Plant-based concept KOJO – Review

Plant-based concept KOJO has announced the launch of its brand-new plant-powered menu in their flagship Hampstead store. KOJO also has a Liverpool Street location and is a 100% plant-based allergen-friendly restaurant, committed to compostable processes on top of recycling, re-using and sourcing ingredients locally.

KOJO’s new menu offers an array of breakfast, all-day, evening and drinks options, bursting with plant-based goodness. Diners can enjoy signature build-your-own fresh Açai Bowls, Avocado and Toast and warming Warrior Porridge from the breakfast menu. The new all-day menu is inspired by contemporary Asian cuisines, with staple dishes including a hearty Tamashi Ramen, healthy Asian Salad and the plant-based KOJO Burger. Drinks-wise, KOJO offers a large selection of mocktails (that can be turned into cocktails) as well as an array of beers and wines.

I arrived at around 1pm on a Saturday, and the sun was shining on brunchers sitting outside KOJO. The windows are floor to ceiling, so the inside is almost as bright and airy as the outdoor seating area, and as you enter the cafe/restaurant KOJO’s very relaxed, modern and industrial setting greets you. Think comfy seats, smooth-edged sleek furniture and lots of plants. Relaxing jazz music was playing, and if diners lookup, a colourful mural is painted onto the ceiling. Printed on the wall is the word ‘KOJOTARIAN /kojo-teh-ree-yan/’. This is, according to KOJO, a person who believes that a plant-based diet is the most delicious and nutritious way to optimise well-being and help restore the planet to its former glory.

I ordered the Choko smoothie to start, which was thick and chocolatey. If I didn’t know that this was a healthy smoothie, it could have passed as a creamy chocolate milkshake – 10/10. All of the smoothies are priced at £5, which is very reasonable. I decided to order an Asian selection from the menu as the waitress recommended the Tashimi Ramen which is a ‘soul-warming broth, Noodles, Bamboo Shoots, Shitake, Bok Choi and Crispy Flakes’. The Ramen arrived bursting with veg, and the Soba Noodles were swimming in a hearty broth with a Miso flavour – perfectly salted. It’s the sort of dish that you have no regrets eating – filling and healthy. To accompany my Ramen, I ordered some Edamame (which you can order to come salty or spicy) and the Kimchi Fried Rice, which was sweet with a Kimchi kick, and the rice was crispy. The menu is varied and wallet-friendly, with the most expensive dish costing £16.

KOJO offers a selection of refined sugar-free puddings (if you have room for dessert), ranging from Miso Brownies, a delicious Banana Loaf, and its take on the classic Sticky Toffee Pudding. I tried the Sticky Toffee Pudding and was sceptical that it would compare to a traditional, sugar-loaded Sticky Toffee Pudding. The textures were a little unusual, but the flavours were pretty bang on.

The futuristic feel is very in keeping with their values. KOJO brings a plant-based menu to us, using only sustainable materials and environmentally friendly cooking methods; their vision is to invite all walks of life into an urbanised environment that promotes sustainable responsibility, diversity and equality. KOJO is on the path to becoming carbon net zero in each store this year as their environmental efforts will see 100% renewable energy sourced for all KOJO stores using compostable packaging and no plastic waste whatsoever.

Visit during Happy Hours, Monday-Friday from 4 pm-7 pm, to receive two cocktails for £10 and a FREE glass of house wine with any main.

Locations: Hampstead: 32-34 Rosslyn Hill, Hampstead, NW3 1NH | Liverpool Street: 10 Devonshire Sq, Unit 1, London, EC2M 4YP

Website: https://kojo.co.uk

Written by Lenny Wright

Photography courtesy of KOJO

#kojo #plantbased #vegan