Planting the Seed to PLANT-BASED FOOD in Cape Town
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
Meaty Burger, fries and a dip – at Plant
The buzzword on everybody’s lips is plant-based foods.
Whether you’re a red-meat-craving carnivore, a diet-conscious pescatarian, a bit-of-everything omnivore, a greens-and-cheese loving vegetarian or a best-of-both-worlds flexitarian, don’t for a second underestimate the impact of the newbie on the block! Unfamiliar with the terms schicken, cheez and mylk? Come on peeps, get with the programme! Believe you me, when three of my 6-foot-3 weightlifting family members converted to a plant-based diet, it was time for me to throw in the blinkered – view blanket and broaden the food horizons.
(You know the old adage, ‘if you can’t beat’em …’)
Besides, you may actually be pleasantly surprised at the astonishing food offerings that don’t include meat, chicken, fish, dairy or an egg. And perhaps if you (like me) aren’t quite convinced of fully committing to a plant-based lifestyle, but are keen to eat a little more consciously, read on!
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake with cold brewed coffee, coconut, almonds, raw cacao, dates, vanilla and cashew cream – at Raw and Roxy
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
Nachos and melted cheez – at Plant
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
Creamy Strawberry Tarts – and no dairy involved! – at Plant
Always at the cutting edge of things culinary, Cape Town with its world-famous culture of hipster coffee joints, ultra-diverse restaurants, delis, epic food markets and wine estates that offer a staggering array of diverse global cuisine, is positively embracing the plant-based trend. In fact, trailblazing hip Capetonian foodies have, like their Californian counterparts, been hot on the avocado, tofu and tempeh trail for years now, pre-empting the unavoidable shift the world is faced with when it comes to how food is grown, processed and consumed.
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Mini Vegan Raw Lasagne – at Raw and Roxy
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
Vegan Tartare – at Plant
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Raw Vegan Snickers Bar Cake with a peanut butter date crust almonds and peanut butter and raw chocolate filling – at Raw and Roxy
For those of you who are already on board an indisputably good-for-you veggie, protein-rich legume, tofu and ‘mushroom bacon’ lifestyle and diet, I hope I may just tempt you with a few ingredient ideas and restaurant suggestions. And those willing to dip their toes into unknown territory, you’ll be surprised with what’s on offer right under your noses at your local deli, restaurant or food market, whether in Cape Town, Dublin or New York. Come on, give it a bash, you may actually really like it!
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
Indonesian Gado Gado – at Plant
We’ve done the legwork for you and rounded up a handful of the most scrumptious local hotspots for plant-based indulgence. Feeling inspired/adventurous? Fasten your apron strings, stock up on the veggies, give your imagination free reign (or ask trusted google) and try your hand at creating some of these scrumptious food ideas at home!
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
Bagel with ‘happy’ salmon and avocado – at Plan
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Raw Vegan Chocolate Cheesecake with cold brewed coffee, coconut, almonds, raw cacao, dates, vanilla, and chocolate cashew cream.
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
Blueberry Cheesecake – at Plant
LEKKER VEGAN
This super cool venue’s claim to fame is best summed up by their logo ‘Best Vegan Junk Food in Africa’. Which it arguably is. Run by maverick Dutch-Capetonian owner James, blonde dreadlocks & all, the burgers are truly gourmet and yes, they’re probably technically classifiable as ‘junk food’ but so what? Live a little! Take for example the Lekker Meaty Burger – with a deliciously crisp vegan meaty patty and all the usual suspects: lettuce, onions, tomatoes, all slopping about in copious dollops of Lekker Vegan’s top-secret sauce. Add jalapenos, avo and chips and bob’s your uncle, but don’t just take my word for it, experience for yourself the whopping 10/10 more-ish factor of these babies.
@lekkervegan
Image Sourced Lekker Vegan on Facebook
A selection of what’s on offer – at Lekker Vegan
NOURISH’D CAFÉ & JUICERY
Known the city over for their insane juices, smoothies, shots and nut mylks, this delightful little restaurant also packs a punch when it comes to hunger busting, protein-boosting goodness. Take for example their Galaxy Bowl, complete with teriyaki tofu, brown rice, fresh mango cubes, grilled broccoli, edamame beans, carrot roses, red pepper, massaged kale, thinly sliced purple cabbage drizzled with a sesame miso ginger dressing, sprinkled with spring onion, coriander and mint … I mean, I could have this right now! Wash it down with a Citrus Cacao Love Smoothie Bowl of banana, oats, orange zest, cacao, dates, maca, chia seeds, almond & macadamia butter, almond mylk topped with granola, banana slices, dehydrated oranges, cacao nibs, and toasted coconut flakes … They promise it tastes like a zesty warm hug. Please hug me again! And again!
