Vegan London, part 2

[Marrers]

I notice it includes valentines day if that makes it a good excuse to spend a bit more on a meal out for anyone!
(Sadly my partner is not keen on the food there - what is wrong with him, I think it's great. )

[mariana]

Does anyone know of any places to get vegan Thai food? I'm craving Thai! I know Mango Tree does a separate vegetarian/vegan menu, but they're so pricey.... Any other places?

[harpy]

This is a Thai place I used to go to over in Bethnal Green: http://www.thethaigarden.co.uk/ It doesn't serve meat but does serve fish. They have a separate vegetarian menu which doesn't seem wildly expensive. However I haven't been there for donkey's years so it would be advisable to check before going that they know what "vegan" means and can do something suitable - they don't seem to have vegan stuff marked on their online menu.

[Radharani]

Does anyone know of any places to get vegan Thai food? I'm craving Thai! I know Mango Tree does a separate vegetarian/vegan menu, but they're so pricey.... Any other places?

There are quite a few Thai vegan buffets around London. The only one I've been to is in Percy Street, called Joi I think. I have no idea how representative it is of typical Thai food but it's usually good. Quite heavy on fake meats though.

[mariana]

I've been thinking of treating myself to a manicure or massage or something for my birthday and found a spa in London that uses Sparitual vegan nail varnish and Eminence Organics products for facials, hand masques, etc. Seeing some Eminence products on vegan sites I decided to investigate whether the spa knew which Eminence products were vegan and if they'd be willing to do any vegan spa treatments. And they are! Thought some people might be interested....

The spa is called Momiji Tree, and it's in Primrose Hill.

Here's what Bhauna (the owner, I think) told me: "We’ve heard back from Eminence and in essence, they use two non-vegan ingredients... the first is honey, which is used as a preservative in certain masks and treatment products and the second is beeswax, which is used as an emollient in certain moisturisers. We have a comprehensive list of the products to avoid and have created a facial, manicure and pedicure and massage treatment using only vegan products, which still delivers a great result.
Eminence is also a member of PETA, so in all other respects they support animal friendly practices. If you have any questions or would like to learn more about the treatments, please feel free to email or call."

[mariana]

There are quite a few Thai vegan buffets around London. The only one I've been to is in Percy Street, called Joi I think. I have no idea how representative it is of typical Thai food but it's usually good. Quite heavy on fake meats though.

I love Joi and the other buffets, but they all seem to be Chinese (but are described on some sites as Thai, I've no idea why).

[Marrers]

The spa is called Momiji Tree, and it's in Primrose Hill.

That's brilliant, thanks. I'm definitely going to go there. (The Lush Spa is another option for you. I haven't been yet put plan to go. Review here.)

eta And it would be wrong not to pop into Manna whilst up that way!

[mariana]

That's brilliant, thanks. I'm definitely going to go there. (The Lush Spa is another option for you. I haven't been yet put plan to go. Review here.)

eta And it would be wrong not to pop into Manna whilst up that way!

You're welcome! Good to know about Lush Spa (looks like they only do the 90 minutes massage but it definitely sounds like an interesting experience from the review); I didn't even realize Lush had a spa. I am planning to go to Momiji Tree for my bday; I'm really pleased that they were so helpful and willing to research and come up with vegan treatment options.

Haha, yes, one mustn't forget about Manna! (I had a lovely Thanksgiving set dinner there but haven't been in to order off the menu so I *need* to go in and try it again. )

[Marrers]

I'm really pleased that they were so helpful and willing to research and come up with vegan treatment options.

If we all start coming in you should get a discount!

You should suggest to them that they put a few vegan treatments together and advertise them on their website. It might bring in other vegans, I'm sure there are some searching for options as we have been (though I gave up looking ages ago as I couldn't find anywhere - was hoping Aloka in Brighton were going to start doing facials as promised but they haven't materialised yet).

[Radharani]

I love Joi and the other buffets, but they all seem to be Chinese (but are described on some sites as Thai, I've no idea why).

That makes sense. Everyone refers to it as the Thai buffet but I've eaten hardly any Thai food so I have no idea what a typical Thai dish is like.

[Marrers]

I just read that Aldo Zilli is opening a veggie restaurant in Dean Street on 14th February!

