veganlondon

Unity Diner

plumesworld, , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Hi All! So it’s been a while, 4 months in fact. I’ve had some issues with fatigue over the last few months caused by my thyroid problem, so blogging wasn’t my priority. I’ve had an adjustment to my medication and I feel like I’m getting my mojo back!

There are a couple of things that have inspired me to get back to blogging – my trip to Japan where I have tried some amazing vegan food and a fellow blogger. I got friendly with Jenny from Herbivores’ Heaven last year during Vegan MoFo (vegan month of food). I haven’t taken part this year due to the clash with my big holiday but Jenny is and she is basing her month on her own recent trip to Japan.

I had every intention of posting my review of Unity Diner back when I went a few months ago so here it finally is.

I had been wanting to visit Unity Diner ever since it opened. Unity Diner is the brain child of Earthling Ed and is a non-profit which helps fund Ed’s activism charity Surge. When my friend Marina announced she was coming to the UK (from Japan) during Golden Week (extended this year due to the new emperor being signed in) I knew it was the perfect opportunity to go to Unity Diner.

I chose this enormous burger! As I usually do with burgers this size I chopped it in half to make it more manageable. It was really tasty and the chicken style patty wasn’t dry at all.

Marina chose the cheeseburger and we shared some fries and mac & cheese.

The mac was lovely and gooey and just how I like my mac & cheese.

Even though we were starting to feel full we couldn’t resist dessert. Vegan desserts have come on leaps and bounds in non-vegan restaurants so I definitely have more opportunities to have one, but I’m still excited by a dessert menu at a vegan restaurant where there are multiple options.

I chose the cheesecake and Marina had the (badly photographed) crumble. Both were fabulous.

I hope to return to Unity Diner soon to try out their weekend brunch menu and taste their waffles and/or pancakes!

Have you visited Unity Diner in Hoxton? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

I will be back soon with some posts about Japan.

Plumes x

Unity Diner

The Canvas Cafe – April 2019

plumesworld, , , , , Leave a comment

My friend Mitsu and I decided to go to Canvas Cafe for our regular meetup as it had been a while since we had both been to the spot just off Brick Lane.

This was very convenient for me as I had an appointment to give blood nearby directly beforehand.

The last time I went to Canvas I think it was still vegetarian but I’m happy to say they are now completely vegan.

I chose the tofish and chips while Mitsu went for the quesadilla. We had a peppermint tea and a tumeric latte to drink.

My tofish was really tasty and as you can see there were plenty of chips. The only slight thing I would recommend would be to press their tofu a bit more.

Mitsu bought a huge wedge of blueberry and lemon crumble cake and I couldn’t leave without getting a peanut butter and jelly brownie for my Husband.

Have you been to Canvas recently? What did you think let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

The Canvas Cafe – April 2019

Pho – April 2019

plumesworld, , , , Leave a comment

I hadn’t been to a branch of Pho in a long while so when deciding where to go for lunch with my friend Matthieu last time I thought we’d give it go.

Pho is a chain of Vietnamese restaurants selling the classic Pho a dish of noodles and soup as well as many other Vietnamese dishes. They have plenty of vegan options with a couple under each menu section.

We started off with some crispy spring rolls which were gorgeous.

I chose a noodle dish with tofu and mushroom. I am the messiest eater when I’m eating out of a clear both so I was must safer going for a dry noodle option! This dish was really tasty and a decent portion.

Matthieu isn’t vegan but he and his wife are trying to reduce their meat consumption so he went for the tofu pho.

I like how you can add all your aromatics yourself so you can control the level of flavour/spice.

I had a jasmine tea to drink which was so pretty!

I would really recommend Pho if you are out and about and especially if you are in a mixed group of vegans and meat eaters. I look forward to going back to try their other vegan options.

Have you visited Pho? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

Pho – April 2019

My Old Dutch – March 2019

plumesworld, , , , , , , Leave a comment

My Husband and I walk past a branch of My Old Dutch pancake house every week on the way to and from the language school we attend near Holborn. I saw a post on the best places to get vegan pancakes (sorry, I can’t remember who from!) and found out that My Old Dutch had vegan options so we decided to go before our class this week.

You can veganise the standard savoury pancakes on the menu with a vegan pancake and vegan cheese.

There is also a completely vegan pancake which oddly we couldn’t see on the menu so we pulled it up from the website to order. As this seems to be the only pancake advertised as vegan I assume it doesn’t have its own vegan menu so it was odd it wasn’t on the main menu.

My Husband chose this one along with with a vegan vanilla shake.

My Husband enjoyed his pancake although he did find it a bit stodgy and could have done with a drizzle of sauce or something. He also really liked his milkshake and it’s great to see an omni place offering vegan milkshakes.

