The Cake Hole, Derby

A friend of mine gave me the heads up on Facebook that a new vegan cafe had opened in  Derby. So as I am home in Derby for the summer, I thought I should go to try it out.

So after one of my weekly swimming sessions with my sister, we decided we'd pay a visit to The Cake Hole which is based on the balcony level of The Market Hall in Derby.

As we entered The Cake Hole we were welcomed by a friendly face and browsed the menu. My sister was a bit cautious, not being vegan and favouring ham sandwiches for her lunch, opted for a brownie. She let me try a bit; it was gooey and satisfying.

We shared a pot of tea off the extensive tea menu, deciding to go for the a regular breakfast tea, which came with an option of soy or rice milk. We both loved the way it was presented, I would take a chintzy tea service any day over a matchy modern characterless one.

I was feeling peckish. There was a falafel wrap on offer and a 'make your own meze platter'. I opted for the latter and chose olives, falafel, tortilla and vegan ham. It worked together very well. The falafel were full of flavour and the olives were so juicy and fresh.

I really liked the decor of The Cake Hole, it has a unique and warm charm to it. There are also books dotted around and I enjoyed looking through the Post Secrets one. Not only is the food good and the atmosphere pleasant, but it is also very reasonable priced. I will definitely be visiting again before the end of the summer and whenever I return to see my family.

The only thing that is disappointing; and this is not to do with The Cake Hole, is The Market Hall. I wish more people would open shops and cafes here as it could be so amazing! It is a very beautiful Victorian Market Hall which could be a real gem of Derby.



Lentil As Anything, Melbourne

Lentil As Anything was very easily my favourite place to eat when I lived in Melbourne. It delivers delicious vegetarian and vegan meals 3 times a day; 7 days per week on a 'pay as you feel' basis.

The first time I visited this place I was overwhelmed. I had read briefly about it in my guide book but my friend insisted we must go when he found out I was vegetarian. We went for dinner on a balmy Saturday evening, which became my first of numerous visits. I was like a kid in a candy store- I could eat everything on the menu and help myself to as much as I wanted. The food was impeccable; so flavoursome; leading me to over indulge and go for seconds. It was also clearly labelled- great for one of our dining partners with food allergies. I left a big donation, feeling very satisfied.

Lentil As Anything would then go on to be my saviour when I hit hard time after deciding to stay in Melbourne. Struggling to find work, I was doing various casual jobs to cover my hostel rent and I was absolutely broke. They helped with low cost meals which sustained me until I eventually found a full-time job.

When I got my job and going to Lentil's at all times of the day became a thing of the past. It then became the favourite Sunday breakfast spot for my friends and I. Delivering coffee that could rival some of Melbourne's best and a menu of reliable favourites, made it the perfect place to spend the whole morning (particularly as there are usually interesting things going on at Abbottsford Convent at that time too).

Lentil As Anything will be one of the things I will miss most about not living in Melbourne. Its not just the great food but the philosophy; pleasant atmosphere that the volunteers create and the variety of people dining there.



OM Vegetarian Restaurant, Melbourne

Melbourne really has a lot to offer for vegetarian's and there  are a ton of solely vegetarian places to eat and most places being vegetarian friendly in some way. (Three 'vegetarians' in one sentence- that's how vegetarian Melbourne is!) Not only this, there are so many fantastic cheap eats. Great for backpackers like myself who are either broke or trying to save as much money as possible for their next move.

OM is a fantastic example of good cheap wholesome vegetarian food. They have two locations in Melbourne CBD. I happened to be walking past one day and seeing the sign, noting the words 'VEGETARIAN' and '$6.50 ALL YOU CAN EAT', I knew that this would be a place that I would want to be visiting. I went to following weekend armed with two none vegetarian friends who love a cheap feed.

For your $6.50 you get a vegetarian curry, a daal, rice, chapati and some chutney. It was deliciously satisfying, especially washed done with a glass of $2 mango lassi.

The portion was just the right size but being greedy and wanting to take advantage of the all you can eat aspect we of course had seconds.

This would be a great place to visit when your passing through Melbourne low on cash, eating as much as you can to keep you going for as long as possible. I know, because I have been in the position here when you're so low on cash that food stops being a necessity and becomes a luxury. You're getting up really early for your hostel breakfast, stealing extra bread for lunch and looking on the free shelf for any food you can find. I look back on these pleasantly though- definitely fun, thrifty and character building. It's amazing quite how little you can live off.

Anyway, side thought over, back to OM. The food was simple but really tasty. I loved it so much as Indian food doesn't seem to be as big here as it is in the UK and I have really missed it. Daal is one of my most favourite things to eat as well so the fact I could have as much as I wanted was really heaven!