CELEBRITY CHEF, ALDO ZILLI GOES GREEN
Award winning Italian chef and restaurateur, Aldo Zilli will launch his new and innovative vegetarian restaurant, Zilli Green in Soho on the 14th February 2010 - the first ever Italian vegetarian chef with a fusion mind from across the world.

His former flagship restaurant, Signor Zilli will be entirely remodelled and re-branded to celebrate Aldo's commitment to healthy living. What's more, it will reinforce the message that vegetarian food doesn't have to be dull or tasteless - but exciting and delicious with quirky flavours and combinations. The menu will be an experience to share.

Zilli Green 40-41 Dean Street
London, W1
To book call: 020 7734 3924

Opening times: Monday - Sunday 12 noon - 11pm ends

http://www.zillialdo.com/news.htm

Menu here.

[Sunkist]

This is a first for a 'celebrity' chef. I always asoociated him with 'fish' restaurants , there-fore I would never choose to eat at one of his resatuarants, but will definitely try this one,- the menu looks quite good too,- dairy-free Tiaramsu..

I wonder if any other 'celebrity chef' will follow suit- 'Jamie Oliver opens Vegan restauarant' , one day,

[BlackCats]

^ I will be trying that new restaurant at some point, thanks Marrers.

I wonder if any other 'celebrity chef' will follow suit- 'Jamie Oliver opens Vegan restauarant' , one day,

Or Gordon Ramsay!

I was thinking about getting a facial, massage and reflexology for my birthday in March. I think I will just go to a local place and see if any of the face stuff is vegan or if they could swap non-vegan products for just oils or something. Hopefully they should be helpful if I'm paying for a whole package. ETA thanks for the info though Mariana, I might try those treatments when I have more money.

[harpy]

Good spot Marrers! I can't say I'm familiar with Signor Zilli but the menu looks quite vegan-friendly, and not outrageously priced either.

[VeganMonkey]

Thanks for the tip Marrers. V excited about this! Vegan tiramisu? - I must go there immediately! Seriously, pretty impressed with the menu - not too reliant on cheese like some veggie places. I never would have thought that a celeb chef would open a restaurant with vegan brownies and tofu cheesecake on the menu. It's bound to get a decent amount of publicity so hopefully the food impresses the critics. I really think this is progress - let's hope it's a massive success!

[aubergine]

I just read that Aldo Zilli is opening a veggie restaurant in Dean Street on 14th February!

I will definitely have to check that out. There hasn't been enough choice for a nice evening meal in the West End.

[alisont]

I might well visit there for lunch on the Fri in Feb Im there or the Sat.

Must leave room for Peking Palace that evening but be nice to try there

[harpy]

I went there with a group of 9 assorted vegans, veggies and token omnivore last night. It didn't look as if there was going to be room for us as the place is quite compact, but they had a nice room downstairs. (Yes, we had booked.)

I ordered a set meal as I found the menu a bit hard to navigate but another time I will get my finger out and order individual dishes as there was a bit too much for me to eat in the set meal and some of the other options looked quite interesting.

As far as I can remember I had tofu soup, sushi rolls - a good assortment - then tempura with various cooked vegetables (including a delicious stir-fried mushroom thing) and another sushi roll, and finally a rather odd but not unpleasant sesame pudding (oriental puddings always seem a bit odd to me). One of the other people had an interesting-looking pancake type thing and there were also spring rolls around as an alternative to the tempura. My OH's set meal involved cold noodles which he wasn't too keen on but that might just have been him.

As has been pointed out they don't seem to use much salt in preparing the food (presumably for health reasons) but you can undo the good effect by dousing it in soy sauce

The food seemed very well prepared as far as I could judge. Everything was beautifully presented in those Japanese lacquered boxes and so on. The service was very gracious but a bit leisurely - however we probably put a bit of a strain on the kitchen by being a largeish party, and anyway we weren't in a hurry.

The set meal was £21 and with drinks the bill came to £26/head inc 10% service but I'm sure you could eat there more cheaply, particularly at lunchtime. Japanese places are often quite expensive IME and then you don't get much food, so this one probably represents good value.

I'm not sure if we noticed any spiritual benefits from the Zen aspect but we're probably past praying, or meditating, for

Many thanks to whoever pointed out that it was there.

