Vegan and Vegetarian

Monthly archives for May, 2012

Aloe Dent Mouthwash

May31
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Aloe Vera Mouthwash

A natural mouthwash with aloe vera and tea tree from AloeDent.  I thought this mouthwash was OK.  It does have a very strong taste which is similar to a medicinal mint flavour, rather like any other mouthwash which has a minty sweet taste.  The bottle doesn’t last very long if used twice a day but it does a good job as a mouthwash.  It is a little expensive like most natural products.

Each bottle is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.  Fights bacteria, alcohol free.  I bought mine in Holland & Barrett.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

SAF Vegan Restaurant

May31
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Restaurant Kensington London

After the annoying news that they have closed the Shoreditch restaurant for SAF,  we decided to visit SAF Kensington which in the past has been hit and miss for me.  To be honest we had a mixed experience.  The food was mostly OK, but I was not impressed with the standards of the staff.

Firstly the Menus were really dirty,  they just needed a wipe down.  The waiters aprons were again dirty.  My knife had not been cleaned properly.  On its own you can let little things slip,  but this is the second time I have had issues with the cleanliness. 

It is a real shame because the restaurant is modern and has clean lines, and the food is presented in a modern clean way.  It is clear that the waiting staff are lazy when it comes to presentation.  We ordered extra drinks midway through our meal that never came, but they tried to charge us for them.

For starters I had a simple green salad with a flax crumble on top with some flax seed crackers.  This was fine but I would say that the leaves were not really fresh.  Paul had the Macadamia cheese with flax crackers and a fig jam,  this tasted very good.

For main course I had the pasta of the day which was courgette with cashew cream and pine nuts.  This was fine, however it did get boring very quickly.  Paul had the veggie burger.  This tasted fine and was enjoyable.

For dessert I tried the carrot cake, when it came I was really shocked at how bad it was.  It was rock hard,  they gave me a spoon to eat it with,  I needed a chain saw.  It was just awful and I could not eat it.  Paul had a vegan cheese cake,  this was ok but not great.

I wish they would sort out their cleanliness issues and be proud of what they are doing,  mostly the food is good, but they keep letting themselves down in my opinion.

www.safrestaurant.co.uk

Posted in 5. Restaurant Reviews - Tagged , ,

Tyrrells Red, White & Blue Crisps

May30
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Crisps

A pack of crisps made with different varieties of potato and beetroot,  which include Highland Burgundy Red, White Lady Claire and Salad Blue potatoes dusted with sea salt from Tyrrells.  This is a special pack to celebrate the Queens Jubilee.  I think the crisps are a nice idea.  I like that they are using some unusual varieties of potato,  it makes a change from standard white potatoes.   The crisps do not look that great,  they look a little strange as the blue and red potatoes are quite small so those crisps are small, but the white potatoes are big, so they seem to overshadow the other varieties.   The crisps are quite pleasant and are great for sharing, they are quite hard and crispy which you often get with hand cooked crisps.

Each 150gram pack is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.  Per 100grams is 496kcal.  Gluten free.  Made in England.  Sold in supermarkets and health food stores.

www.tyrrellscrisps.co.uk

Please note that my reviews are always honest and unbiased, however I feel it only right to point out that Tyrrell’s did supply this product for me to review

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Manna Vegan Restaurant

May30
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Restaurant Primrose Hill, London

On my short break to London, we decided to go to Manna for Sunday Lunch.  I have been a few times to Manna and I have always found it to be a lovely place and a haven for vegans as everything they sell is vegan friendly.

We decided to go for it and ordered starters and mains with a dessert to share.  We left the restaurant feeling overfull but very satisfied with what we had.

For starters I had cashew cheese croquettes with a chilli jam dipping sauce.  The croquettes were really good,  the cashew cheese was coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried.  The crispy outer worked really well with the soft cashew cheese.  The chilli jam was not special and to be honest did nothing for me,  I think these croquettes would have gone better with a fig jam.  I really enjoyed these.  Paul has the walnut ravioli.  This was also really good,  the creamy sauce and sweet fig jam worked really well with the raviloi.  We were both really pleased with the starters.

