Vegetarian Food Studio
Lo and behold, the great British freeze of 2009!
With nothing on in town in terms of live music, decent nights and little on at the cinema, weekends in Cardiff can be the most miserable thing to face after a hard week's work in school, college, or work.
A friend of mine suggested we go to The Vegetarian Food Studio, as our usual activities of smoking, drinking, playing tinny music out of our mobile phones and harassing old ladies on our favourite street corners have proved to be slightly difficult with the recent cold snap.
The Vegetarian Food Studio is based at 109 Penarth Road, Grangetown. Just walk underneath the bridge opposite Vue cinema, down the river, and take a right when you see the Big Yellow Storage Company, and it'll be on your left.
It boasts being "one of the best ten vegetarian restaraunts in the UK", and you won't be disappointed. No dish contains meat, and many cater for both vegetarians and vegans. Dishes range from around £2 for lentils up to around £5 for biriyani and larger curry dishes.
I ordered the Gujariti thali, naan bread, and my friend ordered saag aloo with tofu pieces and rice. The thali was excellent value for money at £6, with a rice dish, three curry dishes and extra sundries such as chutneys and pickles.
The food was thoroughly enjoyable, with not too many chillies being added. It took me right back to the times as a kid I'd spend with my family; exactly like my grandma's Punjabi cooking. Thick, aromatic, spicy and filling. Just what you need in these cold times.
The portions were extremely generous, tasty and different from the standard Indian takeaways laden with fat and unnatural colours. We opted to take the food that we couldn't eat back home in a doggy bag.
It came to £13.50, including the service charge. This is a students' haven; it's anyone's haven, especially if you're vegetarian or vegan. Dishes can also be cooked according to other dietary requirements, just ask when ordering.
They also deliver, with a £2.50 charge and a minimum of a tenner being spent.
If you ever thought that Cardiff was a bit of a black hole when it came to vegetarian food, you wouldn't be wrong in saying so. Compared to other local cities such as Swansea and Bristol, Cardiff's vegetarian cafes and restraunts are pretty poor. Maybe things are changing.
The Vegetarian Food Studio is an utter gem with the range, price and quality of food it prepares. Take your parents, take your friends and spread the word; if you thought Madhav's on Cathedral Road was great, you're going to love this.
109 Penarth Road, Cardiff CF11 6JT :: 029 2023 8222 :: enquiries@vegetarianfoodstudio.co.uk
LINKS
Welsh Curry House Of The Year 2009 News