I ordered a vegan version of the asparagus. Described as below –

When it first arrived it looked like this –

I was suspicious the cheese was dairy due to the texture and smell so I called over a staff. Instead of just apologising and correcting me order they argued that I had only ordered a vegan base. As my Husband had ordered vegan pancake and milkshake think it as pretty obvious we were a vegan couple. They also confirmed the spinach is creamed as well although this isn’t mentioned on the menu. If you were vegan and/or lactose intolerant surely you would need the whole dish to cater to those needs? The only situation I can envision that you would not is if you were allergic to eggs. Some staff training required I think

They took this dish away and remade it with vegan cheese and fresh spinach so a little while later (by which time my Husband had almost finished his) I had a replacement come out.

I found it tasty and filling but was a little undone for my liking (and I tend to like things edging on underdone).

Although this was central London I do feel like these were expensive for what they were and would expect mine to be around £8 and maybe £10 for my Husband’s.

We didn’t have dessert but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back to try them which is a shame. If you do go make sure you are very clear about your dietary requirements.

Have you been to My Old Dutch? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

My Old Dutch – March 2019

Absurd Bird – Feb 2019

plumesworld, , , , , 2 Comments

I was made aware of Absurd Bird by an Instagram post from xanderspuppy. They are based in Glasgow and as I was visiting Glasgow for work this week (going up and back in a day) I headed to their website to see if I could have some tasty vegan chicken and waffles and possibly a side of mac and cheese deliveroo’d to the office. I was delighted to find they are actually a chain and have a branch a 15 minute walk from my London office!

I called in my regular lunch partner in crime, Mitsu to try out their vegan offerings.

Absurd Bird are not a vegan (or vegetarian) outfit but serve vegan chicken, burgers and sides. I have been wanted to try chicken and waffles for ages. (The aim is to get to Unity Diner for their weekend brunch menu soon).

I enjoyed this meal but at over £11 I thought I could do with some veg on the plate. I had a look but I wasn’t willing to pay an extra £4.25 for a corn on the cob.

Mitsu chose a salad with vegan chicken tenders. None of the dressings appeared vegan and when speaking to the server they said they could something with oil and vinegar. When the dish arrived it had a dressing on it and Mitsu queried with the server (a different one to the one who took our order) that it was vegan. They confirmed it was but this seemed contradictory to the previous conversation.

Our food took a long time to arrive despite there only being one or two other tables. The other downside is that they don’t do any vegan shakes or vegan desserts which is a shame when they have quite a few vegan mains/starters/sides.

I enjoyed my food but I don’t think I’ll be rushing back, although I think this great choice if you are eating with non-vegans.

Have you tried Absurd Bird? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

Absurd Bird – Feb 2019

Yo! Sushi – January 2019

plumesworld, , , , , 4 Comments

My Husband and I regularly visit Yo! Sushi when we are travelling back from my in-laws in Kent. There is currently an offer on where 40 dishes are £3 each but unfortunately this only runs Monday to Friday.

This is also the first visit where my Husband has been fully vegan so I was interested to see what he chose and what he thought.

I had this Kombucha to drink which was really subtle and less vinegary than other ones I’ve tried.

My Husband got the deep fried veggie dumplings which we both really enjoyed.

I’m so glad you can now get the tofu katsu on its own without the curry as you’ve been able to do with the pumpkin version as I’m not a big rice person and I like to save space for other goodies.

We both had a mushroom teriyaki bun which I loved. My Husband isn’t fond of cucumber which seems to come in every dish so he’ll order it without next time.

I tried one of their new dishes the mushroom ramen, this was really tasty although I did pick out the big chilli pieces.

The last dish I had which is also a new one, the temaki hand roll which contains tofu, avocado, carrot, cucumber, seaweed and vegan mayo. I love how all the veggie dishes that previously had mayo now have vegan mayo so are automatically vegan.

When we were looking at the vegan menu we thought it’s great how many more dishes they have now then when we first started going.

Have you visited Yo! Sushi recently? How was it? Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

Yo! Sushi – January 2019

A Vegan Lunch @ All Bar One – Jan 2019

plumesworld, , , , , , , 2 Comments

I regularly go to All Bar One with my friend Matthieu for lunch as it’s pretty quite we get good service and they have lots of vegan options.

For Veganuary they have an even bigger vegan menu and are doing special price 2 or 3 course meals. We both had 2 courses and shared a starter and dessert.

I had to try their cauliflower wings. This was Matthieu’s first time trying this kind of dish and he said he enjoyed it a lot more than he was expecting. It had a Indian twist by being served with mango chutney and a raita that went well.

For my main I chose the miso tofu bowl. This was a lovely tasting bowl filled with goodness. I would have just liked the grains to have been served warm.

Matthieu chose the burger, which used a beyond meat patty. He asked for regular mayo for his chips and we did a taste test. He couldn’t tell the difference between the egg based mayo and the vegan so he went with the vegan version!

