Year: 2019

Fried chicken restaurants in London launch vegan items

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Fried chicken chain Chick ’n’ Sours has launched a range of plant-based sandwiches and sides.

The restaurant chain wanted to recreate their K Pop Sandwich in plant-based form and have included all the same flavours in a vegan version. The protein they’re using is seitan.

To emulate the flavours of their K – Pop sandwich, they built up a sandwich on their original bun (which is vegan already) with a vegan Gochujang mayo, the seitan patty (coated in a crunchy coating), chilli vinegar, and a reworked ‘slaw dressing’ to replicate the flavours but without the fish sauce. They top the burger with vegan Sriracha mayo.

The menu also includes plant-based nuggets called No Way Nuggs. These are a different protein using pea and soy that is coated in breadcrumbs. They coating the nuggets in a vegan ginger miso mayo and sprinkle with spring onions, pickled ginger, and sesame.

They can now offer a completely vegan meal on the new menu and have re-engineered versions of their famous sides to make this happen. This set menu includes House Pickles, No Way K-Pop, No Way Ginger Miso Nuggs, Bang Bang Cucumbers, Pickled Watermelon Salad, Fries (without dripping), and plant based Gochujang mayo and vegan Sriracha mayo.

Chick ’n’ Sours now has four branches across London: Haggerston, Seven Dials, Islington and Spitalfields.

You can visit their website and follow them on Instagram.

Please note that Chick ‘n’ Sours is a restaurant that also serves meat and dairy. Their website and social media reflect that fact. If you are looking for a fried chicken experience that is completely vegan, you can dine with Temple of Seitan in Hackney and Camden.

Vegan panettone in Selfridges UK

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Growing up as an uncultured and unworldly person in Australia, I didn’t know much about fancy foods or even foods that a lot of people consider common.

Heck. I didn’t even try hummus until I moved to the UK in 1998. Can you believe it? That shows how out of touch I was with international and diverse tastes.

Now, of course, I’m running all over the globe and eating all sorts of food.

I even know what panettone is!

And in fab news that I think of lot of people will adore, Selfridges food hall is now selling a spiced pumpkin vegan panettone just in time for the festive season.

I saw this delight at the Selfridges food hall on Oxford Street in London.

If you aren’t able to get into this store, Selfridges is also selling the festive panettone online.

Click here to see it online.

Super cool vegan merch to buy online

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One of the finest places to eat vegan food on the planet is Make No Bones in Sheffield.

This comfort food hot spot is legendary with local people and is also quickly developing a reputation as a place to visit for people all over the planet.

Yes, the food is THAT good.

Fans of Make No Bones love the place so much, they demanded merchandise in order to show their dedication in public.

The restaurant has come up with a bunch of super cool merch that you can order online. Check it out.

First up, the apron. How cool will you look as your are cooking up a vegan storm in your own kitchen?

Lay your eyes on this gorgeous tea towel. It works for drying dishes, but it is so pretty I would consider framing one for my kitchen wall. Or sowing two back to back to make a cushion!

What about a t-shirt? Make No Bones has you covered. The avocado wings is on the front, while the back features the name of the restaurant. Style.

Lastly, you can buy a gorgeous Make No Bones pin. Imagine how fine you will look with this snappy little badge on your collar.

All of the above items are available online here.

You can also follow Make No Bones on Instagram.

See the exact location of the Sheffield restaurant thanks to Google Maps.

Vegan rolled ice cream business hits the UK

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Do you know what rolled ice cream is?

Rolled ice cream (also sometimes known as stir-fried ice cream) is a dessert made on a cold plate. Liquid (sweetened and flavoured) is spread thin on the cold plate and scraped using spatulas.

Once the liquid starts to turn into ice cream, it is scraped into rolls and served.

I recently heard from Cassie who has started a vegan rolled ice cream business called Twisted Tulip in the UK.

Cassie told me:

I started Twisted Tulip in August this year and have been attending vegan markets in the South West so far, but am hoping to attend larger markets and festivals across the country next year. We also have plans to cater weddings, parties, and events. As far as I am aware, I am the only 100% vegan rolled ice cream company in England.