[Frank]

Two new places – one in Camden, with sensational vegan cakes, and the other in Harrow, plus a few other updates:

NEW Loving Hut, Camden, Chinese vegan buffet, eat and pay as you like (but be fair). 3 Plender Street, off Camden High Street NW1 0JS. Tel: 020-7387 5710. Open: Mon-Sat 12.00-21.00, Sun closed. Fabulous vegan cakes. Hot and cold drinks, soya cappuccino. Big veggie burgers and kebabs (great for people who miss Red Veg).

NEW Lucca vegetarian pizzeria, Kenton 402 Kenton Road, Harrow HA3 9DW. Tel: 020-8204 1002, 07931 891 122. Open: Tue-Fri 12.00-14.30, 17.00-22.00; Sat-Sun 13.00-22.00; Mon closed. Vegan pizza bases. Take-away only. Call and collect. Menu and map www.luccapizzeria.co.uk

Wild Cherry vegetarian cafe and Friends Organic wholefood shop in Globe Town/Bethnal Green have closed. But the nearby Gallery vegetarian cafe in Old Ford Road is now open longer hours and has lots of free events: Mon, Tue, Thu 9.00-19.30; Wed 9.00-22.00; Fri 9.00-23.00; Sat 10.00-18.00, Sun 11.00-18.00. Every Wed open mic night for poets and musicians from 19.00. Every Fri free live acoustic or electronic music from 19.00. Time Out's First Thursdays has art, culture and events.

Secret Society of Vegans shop, Camden, is open for the last day Saturday 6 Feb, then moving to a new and much bigger, ahem, secret location by Kings Cross station. Expected to be open a week later.

[BlackCats]

Thanks Frank.

NEW Loving Hut, Camden, Chinese vegan buffet, eat and pay as you like (but be fair). 3 Plender Street, off Camden High Street NW1 0JS. Tel: 020-7387 5710. Open: Mon-Sat 12.00-21.00, Sun closed. Fabulous vegan cakes. Hot and cold drinks, soya cappuccino. Big veggie burgers and kebabs (great for people who miss Red Veg).

I think this was the place the staff were telling us about in Peking Palace a couple months back. It sounds great.

I'm hoping to try the African restaurant Asmara in Brixton and probably Vegan Routes over the next couple of weeks.

[Buddha Belly]

NEW Loving Hut, Camden, Chinese vegan buffet, eat and pay as you like (but be fair). 3 Plender Street, off Camden High Street NW1 0JS. Tel: 020-7387 5710. Open: Mon-Sat 12.00-21.00, Sun closed. Fabulous vegan cakes. Hot and cold drinks, soya cappuccino. Big veggie burgers and kebabs (great for people who miss Red Veg).

Me and Helen went to a demo and the people filming it were telling us about this place. Definitely one to visit

[puca]

Thanks Frank.



I think this was the place the staff were telling us about in Peking Palace a couple months back. It sounds great.

I'm hoping to try the African restaurant Asmara in Brixton and probably Vegan Routes over the next couple of weeks.

My oh my... An African restaurant in Brixton?

Count me in, as I work near there!

[alisont]

The Camden place sounds good - so is it run by Peking Palace?

I shall be heading Camden way when Im in London so will have a look but better not go for lunch if we are going to PP in the evening!

Ive not heard of pay what you like before - I hope people pay a fair price.

Id like to visit SSOV but not sure Il be Kings Cross way on my next visit.

I need another visit as Id also like to try the new Italian Place in Soho.

[bryzee86]

Hello all. Breaking a hiatus to concur with Frank.

Will be helping Rudy move ssov into the new shop some time this week, ready for the opening on Friday. I'll keep everyone posted (if not on here, then on my Twitter or Facebook.

He said there'll be new t-shirt designs long soon, as well as a cafe in the shop.

http://www.secretsocietyofvegans.co.uk/cts/

Looks very promising

[beanstew]

Hey Bryzee.

[bryzee86]

Hey beany!

And hello again, all. Just received an email from Manze's pie shop (proper cockney shop with branches in Peckham, Tower Bridge Road and Peckham. It goes as follows:

Hi,
Yes that is correct, we make a pie suitable for vegetarians and vegans. These are made with 100% soya mince and contains no milk, eggs, dairy fat. Our mash is simply that, mashed potatoes with salt, and our liquor is 100% dairy free.

vegan pie &mash all round!

[Marrers]

Wow bryzee, that's amazing!

[bryzee86]

Just learned that there is a branch not 5 minutes away from me on Deptford High Street! Woo!