For dessert we shared the biscoff bananas. I was disappointed with this dish. I couldn’t see any biscuit crumb, the coconut mousse had an odd texture and tasted like yogurt on the turn to me. Again I think this dish would have been better served warm.

What would you choose from the menu? Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

A Vegan Lunch @ All Bar One – Jan 2019

Plant Based Supermarket – Homerton

plumesworld, , , , , , 2 Comments

I’ve been wanting to visit this place for a long time and this week I took the opportunity.

This little shop near Homerton station is packed with vegan goodies, from healthy organic dried goods to indulgent chocolate treats.

These seaweed crisps are a necessity and I love using them in things like crushed chickpea sandwich fillings in place of larger nori sheets so it’s more tuna like.

Stroop waffles are just amazing and these hazelnut ones are just too moreish!

The guy in the shop gave me this for free as it one day past its sell by date but it was still perfectly fine and a great snack on a cracker. These are artisan products and a bit on the pricey side so maybe reserve for your dinner parties to impress your non-vegan as well as your vegan guests.

I’ve tried a few vegan halloumi but I’m not sure if I’ve had this one. Mum and I are going to try it on lentil stuffed mushrooms (inspired by my friend Stella) next week.

I’d seen people post about these online and wanted to try them out. I didn’t realise these were mint when I bought them and the mousse is really solid inside.

I love a good kombucha and this was a fab flavour.

What are your faves vegan treats? Do you have good stockists nearby? Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

Plant Based Supermarket – Homerton

FGV’s Christmas Market @Guildhall

plumesworld, , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I really enjoyed the market Sean (Fat Gay Vegan) put on at the Guildhall in the summer (which I wrote about here) that I had to go to the Christmas edition, especially when I saw the line up.

I hadn’t had breakfast so I headed down early to beat the queues. My first stop was Vausages. I had seen these folk at different events I had been to but this was my first time sampling their delights they had two Christmas hot dogs on, a Cumberland and an Apple and pork style. I went for the Cumberland which came with caramelized red onions and garlic mushrooms, I asked for it to be topped with their trademark blue garlic mayo.

Although it looks like toothpaste it actually tastes delicious! The bun was nice and soft and the sausage had a lovely flavour on the outside and I surprised to see it was filled with quinoa in the middle. I’ll definitely be heading back to them when I see them in the future.

Next stop had to be Vegan Delice. If you’ve read my posts from previous events you know I always stop by these peeps! I had to get my fave Viennese whirl as well as a peanut chocolate brookie for my Husband and I couldn’t be left out so I had to get a peanut butter and jam brownie for myself. Chanel was nice enough to let me try their raw cake which was a bit different.

After mains and dessert I had to have something to take home for later so I bought some cream cheese and lox from The Kinda Co I love their dairy free cheese and thought this one with marinated carrot (to taste similar to salmon) would be perfect on a cracker over the Christmas period.

I was pleased to see that FGV is bringing the market back to Guildhall in January and March although I am unfortunately unable to make the January date.

Its great to have a vegan market in the city especially so close to work. I would love to see this become a monthly (or even more frequent) event.

Do you work in the city? Would you welcome a lunchtime vegan market close to where you work?

Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

FGV’s Christmas Market @Guildhall

Christmas Menu @ Cafe Forty One

plumesworld, , , , , , , , Leave a comment

I’ve had afternoon tea a few times (including for my hen do) at La Suite West a boutique hotel in Bayswater but I’ve never had dinner there. Their restaurant rebranded as Cafe Forty One this year and when I saw their Christmas menu I invited my Mum out to try it.

We chose different options so we could mix and match, you could choose an appetizer or a starter so we went for both the appetizers.

I never tasted fois gras when I ate meat so I can’t judge on that basis but it was tasty all the same. The carrot had a really fishy taste due to the seaweed which was really interesting. The cream cheese didn’t have a distinct flavour.

Mum chose the polenta with mushrooms which was really tasty with the polenta having mustard kick.

The filling for my nut Wellington had been creamed which was a bit different. The pastry was crisp but the mash was lumpy and would have appreciated some cooked veg rather than just salad leaves with it.

We wanted the yule log for dessert but unfortunately they didn’t have any ready as lots of people had ordered them to collect to have on Christmas day. (They must have been good then!) Instead we had the other two desserts, baked Alaska and fondant. My fondant was rich which caramel sauce and a perfectly cooked pear. Mum’s Alaska was sweet and sharp with the fruit although it had a rock hard piece of sponge at the bottom.

We gave our feedback to the waitress who said she would convey it to the kitchen and although it wasn’t perfect I think for £35 it was great value for money and I’ll be heading back there.

The afternoon teas on the other diners’ tables looked delicious as well so I may have to get one for my birthday in Feb!

Have you had dinner or afternoon tea at Cafe Forty One? What did you think? Let me know in the comments below.

Plumes x

Christmas Menu @ Cafe Forty One