Wai Kika Moo Kau

We’ve popped in here for coffee and juice on multiple occasions and have never been disappointed. We decided to come in for lunch and it was the perfect veggie food. I got a veggie burger and it was well-​seasoned and delicious. I’ve also gotten the burrito and it was delicious as well. The portion sizes are big for the price so I’ve never left hungry! Will definitely be back.

We came here for the vegan pancakes and boy we weren’t disappointed.
We first asked for one their refreshing banana milkshakes, which was just like your typical milkshake but veganised.
However, once the pancakes came along. Wow were they delicious. By the third pancake we were stuffed but we sailed on and finally finished the last one with a helping of earl grey tea.
The staff were really friendly and atmosphere was very chilled — for a Sunday morning.

Being vegan I find vegetarian restaurants with vegan «options» a bit difficult. There often can be confusion when ordering food it seems, and this place was no different. We ordered a bunch of stuff for our table (3 people — me the only vegan [or vegetarian for that matter]) and I had assumed everything we ordered was clearly vegan (we all happened to order the vegan burger and my brother-​in-​law wanted to try vegan cheese so he got that as well). We ordered some milkshakes as well. When we got the milkshakes, they were made with real milk. I didn’t understand why the staff would think we wanted all vegan food and real milk shakes. Instead of just taking the shakes back the waitress said «YOU DIDN’T SAY VEGAN.» (twice) I couldn’t remember if I had or hadn’t said vegan when I ordered a milkshake, but I guess I assumed it was implied with all of the other stuff being vegan on the entire table. My bad? This is why I strongly prefer 100% vegan restaurants so I don’t have to worry about specifying that I want to eat vegan things and ordering everything «vegan» before it (with «vegan» cheese and «vegan» this and «vegan» that etc.). It gets very tiring to have to do.
My partner offered to keep the existing milkshakes and she went to get us new ones made with non-​dairy milk. We then had something like 5 milkshakes (for 3 people). The milkshakes were not good at all, if you were wondering. It tasted like milk in a glass. No thanks.
The burgers came and were pretty decent, I guess. I’ve had better burgers at most vegetarian and vegan restaurants I have been to, and even at home, too. I wouldn’t order the burger again. The portion was huge for me and I could barely eat it. I tried some of my partner’s side dish of chilli and that was quite good, the best thing I ate there for certain.
My partner wanted to try some cake so ordered a piece of chocolate-​something cake. I can honestly say it was some of the worst cake I’ve eaten. I’m not sure if it was THEE worst cake I’ve eaten, but it was in the bottom 5 slices of cake. I ate I think 2 small bites (trying to give it a chance). I let them eat the rest as it was that bad (and I really like cake/​baked goods). It had pumpkin seeds on it I think — for those wondering which cake it was. Wish I knew exactly which cake, but I’m just not certain.
At this point nothing compels me to go back there.

One of the many vegetarian restaurants at the North Lane, which is a cute street filled with boutique stores, restaurants, and cafes. The restaurant is quite cozy and simply decorated with some new age type of art work which is kind of a sure sign that you are in a vegetarian restaurant. Each dish on the menu is marked to show whether it is vegan, vegan options, gluten free etc. which is quite considerate. You can get veggie burgers, egg and fake sausages, soup, halloumi etc. kind of your usual suspect of vegetarian dishes. The taste is decent and the portions are quite generous. Definitely a good place for breakfast and lunch.

I visited for the first time yesterday, for lunch. I went for the all day vegan breakfast, while my boyfriend got the sweet potato burger topped with jalapenos and bean chilli.
The breakfast was great, minus the Linda Mac sausages. I used to love them when I first went vegan a few years ago, but since then, they’re bloody everywhere and I’ve had them so much I’m pretty sick of them. There are so many other amazing faux meat sausages out there (Taifun, Redwood, etc) that I wonder why people bother so much with Linda Macs, especially in restaurants like this. Still, the rest of the meal was really good, and I liked the fact they’d added a bit of basil pesto too.
Will’s burger was great. the added chilli on top really finished it off, too.
Reasonably priced, nice staff and a nice atmosphere. Will be back. I’m not sure there was enough on the menu though (there seemed to be a lot of the same kind of curry on the specials menu, but whatever).
Apparently the name is pronounced «Why kick a moo-​cow.» Apt.

