Vegan MoFo VI, Day 16 - Restaurant Review - Forest Cafe

I had this one in the bag in case I had another day of being unable to bear the thought of cooking, and that day came a lot sooner than I expected.  I sneezed for 2 days straight, and I've felt a bit crap all day today, so I think I'm just gonna be making Fry's chicken nuggets, Smash, and microwave-steamed veg for dinner tonight.

Last year (or was it 2 years ago?), the Forest Cafe was under threat of closure because their landlords had gone bankrupt and had to sell the building from which they operated.  Threat turned to reality and they closed their doors, but they've recently re-opened in what was once a quick-e-mart at the corner of Lauriston Place and Brougham Road (near Real Foods) in Tollcross.

My best good friend Eva was in town on Saturday, and we wanted a place to eat that wasn't too unhealthy.  We were near the end of Princes Street, and the only local place was Henderson's, which is always pretty hit-and-miss for me, so we decided to check out the new Forest Cafe location.

When they were at the old location, I always found the Forest to be a bit hippie-ish, and they really didn't change much (apart from the space being a lot tidier as it's not had time to be broken in, I guess).  It was another place that I found hit-and-miss, as they seem to have more vegan options on their online menu than they actually offer (this is especially true of the cakes - I can't remember ever being there when they actually had vegan cake).

When we got there Saturday around 11.30, we found that the kitchen was still closed - apparently they hadn't finished making everything and were still waiting for some stuff to be delivered.  But they had enough to make us some falafel plates (3 falafels, a toasted pita, hummus, and salad), which is what I wanted anyway, so we both got that.  They didn't have one of the salads made, so they gave us a double portion of the one that was made.

I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much, but this turned out to be an amazing meal.  The big surprise for both of us was the salad.  I'm not quite sure what was in it besides chickpeas and cabbage, though they said it was some kind of mushroom dressing, but it was one of the best salads I've ever eaten.  I think Eva almost asked for the recipe - it was that good.  It was, apparently, a "special" salad, so I don't know if they'd have it regularly, but I certainly hope so.  We definitely got our money's worth (it was a fiver!), and we both left feeling full and satisfied.  I just hope next time I go they have some damn cake (no, flapjacks won't cut it).