Review: Beyond Sushi

I’m aware that a 100% plant based sushi restaurant may sounds quite strange and in your mind you are probably just thinking of cucumber and avocado rolls. But hold up because Beyond Sushi is super creative with their rolls, making every bite full of flavour.

My absolute favourite rolls their is the Mighty Mushroom roll, filled with enoki, shiitake, tofu and surrounded by wild rice and alfalfa sprouts. But the main attraction is the sauces that they pair with the rolls. Yes they come with your average smaverage soy sauce but they also come with a super creative dip. For the mushroom roll, I got the truffle and shiitake sauce which blew my socks off. Seriously good stuff.
I’ve also tried the Pickle Me roll which I thought was ok. the mushroom roll really takes the crown for me as its got such well rounded flavour, whereas I thought the roll with the pickles was just a bit sharp and salty overall.

Beyond Sushi also have a plethora of sides that are equally wonderful, such as the dumplings and soups. However, to create a full meal with my sushi (they have great lunch time deals!) I opted for a cold noodle salad. I went for the green tea noodles with cilantro, parsley, seaweed salad (a huge favourite) and crunchy almonds, all drizzled with a ponzu sauce (in my opinion it was much too sweet to be ponzu and was more like a hoisin sauce) and it was delicious! You can never really go wrong with noodles 😉

Beyond Sushi
Website: https://beyondsushinyc.com
Address: Many locations across Manhattan, New York
Tel: +1 646-861-2889

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Review: Hemsley + Hemsley Cafe

I met the lovely Hemsley sisters on their ‘Good and Simple’ book shoot last year (wow, how time flies!) and I’ve been eager to try out their cafe ever since I heard about it (especially after trying their food and knowing how delicious it was)! I’m such a big fan of their ethos of eating whole foods that do good and make you feel good.

Their cafe, situated on the new Body studio on the third floor at Selfridges, embodies their positive attitude towards healthy eating with bright and flavoursome dishes.
They have a wide range of choices to cater for any dietary needs. I’ve heard that the slow cooked chicken stew with cauliflower rice is particularly delicious and the salmon burger in the flaxseed bun caught my eye. However, on the particularly sunny day in London I was craving a salad. Knowing the Hemsley sisters, I knew I was in for a treat.
Because of the many choices (it was too hard to pick just one!) I went for the mix of the three: puy lentil salad with thinly sliced beetroot, tart apple, dried cranberries with a light maple vinaigrette; sesame soba and carrot noodles; and quinoa with roasted vegetables and brazil nut pesto.

I loved that I was able to try all three and the generous portion for £10 was a steal! My favourite was definitely the quinoa with roasted vegetables. It was packed with different flavours and textures and the pesto added a basil punch to the dish. Next time, I will definitely opt for a large serving of this.

They had a range of drinks and I went for the hardcore green juice as I’m a sucker for it when I see it on a menu! It was filled with green vegetables and herbs which gave it a lovely light flavour. Don’t worry, if you’re not so keen on the liquid vegetables, they also have a range of smoothies and hot drinks.
As well as this, of course they have some desserts options such as chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake and their famous paradise bars.

I highly recommend checking out the cafe as it’s a place that anyone can go and enjoy the food on offer. Although their food is free from gluten, grains and refined sugar, the meals they serve are packed  with flavour and substance and their wide range allows anyone to enjoy the food. But be warned that it’s very small so I would say to go early if you want to get a seat!

Hemsley + Hemsley Cafe
Website: No website, but read more about it here.
Address: 400 Oxford Street, Marylebone, London W1U 1AB
Opening Hours:

Review: Le Pain Quotidien

A piece of Paris has been found in London!

Le Pain Quotidien is one of my all time favourite cafes. Whether you are going in for a quick snack or a leisurely lunch, it’s the perfect place that caters to lovers of healthy food or if you want something a bit cheekier! I love the interior of it as it’s so cozy with the wooden tables and chairs yet the windows allow the sunlight to come through and brighten the whole room. Try to get the top floor window table if you can – it’s perfect for people watching.

We ordered a few things to try as much as we could possibly fit onto the table!

I ordered the quinoa cake which was a quinoa patty with earthy mushrooms, beetroot caviar’, which gave a lovely tang and more earthyness, a roasted carrot hummus and creamy avocado, all finished off with some rocket leaves to give a slight pepperyness! I thought all the flavours balanced eachother out really well although, as I have the weakest spice tolerance ever, the roasted carrot hummus gave a slight heat in my mouth, especially when eaten on its own!

My friend ordered the roast vegetable tartine, which was highly recommended by the server. I’ve tried the tartines numerous times as Le Pain and they are always so delicious. You can really taste the ingreients and the bread is always so fresh.

The bit we both loved the most was detox salad. It was full of crispy and fresh raw vegetables and topped with seeds to give a nice crunch. I loved the addition of the herbs as it really seemed to lift the dish and every so often, the sweetness of the fresh mint would come through.

We were so full that we didn’t have space for dessert but I made sure to take a photo for you! I was eyeing up the chia pudding and my friend highly recommended the pavolva which was towering with cream and berries – perfect for the warmer weather.

As there are many Le Pain Quotidien’s dotted around, you’re more than likely to find one whereever you go! It’s a great place to have a mid afternoon snack or a full blown meal!

Le Pain Quotidien
Website: http://www.lepainquotidien.com/
Adress: 81-85 Notting Hill Gate, London W11 3JS, United Kingdom
Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 7:00 – 22:00, Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 – 22:00