I went here for a light bite, I ordered a Halloumi pitta (£6.95). It was delicious with a genrous amount of halloumi and salad served with a sweet chilli dressing and chips. Service good but a little rushed as it was very busy. Would return!

I got take-​out here. Food portions were very big, and I ended up taking my meal over to the White Rabbit after their kitchen closed for a drink.
Prices were fine, service with a smile, very friendly and efficient. Don’t think there is the ambiance to bring a first date there, but overall, fine. :)

Having relocated back to the North Laine, I was looking forward to having the occasional lunch out.
Wai Kika Moo Kau was my first outing. The Burrito looked tempting as did the Felafel; in we went and sat near the back where there’s a lot more natural light.
We were soon given two battered menus. I asked if they did a lunch special menu — I was told the menu was it.
Looking through it didn’t seem to offer much more than what I had already pre-​chosen so stuck with the Burrito whilst my partner when for the Felafel.
Presentation was good but taste was nothing special.
My partner was struggling to cut the Pitta and thought the Felafel dry. I have to say, when I tried it myself I thought that it was a pretty lousy Felafel. Really guys, shoving some Felafels with a bit of a salad in a pitta bread is shoddy. No Homous, Tahini or sauce.
As to the fries, you can tell they were fried in old oil.
What a shame.
On a general note, they did offer a mini-​lunch special of soup and salad wrap for £5.95 which I wish I had gone for now if I was spending that sort of money.

I absolutely love it here — I have to admit I haven’t been in a couple of years but every time I go to Brighton I head here — you don’t normally have to wait too long for a table and as previous reviews have pointed out, it’s great for people-​watching in the Laines and you get some real characters in here. The food, in my experience, is as good as it gets vegetarian-​wise. I wonder if they serve falafel? I’ve always opted for nachos or for whatever was on special. Service good, décor lovely — a good place to stop for lunch if you’ve exhausted your 14-​year-​old self buying so many pairs of coloured corduroy trousers that you can’t even carry them anymore without a refuel of vegetarian cuisine.

The café has an inviting paint job and a funky name. There is a general feel good vibe with the place and it’s usually pretty busy.
They do try and cram as many tables as they can into the place and it only takes a few big groups to make the place feel a little claustrophobic. That being said, if you time it right, and the weather is nice, you can bag one of the outside tables and watch the world go by down Gardner street.
They serve an exclusively vegetarian menu that covers staple dishes such as nacho’s and noodles and a few random special dishes. The food is cooked to order and priced fairly. I’ve always had good meals, but some are definitely better constructed as dishes than others.
The best thing about the place is the smoothies which can be made with regular or soya milk. It’s the same deal with the coffees and I do enjoy their soya decaff latte. The staff are generally cool, but you can tell when the stress of a busy Saturday service is taking its toll.
All in all a respectable veggie café that offers some nice food.

As regular readers will know, I’m a bit of a veggie aficionado: I’m not, but like the food when done well. Wai Kika have certainly got the ticket, offering a wide selection of veggie goodies for reasonable prices, and really filling my veggie food ethos: not replacing the meat, but making new and tasty dishes. As well as that, they offer all the teas (I’m a big tea drinker), and always have a tasty soup or smoothie on offer if I’m in the mood for something lighter. I love it here, and recommend it wholeheartedly.
Something about Wai Kika I always find faintly silly: I guess it’s probably a combination of the name, the silly cow logo, and the sky blue paint job. On the inside, everything’s a little more humble, with lots of wood on the walls and to sit on and behind. Everything which looks a little corporate from the outside is discarded by the pleasant and homely atmosphere within: certainly somewhere I just enjoy sitting and being.
The food is also great, normally a collection of veggie classics, with inventive and tasty specials. These are always original, a nice collection of flavours, and go very nicely with the more fruity teas: a rare indulgence on my part, but the perfect combo here. It all just slots into place nicely at Wai Kika, and even the non-veggie’s out there should give it a go, just to taste how great veggie food can be when it’s done properly!