Even the non-veggies loved it, which was a relief to me, as I did not once here: 'its good but it's just missing something'. They left full and happy saying it was definitely somewhere they would go again for a great cheap lunch.

Nuffnang Blogger Meet Up- Melbourne

Last weekend I got invited to the Nuffnang Op-Shopping Blogger Meet Up!

The thing I am most proud of is my find of the day. This Vivienne Westwood cardigan for only $14- I could not believe it when I set my eyes on it and I have been bragging to everyone since. It's so bright and beautiful, as well as being perfect for the chillier weather which is now approaching Melbourne.

However, now on to the actual day!

We hunted through various op-shops in the Windsor area of Melbourne. I hadn't spent much time in this area before as I live more in the North but there were so many amazing shops and there's a great feel to the area.

I thought this desk was particularly beautiful- but large furniture purchases are out of the question right now. If it can't fit in my backpack- I can't have it.

I was also intrigued by the books in the shop, especially the one titled "$200,000 per year while vacationing in Europe" - How the other half live, eh? That's certainly not my reality as a poor backpacker eating ramen noodles!

My favourite op-shop by far was the Salvo's! It was so beautiful- set out more like a beautiful quirky shop than other op-shops I've been to before. This is where I made my purchases.

The days hunting was followed by a delicious vegetarian lunch at the Tyranny of Distance.

We started off with some really delicious flat bread with hoummus, red pepper dip and baba ganoush.

We the went on to really delicious stuffed mushrooms, saganaki and roast potatoes with a delicious paprika mayo, washed down with fruity mocktails.

Everyone who took part in the meet up!

	Leeyong  Style Wilderness Laura  A Little Boutique Near Home Marianne  Esme and The Laneway Cecylia  Cecylia.com Cintia  My Poppet Vicki  Knocked up and Abroad Sharon 365 Reasons not to die with a full craft cupboard Mary (Mezzy) Recycled Repurposed Renewed Erica Recycled Fashion Vicky I Love To Op Shop Zoe Life of a Vegetarian Girl Kate Vanity Project by Kate Iselin Valissa Nuffnang Berlin Nuffnang Trish  Trish Hunter Finds Maria  Sleekitone
	Check them out and their fantastic blogs!
	It was so much fun getting to go to a new part of Melbourne which I had not explored before and to meet great new people.
	Thanks guys for a truly lovely day!

Favourite Veggie Places: San Francisco

I have had so much fun travelling. I have now been in Australia for two and a half months after spending a month in the US! I am finally getting around to doing some posts... FINALLY!! So despite this being a long time a go I am now posting about San Francisco where I had some fab veggie food experiences. Sorry about the photos again, got to invest in a better travel camera!

Taqueria Cancun

Located in San Francisco's colourful Mission district Taqueria Cancun, is not a vegetarian restaurant, but they do an amazing Vegetarian Burrito! Not only is it delicious, but the portions are huge and this little lot below cost less than $10 (USD). Yes! $10 for a burrito, nachos with salsa & guacamole and a coke. I felt so stuffed after, I recommend cutting the burrito in half and saving some for later. Not only a thumbs up for the food but also fantastic for backpackers on a budget!

Loving Hut

Featuring 3 restaurants in San Francisco alone- Loving Hut is a real favourite to vego's around the world. This was my first try though and I really loved it. I went for a lunch offer where I got two dishes, a fantastic mushroom dish which I couldn't resist with mushrooms being my fave food and a delicious spicy green bean and soy meat dish, served with yummy veggie rice! I really enjoyed this and there will be another visit when I come across Loving Hut again.

Favourite Veggie Places on the East Coast (USA)

I have finally got around to blogging- yay! This has been a culmination of problems, including that I tried to post earlier but the hostel's computer wouldn't help me get my photos off my camera to post. Now I am officially in San Francisco, so I'd thought I'd do some reflective posts on my time on the East Coast starting with my favourite veggie restaurants that I visited. (Apologies in advanced for the photography- I don't have my good camera with me!)


Vegetarian Dim Sum House, New York
on 24 Pell Street in China Town

I visited the Vegetarian Dim Sum House last year and I was so impressed that I thought it deserved another visited! It is really good value and this little lot below, which was more than enough for one, came to less than $10 and included free green tea. All the food was absolutely delicious! I tried the fried mushroom dumplings in chili sauce (far left) for the first time and they were amazing! They do more than just Dim Sum though, with a whole menu of great veggie Chinese food!

