I'm in London!
It's only been about a week since I've arrived, but wow, it feels longer. It feels like I've been here for three! I guess I've done a lot. I absolutely love this place. London is so pretty and cute! My home, New York, is wonderful as well-but I'm here to experience and appreciate a new city to discover. I'm just loving taking a different transportation system and exploring new streets.
One thing I got excited about upon arrival was the Turkish supermarkets. There are tons of 'em in London, but to me, it's novel and exciting to see.
There's a big one across the street from where I've been staying, and you know the first thing I bought there was hummus!
International Supermarkets
Turkish supermarket in Hackney
Olives. Olives galore!
'Halva' yourself a treat!
Halva and tea for dessert on my first night.
They also have Caribbean supermarkets which I have yet to explore- but I plan to very soon!
Broadway Market
Since I got here, I've been doing the things I've planned to do-I apartment hunt by day and go to open mikes by night. And I go to lots of markets and parks. One of the first markets I went to is Saturday's Broadway Market. They had some veg-friendly fare, including spicy tofu summer rolls and mushroom almond tacos.
One notable option was the The Veggie Table's aptly titled Vegan Superveg Burger.
Vegan and wheat-free (woohoo!), served on a wholemeal bun with one choice of sauce, tomato or red onion. I went with the red onion. And yes, that's quinoa you see! This burger is also made with vegetables, nuts, sultanas (raisins) and cumin.
For dessert I had a vegan treat from Happy Kitchen.
Their desserts are vegan, gluten-free and refined sugar-free (fruit sweetened!). They make muffins, cookies, "flapjacks" (British-speak for oat bars), and brownies. I chose their raspberry brownie.
I devoured this brownie (with delight) in London Fields.
I have to say, their brownie was great! I will definitely be trying more of their stuff soon.
Columbia Flower Market and Brick Lane Market
On Sunday I went to Columbia Flower Market. England is so adorable! I love how the people appreciate flowers here. I can even see big men leaving the market, a big bouquet in tow.
I also enjoyed the stores along Columbia Road. One shop called Keeping House (144 Columbia Rd.) sells beautifully scented candles made with plant-based wax. That's right, the candles are vegan!
I chose their Wild Fig and Grape scented candle
I then walked to Brick Lane, where they have hundreds of markets!
Like a museum experience, I got exhausted from visual overload. So many clothes and accessories! I definitely needed a lunch break, and stopped to eat this great Ethiopian feast.
Three different stews in injera (a kind of pancake), with your choice of three salads. Yum.
Vegan Pho
Love the street art in Shoreditch.
Near Brick Lane is the Shoreditch area. Now, thus far I've found that nothing beats LAN Cafe's pho in New York, but Pho Café (a veg-friendly Vietnamese street food spot) has a decent tofu and mushroom pho.
That pretty much concludes my first week's 'veganings" in London. I will surely post more on my whereabouts and shenanigans soon, and will also share some things about Italy!
xo,
Ellie
