Fresh flavours in NW3

The smell of a juice bar takes me back 30 years. I was in Australia, who were way ahead of us on the healthy eating front, and my back packing days were brightened by high street fresh juice bars.

It’s the first thing I noticed walking into Kojo - where I'd been invited to road test their menu. The air almost feels like you’re breathing in vitamins with every inhale. The second thing that hits me is the openness of the space and very clean-looking, shiny white surfaces.

Veganism ain’t what it used to be. It’s less hemp more Hamp-stead — smart, sexy and aspirational. For the modern herbivore.

The menu gives a similar vibe. From the matcha pancakes and build your own Acai bowls served for breakfast, to the ‘sexy tofu’ and no waste crisps on the post-5pm menu, it’s all on brand. Good for you — good for the planet.

My date, Herbivorous G, was delighted. My ‘Red’ juice and her ‘Feeling 21’ (if only) had us glowing in minutes. But it’s not all raw bites and abstinence.

Chick

Teriyaki Chick'n Rice

Because no one can be saintly 24:7, there are plenty of food options for the ‘dirty’ vegan. The dishes we shared were deliciously far from prim. Stars of the show were crunchy-coated BBQ cauli wings with sticky sweet and smoky sauce. The Colonel would have been lickin’ his fingers. The Kojo Burger was meaty textured and definitely far from with its sweet Thai chilli sauce, squidgy bun, potato wedges and garlic aioli. Teriyaki chick’n bites were chewy, but their bowl-mates - saintly brown rice and veg - were easier on the teeth. A side of broccoli was simply served strewn with raw red chilli.