Elegant and relaxed, with a menu as diverse as it is delicious, 222 Veggie Vegan is London’s top spot to enjoy hearty food that happens to be very good for you.

Is this your first restaurant?

It’s the first restaurant that I also own. Previously, I was head chef at a couple of vegan restaurants in the West End of London.

When did 222 Veggie Vegan open?

2004.

Do you want to have more than one restaurant?

Yes, I’d love to open some accessible take-away cafés in London to bring affordable healthy food to lots more people.

What’s your favorite dish on the menu?

When I want something creamy, it’s the stroganoff; when I feel like something heartier, it’s the raclette.

What’s your most popular appetizer?

Heart’s Desire, which is sautéed artichoke hearts on rocket (arugula) leaves with a roasted red-pepper sauce.

What’s the most popular entrée on the menu?

Probably the baked pumpkin and pine nut risotto.

What’s your most popular dessert?

Spice Island Pie, one of our raw dishes, made from cashew and almond cream and sweetened with agave syrup.

What do you feel is special about your restaurant?

I think we have a real warmth—we always try to make everyone who comes here feel cared for. We are committed to helping people live a healthier life. Our regular customers become like family.

How often do you change your menu items? Do you have daily or weekly specials?

We change the menu about once a year and have daily specials every evening.

Do you have gluten-free, soy-free, and sugar-free options on your menu?

Yes, we want everyone to feel that they have lots of options, regardless of their dietary restrictions.

What do you do to reduce your environmental impact?

We try to minimize our environmental impact both in the materials used in the restaurant (the paint, the furniture, etc.) as well as our everyday actions (recycling and using green cleaning products). We would also like to use only organic ingredients and are working toward this.

What are the most important lessons you’ve learned as owner or chef of this restaurant?

Running a restaurant is hard work and takes a lot of energy. If you don’t love the reason behind your restaurant, it will come across. If you can connect to a greater good like this, then you’ll have lots of energy!

What led you to want to open a vegan restaurant, and/or what led you to the vegan diet yourself?

When I was fifteen, I went to a health talk organized by my local church, which changed my life. I realized that we don’t need to eat animal products, and since that day I never have!

In the time since your restaurant first opened, how has the plant-based food movement changed? Do you find more demand now for vegan food?

The demand is really growing. These days we’re busy all the time and not just with strict vegans or vegetarians. More and more people are realizing that healthy food can be delicious and satisfying, so they forget about whether it’s labeled vegan or not.

Since your restaurant first opened, has your view of what constitutes healthy or delicious food changed? Have you changed the types of foods you offer?

People have become more open-minded. We don’t have to create dishes anymore that look like “normal” nonvegan recipes. Raw vegan food is a completely original culinary art.

Where do you see the plant-based food movement going in coming years?

I think as more people experience vegan food and realize that it has the most wonderful flavors and gives you energy, rather than making you feel tired, they will naturally want to eat it more frequently. In addition, they will realize that by doing so they are making a big, positive difference to the planet. How can you argue with that?

An easy and delicious raw dish to fill you with energy.

Pumpkin Noodle Salad

Serves 4 (as a side dish)

¼ medium-size pumpkin or ½ medium-size butternut squash, peeled

1 zucchini

1 medium cucumber

¼ cup chopped fresh basil

For the dressing:

1 cup mixed bean sprouts

1 clove garlic

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Juice of ½ lemon

½ teaspoon sea salt

For the garnish:

¼ cup sunflower seeds

¼ cup pumpkin seeds

¼ cup freshly grated coconut*

* As a shortcut, you can use the ready-to-eat freshly grated coconut (not dried) found in some supermarkets.

Grate the pumpkin or squash, zucchini, and cucumber lengthwise into long noodles, using a julienne peeler if possible (or a spiralizer). Mix together in a bowl.

Combine all the dressing ingredients in a blender until the mixture has the texture of hummus.

Stir in the basil, adding more salt if necessary. Carefully mix the dressing with the noodles, divide onto serving plates, and sprinkle with garnish.

An original reinterpretation of the classic hearty and warming Swiss dish.

Oyster Mushroom and Spinach Raclette

Serves 4

2 medium potatoes

4 cups vegan cottage cheese (see below)

2 cups sliced spinach

¼ cup diced onion

2 tablespoons chopped garlic

1 cup vegan béchamel sauce (see below)

2 cups oyster mushrooms

2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil

¼ cup roughly chopped fresh basil

For the vegan cottage cheese:

cup soy milk*

cup cold-pressed sunflower oil

¼ teaspoon chopped garlic

½ tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

3 cups firm tofu, drained and mashed

2 teaspoons dried parsley

For the vegan béchamel sauce:

¼ cup raw cashews

½ cup water

¼ cup soy milk*

Pinch sea salt

Pinch chopped garlic

½ teaspoon brown rice flour

For the garnish (optional):

Salad leaves

Cherry tomatoes

* Almond or rice milk may be substituted for soy milk.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then cut two ?" slices from each half. (For these thin slices, you can use a mandoline, if you have one.) These will serve as the bases for the raclette portions. Cook the slices in a pan of boiling water until soft but still firm— about 6 minutes.

To make the vegan cottage cheese, first blend the soy milk, sunflower oil, garlic, and sea salt in a blender on high for 7 minutes. Pour into a bowl and stir in the remaining cottage cheese ingredients.

Add the spinach, onion, and remaining garlic to the cottage cheese and mix well. Place the cooked potato slices on an oiled baking tray and divide the spinach–cottage cheese mixture in even mounds over the 8 slices. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegan béchamel sauce. Process the cashews and water in a blender for 5 minutes. Heat the soy milk to a simmer in a pan with the salt and garlic. Mix the rice flour with a little water, enough to form a smooth paste, and stir it into the milk until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat and stir into the blended cashews.

Sauté the oyster mushrooms in the sesame oil over medium-high heat until soft, then stir in the basil. Place 2 potato slices on each serving plate, pour the béchamel sauce around the potatoes, and pile on the sautéed mushrooms. Garnish with salad leaves and cherry tomatoes, if using.