Next stop is to get in touch with s&m cafe as I have read that they do a vegan sausage & mash. Good locations, too (e.g. The O2 venue handy for gigs)

[Linxie]

http://www.zillialdo.com/downloads/zilli_green_menu.pdf

[bryzee86]

Already been posted on P.8, by Marrers.

[bryzee86]

Will be helping Rudy move ssov into the new shop some time this week, ready for the opening on Friday.

opening will now be on Tuesday 16th Feb.

[bryzee86]

Went to Loving Hut in Camden today and, whilst not quite Loving the Hut yet, I'm definitely liking it. Here's my review (first one down):

http://www.happycow.net/reviews.php?id=19775

[harpy]

Thanks for the link to your review, bryzee - it sounds quite unusual. Fortunately I like lukewarm food

[bryzee86]

I don't think it has reached its full potential yet - which is why I want to support it in its embryonic stage. It'd be a shame if it failed to get off the ground like v&m did.

Seriously though - try the burger. And the rest of the food was better than the Chinese buffet chain's usually is.

[Marrers]

Nice thorough review bryzee.

[helen105281]

I think loving hut had a van outside the Croydon Eco fair, the food was lovely, can't wait to try the buffet.

[bradders]

sounds great

[Marrers]

It's like Eastenders round your way!

(Eastenders is a soap on UK tv where everyone lives and works in a small radius and are always bumping into eachother.)

[Buddha Belly]

Did you ignore them to take part in a private conversation? Oooohhh i'm a bitch at times.

[Spud Addict]

Went to Mrs Marengo's today. Had burger and fries which was nice, the burger wasn't as nice as though served at E&2V or Red Veg, but it was definitely edible served on a bun with rocket and a fruit relish which went quite nicely. Also the massive home-made fries were delicious served with garlic mayonnaise. I also had a vanilla shake made with soy milk and swedish glace ice cream which was lovely.

For dessert I had a chocolate and raspberry truffle torte, which was mmmmmmmmm. The chocolate was like a thick provamel-style dessert pot but a little heavier which made it really thick and creamy and luscious. The raspberries were ok with it but I could have just eaten more of that chocolate on its own!

We really want to try loving hut now after reading about how good the burgers are!

[beanstew]

I hadn't heard of Mrs. Marengo's until now. I might give it a go tomorrow as I'll be in town for a gig and will need to feed. Burger and fries is always a win in my book.

[Spud Addict]

^It was very nice Beanstew, it's Mildred's sister restaurant. I think they're on the same street and I believe they share much of the same menu. It was nice and bright in there and clean also.

[beanstew]

Thanks for the review. I look forward to trying it and will report back here.

[bryzee86]

Hello again, all.

helped ssov move some crap into the new store today, and it looks pretty exciting! There will be frozen exclusive ready meals, other grocery and new clothing coming in. Also, the space is huge - they have 2 floors, including a basement that he wants to put some sofas/tables in. It's gonna be a gorgeous space when he's finished kitting it out with his graphics etc.

Oh, and the shop will be called 'Vx' - alluding to the location in Kings Cross and the SSOV's vegan straight edge roots. I'll be able to reveal the exact location probably tomorrow.

Sneakpeak:

[beanstew]

Sneakpeak:

That really is secret.

[Gwydion]

^ Aye, seems to be a common occurrence unfortunately.

Ta for the Mrs Marengo's info Spud Addict, also hadn't heard of / seen it before. Oh and good luck to SSOV for the move.

[bryzee86]

argh, it deleted my photo! I'll give it a go again later, when i get on my laptop.

[robb]

Have to say that I've never had a problem with the staff, and I've been there more than most...

But I don't believe that my frequent visits are the reason for polite service, as I regularly see new staff, and only a couple of them really know me.

And I thought Mrs Marengo's was only a cake shop! I shall have to pay them a visit...

[bryzee86]

Hello again all. Sorry to be battering this thread so much, but I just wanted to inform you that I can officially reveal the address for Vx!:

73 Caledonian road, just 5 minutes walk from Kings Cross station.

Hopefully will be opening on Tuesday 16th, as I said earlier. I won't be able to make it there on its opening week, due to an impromptu trip, but I'll be sure to post about it when I do visit.

[bryzee86]

I waited about 45 minutes for a runny, warm shake once. I'd go for the ice cream and cake, but not much else. Horrifically overpriced and an uncomfortable atmosphere.