Do you guys know the Star Fish Story? Well here is the long and short of it.
A wise man was walking along the beach and came across a young man throwing star fish back into the ocean. He asked the young man why he was doing so. The young man replied, 'the tide is going out an the sun is up. If I don't do it they will die.' The old man responded that he couldn't possibly make a difference as there is miles and miles of coast line covered with star fish. The young man picked up a star fish and threw it back in the ocean. As it hit the water he replied, "It made a difference to that one!"
I guess that is what it is all about. I recently adopted this attitude and became flexitarian. I try to eat vegetarian as much as possible and save meat for special occasions. This attitude, combined with my thirst for trying new places, lead me to Nomad in Stellenbosch. Owned by Keri Bainborough, a passionate vegan, this little spot boasts a menu with that would satisfy the hungriest of farmers with a meaty option, but also - for a change - inspire and delight a vegan who hungers for a delicious food experience! The interior is modern but warm with a beautiful pizza oven as the main feature. We decided to sit out on the balcony over looking the dam.
The order of the day for me was to have a three course vegan meal. I can safely say that every course was simply delicious and inspired. I had the sweet potato gnocchi served with crispy greens, sweet potato crisps and tomato broth – R75 to start and my mom had the Red quinoa falafel with pepper purée, confit cherry tomato, rocket and toasted pine nuts – R75. I cannot say no to a sweet potato! For mains I had the vegan burger with grilled aubergine, Moroccan olive pesto and vegan mozzarella – R95. My mom had the vegan curry which boasted full on coconut flavour and was really good! For my sweet tooth I had the vegan cheesecake served with blueberry compote and homemade ice cream - R60. The menu reminded me that with a little creativity and thought I could create amazing meals at home that didn't contain any animal by product! It really can be a bit of a trip if you think about it. Most people have the response of "all they eat is bunny food" but Nomad is proving that this is not the case. I even had vegan cheesecake and ice cream.
So next time you find yourself in the area pop in and try something vegan. Make a difference to that one star fish.
Here are the details if you want to make a booking:
Call: 0218652456
Email: info@nomadrestaurant.co.za
-Melissa