The Vegan Guide to Oxford

Kake, 12 May 2001 (amended 20 May 2002)

This Chinese "vegetarian and seafood" restaurant offers a wide range of mock-meat dishes, most of which are suitable for vegans. Vegetarian dishes are clearly indicated on the menu, and those which aren't suitable for vegans are marked with a hash (#).

The prices here are pretty steep for the area — a meal for two with drinks can set you back up to £40–50 if you're not careful — but the "All You Can Eat" (AYCE) menu at £14.50 per head is good value for larger groups. The number of different dishes that you get increases drastically when your group goes from 4 to 5 people, so it's best to try it out with a group who are all happy to eat vegetarian. The way the AYCE aspect of it works is that once you've had all your courses, you can start again from the beginning! Last orders for extra AYCE dishes are at 11pm. There are also five set menus, two of which are vegetarian (£12 and £14). [Prices as of May 2002]

The vegetarian satay here is good; mock beef or mock chicken in a tasty, peanutty sauce. I also like the "Pink Giraffe style" dishes, with long green beans, Thai basil and a chilli sauce. Last time I was here I noticed that the vegetarian choices now include mock crispy duck with pancakes, which I must get around to trying at some point.

Phil, 05th February 2004

This has been my favourite vegan friendly restaurant in Oxford for about 3 years, and still is. The vegan mock duck is wonderful, as are most of the other dishes. I have taken many carnivores to this place and had the AYCE vegan options and they've received only praise.

The AYCE menu has gone up to £17.95 at my last visit, but it's well worth it (I've only ever once managed to reorder stuff). If you're looking for a cheaper option, or you're lucky enough to live within takeaway distance, then try the vegan special fried rice (about £6.00 I think). It has mock duck, chicken, pork, beef and ham in it. Mmmmm.

Evonne, 27th April 05

Me and my friend went into the Pink Giraffe in Oxford recently and enquired about their vegan menu, was it all cooked seperately to the meat etc, and were told that all the veggie/vegan food was cooked in with the fish!!

The Pink Giraffe, 13th April 08

The management would like to clarify that since opening, all vegetarian and vegan dishes are cooked from "meat-free" stock. Up until 2004, vegetarian and vegan dishes were cooked from a vegetables only stock pot with vegetable flavoured stock cubes, but we have since changed it to cooking with just plain water, as to accomodate guests that are allergic to monosodium glutamate (msg).

We apologise for the confusion and would very much like to know which member of staff at the time gave this incorrect information out, if possible, as we did not have seafood / fish as stock pots in the first place to begin with.

Thank you.