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Shravan started this weekend and as much as we cook at home, there are times when we just want to go out for a meal. When you’re doing a vegetarian fast, it automatically seems like your eating out options are limited. Well, fear not! I am here to share with you my favourite places to find delicious vegetarian meals.

That’s my definition and it's ok if your definition of vegetarian is different to mine. But regardless of where you are on the scale of vegetarian, you will probably enjoy my list of places to eat at where your veg meals are tasty and not just a salad or meat dish side.

And yes, judging from the title, one of these restaurants have something tasty to give away. Can you guess which one without immediately scrolling all the way down to the bottom? 

Simply Asia

I had a moment in my life when I realised that I actually loved Thai food. I just hated the common stuff like the Thai curries that are loaded with my least favourite ingredient – coconut milk. Simply Asia was the restaurant that made me realise this. Since then, my husband has to restrain me from wanting to eat there every week. I love this restaurant when I’m fasting because their entire menu can be practically made vegetarian. Most of their dishes come standard with chicken or beef. Just ask them to replace it with tofu or soya and you’ve got yourself a meat-free dish. All the ingredients are listed so if you can watch out for dishes which contain oyster sauce or fish sauce.  Whatever you order, don’t forget to have the Chocolate Spring Rolls dessert.

You can find this Thai deliciousness at Kyalami on Main Shopping Centre.

Nu Health Food Cafe

I wrote about Nu when they first landed in Johannesburg. They made tasty healthy food accessible. I eat here a lot – whether I’m fasting or not. Their menu caters for vegans, vegetarians and those just wanting to eat healthily. I most like that their ingredients are responsibly sourced and they make healthy eating taste nice. I definitely recommend  a multi-grain wrap called The Fixer made with broccoli, lentils, feta, flaked almonds, radish, chia seeds, pea shoots, lemon and olive oil dressing. The ingredients may not sound appetising but I assure you that it is absolutely delicious.

The only place you can find Nu Health Food Cafe in Johannesburg is the Waterfall Corner Mall.

Piza e Vino

I started my fast with the Black on White pizza from Piza eVino. From their range of vegetarian pizzas, this one is my favourite with black mushrooms, olives, garlic, feta and cheese. Then again, anything on their crispy thin wood fired oven base would taste great. 

The Piza e Vino that I frequent the most is at Carlswald Decor Centre.

Rocomamas

Rocomamas doesn’t just make good burgers, they also have an amazing vibe making it a great place to join friends for lunch. Just because you’re going veggie, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy that vibe. All their burgers come in a vegetarian option with the same delicious toppings (minus the bacon).   

I go to all the Rocomamas but the one I prefer is at Pineslopes Boulevard.

Shayona

If you’re serious about your fasting where you won’t dare step into a restaurant that serves meat, then Shayona is definitely for you. Their entire menu is pure vegetarian meaning my Hindu definition of vegetarian plus they don’t use onion or garlic in their food. The Indian buffet menu changes every day. They have an extensive a la carte menu that offers Western-style dishes but I recommend the curries and you have to order a paratha to go with it. No other restaurant makes parathas like they do. I’ve also tried and failed miserably. 

Shayona is quite a drive for most people living in the Northern suburbs but every Guji will tell you that the drive to Mayfair will be worth it. 

There you have it: some of my favourite restaurants when I’m giving meat a miss. Now some exciting news: whether you're on a vegetarian diet or not, Simply Asia in Kyalami has offered me 4 meal vouchers valued at R100 each to give away to 4 of my readers. I'll select a winner from each of my social media: Facebook, Twitter, Blog Subscription list and blog comments. Winners must be able to redeem their vouchers via the Kyalami branch of Simply Asia.

Enter via the Rafflecopter widget. Goodluck!