Brasil Vegano Café Near the Campus
When Connie had invited me to join a café hangout with her friends, I could not say no.
Saturday came, and it was drizzling outside. It was a typical November day when the sky could not stop weeping. I waited at the bus stop heading towards the Town Centre, looking at the red digital countdown timer jumping to 5 minutes. Connie dashed across the road in her black waterproof jacket. She made it before the bus arrived.
On the bus, Connie showed me the café’s menu. None of us were fully vegan, but the pictures on Google made our stomach grumbled. We reached the bus station, but we still need to do some walking. Passing through the Friary Shopping Centre and the Guildford train station, we headed to the station’s rear entrance to meet up with her friends Gaya and Gabriela. Apparently, we met before through a mutual friend, Greta, on campus a few weeks ago.
The café we were going to is near to our campus. Modestly located within the residential area, Brasil Vegano Café was a cosy spot for locals to hide themselves from the rain and for fresh food. Another reason people love to visit the café was Mel, an adorable dog who spent most of her time sleeping in her own cushion.
What You Can Have
The café’s coffee menu was brewed with almond, oat, soy, or coconut milk, but by the time we arrived, it was late for caffeine. One drink menu caught my attention: matcha latte. Chances of finding a matcha drink in the UK were like meeting a Malaysian on campus. I finally knew where I could have my monthly dose of the green stuff.
The girls were too eager to try everything on the menu. Whether it was vegan pizza, sandwich, burger, or crepes, the lack of photos gave a sense of mysteriousness. I already made my choice about getting the jackfruit burger. It was hard to image how they would make this rubbery fruit into a meat substitute as I used to eat them raw.
“How about two persons share one main and one dessert?” Connie suggested. “We could try more next time.”
This settled with Connie and I shared a jackfruit burger and an acai bowl, while Gaya and Gabriela having a sandwich and a pitaya bowl. The jackfruit was shredded into strips, like shredded meat, so it was a little challenging to cut it in half. During the cooking process, they might have removed the original juicy flavour in order to reproduce the savoury taste. It ended up feeling I was having shredded pork burger. The other two girls were enjoying their sandwich, which made me curious about the taste. I might try out during my next visit.
After finishing our mains, the server was being thoughtful to separate the desserts into smaller bowls. The acai and pitaya bowl turned out to be scoops of sorbet with strawberry slices, banana slices, and crushed walnuts on top. I was always being conscious about cloying sugared dessert, but the sorbet turned out to be mild and maintained the original flavours of acai berries and dragonfruits.
“For Chinese people, calling desserts unsweet is their utmost compliment,” Connie said. “I learned it when I was in Hong Kong.”
What You Can Do
Aside from chatting about bus horror stories and creepy guys, we could not help but to look at Mel visiting her own dreamland. She woke up to hunt for leftovers on the floor and head pats. Sometimes she would give us a side glance before wagging her tails princess-style. After finishing her tour around the establishment, she headed back to her quarters and rested. Her stomach expanded and contracted as she snored. An opportunity to stroke her soft fur and feel the warmth of her belly.
Now I comprehend why people would like to reincarnate as a dog. For they receive unconditional love and food without worrying about deadlines and uncertainties. They live in the present instead of jumping back and forth on the timeline.
The rain stopped falling. It was time for us to part ways for other matters in life. Deep down, I promised myself to come back for the matcha latte.
Date of Visitation: 5th November 2022
Overall Rating: 8 out of 10 stars
Opening Hours: 9am-4pm (Tuesday-Thursday); 9am-5pm (Friday-Saturday); 10am-5pm (Sunday)
Address: 26 Madrid Rd, Guildford GU2 7NU
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