I lived in Shepherds Bush for 1,5 year. Great place to live. Near Westfield and great transport into central London. A lot of weekend you could find me in Westfield or in West 12, what is on the opposite of the road. I always walked past Thai Buffet, or I saw it from the bus. It said ‘Lunch £5,90’ and ‘Dinner £6,90’. They serve Thai and Chinese vegetarian food. I always thought, ‘I should go there’. I like buffets, I like Thai food and it’s SO cheap! Only, because it was cheap and it also looked cheap I never bothered to go. I never was too keen on the idea and mostly went to Wagamama instead. Until last year, when my brother came and stayed at my place for a few days. He is really into buffets too and as it’s vegetarian, I was positive they had some vegan options too. That’s why I decided to go with him.
Ok, it’s not the place I would take my lover on Valentines Day, but it’s perfect for a hungry Saturday afternoon. Like me and my brother. I asked the lady what was vegan and I couldn’t believe my ears when she said that everything is vegan! What?! Why didn’t I go here before?! The food looked delicious and I couldn’t wait to start. I was so excited. We ordered a drink and we ran to the buffet, haha! With buffets I always like to start with salads. Just because your body will digest it easier, starting with raws. After that I was very happy to dig in the 
seitan, tofu and spring rolls.. gosh it was nice! When I was full I really wished I had another stomach to fill. They even had crispy duck style pieces and a lot of rice, noodles and lots of veggies. I really liked all the food and there are quite a lot of options for a small restaurant like this. Everything is very tasty, but I wasn’t crazy about the dessert though. It was just fruit, nuts and some tapioca pudding. They could have done a lot better I think. Maybe it’s just the Thai and Chinese kitchen that don’t give a lot of vegan style dessert option. All together I think it’s great value for money though!
So like I said before, it’s not a place you’re going to, to have a romantic dinner. But with all the food options, you don’t really care about the interior that much. It’s alright. Something I didn’t like that much is the staff. They were friendly, but not very focused on service. I know it’s a buffet and it’s all self-service, but it’s just nice if you feel very welcome. Overall, I was very pleased that I went and I’m sure I’ll come back here. Especially when my family is over here. My brother liked it a lot too and I’m sure the rest of my family will as well.
WHO? Tai Buffet.
WHERE? 86 Uxbridge Rd, W12 8LR.
CUISINE? Thai/Chinese.
VEGAN? Yes!
OVERALL? 7 (tasty food, great value for money, dessert and service could be better)
Do you know Tai Buffet already? What do you think about buffets? Are you going to try it? Please let me know! You can do this by leaving a comment below. You can also show me by tagging me on Instagram or by using #PlanetManel. Thank you! X
Notting Hill is great. For a lot of reasons.. but one of the reasons is definitely the restaurant ‘Farmacy’. A few times I saw Farmacy popping up on Instagram and when I checked what it was, of course I needed to go there. Now it happened to be that I got a temporary job last December, just for a week. The job was only a 2 minutes walk from Farmacy, how perfect?! So after my first work day, I went straight there and I was so impressed. What a fancy restaurant! This is definitely a good place for a more formal lunch, but also perfect for dates or to celebrate a special occasion. I’m just thinking now, I might actually go here on my birthday!
At Farmacy they, as the name implies, serve healthy food. “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” They get their products from local, organic farms from the UK. This doesn’t only make it taste amazing, it also makes sure you’ll get the maximum of all the nutritional benefits the food offers. Their whole menu is vegetarian, but looking at it, you’ll actually see that most of it is vegan too. Yay! I got the (of course) the burger (Farmacy Burger) with sweet potato chips. They do have lots of other very nice things on the menu. What do you think of ‘sweet potato falafels’ and ‘Tagliatelle ai Funghi’? Or you 
can choose 1 of the 3 vegan pizza’s.. These are only a few options, they got salads, soups and very nice desserts. I was too full to try a dessert, but I’ll make sure I’ll have some the next time I go. It will be very hard to choose though.. they have lots of dessert options for vegans and it’s totally different from a ‘sorbet’ or a ‘fruit platter’.. these are real desserts! Mouth-watering.. So as you can read, there is lots of good food, but they also do incredible juices and shots. All sorts of very amazing drinks. They’re all made right in front of you, at the bar in the middle.
