VEGAN LONDON: The Return Flight

I know, I know; I've been home for months now (almost a year!), but here is the final post about my trip to London. 

The tube goes directly to the airport, but it was a little confusing because the trains that arrived were not mimicking the sign.  I may or may not have refused to stay on a train that was questionably going to our terminal; hopefully they can work on that because I can't be the only person that didn't get it (or am I?).

We did go to Harrod's while in London, but I think I glossed over most of our non-food related stops and missed mentioning it.  It was overwhelming and we didn't make it through the whole enormous store (which is probably a good thing since I've heard that there's a pet-shop upstairs).  But, we met a representative from Patchi chocolate in the candy department who sold us what was purported to be vegan (and really amazing) chocolate.  Unfortunately, when I contacted them once home for more information about the product and the vegan ingredients, I received no response.  This was extremely disappointing, as the recipients of the chocolate were really impressed.  In any event, this is just a cool Harrod's sign that is in Heathrow.

I didn't find any enticing vegan options in the airport (my friend had the forethought to have made a Saf-to-go purchase), so I just waited for the flight anticipating my reunion with 89.

There was a lot going on in my seating section, so I had to rely on my friend across the aisle for the initial photo of everything wrapped.  I was seated on the opposite aisle; there was a nice New York actor in the middle seat, and an insufferable, drunk man at the window.  This man would not stop annoying the flight staff for booze or our shared seatmate for unwanted conversation- even after being asked to stop talking altogether by everyone involved.  Eventually he fell asleep and his foot somehow managed to come to rest upon my neighbor's tray table; it was appalling.

photo courtesy of JD Gut

But I digress.  The meal was much more identifiable than the questionable meal going: that's soy rice pudding in the top left (I don't really like rice pudding so I only tasted it; it was okay).  An unmarked roll, vegetables and couscous that were decent at best, and a cold bean salad medley that was the savior of the whole tray.

photo courtesy of JD Gut

I can report that we did, at least, receive actual vegan margarine.

photo courtesy of JD Gut

We also unexpectedly received this hummus sandwich as a "snack," but I saved it to eat the next day.  The bread was super soggy and the hummus was probably the worst I've ever had.  I'll never understand how you go about ruining hummus.  In sum, British Airways receives extremely low marks for vegan meals.  Not a Biscoff to be seen!

So that's it, an unceremonious end to an otherwise exciting and delicious trip.   More travels to come, though...stay tuned.

Pet London!

Pet London!

89!

VEGAN LONDON: Manna Restaurant

Manna Restaurant was on our short list from the second we even considered going to London.  We did find it curious that no one we encountered during our trip recommended it, but we agreed that we had to try it and saved it until our last evening.

In fairness, the universe did try to warn us.  We used a payphone to call Manna in order to determine what tube stop they were nearest; apparently that is a very unusual inquiry.  My traveling companion made the call while I held the door open in a valiant effort at fumigation*.  We expected the phone call to go like this,

"Hi, Manna?  Which tube stop are you off of?  "Happy Vegan" tubestop?  Great; we'll be there in a jiffy."  

Instead, it went something like,

"Hi, Manna; can you tell me which tube stop you're off of?  Hello?  Hello?  Not really off of a tube stop?  Ok; is there one you're nearest to?  Yes; I'll wait.  Tube stop; which is the nearest one to you?  Mars?  Ok.  No; not Mars?  I'm having a hard time understanding you.  Henrietta?  No?  Cheese Farm?..."  

-at which point I was practically wetting my pants I was laughing so hard.  Eventually they came to some understanding about a nearby tube stop and we relied on iPhone maps to take us the rest of the way. 

And, before we knew it, there it was.  Not so far or hard to get to; we're still not sure what the fuss was about; it was an extremely short walk from the Tube.

Woo hoo (or so we thought)! 

The vibe was not at all welcoming, but I liked some elements of the decor. 

cool light fixtures and wallpaper

We'd asked the host/waiter/tube-stop coordinator if we could sit in the back room, but he unceremoniously told us no. We're not sure why; it wasn't exactly crowded.

boring everything else

House red for my friend and a flat, warm grape juice spritzer for me.  Doesn't spritzer, by definition, suggest bubbles?

Our waiter was unusual, to say the least, and the service was not at all befitting the high-priced establishment (incidentally, not as high as the upscale establishments in New York).  There was no welcome, no offer to answer any questions about the menu, and absolutely no suggestions.  My traveling companion had to ask separately for the special starter of the day, pasta of the day, bean of the day, and grain of the day.  At some point you would assume the waiter would have gotten the hint and given us the whole rundown, but no; each question had to be posed individually and the responses were boring and delivered with a shrug ("just brown rice").  When we placed our order, he acknowledged each bit with a series of monotone "yeps," as in: "yep, yep, yep, and yep."  Charming.

Because it's been too long since I've had it from Peacefood or Soy & Sake, I was extremely excited for the vegetable tempura: "back by popular request, crisp seasonal vegetables in a rice flour batter served with sweet chilli & tempura dipping sauces."  Unfortunately, it was startlingly flavorless and absurdly oily.  Given the upscale establishment, my friend was actually offended.  I'm no health nut by any means, but these were greasier than anything I've ever ordered at Foodswings- where it's intentional and expected (also delicious).

