Restaurant review - tibits, Heddon St. London

tibits

Regular readers will know that I have a bit of an issue with some vegetarian restaurants - in that most of them are not that 'contemporary'. Fabulous tasty food - yes, but decor (and sometimes service) that appeals to the omnivore masses? - no.

outside tibits - a little oasis in the City

So when I was kindly asked if I would like to dine at tibits and write a review, I was very excited indeed!...

tibits is situated in a fabulous location - in a leafy little oasis just off the hustle and bustle of Regent Street. It's a haven of plant-based deliciousness.

With modern Swiss styling, yet a warm and welcoming vibe it did not disappoint. Ahhhh! Bliss!!!! 

Even worth leaving my Devon oasis for...

 

fresh, funky & unusually contemporary - hurrah!

It's bright, clean, tidy and set over 2 floors with plenty of eclectic seating and room for special events if you need to hire a great space. When I was there it was lovely to see such a mixed clientele and that even on a Monday lunchtime it was buzzing. 

The service was relaxed, friendly and efficient.

a boat of vegan food you could just sail away on!

The format is a help yourself buffet - with salads, soups, hot dishes, breads, desserts & fresh juice options - all set out in an eye catching boat-shaped island! I'm not usually a fan of the buffet scenario (yes, really!) but given that vegan choice is usually quite limited - to suddenly be presented with masses of it (80% of the 40 daily dishes) all clearly labelled as vegan, it was like being the proverbial 'kid in the sweet shop'! 

Decisions decisions.....

Now you WILL want to try everything. And indeed I'd recommend that you do take small morsels of everything that takes your fancy! Why not?!

Here were just some of the day's dishes when I visited:

My 'starters plate:

My 'mains' plate: 

There's just a teensy catch though...

You pay for your food by weight.

[no, not your weight - if that was the case I'd have been in serious financial trouble!] The weight of the food you've taken. I've never come across this before, and admit to some trepidation at having my food weighed! I'm unsure as to the business reasoning behind this, but given the tendency for many to overindulge at a buffet it does actually prevent you from taking too much, and consequently eating too much and possibly wasting too much?

And little samples of several different dishes does make for a varied, yummy meal experience. And tasty it was! I found plenty of variety, everything tasted different, all was well seasoned and flavourful. One more note though - go easy if you want to make it to pud! And you should. My combination of sticky toffee pudding, passion fruit 'cream' and fresh pineapple was inspired, if I say so myself.

Dessert:

Some other typical dishes on the menu:

Mulligatawny soup

Oven roasted veggies - shallots, carrots, pears, figs

Glazed chestnut, pupkin, sesame tofu avocado & dried bean salads

 

black hummous with olive bread

Pricing: My starter plate weighed in at approx £5.00, main at £8.50 and dessert at £4.50 - incredibly reasonable for London pricing and indeed for good food anywhere!

So what else can I say about tibits?

Well, to me, it's the ideal place for brunches, lunch dates, dinner dates, business lunches, food on the go and casual 'I can't be bothered to cook tonight' dining .

Obviously if you're veggie or vegan it's a joy to just go and eat free from worry and the need for a magnifying glass to read small print. But I adored the fact that a non veggie/vegan would still love it too. tibits champions all that's great about meat-free, plant-based foods - the infinite colours, flavours, tastes and textures - all presented in a style for 2013.

THIS is what's needed. Something that omnivores can be tempted by, try and love. As a passionate vegan advocate, yes of course I'm looking for 'converts' - I make no secret of it - and tibits is now one of my secret (peaceful) 'weapons'. TYTYTY! Keep up the great work guys.

p.s. Please open a branch in Exeter!

Chantal x

Next up! I shall be reviewing the first tibits cook book! Stay tuned for my recreations of some of their favourite dishes at home.

