falafel

Vegan falafel truck

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London does have some vegan surprises up its sleeve!

Check out this 100% vegan falafel trailer perched smack bang in the middle of Ealing Broadway in West London.

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Yes, I understand falafel is everywhere in London and I also know that falafel is often vegan but how often do you see a food business with the word ‘vegan’ so predominantly displayed all over it? Falafel Box does just that!

You will also be appreciative if you have spent any time in West London. It is a ghost town when it comes to vegan food. While East London is swamped by vegan eateries, this side of town can feel like the land time forgot.

Yay for vegan food businesses in West London!

You can follow Falafel Box on Facebook.

Falafel Box is located at the start of a small pedestrianised street called Oak Road, just a 30 second walk from Ealing Broadway Underground and Rail station.

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Maoz London closed?

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This is terrible news.

A reader named Chris posted on my Facebook page yesterday to ask if I knew anything about Maoz on Old Compton Street being closed. He said it was shut with no sign of it being temporary and the HappyCow listings site has it marked as closed.

I am devastated.

I can’t remember the number of times I’ve stumbled into the store for a bag of hot chips after a few too many pints at a nearby gay bar.

It really was one of the best places for vegans to eat in Central London.

Falafel and Belgian fries from Maoz in London
Falafel and Belgian fries from Maoz in London

I have emailed the company to see if they have any news regarding the closure. If you have any further information, please let me know.

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Más falafel

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I often get asked (by people aware of my love for the city) how easy it is to source vegan food in Mexico City. I usually answer that it is easy if you know where to look, which doesn’t help if you don’t know where to look.

That’s where this blog comes in. I like to share information about plant based foods in Mexico and (un)fortunately I have just come to the end of a short vacation, meaning I have more eating advice to disseminate.

My latest discovery is a friendly falafel outlet called El Rey del Falafel. Located in the neighbourhood known as Condesa, this fast food outlet is one of two store fronts for The King of Falafel in the Mexican capital.

I rocked up in the evening with Josh, Julio, Carlos and Lety following a theatre performance in nearby Polanco. Nobody in the group had eaten at El Rey del Falafel and the anticipation was high based on our experiences with the 100% vegan falafel shop Falafelito just a few blocks away.

Let’s just say the king of falafel is really the king. The food in El Rey del Falafel was outstanding.

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Take this for just what it is

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A few whispers have been floating around the vegan London scene for a short while and I jumped into the action today to discover the truth for myself.

Are the pita pockets at Maoz in Old Compton Street vegan? I found out…

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Falafelito es mi papito

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Mexico City is turning up some vegan surprises, that’s for sure.

I have purchased chocolate soya milk in grocery stores, enjoyed massive jars of tofu/olive paté and let’s not forget about the wonderful vegan cupcakes made right here in Distrito Federal. Oh no, I haven’t been going hungry.

Amongst this cornucopia of hidden vegan delights is one of the loveliest food outlets anywhere in the world. Vegans and vegan-curious, please let me introduce you to Falafelito.

Falafelito en La Condesa

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Take me to the places that I love best

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Hampstead Heath is just about as famous/infamous a location as you can get in London. The stunning inner-city parkland is a historical, picturesque expanse of greenery dotted with reservoirs and woodlands. People make the trip to the park from all over the city to take in the glorious skyline views, admire the wildlife and engage in sexual activities.

Oh yes. Sex. The Heath has long been a destination for men seeking casual and anonymous encounters. Of course, its most famous cruiser is George Michael who allegedly shouted “Fuck off! It’s part of my culture” to a snooping tabloid reporter as he unashamedly went about his business.

But aside from Hampstead being a visual treat and a place for the interested to meet, it is also a charming and surprising must-visit location for vegans.

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Chelsea don’t eat no meat

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I’m not a fan of festivals. The thought of searing sun, overpriced booze and fools with flags has been deterrent enough for most of my FGV life. Up until a few weeks ago, I had only ever been lured to a music festival once in my life and that was by the promise of seeing Morrissey live. I suffered through a stifling Australian day back in the Summer of 2002 and was forced to listen to some truly dreary supporting bands.

Fast forward almost a decade and Morrissey managed to drag me back to my second ever festival. A few weeks ago, I found myself strolling around a rather pleasant field of people in Kent as a cavalcade of musical legends (including Morrissey) thrilled on stage. Patti Smith, Lou Reed, Iggy Pop and Prince (yes, Prince!) drew tens of thousands of people to the three day event known as the Hop Farm Festival. Morrissey and Prince were my major draw cards and both artists were close to the best I have ever seen them, but I must say I was also blown away by the copious amounts of vegan food on offer.

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Pocket bread, flavor sauce and crunch patties

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Australia may have lost its only Maoz outlet when the Perth store shut up shop, but at least I’m still able to delight in their crunchy falafel goodness here in London.

Falafel and Belgian fries from Maoz in London

Maoz Vegetarian is a chain of falafel bars that originated when their first store front opened in Amsterdam during 1991. Since then, the company has franchised locations all around the world. They serve delicious falafel, salad and tahini masterpieces in cities as widespread and diverse as Madrid, Hoboken, Paris, Rotterdam and Berkeley. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough falafel lovers in Western Australia to keep the doors of the Perth outlet open. I believe a Maoz in Germany might have also fallen by the wayside. But luckily for fine food connoisseurs, 15 Maoz locations are still left standing for our eating pleasure.

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Meat is murder… eat falafel

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Yes, I am overweight. Sure, I am a homosexual. Certainly, I choose to not eat animal products. For people who know me well, it also wouldn’t have been a surprise to see a reference to musical icon Morrissey crammed into my self-deprecating blog title.

Morrissey (a)live in Leeds 2009 (Flickr credit: Man Alive!)

Since my early teen years (and I have been around for a while), I have been comfortably obsessed with all things Morrissey and The Smiths. If you are a disciple like I am, there is no need for me to convince you. If you are anti-Morrissey (or worse still… indifferent!), I’m not in the habit of trying to convert you. For the purpose of this blog post, let’s agree that I love Morrissey and I exploit any opportunity to celebrate his contribution to popular culture and animal welfare.

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