How fab!

I love this idea. Vegan ice cream being made on site at events!

If you would like to keep updated on events where Twisted Tulip will be appearing, follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.

And hire them for your own markets, parties, and celebrations!

Vegan café in Avignon, South of France

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My recent trip to Avignon was a dream.

We enjoyed gorgeous weather. The city was beautiful. Everything about my visit was perfect.

One component of the trip that added to my enjoyment more than most other aspects was my visit to Theias vegan café.

The food!

I was greatly impressed by the cuisine on offer at Theias. Sure, it was simple stuff but simple stuff done extremely well.

My favourite menu item was the bánh mì which was made with the most gloriously irresistible baguette I have ever experienced. I loved this sandwich so much, I bought an extra to eat an hour later!

The soup, the apple pie, the cheesecake, the quiche… it was all sensational.

There were also tubs of salad available along with vegan coleslaw dressing and mayo.

I truly haven’t been this satisfied with a meal in a long time. I was so happy!

You can see the exact location of the café thanks to Google Maps.

Extra note: Avignon is situated alongside the rive Rhone in the South of France. If you join me on our Vegan Culinary Cruises Provence adventure in November 2020, it would be my pleasure to personally accompany you to Theias for lunch during our stop in Avignon!

Read more about the cruise online here.

Return of Hackney Downs Festive Vegan Market

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It is back!

The original London vegan market, Hackney Downs Vegan Market, is back for one day only in festive form on Saturday December 14, 2019.

This festive market has become an annual tradition for vegans, the vegan-curious, and our friends from all across London. Our traders help us showcase the best plant-based street food in the capital and there are always plenty of cheeses and gifts, ensuring quality shopping.

Traders on the day include:

Vegan cheese and pantry

  • Kinda Co. – a London favourite when it comes to cheeses, they will be selling cheese boards for your Xmas table
  • New Roots – Vegan Cheese – one of the most innovative vegan cheese companies out there at the moment with spectacular products
  • Vegan Cartel – need vegan bacon? They have it for you in take home packs
  • Plant Based Artisan – the original and the best gourmet vegan honey alternative

Hot food

Cakes

  • Vegan Delice – one of the original Hackney Downs Vegan Market traders and our resident queen of cake

Gifts

Beer

  • All Good Beer – beer to help make your Xmas market experience even better!

Whether you are stocking up for Christmas or just coming along to eat your fill on the day, Hackney Downs Festive Vegan Market is the place to be.

The market will run between 11am and 5pm.

You can see the exact location of the festive market online thanks to Google Maps and be sure to invite your friends using the Facebook event.

New vegan pizza and beer hot spot for London

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The team that founded Young Vegans Pie Shop – London’s only vegan pie and mash outlet – have opened a new pizza restaurant in Bethnal Green, East London.

Young Vegans Pizza Shop opened its doors to the public for its launch on Wednesday the 13th of November, 2019. The restaurant contains 30 seats, a licensed bar, and a dedicated takeaway/delivery counter.

The Pizza Shop began life as ​Death By Pizza​, a small pop up based out of a ramshackle hut with clay pizza oven in Hackney serving up highly rated wood fired vegan pizzas. One year later and the company has rebranded it to Pizza Shop, aligning itself with the Pie Shop, and relocating to a much bigger space in Bethnal Green.

Young Vegans has always proudly produced all ingredients at their prep kitchen in Camden. These include mock meats and vegan cheeses, and the vegan mozzarella used at the Pizza Shop.

The revamped menu retains previously popular pizzas such as the Devil’s Coglioni (seitan pepperoni, mozzarella and marinara sauce) and the Holy Ghost (ricotta, mozzarella, marinara, red onions and spinach) as well as new favourite Horror Show (butternut squash, caramelised onions, mozzarella, marinara, walnuts and rocket). What’s new is the full set of starters and desserts, from mac ’n’ cheeze and mozzarella fingers to cheesecake and a cookie dough pie.

Alongside the much expanded food menu, Young Vegans Pizza Shop serves a range of cocktails, wines, and local craft beers from Hackney Brewery.

