Buffet V

 Life isn’t easy if you’re a vegetarian. Just too many restaurants have a single vegetarian option, or offer an unimaginative array of single-veg dishes.

Buffet V is different. It’s a Chinese buffet with a difference – all the dishes are vegetarian. Soya ‘duck’ and ‘chicken’ are available, but you can also find spiced aubergines, spring rolls, wonderful greens. It even smells great when you’re walking down the road – which is what attracted me in the first place.

And the greens actually looked green – not completely limp and overcooked. In fact the whole display looked exceptionally appetising, with a good variety of dishes.

I wasn’t over impressed with the veggie ‘duck’. It basically seems to be tofu. But the veg were very good; a bit heavy-handed on spicing sometimes (just a tad too much soy and too much ginger) but very tasty.

Okay, like most buffets this is not haute cuisine. But it’s healthy and filling. And the prices are cheap, £5.50 for lunch, £6.50 Sundays and evenings.

There seems to be something about the proximity of the British Museum that’s good for vegetarians. I remember some nice little Indian veg places around here too – though the one I used to love closed down some time ago.