A lesson in luxurious vegan cuisine.

Be sure to wear your fanciest skinny jeans when you dine at Plum Bistro. This tasteful Capitol Hill restaurant showcases fine dining, vegan-style.

The signature Spicy Cajun Mac & Yease ($9) is greasy, creamy and coma-inducing —everything good mac and cheese should be. The red pepper flakes and oregano elevated the dish and the gently fried noodles add a nice, crunchy texture. Don’t worry — the portion is great to share before the other courses. During happy hour, you can fill your belly with this stuff for a dollar less.

The Hazelnut Tempeh ($17) is an uber-sophisticated plate of earthy ingredients. Cooked improperly, tempeh can have the texture of a water-soaked bean — but luckily, Plum chefs know what they’re doing. Millet makes a great first impression in this dish, so think about inviting it over for a meal once in a while. The sidekicks — chanterelles, onions and herbs — give this plate superstar status.

The word “fettucine” might lead to heavy thoughts, but the Wild Mushroom Fettucine ($15) is surprisingly light. Sans its usual partner (Signore Alfredo), the EVOO allows the other ingredients to truly shine. The pieces of kale, spongy cubes of seitan and wild mushrooms create a nice balance with every bite.

The desserts change frequently, but are consistently tasty. Ask J — our incredible server — for recommendations. He’s pretty rad.

Get ready to join the Clean Plate Club. The presentation was beautiful, the service commendable and the combinations inventive – in other words, Plum Bistro is among the best places in the city to woo someone special. This place gets a perfectly packed cup of gravy, complete with a tweed fedora.

Plum Bistro  |  1429 12th Ave., Capitol Hill  |  (206) 838-5333