The restaurant’s weekly opening hours are Wednesday to Friday from 5pm-10pm, and Saturday and Sunday from midday-10pm.

You can follow Young Vegans Pizza Shop on Instagram.

You can see the exact location of the restaurant thanks to Google Maps.

Taiwanese vegan food in central London

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Gil and I were recently invited along to an extremely popular (and busy!) restaurant in Covent Garden to try their vegan options and I was more than impressed.

Din Tai Fung is an award-winning global restaurant chain that was once named one of the top 10 restaurants on the planet.

The London location is just steps from the famous Covent Garden market.

The chain has really upped their game to make the menu more welcoming to vegans and from I sampled, they are doing a damn fine job.

Check out the photos below of my delicious meal including mushroom and truffle dumplings, sweet bean buns, garlic greens, savoury rice, and iced tea.

You can see the exact location of Din Tai Fung London online thanks to Google Maps.

Latest issue of T.O.F.U. Magazine out now

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Continuing to showcase personal stories and long-form interviews around topics of oppression and activism, T.O.F.U. Magazine is proud to announce the release of its latest issue, which focuses on capitalism and veganism.

From whether or not voting with our dollar and working within the system is creating change to dreaming of ways to build something different, T.O.F.U. #15 shares the thoughts and experiences of vegan business owners (e.g., Herbivore Clothing, Food Fight!, and Scapegoat Tattoo), activists (e.g., lauren Ornelas of Food Empowerment Project), and more to try and make some sense of the tangled web we weave when money gets involved.

“When you’re looking at the intersections between capitalism and veganism, there are no easy answers,” admits Ryan Patey, T.O.F.U.’s Editor and Co-Founder. “However, as veganism gains in popularity in many parts of the world, and large companies continue to seek profit without a real interest in our ethics, it’s a subject we’re going to have to tackle more and more.”

Thanks to the contributions of vegans involved directly with the capitalist system through operating vegan businesses and those trying to live outside of it as much as possible, T.O.F.U. #15 hopes to help encourage these tough conversations, both within the community and ourselves.

As always, the new issue is available through a pay-what-you-can system (because increasing access instead of profits is important!) along with all the other past issues.

Click here to access the latest copy of T.O.F.U. magazine.

Follow T.O.F.U. on Instagram and Facebook.

Best vegan curry in the UK

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I was recently invited by Pho to pop into one of their restaurants to try the new vegan Christmas menu.

In case you don’t know, Pho is a restaurant chain around the UK serving up amazing Vietnamese street food and a quarter of their menu just happens to be vegan, making it a loved destination for plant based eaters.

The Christmas menu is not seasonal specific food but rather focussed on giving you the choice of two courses for £14.50 or three courses for £18.50.

The menus have been designed with groups in mind such office Christmas parties, seasonal meet-ups for friends, and family dinners. It is the perfect place to suggest if you are being dragged along for a mandatory end of year dinner because there is SO MUCH vegan choice.

Check out the vegan Christmas menu for Pho below.

I ate a few things in order to give you some feedback (research purposes only!) and I was blown away. As always, the vegan options at Pho are amongst some of the best dishes on the planet in my opinion.

First up I had the Chả giò. These crispy spring rolls are served with lettuce and herbs for wrapping before plunging into the accompanying dip. I picked the peanut dip but you can opt for soy ginger sauce.

I also tried two mains. They offered! What was I meant to do?

I had the giant bowl of Phở chay, featuring tofu and button mushrooms in veggie broth with rice noodles. This dish was simply delicious.

My final dish was Cà-ri. This rich, fragrant Vietnamese curry with tofu and
mushrooms was topped with nuts and served with broken rice.

This was the tastiest and most enjoyable curry I’ve eaten in my life. I will order it every single time I return to a Pho restaurant, without fail.

Make sure you get along before Christmas to enjoy the Christmas menu prices.

The restaurants do also serve meat but are extremely proud of their vegan options and do everything they can to make plant based diners feel at home.

Click here to visit the Pho website and find your nearest location.