Recently one of our loyal readers, Joel Freedman, observed that my consistent advocacy of a diet replete with what I tend to think of as rich, creamy goodness is "little more than a recipe for obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, stroke, cancer, and dementia." I have been a bit forgetful lately. And given that it's a new year, that I'm pushing 40, and that I have been hitting the meats and fats a bit harder than usual, I took Freedman's comments to heart. Perhaps I should give my ailing innards a break and check out one of the "many restaurants in the Rochester area that serve delicious, healthy vegan meals." So, I started looking for such a place. I struck gold on the first try.

On my way to dinner at Natural Oasis on Monroe Avenue, I was staring wistfully at the adjacent Dunkin Donuts. Then I opened the Oasis door and a warm plume of spicy, fragrant air billowed out and tugged me into the restaurant. Could this be the same place that I'd eaten at two days earlier, which offered an underwhelming lunch buffet of stewed lentils, sauteed cabbage and carrots, greens, and a pureed Hubbard squash soup for the rather high price of $9? It could. At night, Natural Oasis rolls out its dinner menu, an ever-changing array of inexpensive ($4 a plate), tasty treats created by Chef Nick Bovenzi, formerly sous chef at 2 Vine, the New York Wine and Culinary Center, and, most recently Good Luck.

Open since 2005, Natural Oasis has, as its owner Solomon Kebede admits, struggled with its identity over the past four years. When the restaurant opened, the kitchen space was leased out to Joseph Ferrara, who now owns the New Health Cafe on Gregory Street. When Kebede and Ferrara parted ways, Kebede and his sister Konjit took over the cooking, offering a lunch and dinner buffet. At some point, Bovenzi began frequenting this buffet and became friends with Kebede. They talked about collaborating on a new menu for Natural Oasis, and in June of last year, Bovenzi took over as nighttime chef.

Bovenzi aspired to bring the rich flavor profiles of non-vegan food to a vegan menu. To do that, he had to get creative with the fats that were still at his disposal: olive oil, nut oils and milks, and coconut products. He uses these products to thicken his stocks, create buttery emulsions, and add a touch of richness to dishes just before they head out to the customers. In addition, Bovenzi uses a high-powered blender to incorporate air into his food (ice cream companies do this to create their low-calorie, double churned ice creams), providing the illusion of creaminess without cream. These tricks of the trade result in some remarkably good, even astounding, food.

Dinner started with a tasting flight of three varieties of house-brewed kombucha, a fermented tea that is rumored to provide all sorts of health benefits. Kebede's orange and house-blend beverages tasted how you'd expect a slightly alcoholic tea to taste, just a bit fizzier than normal. The oolong, though, could easily pass as a very light white wine - crisp and dry with a bit of fruitiness, it was a very pleasant accompaniment to the 10 dishes we ordered over the next hour and a half.

We first sampled Konjit Kebede's signature Ethiopian green lentils, a dish that she has made since the restaurant opened and which is, and always will be, a staple of the lunchtime buffet. These deeply flavored yet slightly spicy lentils, made with a spice mixture known as berberi that Kebede's mother makes in Ethiopia and ships to her children in Rochester, are some of the best I've ever tasted.

Unregenerate fat-lover that I am, I gravitated to the fried potatoes in root vegetable broth with cilantro and olive oil, and was seduced by the "broth" rather than the potatoes (which were beautifully golden-brown and crispy). This "broth," really more of a finely pureed potage of rutabaga, carrot, potato, and parsnip, was thick, creamy, and remarkably rich, with a very nice earthy quality. We liked it so much, we ordered a second portion moments after the first was delivered.

We next turned to a whole roasted carnival squash filled with farro "risotto". The tender and sweet squash was overflowing with the chewy wheat-like grains, a pleasant study in textures and contrasting flavors. My dining companions, though, were distracted from this by a plate of broccoli and beets tossed with spiced sunflower seeds - the broccoli fork tender but not mushy, the beets roasted to bring out all of their sweetness. Not a fan of beets, I turned my attention to a plate of roasted cauliflower, sweet potato, and leeks finished with cilantro, a spritz of lime, and olive oil. Again, the cauliflower was tender and slightly browned on the top without being overcooked, while the potato and the leek had both been well caramelized. The lime added a welcome zip to the dish, highlighting the sweetness of the yams.

I ordered the spiced cashew cheese with buckwheat sourdough toast points with more than a bit of skepticism. Cheese? Made from nuts? Closer to a really finely ground cashew butter with the consistency of warm cream cheese, cashew cheese did taste creamy, and I can see how, as Bovenzi later told me, it can be used in gratins. But it's not really cheesy in any proper sense of the word. It is, though, quite tasty in its own right - well-spiced, nutty, and excellent smeared on everything from the dense, earthy sourdough to the plate of injera that Kebede refilled every couple of minutes throughout our dinner.

The most surprising dish we ordered was dessert. Frustrated in our attempt to order a coconut chocolate pudding with chocolate cake truffles (the last portion had just been served), we settled for ginger and cinnamon applesauce with curry, and the moment it arrived we forgot all about the chocolate. Calling this applesauce does it no justice at all. Pureed and then whipped to an almost mousse-like consistency, apple is really just the carrier for an intoxicating blend of fresh ground cinnamon, ginger, a hint of cardamom, and other spices that I quickly gave up trying to identify. Warming, and absolutely delicious, this dish alone could make a person believe that he can lead a rich and fulfilled life as a vegan. Thanks for the tip, Joel.

To find Natural Oasis Cafe in City Newspaper's online Restaurant Guide - including a map, user reviews, and more - click here.

Natural Oasis Cafe

288 Monroe Ave.

325-1831, naturaloasisny.com/cafe

Mon-Fri 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m., Sat 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m., Sun 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.