Farmacy is located at Westbourne Grove, a street full of nice, quite exclusive shops and quite a lot of restaurants. Perfect location I would say and in a beautiful building. I also really like the interior. Very light and very green with lots of plants. In the front are very nice round benches, which I think are the best seats. There are also normal tables and chairs or you can eat at the bar. If you’re planning to go at a busy time and you’re going with 2 or more people, I do recommend you to make a reservation. It’s a very busy restaurants. Waiting to get seated is very normal. A lot of people like it here, what is only very positive though. I have to make a compliment about the staff, they’re very friendly and professional, what is very pleasant. The only down side about Farmacy is that it’s quite expensive. Though, to be fair, the food is really good! So in comparison it’s probably not that bad. Check out the 
It’s almost Christmas! Are you reeaaady?! I wasn’t really, as I wanted to post this recipe a little earlier, but I didn’t have enough time. Sorry guys! Are you a real Christmas fan or do you think it’s all a bit too much? I personally really like Christmas, especially buying the presents and making a nice Christmas dinner for my family. At first my dad, my sister and I always made it together. My sister and I did the starter or the dessert and my dad did the main, but lately me and my sister are doing everything, what is nice too. My sister is really good at making desserts, so I decided to do the rest. I chose to do some simple things and also we’re just going to 
put everything on the table, instead of making every single plate. We did this because it’ll be a lot easier with 8 people and you can just take the things you like best. Now you’re probably curious about what I’m going to make? I’ll make a dill-beetroot salad and stuffed sweet potatoes from the oven, but there will also be lots of other veggies on the table like brussel sprouts, pumpkin, green beans, corn cobs and broccoli. Yum! If you don’t know what to make for Christmas yet, then this might inspire you. It’s easy to make, it doesn’t involve hours in the kitchen and it’s quite on budget too.. oh and did I say it’s delicious?!
BLOODY SALAD
STUFFED SWEETY PIES
Are you having a Christmas dinner with family and/or friends?What are you going to make (or eat) ? If you didn’t decide yet, then this is a good option, also if you’re bringing (a vegan option) something when you’ve been invited. Or maybe you can make it for New Years evening?! Or whenever you feel like it of course.. haha! Please let me know if you decided to make these recipes! You can do this by leaving a comment below or by showing me on Instagram using #PlanetManel. Thank you! X
I think risotto is a nice comfort food, but served nicely it’s also quite a nice meal to serve for a dinner party (or Xmas?!). Last year for Christmas I actually served fried risotto balls, what was a huge success. This risotto recipe is very simple, but oh so delicious as it includes butternut squash from the oven, so yummy! The nutritional yeast will give a little cheesy flavour to the risotto, what goes so well with the squash. I can personally eat this every day, haha.. it’s super easy and doesn’t need lots of preparation, whilst you’re creating a super tasty meal. Please let me know if you decide to give this a go!
SQUASHOTTO
So in the morning I always start with a big glass of water with the juice of 1/2 a lemon and 1/2 tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Then I tend to wait for 30-60 min before I drink my green smoothie (
obsessions. I love sesame oil, I think it makes all salads delicious! I also use a bit of balsamic vinegar, a dash of lemon juice and ground black pepper corns. Salads like this will keep me going until about 16:00. To not feel hungry until dinner I eat a snack. This day I ate a Nakd bar and normally I tend to eat 1-2 pieces of fruit too, but that day I was too busy. I work until 18:00, what means that dinner is mostly around 19:00. Sometimes I have a little trouble eating a proper meal in the evening, because I just want to relax or have lots of other things to do. I always have to push myself a bit to look after myself in the evenings. This day I did and I ate some rice (white this time, but I mostly eat brown) with slow cooked tomatoes, pak choi mixes with spinach and chickpeas and some raw mangetout peas on the side. I love meals like this, it’s really a feast! A meal like this keeps me going the whole evening and I didn’t feel like snacking.
