Allergico In Oxford

We challenged ourselves to find the best allergy-friendly food the city of dreaming spires has to offer. From Palestine to Japan, we found food from all over the world, keep reading to find out more!

DAY ONE

Za'atar Bake, Cowley Road

It’s been a personal goal of mine to find some Palestinian food ever since I saw Nigel Slater’s documentary on the food of the Middle East. Well on day one of my trip to Oxford, that dream was realised and it exceeded all my expectations.

I found Za’atar Bake whilst scrolling idly looking for a good lunch spot and when I saw it, I knew I absolutely had to book myself a table. This little café isn’t in an obvious foodie spot for Oxford, it’s tucked down the Cowley Road, not far from the Central Mosque. But it was well worth the 24 minute walk from the city centre as it delivered all the delights of Middle Eastern cooking, with a few unexpected delights too. My meal began in a traditional Middle-Eastern fashion with a pot of mint tea (see below) which put all supermarket mint teas to shame! This tea was made from infused mint leaves so it had a much more naturally sweet and aromatic flavour to it. Whilst it was served sugar-free, I was given a little pot of sugar but I recommend trying it without that first, just to really savour the mint.

As well as being a delicious accompaniment to the meal, it also served a double purpose as a digestive aid, something that is definitely needed after hearty Palestinian food. It’s even served in traditional tea glasses and in case you’re wondering, the tea isn’t served piping hot so you can pick them up with ease. This is my recommended drink if you do visit the café.

Next up were two Middle-Eastern classics: Za’atar Manakeesh and Knafeh/ Kunafa.

Za’atar Manakeesh is a traditional flatbread which is topped with a hefty amount of the za’atar spice mix which is a combination of wild thyme, salt and sesame seeds. This is a common breakfast option but it can be eaten at any time of the day.

I first tried za’atar manakeesh at a University event and I loved it and I was really excited to try it again. The first taste you get is a delicious hit of the spice mix, so savoury and umami with a gentle herby floral note from the thyme. Next up you get the deep crispy comforting taste of the bread itself, so well balanced with the richness of the topping. This is one of my must-tries if you’re ever in a Palestinian or Middle-Eastern restaurant as it’s not just a classic, but it’s so delicious you won’t regret it.

As desserts go, Kanafeh is probably one of the more unusual ones for the western palate as there isn’t really a similar equivalent in European cuisine. This dessert is made by combining shredded filo pastry, sugar syrup, pistachios and cheese and cooking it.

Now I know what you’re thinking: cheese in a dessert? But it is honestly one of the best desserts I’ve ever had. It has a rich sweetness and a beautiful combination of textures between the crunch of the filo and the softness of the cheese. The pistachios add extra natural sweetness and nuttiness to the dish.

If you want a dish that showcases the best in Palestinian desserts, order this. Honestly it is mind-blowingly good. My only advice is to share it though as it’s a heavy dish but worth it!

I left Za’atar Bake with a full belly and a happy heart, now on to the next leg of my Oxford adventure!

Story Museum, Pembroke Street

Whatever age you are, I highly recommend visiting the Story Museum in general as it’s a delight of a museum and not as well-known as some of the others in the city. As well as its exciting exhibits, it boasts a rather lovely tearoom.

Whilst they only had one vegan option available at that time, they did have a good gluten-free selection when I was there. My delicious treat came in the form of their banana bread, something that’s become synonymous with these strange times. It was nice and sweet, with plenty of that banana kick.

Taylors, various locations

Oxford being the city it is, my trip wouldn’t have been complete without sampling some of the best lighter foodie fare the city had to offer. With this in mind, I checked out Taylors Café which has branches all over the city.

After some deliberation, I chose to try out their green smoothie, which contained spinach, broccoli, mango and ginger. It was a deliciously refreshing drink which not only woke me up, but it provided me with a slightly healthier boost of energy to set me up for the rest of my day exploring Oxford.

