Review: Greenwich vegan options
For those who aren't aware, I currently live in the area of Greenwich (South-East London). You may have heard about it from Greenwich Mean Time and the home of the Prime Meridian. It's also home to Greenwich Park which is home to lots of lovely waterfowl, squirrels, deer, the Observatory and the Planetarium. There is also numerous other things to see like the National Maritime Museum and the Fan Museum (no geeks, it's not what you think), the banks of the Thames, the foot tunnel to Isle of Dogs and lots of shops and places to eat.
One of my favourite places is Greenwich Market. Established in its current location in 1700 with a 1000 year charter, it's been around for a bit and will be around for a bit more. There are up to 150 market stalls as well as 30 shops in the surrounding streets (the market is in the courtyard of several of these shops). The market runs 10am-5:30pm Wednesday to Sunday, with different stalls operating on different days. The permanent shops include an organic clothing store, an independent health food shop and a shop of old maps which I can spend hours in.
Of the market stalls, several of them are vegan or have vegan things of note, these include:
Falafelu
Falafel and hommus are generally regarded as vegan fast food staples. Falafelu sell delicious, fresh falafel and hommus either as a wrap or plate for around £4 with a range of different salads. The salads aren't your standard, lettuce, cucumber and tomato either. They have a range of about eight colourful salads which are just as good as the falafel they are served with. Falafelu are 100% vegan and at Greenwich market on weekends, and sometimes earlier in the week as well.
Homemade Ethiopian Food
If you are familiar with the Ethiopian food stall at the UpMarket off Brick Lane, the Greenwich, the food (and signage) will seem familiar- both stalls are run by the same family. The standard box is £4 and is either rice or couscous with a small amount of each of the 4 stews on offer. Usually the stews consist of a chickpea offering, a carrot and long bean option, a tumeric cabbage and potato offering and a lentil and spinach stew. The chickpea one is my favourite, but all are very good. They also have a chickpea box and injeras (the slightly vinegary Ethiopian pancakes) and if you are looking for something smaller samosas are also on offer. Ethiopian cuisine involves spicy stews with pulses and vegetables which results in a mouthwatering smell and flavour. Homemade Ethiopian Food is 100% vegan and usually at Greenwich Market Friday to Sunday.
Greenwich Bean Time
Yes, like many places around Greenwich it has a punny name relating to the history of the area. They sell wraps or rolls as well as boxes of healthy vegan food which changes from week to week but has a focus on beans of all varieties. This usually includes a variety of salads (such as chickpea, lentil or cous cous salad) and two bean and vegetable stews or curries. They are at Greenwich Market on the weekends.
Ruby Tuesdays
As I didn't have to go into work last week I thought I'd pop along and grab some lunch at the market on Friday. This is when I discovered Ruby Tuesdays, a 100% vegan cake stall. They are fairly new to the market and currently only operate on a Friday. They sell delicious, moist vegan cupcakes in a variety of flavours, including mint-chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, lemon, carrot and chocolate. Cheesecake slices and brownies are also on offer. I've been told their website is under construction and they are hoping to trade on more days at the market.
Choki of Brockley
I used to live in an area of South-East London called Brockley. It has a great sense of community, lots of little locally owns stores and was less than half an hour door to door from my old job near London Bridge. When I discovered Ruby Tuesdays last week I also discovered Choki of Brockley, a new Brockley based company making a range of organic, free-trade chocolates. Choki of Brockley have only been operating a stall at Greenwich Market for a few weeks and currently operate on a Friday. They have a number of vegan items, including a dark chocolate with caramelised hazelnut bar and vegan truffles.
Raw Intent
A local company that produce raw snacks and chocolates. They use ingredients like wolfberries (aka goji berries), nuts, yacon, dried fruit, maca, hemp and raw chocolate. The raw chocolate pie lovely, but alot of their products are very rich, so you only want to be tasting small amounts. Mostly vegan (they sell a few things with bee pollen) all products are dairy, gluten and sugar free, as well as being "ethically sourced". Raw Intent trade at the market on weekends, however alot of local healthfood shops (and the Waitrose in Canary Wharf) stock their goods.
Outside of the market Greenwich can be a bit dire for vegan options, there aren't any strictly vegetarian or vegan places, but there are the usual chains like Pizza Express and Gourmet Burger Kitchen where you can get a vegan bite. My two tips for Greenwich vegan eating are:
Tai Won Mein 49 Greenwich Church Street, SE10 9BL
Cheap, cheery and delicious noodle house. The most expensive thing on the menu is just over £5, the servings are huge (I always struggle to finish them) and they have some of the best East/South-East Asian food in London. Not that it's hard given that London mostly sucks for East and South-East Asian food. But Tai Won Mein is a little gem of Greenwich. They don't do tofu, nor do they have anything explicitly vegan on the menu, but they are happy for you to mix and match noodle types and sauces. I eat here about once a week and nevryn and I usually order "fried ho fun with vegetables and black bean sauce with no egg". The vegetables they include seem to vary with whatever is in stock on the day, but we've had other (meat ordering) customers comment on how good our dish looked compared to theirs, and wanting to know what it was exactly we got so they could order it next time. The fruit juices are freshly squeezed and they also do a range of Asian beers and cheap tea. If you come and visit me, there is a good chance I'll drag you here.
