Forget Veganuary – I'm now a dine-out vegan thanks to this London restaurant

I’ve never been one for social media “challenges”. Ice bucket? Too much of a coward. No makeup selfie? Too self-conscious. Dry January? I have two young kids and it’s the most depressing month of the year.

But I’ve always flirted with the idea of Veganuary.

Yes, I still order my flat whites with “normal” milk, instead of oat and, yes, I basically live for my eggs with buttered toast each morning, but I really do find myself increasingly inclining towards a more plant-based diet. So when a vegetarian friend suggested we meet for lunch I thought, why not go the whole hog and try somewhere vegan?

Of course, hog is categorically not on the menu at KIN London – a vegan cafe and restaurant tucked into a calm corner of Fitzrovia, whose bright, pared back decor of earthy greens and browns happily complements its Earth-friendly menu.

And what a menu it is: the kind where omnivores like me don’t even notice the absence of meat or fish. It comprises a selection of appetisers, small plates, large plates and add-ons – the latter being a series of pickles, jams and relishes that my friend and I, in the end, forgot to add on.

But, in our defence, we were distracted by the other goodies on offer: mountainous hunks of charred cabbage bathed in KIN’s signature house sauce; sticks of fried aubergine crowned by tumbles of crispy onions; golden broad bean croquettes in a pool of butter bean and dill cream and, in my eyes, the crowning triumph: the best mushrooms on toast I’ve ever had. That’s not to mention the velvety carrot hummus and pillowy mini pita or the perfectly seared cauliflower steak and butter bean purée, or the falafel paired with a beautifully balanced mango dip.

The colourful, flavoursome food at KIN is a feast for all the senses(KIN London)

”I could get used to this,” I told my friend as we practically licked clean every last plate, feeling full, but in the virtuous way you do after eating stuff that’s both delicious and good for you.

“Well, you should then,” she replied, noting that I could easily join her on the green side.

The problem is, I keep thinking about my morning eggs and, as I mentioned before, I’m a coward. I can’t bring myself to take the plunge and become a fully-fledged plant-hugger.

But what I can do, and what I plan to do, is make a change to my dining out habits.

Thanks to KIN, I’ve been inspired to become a dine-out vegan. That’s to say, for the rest of the year, at least, I won’t consume any meat or fish when eating out.

And, let’s be honest, this is no great sacrifice for me. In fact, it’s no sacrifice at all. Because, the truth is, when I go to a restaurant, my favourite dishes are almost always the veg ones. This is perhaps because they tend to be the most complex, both in terms of flavour and execution.

I know that, at home, to make a satisfying vegetarian meal requires more time and imagination on my part than whacking a chicken in the oven. It often involves preparing sauces or dressings, using food processors or spiralisers, and so much bloody chopping.

So why not make those hour-consuming dishes the focus of my dining out experiences? There are now so many incredible plant-based restaurants and menus across London that really I have no excuse not to. Plus, trying as many as possible sounds like a wonderfully decadent New Year’s resolution, but also one that might ease me into taking up veganism full time.

This cosy Fitzrovia restaurant has inspired me to become a dine-out vegan(KIN London)

Explaining the motivation behind KIN, co-owner Reza Malekzadeh told indy100: "We set out to redefine vegan dining by focusing on bold, plant-driven flavours instead of faux meats.

“We believe vegan food can be truly delicious without ever feeling like a compromise"

And it’s true, eating at KIN doesn’t feel like a compromise at all, which makes becoming a dine-out vegan the easiest challenge I’ll take on this year.

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