and chipotle aioliGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. For something more filling, try the burrito salad wrap filled with tofu, black beans, romaine lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, and chipotle aioliGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. While the food is the main attraction the juice is another great reason to stop byGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028. Ayala’s goal with his juice is to create something which satisfies different purposes, such as hydration, endurance, and energyGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.

Whether you are a vegan or having vegan food for the first time, there is something here for everyone to try that will have you feeling better than when you walked inGive_Me_Astoria_image_00028.