I’ll pay you to cook for me

Killer Tomato

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Have you heard the one about the vegetarian food stall on Leather Lane called Killer Tomato? Sorry, there isn’t a punchline as this is no joke.

Get to Leather Lane.

UPDATE As of late 2014, Killer Tomato now serves meat. Read more here*

Do you like a hot sandwich stuffed with hearty filling and smothered in spicy sauce. Yes? Here you go, then. Killer Tomato food stall has got what you want. Owner/operator Matt serves up Mexican inspired, meat free handhelds during the working week on this bustling market street and if you ask him nicely, he will point out his vegan options.

I fell in love with his Drowned Sandwich during my visit. The baguette featured fresh avocado, delectable refried beans with chipotle, crunchy radish and lashings of chile de arbol sauce. Nobody in the UK does a vegan sandwich anywhere near this quality. I would eat it everyday.

It’s a shame the entire menu isn’t vegan (change the record FGV, huh?). Matt’s food is so incredibly tasty and inventive, I seriously doubt anyone would miss the cheese included in some of the sandwiches and salads.

Follow Killer Tomato on Twitter for news of the rotating menu and feel free to ask Matt what vegan items he is serving. He told me he adores interacting with customers and answering questions about his food.

Now drool.

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Tonight is alright

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It’s Tuesday. Don’t pretend you have anything interesting on. Luckily for you and your early week malady, I have news that will inspire you to leave behind EastEnders as you scuttle into the London night.

There is an incredibly inexpensive vegan supper club taking place in Dalston.

Here is the lowdown.

Vortex Downstairs Café is hosting a pop-up vegan night with guest chef Kate Abildgaard. Kate usually works at the Wild Food Café in Covent Garden but has decided to showcase her food preparation skills slightly further afield for one night only.

140408 Veganista

Wanna know what is on the vegan menu for tonight?

  • Courgette Cannelloni with tomato jam, amaranth and fresh pesto
  • Butternut squash and beetroot melanzane with spring greens and salsa schiaparelli
  • Sweet avocado mousse on crunchy coconut and cashews with raspberry coulis and delicate caramel.

The pop up dining event runs from 7pm and you will need to phone 020 7923 9532 to make a booking. Oh, I almost forgot about price.

The three course vegan meal will set you back only £12. Yes. You are reading correctly.

Support vegan events. Eat cheaply. Get out of the house!

Need chips?

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Chips. Fries. Pommes frites. Papas fritas. Frieten. Whatever name you give to it, sliced potato cooked in scalding oil and dusted with salt is my favourite food of all time. I can’t get enough of it. No seriously, I cannot get enough of it in London.

I need your help.

Where can I buy freshly cooked chips that are vegan in the capital? I don’t want fries that have been reconstituted with lard. I am not interested in thick cut chips that have been fried in the same oil as fish. Please don’t tell me about potato that is covered in chicken-flavoured salt as soon as it comes out of the basket.

I need more vegan chips in my life.

Here are some photos of my favourite chips and fries in the UK. I will be eternally grateful to anyone who can point me in the direction of any London cafes, shops, restaurants or market stalls that will do right by me and potato.

Suggestions below!

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Nothing to eat

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Is it completely unrealistic of me to expect something vegan to eat in a vegetarian cafe? I know I’m not going to get full run of the menu but I should be able to eat at least one item, right?

People, meet Orchard Vegetarian Kitchen.

During the week just passed, I agreed to have a business meeting at Orchard on Sicilian Avenue in Holborn. I had never heard of the location even though it is just around the corner from where I have been hosting London Vegan Potluck for more than two years.

Even though the few people I asked about Orchard told me it wasn’t much good for vegans, I approached with an optimistic spring in my step. When I reached the front door and started to read the menu, my spirits deflated.

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More cake

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Can you remember a time when finding vegan cake in London was a struggle? Now it seems you can’t walk down the street without tripping over a piece of dairy-free sponge or accidentally eating half a dozen cupcakes. OK, that last one might be just me… and you can take out ‘accidentally’.

It seems the more cake vendors we get in the capital, the more up-and-coming bakers are inspired to get in on the act. It’s a fabulous win/win situation for fat, gay vegans and other cake aficionados.

The latest cake maker to catch my attention is the super friendly Kirsty of Garden of Vegan. Kirsty is a home baker turned business person looking to impress London with her cruelty-free cakes. She generously hand delivered a bag of her goods for me to sample and asked me to let you all know about her new business.

Here is what Kirsty had to say about getting your hands on some vegan cake:

“We began as wholesale but in an ideal world we want people to order directly from us. We are working on an online order form, but at the moment if people want to order they just email us at gofvegan@gmail.com or contact us via Facebook or Twitter and they can request a menu. Once they decide on what they want, they send us an email, we send them an invoice and they can pay on delivery.”

