Best vegan sushi found in Albuquerque, PETA says

PETA has put the West Side Albuquerque restaurant atop its list of the best vegan sushi spots in North America. The organization lauded the Asian fusion eatery for “truly (proving) that any food can be made deliciously and healthfully without animal products.”

The honor — announced today in a press release — caught Loving Vegan owner Kathy Punya by surprise. Reached by phone this afternoon, she said she hadn’t heard about the recognition.

Perhaps that’s because she’s had a lot of other things on her mind — like keeping the restaurant open.

Loving Vegan made its debut at 5109 Coors NW in mid-2012 but then closed for a few months, Punya said, because “I don’t have enough employees.”

Punya — who also owns Albuquerque’s Sushi King restaurants — was finally able to reopen Loving Vegan about three weeks ago in the same spot.

PETA cited Loving Vegan’s wide range of faux fish sushi and singled out a few options, including the crunchy vegan squid roll and the Loving Vegan roll. The latter features green chile tempura, avocado, cucumber, vegan lobster, and vegan cream cheese and it comes deep fried with spicy mayo, sriracha, and sweet sauce on top.

PETA spokeswoman Carrie Poppy said on Tuesday that PETA “scoured online reviews” and considered input from staff and PETA supporters in an attempt to highlight the best options from around the continent.

The top 10 list is heavy on restaurants from major metropolitan areas, including multiple selections from New York and Los Angeles.

Poppy said this is the first time PETA has ranked vegan sushi, but the organization is no stranger to restaurant lists. It has previously ranked dishes like the veggie burger.