If there are onion rings on the menu, I have to order them- especially after the gem at tibits.  Onion rings: with ketchup (or?);" these were so much worse than the tempura.

Since the menu had left the dipping options open-ended, I asked the waiter for some suggestions.  He was wholly and animatedly perplexed by my inquiry.  An explanation of the menu's inference elicited just another shrug and an offering of mayonnaise.  Whatever.

Although he tried valiantly to extract a recommendation, ultimately my friend had to blindly order the build your own meal: "choose any 4 sides and let our chefs plate it for you.".  He chose:

sauteed seasonal greens & garlic: "an immune boosting addition to any dish"  I'm pretty sure the theory was for these greens to flush out all of the grease we'd consumed from our appetizers, but as I recall they were on the oily side as well.
seasonal mash and gravy: "potato based with seasonal root vegetables, comfort food for all"  These had a nice taste, but nothing special.  I'm also not a fan of watery gravy.
manna crispy marinated tofu: "a protein boost to any dish, a long time favourite from our chef's salad"  These were WEIRD!  They were deep fried and I didn't want anything to do with them.
organic hummus & bread: "our own homemade hummus special and breads"  The hummus got the highest marks and the gluten-free bread was decent.

It's a sad day when the best that can be said of an upscale restaurant is that it makes a decent hummus.  For the record, my friend's description of the whole meal: "it was gross." 

I suppose because of the damp weather I'd been eating heartily all trip; this was no exception, as I ordered the Caribbean platter: "a Jamaican pot stew of coconut milk & seasonal vegetables including sweet potatoes & spinach, aromatic rice, a jerk tofu, plantain & red onion kebab, served with a pineapple, ackee and a grated courgette [zucchini] salsa;" it sounded promising.

The stew looked great!  With all of the delicious ingredients, though; it erred, inexplicably, on the bland side. 

The kebab was my favorite component of the meal; the sauce on the tofu, plantain, and onion was the tastiest thing on the plate.  The cabbage salad underneath looked appetizing, but there were infinitesimal specks of cilantro flecked throughout, so I had to let it go.  Note to restaurants: if you're not going to mention that the most hated weed in history is in your dish, at least be considerate enough to make it easily extractable.

Unless they're upside down in a cake, I try to stay away from pineapples for the sake of my tummy.  Mixed with zucchini?  No thanks.

After having fallen down my own house stairs shortly prior to the trip, I was made to feel most at home when I went flying down the steps headed to Manna's basement restroom.  I'd missed this sign, which nevertheless doesn't sufficiently impart that the actual danger lies in the fact that the steps are about half the depth and rise of what is expected.  Perhaps a better warning would be simply to impart, "Prepare to have your arms practically dislocated when you grab the handrails in an effort not to sail through the air"?

As if all this wasn't fun enough, there was still dessert to contend with.  My friend passed, but I was a glutton for punishment.

He did order the peppermint tea and seemed to like it.  To me it looked like mint leaves in hot water; is that what peppermint tea is?

As for my selections?  For starters, behold the absolute worst hot chocolate I've ever had in my entire life.  Watery and flavorless, it tasted like someone used one packet of hot chocolate mix to make eight gallons of murky hot water.  

And, do you know what this isn't?  Sticky toffee pudding.  Manna claims it is: "sticky toffee pudding: manna's traditional favourite, served with brandied pecan vice cream & caramel sauce," but I tell you that it is nothing of the sort.  Blasphemy, really.
 

What it really tasted like was a boring, old, dry, rum cake.  CAKE!  And the ice cream?  Blech.  I know I'm spoiled, but this ultra-rummy, frozen dessert was good only in the sense that it moistened the unpleasant cake.

And, as I promised my traveling companion, I will say here what I said at the time, "What the eff is a tomato doing stuck in my rum cake?!"  I know that although it looks like a tomato, it isn't really.  I know this because the table next to us made the same distasteful exclamation and the waiter told them what it was.  It didn't matter, what mattered was only that it was unpleasantly stuck in my awful cake.  Oh, tibits; you rock even harder than I thought.

For the record, this is the bridge you walk over to get FROM THE NEAREST TUBE STATION to Manna.  It's neither far or a big deal, but my recommendation would be not to bother crossing it.

Bad food?  Bad service?  Bad sticky toffee pudding?  Put a bird on it. Nope, doesn't make it better.

   

*London tip: Avoid phonebooths at all costs; they double as urinals.

VEGAN LONDON: Bumblebee Natural Foods

Disclaimer: I promise I'll be finished blogging about London by the year mark!  There was nothing on our "must-see" (tourists!) or "must-eat" (vegans!) lists for nearby The Third Estate, but we spied Bumblebee Natural Foods as soon as we turned onto the street.  It was only a few doors down from our destination, so we figured we may as well stop in for a nosh.  It couldn't hurt!