Clover, Cambridge

at Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA

This was a recommendation from a person I was staying with off CouchSurfing (more about how brilliant that organisation is later). It has a simple menu with different sandwiches- I opted for the Falafel Sandwich and Rosemary Fries. It was really fresh and so so tasty! The rosemary really added the fries and I loved all the funky different salads on the sandwich too. The place also had such character with a communal table and having your name shouted every time something was freshly made for you.

HipCityVeg, Philadelphia
by Rittenhouse Square (127 S.18th Street)

I discovered HipCityVeg by accident, as during my time in Philadelphia I fell in love with Rittenhouse Square and wanted to sit and eat my lunch there. I went in to ask about vegetarian options and it turned out all the food is 100% Vegan. As I was in Philly, the home of the infamous Philly Cheese Steak, I thought I'd opt for the Philly "Steak" Sandwich. They also did Sweet Potato Fries, which looked great but the sandwich was so big it was more than enough on its own! It was such a delicious sandwich, packed with flavours from the mushrooms, onions and fresh tomato ketchup. The inside is small, but go eat on Rittenhouse Square, it's really beautiful and interesting!

Afterwards, go get some Yogorino, the tastiest frozen yoghurt I have ever tried with delicious toppings!

Toscanini's, Cambridge
889 Main Street, Cambridge, MA

So this is an ice cream place, I don't think they do vegan options, but they do they best homemade ice cream and apparently very good espresso. Toscanini's was another recommendation from the CouchSurfing Host I was staying with. The ice cream is made right there and they have some really interesting flavours. I opted for a Sundae with Mocha ice cream, whipped cream, hot fudge sauce and nuts- it was really indulgent and delicious.

La Tasca

When the good people over at La Tasca asked me to try the vegetarian options on their menu, I jumped at the chance. I have previously enjoyed eating at La Tasca, choosing to dine there for two of my birthday dinners with friends and really enjoying the party atmosphere

The first thing that hits you with La Tasca are the bright colours of the décor, I love the yellow and the patterned tiles. It gives the place a real Mediterranean feel, even if the weather outside is dreary and typically British. The thing I loved most about the décor though was the pretty patterned plates, if I was less honest, I would love the take them away in my handbag (however, I would never do this and don't recommend anyone does!) There was music on in the background and this, along with the growing number of people in there on a Friday evening, gave it a really good feel. 

Tabla Verduras

La Tasca's new menu has 24 vegetarian options, prepared separately from meat dishes, all of which are clearly labelled with a V. There are more vegetable/cheese options but some of the cheese's aren't vegetarian. That's the only recommendation I would have for La Tasca, source more vegetarian cheese's!

My dining companion for the evening was my very dear friend, H, who has previously enjoyed eating out at La Tasca with me, but this time she was eating solely vegetarian. We order drinks and a vegetarian platter to start off with. What I would recommend, above any other drink, is the Traditional Sangria. It is some of the nicest Sangria that I have ever tasted and I always order it when I go there. The vegetarian platter was also delicious, I love the chargrilled beans and sunblushed tomatoes especially, this along with a few other dishes on the menu would also appeal to vegans.

Paella Verduras

For mains we ordered a portion of the vegetarian paella and a few tapas dishes to try between the two of us. I could not fault any of the dishes. The Tortilla was enhanced by a lovely pepper purée, which I was really taken with, as I wouldn't usually go for this dish. H was particularly pleased with the bean salad, complimenting how flavoursome it was and also enjoyed the baked aubergines.

However, what was most impressive was the Paella. I love Vegetable Paella, but I have never actually eaten it in England, unfairly writing it off as I thought it was not be as good as those I have tried in Spain. It was so so good though, full of flavour with really big chunks of vegetable. The Paella (along with the Sangria) were the highlights of my evening and I would definitely go back for this dish.

Berenjenas Gratinadas; Three Bean & Mint Salad; Festival of Mushrooms; Tortilla Espanola  (Left to Right)

We finished off with pudding, it was really good but I was so greedy that I ate it before taking a photo. I had the melt in the middle chocolate pudding which was beautiful and H opted for the Apple & Almond Flat which I had a nibble of, it was also very delicious.

I was overall very impressed with my visit to La Tasca and with the new vegetarian options on their menu, making it a more accessible place to eat for everyone. I would recommend people giving this a try or particularly to try it for a celebration, as I have before and others were that night, it was such a lively atmosphere that will not disappoint!

Yaffle Cafe Meal Night, Derby

I have been a happy customer of Sound Bites, a small independent wholefoods shop in Derby for many years. Some time after the shop opened, a small vegetarian cafe opened above Sound Bites called the Yaffle Cafe & Bookshop. For a long time now I have been meaning to go here as it is local to me now I have moved back to Derbyshire and it is the only solely vegetarian cafe in Derby.

