When we arrived, we instantly felt as if we were right at home at this little spot. The layout of the restaurant is simple and small, yet fresh with dangling lights, wooden tables and bright sunflower centerpieces to brighten up the place. You can either sit indoors if the weather is a little bit nippy or out on the patio area if you want to sit back and relax in the sun. The walls are decorated with shaped shelves and a happy motivational poster with a phrase by John Lennon. Also, their dinner and specials menus for the week are placed on boards against the counter near the cashier, and changes weekly to offer something different and new every time you visit the restaurant. They don’t have a liquor license yet, but you are allowed to bring your own wine to complement your meal.
Soon after grabbing a table, we met Misha, who is absolutely delightful! She was very helpful and gave us a few suggestions that she enjoyed most on the menu. All the options on the menu are vegan and they can cater to whatever dietary needs you have, from dairy to gluten-free.
For starters, Crystal and I each tried a Mini Mushroom Puff starter (three pastry cups filled with mushrooms in a delicious curried sauce) and we both absolutely loved it! And if the starters weren’t tasty enough, we ended up munching on three different vegan dishes that surprised us completely.
The Conscious ‘Cheese and Beef’ Burger instantly caught our attention while reading through the menu – a soy-wheat based ‘beef’ patty topped with a delicious creamy non-dairy cheese sauce, served with leafy greens, tomatoes and caramelized onions with a side order of sweet potato chips. I swear, I could NOT tell whether it was an actual beef patty or not – that is how tasty it was! Along with that, we also tried the Almost Perfect Veggie Burger and BLCT Wrap (tofu bacon with leafy greens, tomatoes and a tasty non-dairy cheese topped with slim mayo – R52) which were both bursting with flavour. I was pleasantly surprised as I didn’t expect vegan dishes to taste so good!
And if that didn’t surprise me enough, dessert left me questioning whether I should give up my love of dairy! Crystal tucked into a Sticky Toffee Pudding filled with nuts and served with vanilla ice-cream, while I enjoyed some rich and decadent chocolate ice-cream (both dairy-free of course). The ice-cream was so smooth and full of flavour that I couldn’t believe my ears when Misha told us that the ice-cream was homemade with soy! It tasted far better than the dairy-filled chocolate ice-cream I’m used to! I could definitely head back there right now for a few more scoops.
Everything at the restaurant is made from scratch in their kitchen, including a variety of baked goodies from cakes, cupcakes and doughnuts to croissants, brownies and snack-bars. And best of all, all the baked goods are all vegan-friendly! So, if you are looking for a great spot to grab a bite to eat that will offer a great variety of vegan dishes unlike many restaurants around Joburg, then be sure to pay a visit to the fully plant-based
Conscious 108 for a treat.
By Kim Brown
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