Kum Luang Thai Restaurant 326-328 Creek Road, SE10 9SW
An excellent Thai restaurant which a good vegetarian selection. They are also good about allergies, veganism and not too expensive either. The setting is lovely and quiet too, so better for an intimate dinner. Everything we've ordered from here has been delicious, the green curry stands out, as does the coconut rice. Of course I am quite partial to coconuts. Do avoid the lemon drink- it has artificial sweetner as nevryn discovered on both occasions he ordered it, but everything else was tops.
One of my favourite places is Greenwich Market. Established in its current location in 1700 with a 1000 year charter, it's been around for a bit and will be around for a bit more. There are up to 150 market stalls as well as 30 shops in the surrounding streets (the market is in the courtyard of several of these shops). The market runs 10am-5:30pm Wednesday to Sunday, with different stalls operating on different days. The permanent shops include an organic clothing store, an independent health food shop and a shop of old maps which I can spend hours in.
Of the market stalls, several of them are vegan or have vegan things of note, these include:
Falafelu
Falafel and hommus are generally regarded as vegan fast food staples. Falafelu sell delicious, fresh falafel and hommus either as a wrap or plate for around £4 with a range of different salads. The salads aren't your standard, lettuce, cucumber and tomato either. They have a range of about eight colourful salads which are just as good as the falafel they are served with. Falafelu are 100% vegan and at Greenwich market on weekends, and sometimes earlier in the week as well.
Homemade Ethiopian Food
If you are familiar with the Ethiopian food stall at the UpMarket off Brick Lane, the Greenwich, the food (and signage) will seem familiar- both stalls are run by the same family. The standard box is £4 and is either rice or couscous with a small amount of each of the 4 stews on offer. Usually the stews consist of a chickpea offering, a carrot and long bean option, a tumeric cabbage and potato offering and a lentil and spinach stew. The chickpea one is my favourite, but all are very good. They also have a chickpea box and injeras (the slightly vinegary Ethiopian pancakes) and if you are looking for something smaller samosas are also on offer. Ethiopian cuisine involves spicy stews with pulses and vegetables which results in a mouthwatering smell and flavour. Homemade Ethiopian Food is 100% vegan and usually at Greenwich Market Friday to Sunday.
Greenwich Bean Time
Yes, like many places around Greenwich it has a punny name relating to the history of the area. They sell wraps or rolls as well as boxes of healthy vegan food which changes from week to week but has a focus on beans of all varieties. This usually includes a variety of salads (such as chickpea, lentil or cous cous salad) and two bean and vegetable stews or curries. They are at Greenwich Market on the weekends.
Ruby Tuesdays
As I didn't have to go into work last week I thought I'd pop along and grab some lunch at the market on Friday. This is when I discovered Ruby Tuesdays, a 100% vegan cake stall. They are fairly new to the market and currently only operate on a Friday. They sell delicious, moist vegan cupcakes in a variety of flavours, including mint-chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, lemon, carrot and chocolate. Cheesecake slices and brownies are also on offer. I've been told their website is under construction and they are hoping to trade on more days at the market.
Choki of Brockley
I used to live in an area of South-East London called Brockley. It has a great sense of community, lots of little locally owns stores and was less than half an hour door to door from my old job near London Bridge. When I discovered Ruby Tuesdays last week I also discovered Choki of Brockley, a new Brockley based company making a range of organic, free-trade chocolates. Choki of Brockley have only been operating a stall at Greenwich Market for a few weeks and currently operate on a Friday. They have a number of vegan items, including a dark chocolate with caramelised hazelnut bar and vegan truffles.
Raw Intent
A local company that produce raw snacks and chocolates. They use ingredients like wolfberries (aka goji berries), nuts, yacon, dried fruit, maca, hemp and raw chocolate. The raw chocolate pie lovely, but alot of their products are very rich, so you only want to be tasting small amounts. Mostly vegan (they sell a few things with bee pollen) all products are dairy, gluten and sugar free, as well as being "ethically sourced". Raw Intent trade at the market on weekends, however alot of local healthfood shops (and the Waitrose in Canary Wharf) stock their goods.
Outside of the market Greenwich can be a bit dire for vegan options, there aren't any strictly vegetarian or vegan places, but there are the usual chains like Pizza Express and Gourmet Burger Kitchen where you can get a vegan bite. My two tips for Greenwich vegan eating are:
Tai Won Mein 49 Greenwich Church Street, SE10 9BL
Cheap, cheery and delicious noodle house. The most expensive thing on the menu is just over £5, the servings are huge (I always struggle to finish them) and they have some of the best East/South-East Asian food in London. Not that it's hard given that London mostly sucks for East and South-East Asian food. But Tai Won Mein is a little gem of Greenwich. They don't do tofu, nor do they have anything explicitly vegan on the menu, but they are happy for you to mix and match noodle types and sauces. I eat here about once a week and nevryn and I usually order "fried ho fun with vegetables and black bean sauce with no egg". The vegetables they include seem to vary with whatever is in stock on the day, but we've had other (meat ordering) customers comment on how good our dish looked compared to theirs, and wanting to know what it was exactly we got so they could order it next time. The fruit juices are freshly squeezed and they also do a range of Asian beers and cheap tea. If you come and visit me, there is a good chance I'll drag you here.
Kum Luang Thai Restaurant 326-328 Creek Road, SE10 9SW
An excellent Thai restaurant which a good vegetarian selection. They are also good about allergies, veganism and not too expensive either. The setting is lovely and quiet too, so better for an intimate dinner. Everything we've ordered from here has been delicious, the green curry stands out, as does the coconut rice. Of course I am quite partial to coconuts. Do avoid the lemon drink- it has artificial sweetner as nevryn discovered on both occasions he ordered it, but everything else was tops.