Details:

Vision:  tibits was founded and is run by three brothers - Reto, Christian and Daniel Frei, together with business partners Rolf and Marielle Hiltl, who run Hiltl, the oldest vegetarian restaurant in the world, which is located in Zurich.

tibits

12-14 Heddon Street

off Regent Street

London W1B 4DA

Phone +44 (0)207 758 4110

Fax +44 (0)207 734 0428

info@tibits.co.uk

Opening Hours:

Monday to Wednesday
9am – 10.30pm

Thursday to Saturday
9am – midnight
Sunday
11.30am – 10.30pm
Food served until 30 mins before closing.

Disclaimer: Whilst I was a guest of tibits on this day for lunch, my review, is, as always, entirely without bias and reflects my honest opinion.

BREAKFAST - wake up to vegan deliciousness!

Happy World Vegan Day and Month!!!

Never has there been a better time to learn about and experience a plant-based lifestyle.

A lifestyle that's kind to you, to animals and to our beautiful planet.

Whatever you've heard about veganism or think about veganism - perhaps: how hard it is, how boring it might be, how bland the food must be - FORGET IT!!!

Negative perceptions - are just that - PERCEPTIONS - because a lot of industries want you to doubt how good a life vegans have.

But I'm here to let you in on the world's best kept secret - being VEGAN is WONDERFUL!!!

I'm going to show you even more ways that your diet can make a difference - through scrumptious breakfast, brunches, lunches, suppers and treats. And throughout this month I'll highlight small simple lifestyle changes that YOU can make very easily too. 

Reconnecting with yourself, with all sentient beings and with our amazing planet is something you can't afford to miss out on.

Right then - let's wake up with some scrummy breakfasts!

[All the meals you see here have been made by me, from scratch, in my kitchen at home. I take my inspiration from everywhere and love to be creative too. No time to add all the recipes, so please contact me if something takes your fancy and I'll send you your very own recipe sheet. Chantal xx]

Fri 01.11.13

 

cinnamon porridge with sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds & grated fresh apple

Sat 02.11.13

spinach buckwheat pancake with mushrooms, tomatoes & marinated tofu filling

 Sun 03.11.13

fusion: southern style corn bread & maple syrup, with indian spiced saag potatoes

 Mon  04.11.13

warm peanut butter muesli with soya yoghurt & blueberries

Tue  05.11.13

mini shredded wheat with chocolate oat milk (yum!) & fresh banana

 Wed  06.11.13

berry 'sunrise' smoothie with vegan dairy-free croissants (I know, who knew!)

 Thu  07.11.13

sweet creamy coconut porridge with tropical fruit (banana, mango & kiwi)

Fri  08.11.13

'pbj' wholemeal bagel - poshed up with cashew butter & low sugar apricot jam

Sat  09.11.13

spiced breakfast bean burrito with marinated tofu and pineapple

 Sun  10.11.13

scrambled savoury tofu with mushrooms, tomatoes and toast

 Mon  11.11.13

orange and cinnamon couscous with poppy seeds & fresh fruits

Tue  12.11.13

homemade sour cherry & almond granola with added flax - great with almond milk

 Wed  13.11.13

peanut butter on toast with a green juice (apple & kiwi)

Thu  14.11.13

rice and buckwheat flake porridge with griddled fresh apricots & agave syrup

 Fri  15.11.13

hummus on toasted olive bread with yogurt & berries on the side

 Sat  16.11.13

sweet potato cakes with spinach, raisins & pine nuts

 Sun  17.11.13

chilli potato hash with fried bread & baked beans (well it is sunday!)

 Mon  18.11.13

mixed citrus salad with (guilt-free) date & oat cookies

Tue  19.11.13

mixed wholegrain (Nature's Path) cereals with almond milk, yoghurt & berries

 Wed  20.11.13

banana, walnut, omega smoothie with amaranth quinoa rye toast & marmite

 Thu  21.11.13

oat porridge with pumpkin seeds & organic dried apricots

 Fri  22.11.13

'creamy' herby mushrooms on organic amaranth rye

 Sat  23.11.13

wholemeal tortilla wrap with fresh spinach, mushrooms & mexican refried beans

 Sun  24.11.13

baked portabello mushroom muffin with sweet potato pecan hash

 Mon  25.11.13

toffee apple pancakes - nuff said.... mmm [no eggs, no dairy!]

