The Conscious Kitchen: the vegan fry up is a misnomer

 8 May 2023

 

THE CONSCIOUS KITCHEN

34 Kloof Street, Cape Town

 

Hello, I’m Neels. I’m not a vegan but I am partial to vegan vittles.

 

However, not all vegan food is created equal.

 

The truth is that the vegan version (R105) of a “full English” doesn’t match up to the one with bacon, pork bangers and eggs, no matter how ingenious the manufacturers of ersatz meat products are. 

 

The sausage is very clearly soy based and barely tastes like boerewors never mind a pork banger, but at least it’s not overcooked and dry.

 

The “bacon” is at the same time crisp and chewy, and quite tasty, but it’s also a far cry from pork.

 

The spicy tofu scramble was good, the mushrooms flavoursome, the tomato fresh and the sourdough bread had a good, crisp crust. A portion of baked beans would’ve gone a long way towards elevating the plate of food.

 

It’s not the worst breakfast I’ve had and it’s quite filling but I think one would be better off having one of the other dishes that are unapologetically plant based, without any faux meat that fools no-one.

 

The bill came to R157,00 before tip, and included an espresso and an Americano.