Tea and Sympatico

I've picked something that I very rarely use but I love - star anise! I'm not actually sure if it is a herb or a spice. In my internet research I saw it described as both! There were also all sorts of health claims made for it but only if it's the Chinese kind, apparently the Japanese type is poisonous! My favourite type of cuisine is Chinese and it's a spice that pops up in some Chinese dishes due to it's inclusion in 5 spice powder. Good vegan Chinese food is not always that easy to come by though. Luckily we have the Red Dragon takeaway in Glossop which does a pretty decent selection and includes mock meats and tofu on their menu (it's surprising how many places in England still don't). We also have my favourite restaurant Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen a thirty minute drive away in South Manchester. The food is so good it has even converted Matt to being a fan of Chinese cuisine. Here's a picture of the Stuffed Three Treasures we enjoyed last tim...

I know I blogged back during Mofo about our first visit to Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen but now that we've been back twice more I can't resist sharing some more pictures and urging you to visit if you're anywhere near Manchester. The restaurant is in Withington which is a bus ride south of the city centre. It's a vegetarian Chinese restaurant where the majority of the dishes on offer are also vegan. Here's just a sample of some of the food we've tried. Steamed veggie dumplings with dipping sauce. Vietnamese spring rolls. Possibly the nicest spring rolls I've ever tasted. Not pictured but I can also recommend the taro rolls. Not the most photogenic of dishes but this tofu and aubergine hotpot is a real star turn. I've seen other people on Facebook rave about the chicken skewers in satay sauce and I have to agree that they are a must try dish. You can also try them as part of a sharing platter combo. This final picture is of the stu...

When do you ever order tea to go with your meal in a restaurant? Answer - in a Japanese or Chinese restaurant you do. Very excitingly a Chinese vegetarian restaurant called Lotus Vegetarian Kitchen has recently opened in the South Manchester area of Withingon. They don't serve alcohol, it's bring your own booze, but they do serve beautiful Chinese teas. We went for this three flower tea and the pot kept us going throughout the meal. It was really refreshing as well as being beautiful to look at. We were really excited to get vegan prawn crackers! These are something that I used to love before I was vegan and never thought I'd have again. We munched on these whilst we picked from the extensive menu. It was a treat to have so much choice. Everything is vegetarian with a large percentage of the menu also being suitable for vegans. I'd recommend going for this starter combo plate if you're dinning as a pair. There's crispy seaweed, samosas, sprin...