 Tue  26.11.13

cherry & almond granola with grated fresh apple

 Wed  27.11.13

red pepper, carrot & tomato booster juice with granary sourdough & marmite

 Thu  28.11.13

porridge with bruleed plums

 Fri  29.11.13

cranberry & pumpkin seed toast with fig preserve & fresh orange

Sat  30.11.13

vegan sausages with portabello, tomato, baby watercress & focaccia

So there you have it! 30 delicious breakfasts and brunches!

Vegan - never a dull start to the day ;)

Halloween Recipe - Roast pumpkin linguine with sundried tomatoes and a chilli, basil, walnut pesto.

Happy Halloween!

I love pumpkin - not quite as sweet as butternut squash and very versatile. But I bet there's a few people who carve one up for Halloween and don't know what to do with the flesh?! Oh! what a waste :(

So, no excuses now, I've come up with this delicious Vegan creation especially for you - perfect for a cold autumnal eve before sitting round the fire and telling ghost stories until the witching hour.........

Enjoy!  

Chantal xx

roast pumpkin linguine with sundried tomatoes & a chilli, basil, walnut pesto

[serves 2 - 4 or 2 generous suppers & 2 light lunches the next day]

Gather:

ingredients gathered - i used half of this pumpkin

Roast veg

Chopped flesh of a small - medium pumpkin.

2 small - medium red onions sliced into 8-12 (leave root intact so slices hold together)

1/2 jaror deli pack of sundried tomatoes in oil - tomatoes cut into 4 pieces each

freshly ground black pepper

salt (I use pink Himalayan - expensive but wonderful and toxin-free)

Pesto

2 cloves of garlic roughly sliced

1 small pack of fresh basil - roughly torn (reserve a few leaves for the garnish)

1 handful of walnuts (approx 10 halves)

1 red chilli deseeded and roughly chopped

extra virgin olive oil or light rapeseed oil (or oil of choice)

Other

150g dry linguine pasta

1 slice stale bread (I used granary sourdough)

A little oil for frying

Create:

Set your oven to high - 220C, 200C fan, GM 7, Aga 'hot'.

1.  Chop the pumpkin, onion and tomatoes, add to a roasting dish, season and pour over about 2 tbsp of the oil from the sundried tomatoes. Mix well to coat.

veg ready to roast

2.  Roast in the oven for approx 25 mins (stiring half way) or until the pumpkin has caramelised around the edges.

3.  Add the pesto ingredients to a blender and whiz to your preferred consistency - adding oil as you go - again to the consistency that you prefer. Season if you wish.

chilli, basil, walnut pesto

4. 15 minutes into roasting your veg bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the linguine according to packet instructions - usually for about 9 minutes for the perfect 'al dente' texture.

5.  Whilst this is cooking heat some oil in a pan and fry the bread cubes until golden brown and then drain on kitchen paper.

granary sour dough bread made incredible croutons

6.  Remove the roast vegetables from the oven, drain the pasta, add to the vegetables, pour over the pesto and stir to coat and mix in well. Serve topped with the croutons, fresh basil leaves and condiments as below!

Enjoy:

I can't resist serving any pasta dish with added Nutritional Yeast Flakes as sprinkles (good for your B12 intake too). I also added some Vegan bacon flavour salad sprinkles - which were incredible with this! And lashings of Vegan mayo on the side made my trio of condiments complete!

Cooks Tips:  This would also be lovely with other cucurbits such as courgettes and with pumpkin other herbs such as rosemary and sage work well roasted with it (although they are very pungent and pumpkin has quite a delicate flavour - so use sparingly).

