You are what you eat …
A vegan diet narrows the options for eating out, but if it’s food that is made with loving kindness you are after, you’ll find it in Greenside, where three Buddhists produce a café-style menu that is as good for karma as it is for the palate
Conscious 108 108 Greenway Road Greenside Tel: 011 646 7250 Costs: Sandwiches: R27 – R60 Burgers: R51 – R62 Bunnies: R40 – R52 take for granted – pasta (egg), cheese (animal rennet and dairy), pastry (marine oils), butter (dairy) and yoghurt (dairy again) – were simply off-limits.
With an increasing number of people buying into the compelling ethical and health arguments for a meat-free diet – and stricter foodlabelling laws – it’s become so much easier to make educated choices. Supermarket shelves and fridges in the main centres now stock egg-free pastas, vegan cheese, tofu and other vegan products, as well as ready meals – while catering for gluten intolerance and Banting.
Over Christmas a vegan colleague became animated about a traditional egg-free Madeiran honey cake called Bolo de Mel that had been brought into the office. She was so impressed she even tweeted a picture.
As a long-time vegan, she frequents Greenside for vegan nosh. The suburb’s young, creative crowd are apparently drawn as much to the club and pub strip as they are to cheap (veggie) eats. Some things don’t change.
I’d passed by Conscious 108 before, but the menu seemed limited and I wasn’t crazy about the name: Conscious. It sounded pretentious and judgmental. So, if you aren’t a vegan you’re being non-conscious? I prefer my food without a side of guilt, thank you.
Still, it wouldn’t hurt to try. Turns out Conscious 108 takes its name from its street address – 108 Greenway. The 108 also links to the Buddhist concept of emptiness: the number 1 stands for something, 0 for nothing and 8 if flipped on its side is the infinity symbol.
The restaurant stands out from the otherwise seedy bar strip on Greenway. Motivated by a philosophy of kindness, the plantbased restaurant is owned by three Buddhists who have created a welcoming environment for vegans and non-vegans alike. So, while their menu is dominated by tofu and other veggie offerings, soyabased mock meat substitutes such as “chicken”, “beef ” and soy sausages are used to appeal to other mainstream tastes.
The café-style menu features wraps and sandwiches – crispy tofu with a ginger peanut sauce, a chimichanga (deep-fried burrito), inspired by the flavours and textures of Mexico, with red beans, avocado and non-dairy cheese, scrambled tofu with black salt, and a BLCT – this one, with tofu bacon, lettuce, tomato and non-dairy cheese.
Their bunny chow, served at dinner, comprises chickpea, butter bean, “lamb” or “chicken” curries with sides of potato and aubergine curry, while the burgers come in varieties of “beef ”, “chicken” and an “almost perfect” veggie.
Augmenting the light meal offering is a daily specials board, featuring a selection of starters and entrées. A dish to try from this list is the “Feel Good Bowl” – a gratifying bowl of quinoa, chickpea curry, grilled aubergine and slices of roast butternut topped with a delicious cashew cream (R85).
Juices are freshly pressed – apple and cucumber, apple and carrot or carrot and ginger – while coconut water and other soft drinks are available from the fridge. Their coffee is from the fabulous Fair Trade producer Bean There, but if you want milk, the options are limited to soy, almond, rice, coconut or oat milk, all of which are acquired tastes.
Service can be slow, so you may want some entertainment: grab a board game or play Jenga to while away the time.