There are actually three separate Bumblebees in the same vicinity: two one side of the street (but not connected): "the bakery" and "the veg shop," and one across the street: "the nut shop."  We spent most of our time in the bakery (duh): that's where you'll find "breads, cakes, pastries, cereals and flours, biscuits and baby foods, grains and breakfast cereals."  They also had a prepared food section: both hot foods and salads, as well as snacks.  Although it was of no use to us, this is also where they also had a frozen section.  And what they call "free from" products (i.e. gluten, soy, nuts, animal products).  The veg shop was mostly organic fresh fruits and vegetables, organic dairy (gag), household items, and herbs & spices.  And the nut shop was mostly bulk food, packaged items, and supplements (if I recall correctly).  Apparently they've expanded non-traditionally as they've grown.

So, yeah; Bumblebee is not vegan.  In some instances they were very vegan-friendly: see the vegan chocolate section here:

In some sections a little less-so: the hot and prepared sections weren't clearly marked and they didn't exactly relish our inquiries.

As for the actual baked goods: nothing was marked and after asking separately about the ingredients in 5 items without anyone taking the initiative to just tell me what was vegan, I gave up.  Vegan-friendly doesn't necessarily imply actual friendliness to any degree.

Bottom line: I did manage to score this slice of cheeseless, roasted veggie pizza.  It was good, but not great.  It was barely lukewarm and the crust was, curiously, phyllo dough- which would have been a fine idea if it had been executed in such a way that it was actually crisp and not soggy.  The prepared food is all takeaway and, as there is no seating in or outside the shop, we ate our snacks standing on the sidewalk as the wind blew sesame seeds off my pizza and into my Third Estate bag.

Lest you think I bypassed the vegan chocolate section: dark chocolate covered marzipan came home with us.  The ratio of chocolate to marzipan was much too low for my taste, but it was better than the pizza.

Bumblebee obviously fills a niche in the area- otherwise they wouldn't have any justification for their continuous expansion.  Based on our experience, that niche isn't necessarily vegan and definitely isn't friendly.

VEGAN LONDON: The Third Estate

As a big fan of MooShoes stateside, I was extremely anxious to visit what sounded like their English counterpart: London's The Third Estate.

It is a stunning shop: inside and out. 

There are clothing, footwear, and accessories options for everyone; all neatly arranged and beautifully presented.

Plus, this beautiful chaise.  I'm a sucker for a chaise.

There were also many reclaimed elements in the shop, which gave it character on top of being immaculate.

well, what do you know? that's my tote on the counter!

As if all of that wasn't enough, the employee working that day could not have been nicer (Angela?).  She was helpful, friendly, and just generally made our visit a complete pleasure.

take a lesson

As for the shopping, there were so many options that it was hard to focus.  Nevertheless, into the fitting room I went.

There were a ton of footwear and accessory options from familiar vegan brands such as Matt & Nat, Vegetarian Shoes, Novacas, and Macbeth, but I chose a shirt from a new-to-me designer.

Although it was late in our trip, I'm so glad that we were able to find the time to make it to The Third Estate; it's a completely high-class establishment and I urge you to visit next time you're in London.

Pssst; I saved you the trouble.  For those who don't like to read too much: the shorter version.

VEGAN LONDON: Amico Bio (Vegan MoFo 2013)

Hey there MoFo'ers, I visited London back in March and have been blogging (intermittently) about it ever since.  Catch up if you like! 

After a long, cold, snowy day at the Tower Bridge and the Tower of London, we were once again looking forward to sitting down to a delicious, vegan meal.

 

On this night, we chose Amico Bio, a vegetarian Italian restaurant with two locations in London (I think we were in Holborn).

Fair enough:

While there was a predominance of dairy cheese and even yogurt on the menu, there were many dishes available with a vegan option.

The restaurant was quaint with a European feel.  As it was a Monday evening, it was not particularly busy.

My friend and I make good sharers; we started with the Bruschetta al pomodoro: tomatoes bruschetta.  Don't let the simplicity fool you; it was flavorful, fresh, and hardy.

Also, Tagliere con focaccia, olive di Gaeta e oiio extra vergine organico: "Homemade focaccia bread, breadsticks, gatea olives and organic extra vergine olive oil."  Upon consumption, it became abundantly clear that the reason I don't like focaccia is because mine doesn't taste like this.  Each element was as beautifully presented as it was delicious.

I should note that the menu does not showcase your typical spaghetti and meatballs Italian food.  Although they had a few choices that erred on the traditional side, we found them to be without a vegan option available.  So, for an entree I chose Arancini di potate, peperoncini: "Potato croquette with braised onions, sweet peppers, and Romaine."  A potato croquette!!  Who doesn't love a potato croquette?  Again: simple, but extremely well-prepared.  It looks oily in this photograph, but it wasn't. 

For my friend: Polenta arrosto con pomodoro: "Pan fried polenta with roasted tomato."  Another fresh, tasty dish where not a bite went to waste.

Everything about our experience at Amico Bio was understated yet flavorful.  It was a nice change of pace- especially in the throes of winter (yes, winter; it's taking me a long time to blog the trip!) and our marathon vegan tour of London.