CookDaily - Victoria

I didn't know about Victoria Market Hall until recently and I love it! It isn't exactly conspicuous once you know it's there (right opposite the tube station), but is slightly sheltered behind buses. CookDaily which is an all vegan place specialising in Asian, gluten free dishes is there and I was excited to try it.

There's loads of seating inside and things look fresh, casual and modern, with no frills.

CookDaily is upstairs, with their 5 vegan main dishes and deals clearly on display above the counter. The fast service with minimal interaction doesn't really allow for staff to be friendly, but they're efficient and deal with customers quickly. Food is served using a buzzer system and only took about 5 minutes to be ready.

Something I really liked about Victoria Market Hall was that they had menus of all the venues on the tables, so you could select your favourite dish and approach the stall based on that.

Menu:

YOGA FIRE

Mild, oil free veggie curry with chickpeas, sweet potato, turmeric, and chana dhal, simmered in coconut milk, and served with Japanese brown rice

COOK DAILY VEGAN PHO

Flat rice noodle soup broth, infused with aromatic tea bags, fresh herbs and topped with crispy shallots. With a choice of veg, tofu or chickn

YAKI BOWL

Fried vegan chickn bites, cooked in teriyaki glaze, served with crunchy sesame slaw, and Japanese brown rice, with gravy

THE INFAMOUS

Oil free Thai green curry - served with Japanese brown rice, and a choice of: Vegetables, Tofu, Chickpeas, or Vegan chickn

HOUSE PAD THAI

Flat rice noodle stir fry, with cabbage, carrots, and beansprouts, with sweet tamarind egg tofu, and vegan fish sauce. Served with crushed peanuts. Choice of veg, tofu, or chickn

They have metal cutlery to wash up rather than disposables which I love! There are people constantly collecting and replenishing cutlery, sweeping the floors and wiping tables, and the bowls that they serve in are clearly returned to each venue. This means that the whole place looks clean and is environmentally a lot more friendly than a lot of other markets.

I chose the Pad Thai with tofu. The tofu was huge and pillowy and the peanuts and vegetables added the perfect amount of crunch. The whole dish was a really good sized portion, and all tasted so fresh and delicious. I would have liked slightly more tang, even when I squeezed the lemon over it the flavour was subtler than I would normally like. However, the dish was really delicious and I would definitely have it again. They managed to make the dish eggy which I was especially impressed with.

Overall Ratings:

Staff: 3/5

Setting: 4/5

Taste: 4/5

Food Presentation: 5/5

Value for Money: 5/5

Would return? Yes definitely

Number of vegan mains: 5

Best for: Quick bites

Negatives: Noisy

Address: 191 Victoria Street, London SW1E 5NE

Opening Hours: Monday - Saturday 1200 - 2300; Sunday 1200 - 2200

As always, these posts are based on places I've visited on www.myveganradar.com - the London Vegan Food Map, based on tube stop, and are my own opinion