Kirsty also assured me she is proactively searching for cafes to sell her cakes. If you are a cafe owner or have a local hangout that could benefit from vegan cake, get in touch with Garden of Vegan.

Check out some of their creations below.

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Thai for best

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Wow. It is over. My mammoth month-long Friday night supper club event known as Around the World with FGV has come to an end.

What a food adventure!

We started with the gorgeously plated Caribbean cuisine of Vegan Peasant, moved on to the hearty Brazilian fare of Essential Vegan, were in awe of the technical skills of The Vegan Ronin during the Japanese dinner and finished up with the mouth watering delights of Thai street food made by The Messy Vegetarian Cook. 

Kip of The Messy Vegetarian Cook had a tough act to follow being the last of four world class food designers, but of course she pulled out all the stops for a decadent Thai meal that had everyone asking for more.

Check out the photos below to see the stunning line up of Thai delights and make sure you follow Kip on Twitter to see what she has planned next or to book her services.

starter

Starters – Miang Takrai (bite sized citrussy lemongrass parcels of minced coriander, aromatic mint, toasted sesame and fresh coconut, served with a tangy sweet dressing in wild pepper leaves) and Laab Hed Tao Hoo (cooked salad of spicy sour minced tofu and mushroom dressed with fresh herbs and lime)

noodles

table

Main – Kanom Jeen (coils of thin noodles served with two choices of coconut based sauce: nam ya (thick and spicy) and/or nam prik (rich and sweet), accompanied by an array of side dishes including fresh Thai herbs, vegetables, and condiments)

sticky rice

balls

milk balls

Desserts – Floating Lotus/Bua Loi (sticky rice balls in warm pandan infused sweet coconut milk and sticky rice with caramelised freshly grated coconut)

Breakfast is best

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Every now and then I like to throw out the following question: who serves the best vegan breakfast in London?

I do my best to bring you all you need to know about vegan eating in the UK capital, but it is nice when you give a little back. Please tell me where I should go in London for a cooked breakfast.

Below is a photo of a recent plate I enjoyed at The Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green (the setting for my upcoming Mexican supper club). Is this the best vegan fry up in London?

Give your suggestions below.

breakfast gallery cafe

Good cheap eats

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Here is a grand, sweeping statement for you.

Out of all the food outlets I have written about over the years, the following is close to being the best value for money in London. Oh, it also serves incredibly delicious food.

Walking inside the Boiler House of Brick Lane on a weekend day is like stumbling across the key to eternal happiness. Not only will you find the gorgeous cakes of Essential Vegan (see here), you will also be faced with two Ethiopian food stalls that are 100% vegan. How awesome is that?

The following recommendation is for Yemama Gojjo, although everyone tells me the other Ethiopian food stall is just as delicious.

Check it out below. The photos are guaranteed to make you hotfoot it to this weekend food court as soon as possible and with a plate of food costing approximately £5, it is one of the best value meals in the city.

Eat there soon!

plate selection stall

Japanese vegan food

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I am writing this post just half a day away from the final Friday night of my month-long Around the World with FGV series. Tonight my guests will be marvelling at Thai street food creations, but before we look forward we need to look back.

Following is a selection of photos from the vegan Japanese dinner crafted by Jhenn of The Vegan Ronin. Talk about handcrafted with love! Jhenn put just as much attention into the wonderful background stories she told for each dish as she did for making the food. It was highly entertaining and informative.

Follow Jhenn on Twitter to keep track of her diverse range of food events and do yourself a massive favour by buying some of her home made seitan. It’s lovely.

OK. Get looking at good food below.

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Eat vegan in Philly

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Josh abandoned me a few weeks back for a trip to the USA. As punishment for leaving me alone, I have instructed him to write the following post about one of his favourite food experiences from his visit to Philadelphia. (So many jokes… I am grateful for the post and I love Josh)

It all looks fabulous! Take it away, Josh.

Mi Lah Vegetarian Restaurant in Center City, Philadelphia had been on my to-eat-at list for several months after a friend of FGV’s posted an Instagram pic of her vegan Bánh mì from there and I have been dreaming about it ever since. One day earlier this month while I was in the city of brotherly love, I decided to head to Mi Lah to check out the Vietnamese sub that I had been dreaming about for so long.

Right in the heart of Philly, this 100% vegan restaurant has an extensive menu and some tempting lunch specials. Of course I already knew that I was going to order the Bánh mì whereas my mum decided to go for the fried rice with cashews, tofu and vegetables. We also decided to split a starter of deep-fried mushrooms with an agave-mustard mayo.

All three dishes were outstanding and far exceeded our expectations. The Bánh mì was mind-blowing with delicious marinated tofu coupled with pickled cucumber, vegan mayo and grated carrot dressed with a lime/ginger vinaigrette… all crammed into a light, crispy roll… I’m drooling just thinking about it now.

I regret not making it back to Mi Lah for the brunch menu which looks AMAZING but I’m sure the opportunity will present itself again.

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