By Aníse Meccouri: Soy Luck Club, New York City

As an original soy boy, running into this place was like a cool breeze in the fiery hell of cute little European cafés serving every common food allergen known to man. At Greenwich Avenue and Jane Street in New York City, Soy Luck Club's large storefront windows and open, soft-lit interior beckon to anyone walking along. The hip, retro design of the inside—with authentic vintage furniture from 1970s—and polished concrete floors make it hard to forget. On the walls hang photography from local artists, flowers in vases, and a single enormous central air conditioning pipe. At night, the little tables are candle-lit and the hanging spherical lamps turned low, but there is no pressure to be fancy. They just like it pretty here.

What’s amazing is how low-key and unpretentious Soy Luck Club remains. Sure, I have sat next to David Duchovny here once, and you will sometimes witness a dangerous looking gang of 15-year-old girls from uptown talking incessantly about how cool this place is. For the most part, though, Soy Luck Club is a place for real-life people to relax or work on their iBooks with the complimentary free wireless network. Usually Stan Getz will be playing softly and people remain quietly polite. The atmosphere is chill without an overpowering statement to it, so it dispels the common myth that we soy people all have political agendas and are in fact angry with those who drink milk and eat meat; not at all. It’s about choices, not substitution. Soy Luck Club serves meat and dairy upon request, they simply specialize in soy.

And “specialize” could be an understatement. Take, for example, the soy cappuccino. A cappuccino’s identity relies primarily upon its ability to maintain a thick and frothy texture of milk upon a shot of espresso. Historically, this has been very difficult to do with soy milk. Many have failed and the reasons for failure are arguable. The Soy Luck Club does not participate in the argument; they don’t need to. They just effortlessly produce wonderful soy-cappuccinos. They’re the experts, they know it, no explanation required.

Every basic coffee-based creation here seems luminously original and set-apart from its competition. But this is real café, not a just a coffee bar, with many other creative offerings to please the palette. The aromatic and smooth Green Tea Latte is an amazing soy-infusion, in that the quality flavors of green tea and whole soy are preserved and bound, like flower petals wrapped around each other on a spring bloom. Also, don’t miss the Soy Steamers, high-end soy milk infused with an ingredient of your choice (honey, ginger, chocolate, coconut, strawberry, the list goes on), and served in a mug steaming hot. If it’s one of those muggy, steamy, New York days, grab a Soyafrost; soymilk, ice, and choice ingredient blended into a smooth and cool revitalizer. The salads, with names like Spring, Zen and Joy, are no lettuce and carrot situations. Incorporating things like black soy (tender black soybeans with a smooth, nutty taste), a soy yogurt dill dressing (bright and clean tasting), and fresh mint, these salads are refreshing deviations from any kind of “iceberg blend."

Soy Luck Club also serves wholesome sandwiches filled with things like creamy avocados, smoked salmon, and fresh herbs, as well as hot pressed bagels (try the banana, honey, and soynut butter) that are as satisfying as any PB&J. The prices are moderate (nothing is over $11) and the West Village, corner location is perfect for people-watching or just gazing at the little, colorful buildings and brownstones of Greenwich Avenue and Jane street, most of which have been around for over a century. It does get crowded on weekends and you may end up having to share one of the larger tables with one or two people, but it’s never an unpleasant experience.

So, if you’re looking for a fresh experience involving some clean food and innovative soy creations, walk into this place and discover soy for the first time… every time.