32 AUGUST 2 0 1 9
Western Queens residents don’t often
run out of options for eating out. With every
type of cuisine represented on streets like 30
Avenue and Ditmars, it seems crazy to say
there might be something missing. If you are
vegan, you know where I am going with this.
Even though vegan choices are definitely
present, few to no restaurants have an allvegan
menu in Astoria. This is one of the
many reasons why I was pleased to discover
No. 5, a restaurant with both a full vegan
menu and a non-vegan menu, at 37th Street
and 36th Avenue.
No. 5 is owned by Astoria resident and
longtime vegan Rado Ganev. A plant-based
diet was the norm for him while he grew up
in Bulgaria. Ganev’s father was a chef and his
brother also works in the culinary arts. When
Ganev immigrated to the U.S. about 17 years
ago, he started his culinary career working in
a French pastry shop in New York. He fell in
love with working with food and pastries.
“There are tons of restaurants, but overall
they offer the same thing,” Ganev said.
“So I wanted to open something that they
don’t have around here and just something
different than what most people offer. I
think that’s what you have to do in order to
succeed or at least be happy with yourself.
What’s the point of opening another bagel
store if you aren’t offering anything unique?”
Ganev’s business initially opened in
October of 2015, but as a food truck. When
business got too busy for a small truck and
FOOD + DRINK
VEGAN OASIS
BY ALLISON KRIDLE