Learn to love this veg and don't just cook it for Halloween (see why below!)

Health benefits of Pumpkin

• It is one of the very low calorie vegetables. 100 g fruit provides just 26 calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol; however, it is rich in dietary fiber, anti-oxidants, minerals, vitamins. The vegetable is one of the food items recommended by dieticians in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs.
  
• Pumpkin is a storehouse of many anti-oxidant vitamins such as vitamin-A, vitamin-C and vitamin-E.
  
• With 7384 mg per 100 g, it is one of the vegetables in the Cucurbitaceae family featuring highest levels of vitamin-A, providing about 246% of RDA. Vitamin A is a powerful natural anti-oxidant and is required by the body for maintaining the integrity of skin and mucus membranes. It is also an essential vitamin for good visual sight. Research studies suggest that natural foods rich in vitamin A help a body protects against lung and oral cavity cancers.
  
• It is also an excellent source of many natural poly-phenolic flavonoid compounds such as α, ß carotenes, cryptoxanthin, lutein and zea-xanthin. Carotenes convert into vitamin A inside the body.
  
• Zea-xanthin is a natural anti-oxidant which has UV (ultra-violet) rays filtering actions in the macula lutea in retina of the eyes. Thus, it helps protect from "age-related macular disease" (ARMD) in the elderly.
  
• The fruit is a good source of B-complex group of vitamins like folates, niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid.
  
• It is also rich source of minerals like copper, calcium, potassium and phosphorus.
  

Halloween Recipe: Death by chocolate with frozen brains... (cake)

Happy Halloween!

This is the best vegan chocolate cake I've made yet! And 'death by chocolate' is an ironic name really cos nothing died in the making of it - as with all that I now create it's dairy-free, egg-free and cruelty-free all round. I guess you could explode, and hence kill yourself, if you ate a whole one - but hey, fun tryin!

Have a spooktastic Halloween 13!

(cue evil laugh effect...) wa ha ha ha haaaaaaa .....

Chantal xx

death by chocolate cake with frozen brains....

[serves 1 to 16]

Gather:

Margarine for greasing (I use either Stork gold block for baking or Fry-Light 1 cal 'butter' flavour)

Cake:

300g plain flour
50g cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp bicarb
1/2 tsp salt
300g granulated sugar (Silverspoon is Vegan)

375ml soya milk (I used Tesco organic uht)
125ml rapeseed oil
7 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
2 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting:

40ml soya milk

85g vegan dark chocolate broken into small pieces (I used Montezumas organic very dark chocolate)

60g icing sugar

1 tbsp maple syrup

fresh raspberries to decorate (mine were frozen from this summer's harvest - hence frozen 'brains'!)

Create:

1.  Heat oven to 180C  /  160C fan  /  Gas 4  /  Aga 'medium'.
     Line and grease a 23cm  /  9" cake tin.

re-usable liner with 1cal spray

2.  Sift all dry ingredients into a large bowl and combine.

3. Add wet ingredients to a saucepan and heat gently until the jam has melted and whisk to combine.

4. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix well.

5.  Pour the cake batter into the cake tin and bake mid oven for approx 45 mins or until a skewer comes out clean.

6. Leave the cake in the tin to cool on a rack while making the icing. Remove the cake from the tin once cool enough.

lovely rise but note the cracking means my oven was too hot!

7.  To make the frosting, heat the soya milk gently in a pan with the chocolate and whisk until melted, remove from the heat and whisk in the maple syrup and icing sugar.

8.  Leave the icing to cool before icing the cooled cake and top with fresh fruit if desired.

just one more slice? go on, you know you want to...

Cooks tips: This could be made even more chocolatey and 'deathly' by adding chocolate chips in the batter and also on top. I think it would also be incredible made in a chocolate orange version - using marmalade instead of raspberry jam and crystalised orange peel to decorate. Yum!