For the main course we had the Sunday Roast Special of the day,  this had hazelnuts, chickpeas and mushrooms in the roast and served with fresh vegetables and a rich gravy.  This was pretty nice,  the roast was quite large and I struggled to eat mine,  but if you dont have a starter you will be fine.  The fresh vegetables were also very good, not overcooked and retained the bright veg colours.

For dessert we had a sweet Tahini Chocolate Dip with a shortcake and pistachio vegan ice cream.  This was not my cup of tea,  I prefer tahini as a savoury flavour,  but the ice cream was very nice.  Paul enjoyed it more than I did, but it was not his favourite.

I also had a house special fruit tea infusion with cinnamon with a shot of calvados,  this was warming and finished the meal off perfectly. Paul had a Whisky (he loves quality whisky)  Highland Harvest was the brand and he enjoyed it.

The restaurant is quite good value for money.  I would recommend that you book a table because it does get quite busy.

www.mannav.com

Posted in 5. Restaurant Reviews - Tagged , ,

Merchant Gourmet Mixed Grains

May29
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Ready to Eat Grains

A microwave pouch filled with ready to eat quinoa, bulgar wheat, lentils and soya flakes in olive oil from Merchant Gourmet.  I have tried a few of this type of product and by far this is one of the better ones.  The mix is a little dry but if you drizzle a little olive oil over it then it tastes fine.  It says on the pack you can use it as a side dish, in soups and with warm salads.  I had mine with lots of other little dishes tapas style which worked very well.  I do not think this would be great on its own.  The grains are quite filling and I did enjoy them.

Each 250gram pouch is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.  ( I like that they label for vegans).  Cooks in just 1 minute in the microwave.  Per half pack is 255kcal.  Sold in supermarkets.

www.merchant-gourmet.com

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

The Gate Hammersmith

May29
2012 1 Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Restaurant Hammersmith London

I visited The Gate on a Saturday night which happened to be the last night they are open for a few months whilst they do a refurbishment.  They are due to re open on the 1st October 2012.  It is a shame they are closing for a while but the great news is that they are opening a gastro pub in Islington on the 1st of June.  Sadly I will not be in London for a few months, so if you do go to the new place please let me know what you think.

In Hammersmith I had a lovely meal,  the food was pretty good and the drinks were OK,  they sell vegan wine, beer and soft drinks.

For starters we both tried the vegan filled courgette flower.  This was the dish of my whole trip to London,  It was just lovely.  The crispy flower was filled with sweet potato and vegetables on a bed of green lentils which had a sweet and sharp dressing with a vegan mayo.   The flavours were outstanding,  the presentation of the dish was really good.   I really enjoyed it.

For main course I had a Aubergine and nut layer dish served with pesto and pickle.  I enjoyed it and it was full of flavour,  but after that fantastic starter I was slightly disappointed.  But it was good.

Paul had the a tortilla dish again filled with sweet potato and it had a bean salad.  Again this was pretty good, but not as good as the starter.

The choice for vegans is pretty good, but again they did not offer a vegan dessert other than ice cream or spicy pineapple crumble which I have had before and did not like.   It is so easy and cost effective to make a vegan chocolate cake, so I do not understand why they do not offer this.

www.thegaterestaurants.com

Posted in 5. Restaurant Reviews - Tagged , ,

Redwood Parmesan Style Cheese

May28
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Parmesan Cheese

A vegan Parmesan style cheese alternative from Redwood’s.   This is a hard cheese replacer, ideal for pasta and Italian style dishes.  The flavour is really strong and has quite a strong cheesey smell.  I had it grated on some polenta for a trial and I have to admit I did not like it very much.  I am sure that some people will like it but I found it a bit overpowering.  Vegan cheese is always better with other foods than on its own, then you get a sort of cheesey flavour with other flavours.

