| Restaurant
Guide
Wai Eeta Lotta
Veg
You don’t have to be veggie to eat at Wai
Kika Moo Kau, but you’ll love it if you are,
writes Simon Hope
It was one of those
hot sticky Brighton days, when azure skies belie an approaching
storm. Hamish, my prodigal son, had just returned from 3
1/2 months decimating the Aussie and Kiwi wine lakes, so
a little catch up was in order – and what better way
to do that than over lunch at Wai Kika Moo Kau? We booked
for 12.30pm. Just as well, as it was already busy. Tim Cramp,
Wai Kika Moo Kau’s owner, was very much on duty –
it’s great to see real ‘hands on’ management.
I chose a bottle of Oxton Point White South Eastern Australia
(£10.95) from the tiny wine list. It was light, perfectly
drinkable but also instantly forgettable. Fine for lunch
and reasonable value for money – but was it vegetarian?
The restaurant has recently had a re-dec, with cerise walls
and badly paint-splashed floors – get them back in,
Tim, and tell them to finish the job! Tables and chairs
are of the sturdy pine ilk. Squeezy brown sauce and ketchup
bottles are a definite no-no; silver Indian chutney dispensers
only marginally less so.
Having said that, we were here to eat and an enormous Mixed
tapas plate (£7.25) soon arrived for us to share.
By now, the restaurant was packed. The tapas comprised pitted
black and green olives, tasty button mushrooms and courgettes,
al dente aubos, mozzarella cubes and sunblush tomatoes.
Plus good hummous and real guacamole with garlic and pesto
bread. A fine feast that would have been made complete with
more variety in temperature and texture.
Hamish’s main was Haloumi Pakora (£5.95) with
a generous heap of curried cauliflower and spinach and a
smattering of mango yoghurt dressing. The pakoras were crisp
and light, while the mango dressing lubricated everything
nicely. My Leek and Parmesan Parcel (£7.25) needed
a bit more lube in the form of red pepper and basil sauce,
especially as the filo parcel had dried out a bit in the
fridge. The filling, which included leeks with sunblush
toms and some parmesan, pleaded for a bit of pazazz!
Back in good ol’ Blighty, Hamish chose Sticky Toffee
Pud with Custard (£3.25) for dessert, while I went
for a seasonal Rhubarb Icecream (£2.95) – both
were delicious. At £37.60 for two including wine,
the Moo Kau’s lunch is great value, and really any
main course is a meal in itself.
Brighton’s veggies and vegans should cherish and support
our few, genuinely meat-free restaurants (probably only
seven out of 400 eateries in town). Sure, you can always
go for the alternatives in mainstream eateries, but what’s
it been cooked on or sat next to, and do they really care?
Should you be supporting places that pedal meat/fish anyway?
As we left it started to pour.
Atmosphere: Kensington Gardens, not Kensington
High Street!
Food: Café vegetarian which, with
a bit of a push, could be gourmet!
Wai Kika MOO Kau
11a Kensington Gardens, Brighton.
Tel: 01273 671117.
copyright The Insight 2004
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