Shoryu Ramen, Westgate

With day one of my Oxford adventure nearly at an end, there was only one thing left to do: find dinner. With times being like they are, I’d booked myself a place before arriving and it was Shoryu Ramen’s interesting menu that made it the place for me.

The restaurant is tucked in the Westgate Shopping Centre and looks lovely, with the mini Asian supermarket at its front offering an indication of the foodie delights to come. When you arrive, they hit a gong which both served as a good way of indicating to the kitchen that another dining party had arrived and it added a nice touch to the atmosphere.

Shoryu’s menu is quite extensive, with both hot and cold noodle dishes alongside curries, bao buns and side dishes. I went for their vegan ramen called “White Natural” thanks to the way its made. The thing which excited me on the menu about this was their inclusion of Tonyu soy milk stock, which replaces the usual meaty broth in a tonkotsu-style ramen dish.

Ordering the dish was easy and whilst service was speedy, I still had enough time to sit back and enjoy the atmosphere a little too. Upon arrival the dish looked amazing, stacked full of delicious vegetables, seaweed and atsuage (deep-fried) tofu, something which happens to be a personal favourite of mine.

To say the flavour of this dish was good would be an understatement. Rich umami broth combined with crunchy bright vegetagbles and herbs and crispy seaweed to make a truly delightful feast. The noodles were great too, comforting and soft.

As well as finding good food, getting a good drink is also a nice way to enjoy your Saturday night, so this is exactly what I did. The drinks menu has an impressive array of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, the latter making full use of Japan’s rich tea history. I went for a Kobai Plum Wine as I’d been looking for the stuff ever since I first tried it in Manchester five years ago.

It’s served iced which is perfect as this is a wine that can really stand up to being perfectly chilled. Taste-wise, it has that slightly earthysweet flavour which the Japanese are famous for including in their sweet and savoury food combinations. The plum flavour was right at the front and it provided a really refreshing fruity taste to the drink. It paired really well with my ramen as the two balanced each other out and I highly recommend trying it, even if you’re not a sweet wine person as this isn’t like any sweet wine you’ve ever tasted, it’s better.

Swoon Gelato, High Street

Following my excellent ramen dish, I went in search of dessert. Whilst walking back to my rooms, I spotted a small gelateria called Swoon which, with the word “gelato” having pride of place in their window looked like the place for me!

This hunch was backed up by the sheer quantity of Great Taste Awards stickers on their many varieties of ice cream. After much deliberation, I decided on two scoops, one of their Mango Sorbet and one of their Chocolate Sorbet. The mango was delicious and sweet and the cocoa was also delicious, the 85% cocoa percentage making the flavour sing. This was the perfect end to day one in Oxford.

DAY TWO

Greggs, various locations

Day two of my Oxford adventure started as I meant it to continue: with delicious food! My first stop was Greggs to try out their new Vegan Sausage, Bean and Cheeze melt.

The melt was cheap which was good and it certainly had a filling feel to it, something that would’ve made it a nice breakfast. However I will say I was hoping for a little more punchiness from the cheeze and the sausages as what with both vegan “cheese” and sausages having evolved as rapidly as they have done, it’s got to be good. This works as a good quick breakfast if you’re in a hurry, but they need to work on the recipe a little more to get stronger flavours.

Pret A Manger, various locations

Next up was a chain which hasn’t always had the best reputation when it comes to allergies but has put in a lot of great work in recent years to turn that around: Pret A Manger.

Here I picked two of my favourite things, I went for an iced turmeric latte with oat milk and one of their excellent vegan almond butter chocolate cookies. This was partly because I love them and partly as I was intrigued to try the latte iced. When I tried the iced turmeric latte, I finally got what the iced drinks trend is all about, it was perfect for a morning pick-me-up. The oat milk also did a lot to keep the flavours mellow and naturally sweet.