@nourishdcapetown
Image Sourced: Nourish’d on Facebook
Rainbow nourishment! – at Nourish’d
Image Sourced: Nourish’d on Facebook
Chocolate waffle heaven – chocolate and peanut butter dulce de leche drizzle topped with cacao nibs and caramelized banana
SCHECKTER’S RAW
Whether you’re in for a quick brekkie or a more serious sit-down affair, watch your taste buds do the salivation samba in anticipation of this feast. A Poke bowl, wrap, burger, falafel or detox soup anyone? Wash it down with some Chai Chia Tea, complete with chia seeds, home-made almond mylk, banana, peanut butter, Medjool dates, goji berries, pea protein, agave and Himalayan salt, or try the Brazil Acai Smoothie made with Acai, banana, blueberry, organic agave nectar and almond mylk. Or perhaps you want to explore the sweeter side of life? I can vouch that the Protein Pumpkin Flapjack is a thing of unadulterated deliciousness but you may have a penchant for things chocolaty, in which case I suggest the divine Double-Dip Donut. Said taste buds will by now be doing the double flip.
@schecktersrawlove, @schecktersraw
Image Sourced: Scheckter’s Raw on Facebook
Taste the rainbow! Artisan sourdough with crunchy goodness – at Scheckter’s Raw
Image Sourced: Scheckter’s Raw on Facebook
Pumpkin flapjack – at Scheckter’s Raw
PLANT
A vegan stalwart in the inner city, the mothership of all vegan restaurants in Cape Town, Plant spills over onto the pavement serving a breathtaking array of world cuisine – from Asian Spinach Dim Sum to Middle-Eastern Mezze Burgers, French Cassoulet to Mexican Enchiladas. Then there’s their epic ‘eat as much as you like’ buffets, their extraordinary array of fresh, homemade sweets and a heady selection of exotic cocktails. You may of course want to try the Ribs Burger with Vegan Meaty Strips in a BBQ Sauce or an ever-pleasing pizza or plate of Guacamole topped nachos but I recommend the Okonomiyaki, a Japanese style buckwheat omelet filled with cabbage, green onions, shitake and spin onions topped with sweet soy sauce if you’re still undecided. And … drumroll … it’s all vegan. Presented with huge smiles by French-Capetonian owner Pierre and his team of super-talented chefs and staff – it’s pure wizardry, believe me. But don’t take my word for it, come and taste for yourself!
@plantcapetown, @plantcafe
Pizza anyone?
Image Sourced: Plant on Facebook
RAW AND ROXY
Gorgeous Danish-Capetonian and owner at Raw and Roxy, Beatrice with her lustrous long blonde hair and radiant skin, is the embodiment of healthy living. She truly practices what she preaches and the end-result is nothing short of awe-inspiring. I’m referring here to both her own glowing beauty and the spectacularly appetizing, stunningly presented and incredibly good-for-you raw (yes, raw) dishes she concocts in her kitchen. Every dish is carefully put together to give you the nutrients you need while not compromising on taste or aesthetics. Take, for example, the Raw Vegan Spinach Burritos with veggies and spicy cashew mayonnaise, washed down with some Love Elixir, a freshly squeezed sweet pink potion made from pomegranates, black grapes, ginger and rose water.Finish off your super healthy meal with some dairy free, gluten-free and sugar-free Raw Vegan Coconut Macaroons with raw chocolate. I know this is one for the purists, but hey, we can all do with taking a break from the deep-frying, the processed foods and refined sugars, no? Your body will thank you.
https://www.rawandroxy-restaurant.com/
@rawandroxy
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Raw Vegan Carrot Cake with lemon cashew-icing
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Raw Vegan Burger with homemade raw pickles, cashew mayonnaise, dehydrated mushrooms and green vegan burger pattie – at Raw and Roxy
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Spring Rolls with cauliflower rice, avo, tomatoes, sprouts, sweet corn, spring onion, mushrooms and edible flowers served with tamari and a spicy ginger peanut sauce – at Raw and Roxy
The Conscious Kitchen
Fancy some Rainbow Bao Buns with fried tofu, mango, carmelized onions, colourful veggies and topped with spicy vegan mayo? Or perhaps the Asian Persuasion Bowl, aptly named for its delish ingredients of miso-glazed eggplant kebabs on a base of kale and brown rice, topped with a salad of seaweed, pak choi, edamame and pickled red cabbage? Well, look no further, drop the shopping bags and park yourself for some proper pampering at this little conscious pitstop in the city centre. With locally sourced, organic ingredients and an ethos of sustainability and local empowerment, The Conscious Kitchen certainly ‘does what it says on the label’. For those of us who still enjoy an egg or some cow’s milk in our java, you won’t be judged here! They’ll offer you the latter but with the promise that their dairy has been sourced from ethically responsible sources. Now that’s what I call having your bread buttered (and obviously I’m talking cashew butter here) on both sides.
https://www.theconsciouskitchen.co.za/
@theconsciouskitchen, @theconsciouskitchenza
Image Sourced: The Conscious Kitchen on Facebook
Chocolate Açai Bowl with organic açai, sweet potato, banana, peanut butter and cacao – at The Conscious Kitchen
Image Sourced: The Conscious Kitchen on Facebook
A rainbow of goodness – juices and shots: choose from Purple Rain, Black Tie, Kale Storm, Flower Power, Hard to Beet – at The Conscious Kitchen
Image Sourced: Raw and Roxy on Facebook
Green Juice that packs a punch – at Raw and Roxy
Any thoughts for a suitable caption for the green glass skull jug and its potent brain food? (And we’re months away from saying Happy St Patrick’s Day – so that’s not an option.)