Yaffle Cafe & Bookshop is open during the daytime and serves cakes, light snacks, coffee, etc, all of the vegetarian and vegan variety. However, on a Thursday and Friday evening, Yaffle Cafe hosts a meal night with a different country theme each week and all of the food is vegan-friendly. This is what I have been particularly excited to go to.

Enjoying the food and atmosphere. Organic Cotton Shirt- H&M.

Yaffle Cafe is small and cosy, seating around 12 people. It's decorated in sunny yellow and is full of books, flyers and magazines, so there is plenty to read. I was really impressed with my surroundings, it had a great atmosphere, a very relaxed bohemian sort of feel. I like that the books were available to borrow and that it was encouraged that you could look at books, I had a nosey through quite a few magazines, which is unlike some cafe/bookshops where this is discouraged as the books are all new and are for buying.

The theme on the night we went was Sri Lanka. I read the menu before going and was particularly excited for the vegetable and cashew nut curry, I was not disappointed! The menu (printed on used paper, which I personally loved) had a choice of soup to start and a couple of options for pudding, the main being a plate with small amounts of a variety of dishes for you to try.

Having seen the big portions someone else had, we decided to just opt with the main and I was very pleased with what I received. The dishes were bursting with different flavours, even the rice which was flavoured with coconut. It was nice to eat somewhere serving different dishes, as vegetarian options in a lot of places in Derby tend to be a bit samey, serving the standard fare of vegetarian lasagne or veggie burgers.

Something else that is really great about Yaffle though is the price, it is such good value, with a main costing only around £5, which is what attracted my diners for the evening who are poor hungry students.

My dining companions for the evening were my sister Vicky (Girl about Scarborough) and her friend who was visiting, Jo, both of whom eat meat. They were looking forward to coming to the meal night as it is something a bit different from when they would usually go out to eat. Both were very happy with what they received. Vicky really love the atmosphere of the place, commenting that she would definitely come back in the daytime as she felt this is a relaxed place where she could enjoy a cup of tea and read a book. Jo was taken with the entertainment options, particularly the felt tip pens, getting to do a bit of colouring while waiting for our mains.

Vicky & Jo

Yaffle Cafe & Bookshop is great! It is definitely worth visiting! If your a vegetarian/vegan in Derby or visiting Derby, it is going to be one of the best options of somewhere to eat. This is also a great option to try something new. If you do go, I would recommend nipping into Sound Bites (which opens late on a Thursday) to stock up on a few vegetarian goodies too!

Woktastic, Birmingham

 Woktastic = WOW!

I absolutely love Japanese/Asian Fusion style food and Woktastic is doing it at it's best! It takes elements from two of my favourite chain restaurants Wagamama and Yo Sushi! then puts them together under one roof!

I didn't quite know what to expect when I heard that I was going eat at Woktastic with RB, his sister and brother-in-law. It was one of their favourites but the name conjured up the idea of bad Chinese buffet restaurants. I was pleasantly surprised when I was the beautiful bright decor and a sushi conveyor belt. My pictures are pretty poor... I'm sorry for this! We had been to the gym so were really hungry and also the food/conversation were so good, I nearly forgot to take photos at all!

We really over did it with the starters! We had a starter each, mine being the Agedashi Tofu with Sweet Chili Dip, which was sublime! Every time I have tried to tempura silken tofu it always goes wrong, but it is one of my most favourite things to eat! As RB and I were very hungry we took advantage of the unlimited Miso Soup and some of the veggie sushi they had to offer, the sushi pictured is Mooli Maki, but we also had Inari Nigiri. We washed it down with Plum Wine, which was so yummy and I don't know why I hadn't had it before!

There were a fair few vegetarian main courses to choose from, but I settled from Tempura Vegetables which came served with curry sauce, sticky rice and salad. This photo doesn't look amazing as there is a bit too much curry sauce, but it is better than there being too little! It tasted great though and even when I was completely full and about to burst I couldn't stop eating it!

Woktastic is great! It has loads of vegetarian options, both on its main menu and sushi menu. Everything on the menu is also clearly labelled to show it is vegetarian. It is definitely worth going to if you're ever visiting Birmingham!

Platillos, Sheffield

Recently I have been spending a lot more time in Sheffield, but more in the Meadowhall shopping centre than city centre. It is a great city to shop and spend time, close to where I come from. We made a quick stop there last week to find a John Lewis. 