Each 190gram pack is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.  Per 100grams is 362kcal.   Vegetarian and Vegan Society Approved.  Sold in health food shops.

www.redwoodfoods.co.uk

Please note that my reviews are always honest and unbiased, however I feel it only right to point out that Redwood’s did supply this product for me to review

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Amico Bio Vegetarian Italian

May28
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Italian Restaurant London

Recently I visited London for a short break.  We went to Amico Bio on a Friday night for dinner.  The restaurant is lovely and has lots of vegan options.  The owner is a vegetarian and is Italian, so the food does have an authentic feel to it.  The food I would describe as rustic and wholesome.  My only complaint about Amico Bio is the vegan dessert option.  I do not get why the vegan choice is so poor.

For starters I had the cauliflower fritters and Paul had the Bruschetta.  The fritters were very crispy and tasted really good,  cauliflower works great as a tempura.  The Bruschetta was fine,  when we have had this before they used a much nicer bread,  the bread on this was good but not that great,  it was a ciabatta firm bread,  whereas before it was more of a focaccia style bread.

For main course I tried the pasta with sage and pumpkin.  I actually enjoyed this,  it was very filling and whilst I enjoyed the flavour of the sage I did not like the sage leaves,  they were unpleasant to chew,  I put those to one side and the dish was lovely.

Paul had a seitan sandwich with salad and chips.  The sandwich was really good, the seitan was pleasant and worked great with the salad and chips.  The chips were a little bit soggy, but they were made from real potato and did taste quite good.

The dessert was not great,  Paul ordered the only vegan dessert that was not ice cream,  the apple crumble.  It was basically over cooked apple with some cereals on top that reminded me of wheat a bix, coated with dusted icing sugar.  The cereals were not crispy,  this was not crumble,  it tasted awful.  I do not understand how you get an apple crumble wrong, it is such an easy dessert to make.  I do not understand why they are not good at vegan desserts,  vegan chocolate cake is so easy to make.   sorry to go on but it drives me a little crazy.  Vegans like cake.

We had vegan wine and vegan beer which were great, with good flavours.  The menu is varied and offers some really good options for vegans.  It can get quite busy so I woud recommend that you book a table.  They are located in London near the Barbican Tube Station.

www.amicobio.co.uk

Posted in 5. Restaurant Reviews - Tagged , , ,

Wholebake Cranberry Flapjack

May27
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Cranberry Flapjack

A hand made flapjack with cranberries from Wholebake.  I have tried a few of the nutty flavours of flapjacks from Wholebake so it made a nice change to try a fruity one.  The flapjack is not too sweet which I like and the cranberry pieces add a very tart flavour which compliments the oaty sweetness.  It does not have too many cranberries which I like because they would overpower everything.

Each 100gram flapjack is suitable for vegetarians and vegan as far as I can tell.  Vegetarian Society Approved.  Per 100gram flapjack is 437kcal.  I bought mine in an independent health food shop.

www.wholebake.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Neal’s Yard Cola Cubes

May27
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Cola Cubes

A pack of cola cubes from Neal’s Yard.  One of my favourite sweeties when I was a kid,  I was really pleased to find these in Holland & Barrett.  They are really sweet and have a pleasant cola flavour,  they did have a slight soapy flavour.  But I did enjoy the sweets.  My favourite vegan cola cubes are from Aldi Supermarket which I reviewed earlier.

Each 125gram pack is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.  No artificial colours or flavours.  Per 100grams is 362kcal.  I bought mine in Holland & Barrett for £.179.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Crispy Snacks Apple Chips with Cinnamon

May26
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Apple & Cinnamon Chips

Dried crispy apple chips with Cinnamon from Crispy Snacks Ltd.   This is a new product and I thought that they are pretty good.  They are a sweet treat without the guilt as they are really light, and made with just apple slices that have been dried and flavoured with cinnamon.  The cinnamon is really pleasant and the apple is a little tart and sweet, the classic flavour combination is lovely just like apple pie.  Each pack contains 2 apples and is one of your 5 a day.  Perfect for lunch boxes and great for a sweet fix.