With the vegan almond butter chocolate cookie, it was as good as ever and I loved it. If your allergies allow you to get this cookie I can’t recommend it enough. When you bite into this cookie, you’re first greeted by a satisfying crumbly texture, after which you get a wonderful hit of cocoa and then almond. The little chocolate chips in it lend to the melty comforting vibe and make it reminiscent of a classic gooey cookie. It’s a delicious treat.

With breakfast over, I then had a few hours to while away before heading to the Pitt Rivers Museum. Much of this was spent exploring the Westgate Shopping Centre which is huge and has pretty much every store you could imagine in there. After a couple of hours, I decided to go and seek out my lunch.

Wasabi , Cornmarket Street

With the world of food being so wonderfully diverse, there are many different approaches to any one food situation. This being the case, there’s very little that would surprise a food journalist like myself, but I have to say when someone said Wasabi was selling vegan salmon, I did think they were pulling my leg somewhat!

But it turns out they were not joking as the popular Japanese restaurant chain has released their “Xalmon” range consisting of vegan salmon-style products. Now I’m a huge fan of the real stuff so I just had to try this to see if it was up to standard.

For my lunch, I ordered the Mini Vegan Xalmon set which consisted of vegan xalmon nigiri and uramaki rolls (see right). In terms of how much it tasted like salmon? Well the texture of the nigiri didn’t quite match up but the fla-

vour was good. Where the xalmon truly shone though was in the uramaki rolls as its flavour and texture blended perfectly with the creamy avocado. Would I recommend this? Absolutely as it is still a great foodie experience.

As this trip to Wasabi was also partially inspired by the recent Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic games, I decided to turn the lunch into a miniature feast worthy of the host nation. With that in mind, I got myself an onigiri and a green mochi.

If you’ve never had onigiri before, they are a seaweed-wrapped parcel which contains sticky rice and all manner of different fillings. In my case it was a delicious seaweed salad, very fresh and rich in umami flavours, whilst having a slight sweetness to it. In Japan, these are popular snacks and are often eaten as on-thego lunches and I can see why as they’re really handy. This is something I highly recommend you try as it’s delicious and convenient.

For dessert I chose a mochi, which is a glutinous rice flour dumpling-style sweet that can be filled with a variety of flavours. This sweet is a good introduction to Japanese flavours as it has that traditionally earthy-sweet taste.

My mochi was filled with red bean paste, an iconic Japanese sweet filling. The paste has a delicious earthiness from the beans, whilst having a gentle sweetness too. It’s a lovely dessert and something no Japanese restaurant trip should be without.

That marked the end of my wonderful Oxford trip as I travelled back shortly after having visited one last museum. I didn’t know what to expect when visiting but I found an amazing array of different foods, with new culinary experiences everywhere. If you’re looking for somewhere that delivers culinary diversity in relaxed and gorgeous-looking surroundings, Oxford is absolutely the city for you.

RECIPE: EASY MANAKEESH

Manakeesh is a staple in Palestinian cuisine and it can be eaten for any meal in the day or just as a snack. Whilst this version isn't fully authentic as tortillas take the place of the flatbreads, you're more than welcome to use the traditional base if you wish! INGREDIENTS (serves 1) :

2 TORTILLAS/FLATBREADS

2 DESSERT SPOONS OLIVE OIL

3 HEAPED DESSERT SPOONS ZA’ATAR SPICE MIX

METHOD:

1. Put the tortillas on a baking tray/sheet.

2. Drizzle both tortillas with one dessert spoon each of olive oil, then use your hands to spread the oil evenly over the flatbread.

3. Sprinkle on 1 1/2 dessert spoonfuls of the za’atar spice mix (this mix is available in all good supermarkets but if you can’t find it, sesame seeds mixed with any other herb would suffice) then use your hands again to gently press the spice mix into the tortilla, ensuring even coverage.

4. Put the baking sheet with the tortillas on in the oven and grill at a low heat for no more than a couple of minutes or until they start going visibly brown (this mix burns easily so watch it carefully).

5. Remove the tortillas from the oven, let them cool then serve them with a salad or as a side to your main breakfast!