There is so much juicy, tasty and succulent vegan news to get through this month that I’m going to hold the witty comments and jump straight in.
Is that OK?
London can you wait?
World’s best burger
BAD NEWS UPDATE:
The following information was just posted in the comments at the bottom of this page. Sad news for epic vegan burger fans.
MJ says:
This burger has been discontinued!!!! We were so upset having trekked all the way there to find out that the suppliers no longer work with the restaurant?! As a result, there are no veggie or vegan options on the menu đ
Here is the original post on this burger:
A long time ago, there was a burger like no other. Before central London was torn in half by the Crossrail construction, meat-aversionists would swarm on Soho to feast on this burger. Its status was legendary.
But as the machines moved in to build the rapid transit railway, the fast food outlet serving the burger was forced out by the Government. Maybe you remember it? RedVeg was a paradise of deep fried potato, breaded mushrooms and the tastiest vegan burger patty on the planet.
Not long after the Soho location was shuttered, the Brighton RedVeg location was also forced to shut its doors following dwindling fortunes. I was so in love with their burger, I made a special trip to Brighton on their closing weekend and ate what I thought was to be one of the final RedVeg burgers ever served. See here.
But have I got news for you?!
NYE with FGV
Make your last meal of 2013 extra special as Fat Gay Vegan partners with vegan cuisine leaders Saf to bring you a New Year’s Eve supper club to be remembered. Book now or read on for more details.
Saf Restaurant & Bar (located inside Whole Foods Market on Kensington High Street) serve some of the finest plant-based food in the UK. Every item featured on the Saf menu is world class and lovingly-prepared by the staff.
This exclusive New Year’s Eve event will see Saf closed to the public and will feature a 3 course meal (2 options for each course) with a fizzy welcome cocktail all for ÂŁ30 (+fee) per person. Fat Gay Vegan (that’s me!) will greet and host throughout the dinner.
There will be time to mingle around the bar and diners can purchase extra wine, cocktails or beer from Saf. All alcohol served in the restaurant is vegan and there are gluten free drink options.
The event will commence at 7pm and come to an end at 10pm, allowing diners time to spirit away into the night to ring in midnight with friends and loved ones.
View the evening’s menu below.
Book now to be part of this special meal.
Limited availability. No refunds.
See my recent review of Saf here.
Saf’s what I’m talking about
Almost every day. That is how often I get emails or tweets asking for my London vegan dining recommendations.
Of course I don’t mind giving my opinion. The belief that my view matters is the self-centred reason I write a blog. However, I was getting a bit tired of saying that I thought London wasn’t a patch on other international cities when it came to vegan cuisine. Sure, we have some OK places to eat plant-based food but I was never overly impressed the way I have been by Gentle Gourmet in Paris or Vedge in Philadelphia.
Well, finally we have something in the UK capital that I am more than happy to recommend. Vegans and vegan-curious, say hello to the re-imagined  Saf Restaurant & Bar menu.
Deep Fry and Friends: Vegan Day of the Dead Supper Club
My mate and all round good person Kip from Messy Vegetarian Cook has stopped by to let you know her take on my recent 2nd Annual Day of the Dead vegan supper club.
She even took fab photos for you to drool over. Thanks Kip!
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Another event organised by Fat Gay Vegan, the second annual Mexican Day of the Dead supper club went off without a hitch.
DĂa de los MuertosâDay of the Deadâis a Latin American holiday that originated in Mexico to remember and celebrate the lives of those who died. Food and friends are a central theme in the holiday, and this supper club lauded both.
The dinner comprised of five courses (six if you count the hibiscus tequila cocktail): esquites (Mexican sweetcorn salad, a typical street food), smoky lentil soup with fried plantain, potato taquitos (deep fried stuffed corn tortilla rolls), seitan in hibiscus mole sauce with cacao nibs, and cinnamon rice pudding.
While I think it’s safe to say the overall diner favourites were the taquitos and lentil soup, what stood out most to me was the mole sauce. This rich preparation is the end result of a laborious task of toasting, grinding, and mixing a number of latin ingredients. Aside from the necessary chili component, other popular ingredients include nuts, seeds, chocolate, various spices, bread, and various fruits and vegetables. A mole can be incredibly complex, so to know someone painstakingly prepared it from scratch made the whole meal worthwhile for me.
Many thanks to chef Julio for his efforts and skill in the kitchen, and for his enthusiasm in presenting the food and culture of his country with such passion. Hats off also to Josh for his help and to Sean for hosting such a great evening. Also a massive final thanks to all of the companies who donated to guests’ take home goody bags.
Iâm already excited about next yearâs supper club!
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A Very Vegan Christmas – the prequel
When I announced plans for a vegan Christmas dinner in conjunction with The Gallery Cafe, I kinda knew it would be popular. What I didn’t know is that all 50 tickets would sell out more than a month in advance of the event!
With every ticket long gone and people emailing me daily about joining a waiting list, I have decided to add another night for this festive dinner.
The Gallery Cafe will be closed exclusively for this special event on Thursday December 12th, 2013 from 7pm where diners will enjoy homestyle food created by the cafe staff just for us.
Go here now to check out the menu and buy tickets.
Be fast!
Feel like winning?
My vegan Day of the Dead party has been months in the planning.
Huge goodies bags have been assembled for attendees. My friend has designed the menu based on traditional recipes and he has flown all the way from Mexico City to be with us. The room is decorated. We have an altar for offerings to the departed. The food is crazy delicious.
It is going to be a phenomenal party starting at 4:30pm today in central London. How would you like to join us for free?
The marvellous people at Cool Chile Co have donated two tickets (valued at more than ÂŁ80) to be given away today!
This is a simple competition with very few rules:
- You must follow the Cool Chile Co on Twitter
- Once following, you need to tweet them and tell them when you last ate Mexican food
- You need to include the hashtag #FGVwin
- Winner is responsible for their own transport and must be able to get to Holborn in central London by 4:30pm today (Saturday November 2nd, 2013)
- Winner will receive two tickets to attend the 2nd Annual Day of the Dead vegan supper club and two goodie bags.
- There is no cash substitution for this prize and the prize will be drawn randomly from eligible tweets – the judge’s decision is final (FGV and Cool Chile Co.)
- Only enter if you are certain you can attend
- Winner will be notified via Twitter at 1:30pm
Get tweeting. Tell your friends to tweet so they can bring you if they win.
If you do not win but would like to attend, there are roughly four tickets for sale from here.
News you can eat October 2013
Here it is, people. All the vegan news that is fit to eat from the month of October… and there is a lot to get through.
Tuck in!
All bags are not created equal
Is there anything more exciting than getting a swag bag full of treats? Well, what if I said the treats were all vegan?
Now we’re talking!
My 2nd Annual Day of the Dead supper club is quickly approaching and there are plenty of reasons why you would want to be there:
- A welcome cocktail featuring hibiscus, tequila and agave syrup
- Five courses of delicious vegan food made to authentic Mexican recipes
- Ingredients supplied by Cool Chile Co –Â the best Mexican food company in the UK
- A prize for best dressed attendee courtesy of Vegan Faces make up
- Gorgeous decorations including a dĂa de los muertos altar
- Projected visuals and Mexican pop music
- Your host Fat Gay Vegan (that’s me!) in a Mexican wrestling mask all night
You want another reason to book a ticket right now? No? OK, go here! But if that isn’t enough for you, keep reading.
I love a good poster
Check it out!
Here is the glorious poster for the upcoming Brecknock Road Vegan Festival. Share it far and wide.
Hand drawn by Ange of The Third Estate with finishing touches by Kip of The Messy Vegetarian Cook. Do you like it?