Each 20gram pack is suitable for vegans and vegetarians (they do not label veggie yet which I hope they correct soon).   Per pack is 69kcal.  Sold in health food shops. Vegetarian Society Approved.

www.crispysnacks.co.uk

Please note that my reviews are always honest and unbiased, however I feel it only right to point out that Crispy Snacks did supply this product for me to review.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

9 Bar Flax

May26
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Flax Bar

A carob topped mixed seed bar with flax and hemp from Wholebake.  It is a shame these bars are not vegan friendly, because apart from the honey they would be OK for vegans.   They are free from Dairy, Egg, Lactose, Yeast, Gluten and Wheat.  Made with mixed seeds including sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, hemp and flax and poppy.

Each bar is suitable for vegetarians.  Contains honey so not vegan friendly.  Handmade in Wales.  Rich in Omega 3 & 6.  Per bar is261kcal.  Sold in health food shops and in supermarkets.

www.9-bar.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Orchard Vegetarian Cafe

May25
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegetarian Cafe London

A new vegetarian cafe called Orchard has opened on Sicilian Avenue, London  near Holborn Tube Station.

I have just got back from a lovely short break in London and I was very pleased to find out that there is a lovely new vegetarian cafe to try out.  As many of you know I am a vegan,  I have never had trouble getting vegan food in a vegetarian cafe or restaurant so I was hopeful to try something new from this little cafe.  When we got there and asked what was on offer for vegans, the member of staff promptly told me that they are a vegetarian cafe and vegans have to call in advance if they want to eat.  I have to admit I was very surprised.  The staff were not friendly or helpful and frankly completely put me off ever going again.

I have looked at their menu and it  does seem to rely on eggs, cheese and butter.  It is vegetarian and not vegan,  so if you are like me (vegan) then I would go somewhere else.  But vegetarians I hope you like it,  maybe you could comment on the quality of the food on this article to let others know what you think.

Orchard is a spin off of Vanilla Black a vegetarian restaurant near Covent Garden.  Vanilla Black did do us a good meal last time I visited.  See my review here.

Posted in 5. Restaurant Reviews - Tagged , ,

Hipo Hyfryd Ginger Truffles

May25
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Stem Ginger Truffles

A pack of 4 stem ginger chocolate truffles from Hippo Hyfryd.  I have had some of Hipo Hyfryd chocolate before and although it is quite expensive, it is handmade and does taste good.  These stem ginger truffles are quite good,  the rich dark chocolate works very well with the warm ginger.   I think these little boxes make a nice little gift or a treat.

Each 50gram pack of 4 truffles is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.  Hand made in Wales.  I bought mine in an independent health food shop.

www.hipohyfryd.co.uk

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,

Nakd Berry Delight Bar

May24
2012 Leave a Comment Written by maggie

Vegan Raw Berry Bar

A raw fruit and nut berry delight bar from Nakd.   Nakd offer quite a few bars and treats and I have tried quite a few.  My current favourite is the Cola Raisins which I reviewed earlier.  This berry delight bar is quite pleasant,  it is sweet and made with only natural fruits and nuts.  I think it is a bit cheeky calling it a berry bar, because the berries amount to 3%,  the ingredients are dates 49%, cashews 31%, Raisins 17%, Raspberries 3% and natural berry flavouring.  This is great for a mid morning snack or for lunch boxes.

Each 35gram bar is suitable for vegans and vegetarians.   Free from Gluten, wheat and dairy.  Per bar is 135kcal.  Sold in some supermarkets and health food shops.

www.eatnakd.com

Please note that my reviews are always honest and unbiased, however I feel it only right to point out that Nakd did supply this product for me to review.

Posted in 2. Product Reviews - Tagged , ,
« Older Entries

Copyright 2013 veggies.co.uk
Back to Top