  I have heard a few great reviews about Platillos in Sheffield, so armed with the map app. on my phone, RB and I set out to find it. Luckily, it was fairly close to John Lewis, which was great as we were starving! We were pleasantly surprised when we found it, it was in a beautiful courtyard with lots of other restaurants, including one of my other favourites: Wagamama!

Platillos serves tapas style dishes from all over the med! We started off with a vegetarian sharing platter, including: olives, falafel, tortilla, hummus, bread, a red pepper dip and tzatziki.

Then we had some smaller tapas dishes (I yet again made the error of tucking in and putting it onto my plate before I took a photo), including: spicy sweet potato crush, butternut squash fritters, grilled halloumi and garlic mushrooms. Platillos also has an extensive cocktail menu.

It was a little on the pricey side, but I would definitely recommend it! They do have an early bird menu, which is very reasonable. I think this would be good for a special occasion, I love tapas for a party!

Goji, York

I have been to Goji in York before, but only for take-away food from their deli at the front of the cafe. It is exclusively vegetarian, with lots of vegan options! RB & I were having a couple of 'holiday' days in York before I had to get on to writing essays and he had to go back to work, so we went here for lunch and enjoyed their cafe menu.

We were really hungry so chose three dishes between the two of us. We were so ravenous that the first dish that came (a tofu hot dog with onions and gherkins, which was personally my favourite dish) we ate straight away and did not take a photo. We also had (seen below) an Indian Platter, which had samosas, a dahl, mango chutney and mint yoghurt, and a mushroom & halloumi burger, which came with sweet potato wedges.

They were all very yummy! So I definitely definitely recommend it and will be going back lots in the future!

We also had another flowering tea as we are real lovers of beautiful tea now. They also sold the buds in the deli, so I bought three and now I just need to get a glass mug for them.

Ekachai in Selfridges in Birmingham

RB and I went to Birmingham the other day to look around the sales and shops. I didn't really want to buy anything, but I do like going into Selfridges, especially to look around the food hall and go to the mini restaurants in there! We decided to go to Ekachai for something to eat. I love Selfridges so much that I am tempted to move to Birmingham, Manchester or London just to be near one!

To start we shared some vegetable spring rolls that came with a sweet chili sauce.

RB had this jasmine flowering tea. I have never seen anything like this before and when he ordered it I thought it was just jasmine flower tea, so I was mesmerised when the little bud dropped in hot water turned into a little garden in his glass. Isn't the most beautiful cup of tea you've ever seen. So tasty and fragrant too!

We shared mains and order the sambal sauce and sweet and sour sauce (below), both with tofu and vegetables. It came with a generous portion of sticky rice and salad. Both very yummy and good portions that left you satisfied, but not stuffed. This photo really has nothing to do Ekachai at all. There is a Krispy Kreme opposite and RB wanted to get some doughnuts. We stood in the queue waiting and I thought it was amazing how many doughnuts they made and the system they had made them so quickly!

So overall, Selfridges is a fab department store and a great place to visit and shop. And Ekachai, although not somewhere I would choose to go out for a meal, is great for lunch and keeping the hunger pangs at bay when you're shopping!

Istanbul, Derby

Istanbul is a little gem in Derby! Some people don't like it because of its dated decor and because of it's location, some don't even know it exists. It is above the PDSA charity shop in Derby Market Place but you have to walk towards the fish market to get to it (perhaps another thing that puts people off?) It is not vegetarian, but has lots of vegetarian choices and the staff are very accommodating to vegetarians needs.

It is reasonably priced. The food is good. The service is great. As you come in they give you flat bread with a spicy butter and pickles to nibble at while your waiting for your meal to come. I always go with my two besties, H and L, we went last night for our friends Christmas celebrations where we have a meal, drink too much wine and get to open presents early!

This is a picture of our Starter: Meze! Only 2 of the 11 Meze contain which is great, so H & L polish those off and I get more of the vegetarian dishes! Even more bread is served with the Meze.

This is my little plate with vegetarian meze on aubergines, mint yoghurt, this chili thing, green beans, beans, a little stuffed filo pastry and tabouleh.

On the special Christmas menu they had two vegetarian options, but have around 6 on the menu in the total. I chose the Bahcivan Sote, which is mixed vegetables topped with cream and cheese. It was really good but so filling! I couldn't finish it all. All of the mains come with potatoes (which are amazing) and rice. You are certainly not hungry when you leave here.

After this we were bursting at the seams, but we still had dessert to come. The staff were very good and let us have a break. I did then forget to take a picture of it, but I had a mixed sweet plate which had traditional Turkish desserts and some English. My favourite was the Baklava and I would have a bigger piece of this in the future.