There are quite some Farmers’ Markets in London. What is great, because it gives you the opportunity to buy directly from the farmer. All fruit and veggies come straight from the field into your fridge, how great is that?! A lot of Farmers’ Markets are also selling organic fruits and vegetables. You can check on the 
Unfortunately the Farmers’ Markets are not vegan. Not even vegetarian. They also sell meat, fish and other animal products. I personally really dislike that, especially if the smell is very strong. Luckily there are also some surprisingly nice vegan things to get. In my Queens Park Farmers’ Market there is a stand called 
When I don’t feel like going all the way to the Whole Foods Market just for a few things there is this great other little shop, which is close to my work, where I can get most of the things I want. It’s a great shop, with a lot of vegan products. A lot of times I get my cheese there, my mayonnaise, some vegan treat and I can’t resist to get a space bar when I’m there.
raw bars and if you’re lucky they have some vegan snickers too, which are define! This is only the beginning, because then the section with vegan goodies (sausages, cheese, mayo, bars, yogurt etc.), plant based milk, juices, bread, biscuits and oats(you can get really big bags). They also have quite a nice selection of teas. Then there is sauces, pasta’s and rice + the babyfood. The last aisle is with nuts, dried fruit, peanut butter, chocolate spread agave nectar, soaps + personal hygiene and cleaning products. Oh and behind the till there are also supplements and all sorts of remedies they offer. These are just some main things, but they have a lot of surprising products you really don’t want to miss.
‘Portobello Wholefoods’ is 100% vegetarian and has a lot of organic products. They’re located on Portobello Road, literally under the Westway bridge. It’s easy to get to from Ladbroke Grove. If you keep walking under the Westway, it’ll be right in front of you. Even if you’re just strolling down Portobello road, it’s always nice to pop in. I’m sure you’ll walk outiside with something nice. They’re open every day from 9:30-18:00 and on Sundays from 11:00-5:00.
Sometimes you’re very hungry in the morning. This is mostly when you had a late night and a long sleep in. You’re craving for a good filling breakfast. Well.. looking at the time.. it’s more like brunch! Or maybe you’re a very hungry person at 6:00 in the morning, who knows.
Serves: 1
In the first Fridgecurious my sister was showing the inside of her fridge. This time it’s going to be myself. I’m quite excited, because people are always wondering what I eat. Because some people still think vegans only survive on carrots and spinach. So this will be a good opportunity to show you guys.
In the morning I always start with a big glass of water with the juice of half a lemon and half a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar (you can see this in the door). Then about an hour later I eat breakfast. My breakfast always consist of a smoothie, mostly a green one, and fruit. A mango, some berries or some apples. For my smoothie I like to use orange or apple juice, spinach or kale, banana, ginger, linseed and spirulina. I’m aware that the juices and the spinach/kale all come in plastic packaging, which I don’t really agree on. That’s why I ordered a juicer, so all my juice can come from the fruit I buy. As a matter of fact it can come any minute. I’m very excited!
make. I always try to eat in season. Not only because it’s cheaper, but also because I believe those foods have more nutrition and that’s why they taste a lot better! It’s easy for me to eat in season, because on Sundays I go to the farmers market which is only a 10 minutes walk from my house. There I buy as much fruit and veggies possible, because I also like to eat organic as much as possible and they don’t use plastic packaging. I always bring my own bag so I also don’t need their plastic bags to bring it home. It might sound silly, but it gets me very excited to walk home with a big bag of lovely fruit and veggies. It’s one of my moments of happiness during the week. So half the week my fruit en veggies come from the farmers market, but as it’s only once a week and I can’t buy for a whole week (it’ll go off and I don’t have so much space) I also have to go to the supermarket to get some necessities like spinach and kale. I do buy the organic though.
The butter you can see in the door I use for the odd occasion I eat bread, but I also do use it for baking now and then. I hardly use it, but once you bought it, it’s there. Haha!
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