A Very (Unhealthy) Vegan Affair,
We all know the damage we have caused to planet earth, and I mean it when I say that the easiest thing we can all do is reduce our meat and dairy consumption, something I started doing late last year and intend to maintain.
Where I can (and whenever I can) I eat vegetarian and vegan meals, at home my kitchen does not carry any animal based products and I was surprised at how easy it was to swap my favourites (here’s to you yogurt!) for vegan alternatives.
Sometimes it’s not about being perfect, as a society we do not need four people leading a perfect zero waste Vegan lifestyle. We need everyone doing their best to make better decisions and we live in an age where it is so much easier to make plant based choices.
If you’re a vegan, vegetarian or just plan curious, here are some of my favourite places to eat as the world’s worst vegan:
Kalifornia Kitchen
Another Instagram find, hidden in a side street just off of Tottenham Court Road this pink gem is home to the best vegan burgers I have had the pleasure to consume.
The staff are unbelievably friendly and the Panko Chikken Burger was the closest I have come to tasting real chicken in months, the burger was moist the bun maintained its structural integrity throughout (which seems inconsequential, but there’s nothing worse then being on a date and taking a bite of your burger and everything falls apart).
Now the chips (fries)! These could have a blog post of their own, think Five Guys spicy chips without the burning sensation, these chips had exactly the right level of spice, crispness and mouth watering moisture. I savoured every bite and tried to pinch my dinner guests, who valiantly defended their right to their own chips and only let me pilfer one.
Overall a delightful evening with wonderful company (and my instagram looks better for it!) but I would skip desert if I was you, Kalifornia Kitchen is all about healthy plant based food so their deserts leave much to be desired for my sweet tooth.
Address
19 Percy Street, Bloomsbury, London, W1T 1DY
Temple of Seitan
As an East London resident I have the joy of having a Temple of Seitan in Hackney (yes you’re reading that correctly). Designed in the style of the classic English chip shop there is something quite devilish about treating yourself to fried Chick’n. My guest and I went after we had both had an extremely long day at work, we ordered enough food to feed the five thousand and sat in a corner and stuffed ourselves silly. There is something so comforting and welcoming about the classic British chip shop, a rare moment in society where the class divide means nothing and both barrister and barman queue together for their daily dose of grease, something that The Temple of Seitan gets so spot on that you don’t have to feel sad about giving anything up in your quest to be more ethical.
Plus the food feels less heavy and fatty then an actual British chip shop, which leaves you wanting more, exactly as the devil intended I’m sure.
*For those of you not in the know, Seitan is wheat gluten which is often used as a meat substitute because of its excellent ability to absorbed flavour and maintain a “meat” texture, however is not celiac friendly.
Address
Temple of Hackney
5 Morning Lane, Hackney, London, E9 6NA
Temple of Camden
43 Parkway, Camden, London, NW1 7PN
Dirty Vegan
During my Vegan initiation I think I missed the class on Vegan related puns, nonetheless if you really are in need of a McDonald’s or Burger King style junk food meal, look no further then Dirty Vegan.
I personally enjoyed a Bare Back Three Way, yes that is genuinely the name of the bonkers burger I ate.
But the real star of the show were the sides. Two things I find myself missing is bacon and fried chicken. Dirty Vegan offered fried BBQ Jackfruit (an excellent substitute for chicken and pulled pork) and bacon cheese fries, both sides I gobbled with a child like grin on my face, for the first time on my (worlds worst) Vegan journey I found I couldn’t tell if I was eating meat or not.
The BBQ Jackfruit felt rich and fatty like meat and fell apart in my mouth, the BBQ sauce was perfection, tangy and sweet and made my taste buds dance! A bit of Jackfruit followed by the Bacon Cheese Fries made my heart sing (and my doctor cry) as the rich “cheese”, crisp “bacon” (I am genuinely curious what it was substituted for!) and gorgeous fries filled my belly with love and happiness.
My guest and I ordered this meal to be delivered on New Years Eve and I can’t think of a better way to kick off the new decade then fine food and fabulous company!
At the time of ordering (and eating) Dirty Vegan had a pop-up in Shoreditch, I don’t think that is there anymore however their main base is:
The Balcony, Westfield (Whitecity), Shepard’s Bush, London, W12 7GE
Fortnum and Mason
Every so often a family member (or two) fancy going for a lavish afternoon tea for their birthday. This year it was to F&M, I went with the intention to avoid meat but I was pleasantly surprised, when I asked for a milk alternative, that I was also brought a vegan menu.
I was even more surprised, when I ordered the Vegan Afternoon Tea, that it was so delicious and heavenly, I ordered more sandwiches. The sandwiches, cakes and even the tea where extremely decadent and rich (far from healthy) but oh so gorgeous!
F&M has an expensive tea room, but one way that they go above and beyond (and many other tea rooms could learn from them) is they offer free plate refills. This afternoon tea experience was by far the best I have had in London and was certainly the only place that I have felt the price matched the experience. Definitely a must do if you’re in London and fancy a spot of tea.
Address
Fortnum and Mason, 181 Piccadilly, St Jame’s, London W1A 1ER
National Theatre Terrace Restaurant and Bar
Next time you’re seeing a show at London’s iconic theatre, look no further then the Terrace Restaurant. A Spanish tapas style of food, it is recommended that you order three to four plates to equal a standard main, their menu is more vegetarian heavy then vegan however there was enough options for me to order the recommended amount.
The plates were absolute works of art and the food… interesting, I did enjoy my meal however I found many of the dishes dominated by one or two flavours which became boring and bland the more I munched. One such example was the aubergine mousse, deep charcoal in colour, whipped to perfection yet boring in comparison to the artichoke and cashew stuffed mushrooms. However, where the Terrance restaurant triumphed was its dessert. I treated myself to an old favourite of mine, rice pudding. The terrace put quite the modern spin on the stodgy British classic (and at the time I wasn’t sure how I felt about it) by creating rice pudding balls in a passion fruit syrup, and despite my original reservations, it was gorgeous!
Address
National Theatre, South Bank, Bishop’s, London SE1 9PX
Nopi
Last, but most certainly not least, Nopi is part of a small chain of restaurants in London. Their menu has very few vegan options, but enough to make the meal enjoyable.
I have been to Nopi before and it is certainly pricey, but the friendly staff and fiendishly good Gnocci justifies the price.
They also make the most fabulous vegan chocolate chip cookies with Almond Milk, the milk is made in house and is creamier then any shop bought nut milk. The cookies ooze with rich chocolate, while still maintaining the crunch and doughy texture one desires in ones biscuit.
If I ever feel the need for a childhood comfort that equals its (non-Vegan) original, I am on the first tube to Oxford Circus.
Address
21-22 Warwick Street, Soho, London, W1B 5NE