I always end up drinking coffee here. I guess it’s the combination of location and the seats outside that allow such generous ‘people watching’ options in the North Laine! Anyway, the coffee is tasty but not cheap and I have noticed that they seem to be offering value for money takeaway veg lunches recently. The service is friendly though a little slow, but hey, there’s no need to rush in these parts anyway! This place is just OK, nothing special…

Great food and refreshing combinations, although I wonder if having a traditional fry up would have been a better hangover cure than a curry! Hmmm. Anyhoo, will always go back here for some really fresh flavours and carefully constructed dishes, particularly those with a little salsa-​kick!

Anytime I’ve eaten here I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the food. There are plenty of healthy options and it’s all vegetarian.
There is a wide menu to choose from.
It’s nearly always very busy and can feel slightly cramped. Service is pretty good and smiley most of the time.

Good value, generously portioned veggie food. I love their smoothies, and they really are the best hangover cure in the area. My only gripe is the service, which suffers a bit from the sluggishness that a few hippy haunts seem to share. I’ve had a few long waits in here, and on one occasion, complete lack of communication over a dish that had been taken off the menu. Not a recipe for a happy meal.
I’ll go back there for drinks and snacks but if I’m in the mood for fast veggie food in the area, it’s Red Veg.

Wai Kika Moo Kau is a favourite lunching spot of mine. Nestled in the busiest of the North Lanes, Kensington Gardens, it can get packed on any day of the week. There is a nice little outside seating area, but be warned: depending on the time of day, you sometimes feel like you’re going to be swept off in to the bustling crowd!
Everything about this café agrees with me. The name is great– I especially enjoy the infinite possibilities for mispronouncing it. Despite numerous visits, I still find myself getting it wrong! It reminds me of Hawaii too, which is always a pleasant place to bring to mind! The food is vegetarian and delicious. It’s the kind of vegetarian food that makes vegetarianism finally seem acceptable to the meat-​eating world: substantial, hearty food that uses yummy fresh ingredients that really fill you up! I took a meat-​eating friend who professed to being scared of tofu (I know, get a grip!)…he tried my tofu burger and was a changed man! Everything is done with a twist at Wai Kika, meaning I have never been bored by my food. The veggie bangers and mash with onion gravy is delicious and I’m sure I once had it served to me in a giant yorkshire pudding (my favourite!), though it hasn’t happened again :(
The café is also great for breakfast and the milkshakes and juices are definitely worth investigating. The place isn’t the cheapest in town, but the food is worth every penny!

The blue frontage makes me think of the beach! Brighton has a beach I realise but this blue really transports me to a sandy tropical beach and before I know it I am craving a milkshake and one of Wai Kika’s burgers. I usually don’t tell people it’s vegetarian until we’re sat down– what is is with meat eaters that they freak out as soon as they realise there is no meat option, are they going to waste away without meat every meal! Even the most ferocious carnivore decides to stay once they see some of the food pass by our table for another customer. It’s great to sit outside at Wai Kika (I love saying the name) and watch the people go by but if it’s raining the atmosphere is lovely inside too. I would recommend the milkshakes and the sweet potato burger or the falafel– the portions are very generous so go on a day when you need feeding up! It’s all delicious and full of healthy ingredients.

Hey I have some low down on this place. They have recently employed two experienced chefs who worked for Terre Terre (an amazing vegetarian restaurant in Brighton– see the reviews) and are introducing some improvements to the menu. I had the butternut and red onion soup and almost died it was so good. My husband had the hummous and salad wrap, he is not a vegetarian but loved it. I like the quirky décor and laid back feel. Staff seemed a little rushed and could have been more attentive, but I would watch this place because it’s on the up.

I have tried a lot of the vegetarian restaurants in Brighton and this is my favourite.
There are always additions to the menu but whatever they’re serving it always tastes good. It’s one of the few restaurants that I can think of where I have tried a lot of the food and liked every meal I’ve had there.
The service is very friendly, although a little bit slow at times. The staff there are always keen to help and always greet you with a friendly smile.
The restaurant can get a little cold at times but for the most part it’s comfortable.

Despite having an unpronounceable name this place is a great to grab a lite bight to eat or a coffee.
Serving a basic vegetarian menu this café is always bustling and full of life. Food is unpretentious and great value for money.
Situated in the heart of the North lanes it is a great place to do a bit of people watching.
My top tip is the toasted cheese sandwich with a mug of tea — always a winner !