When I first became vegan, I honestly thought that I would be saying goodbye to some of my favourite foods. To me it was worth it, as there food should not be an excuse for cruelty. (Eggs, I’m looking at you!) However, I was very, very wrong. There’s pretty much a vegan alternative to every food I’d eaten before (which begs the question, why isn’t everyone vegan, but that’s another blog post for another time!) For example: pancakes. My favourite breakfast of all time. I can make a decent vegan pancake, using bananas as the egg replacement, but I wasn’t sure if there would be anywhere offering a vegan pancake. Thanks to Phil’s amazing Google searching, we discovered Anna Loka, a vegan cafe in the Cardiff suburb of Roath, run by quite possibly one of the nicest Welshmen I have ever met! With vegan toiletries in the loo and a discussion about protein while we were eating, it’s pretty much a vegan dream venue!
We found free parking, further up the road, but be aware, a lot of the streets nearby are permit holders only. It just takes a bit of looking around. The venue has a lovely feel, lovely handmade tables and a relaxed atmosphere. The menu is immense! Everything is vegan. Let me repeat that, everything is vegan. Being somewhere where you can eat everything is awesome! And the variety of food is amazing too. Having seen the menu online, I knew i was going for the pancakes, while Phil opted for the Middle Eastern brunch, which was delicious. I added fruit to my pancakes, as I often feel I should have something healthy with indulgent pancakes. Both the tea and coffee are ethically sourced and come with a choice of soya, almond or hemp milk. I’m still a soya girl when it comes to my tea, and ordered the breakfast tea. It arrived with a timer (I love when places do this. It shows they take their tea seriously!) and it wasn’t too long until breakfast arrived. The pancakes where hands down the BEST pancakes I have ever eaten, vegan or dairy based, and I have eaten A LOT of pancakes. They were well cooked, slightly crispy around the edges, soft in the middle, layered up with jam, and the fruit and yoghurt were a delicious addition, though probably not needed as I was stuffed when I’d eaten them all.
I wish I lived closer to Cardiff, simply so I could pop in to Anna Loka with greater regularity. I’d love to sample their other menus, as the brunch one was a huge hit with me. I know now where I’m going for brunch anytime I’m near Wales! If you are near Cardiff anytime this Christmas, head to Anna Loka – you will not be disappointed!
