Welcome back to another Sundaze! First of all, can we just consider how it is practically the end of February?!

After January drifted by at a glacial pace, it seems nutz to me that we’re now basically in the third month of the year. Which means… it’s my birthday SO SOON. In fact, it’s next Saturday and I am incredibly unprepared with any plans for it.

I’m finally beginning to feel like I’ve got a routine down now and I feel significantly less frazzled than I did last week. Harvey’s been working weekends lately so Saturday night (which is when I’m currently writing this!) has become my weekly slot to get a bucketload of blogging done. Having said that, I spent most of tonight lounging in the bath. Oops.

Anyway, onwards with a Sundaze update.

Mao Chow with Millie

Hadn’t seen Millie in an absolute age so we made plans and a reservation for a dinner date. I’ve been dying to visit Mao Chow for almost a year, so onwards we went towards Bethnal Green. And we were rewarded with such delicious vegan Chinese food!

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I'm breaking the moody pink aesthetic today because @mao_chow's vegan feast at @loveshack_ldn is SO WORTH IT. Had the most wonderful catch-up with @whatmillieeats last night and we shared dumplings, belt noodles and a sesame-topped flatbread sandwich. SO delicious and I would like to live at this pop-up please. They're open until my birthday (2nd March!), which is fate if you ask me mate… #londonveganeats #foodfate . . . #maochow #foodie #foodgasm #bestfoodfeed #food52gram #ieat #foodieheaven #whatveganseat #eastlondoneats #londonfoodie #eatingforinsta #igfoods #yumm #foodlove #seekjanuarymagic #abmlifeiscolorful #colorventures #myeverydaymagic #livecreatively #lovelysquares #thevisualcollective #thegramgang #pursuepretty #slowdownwithstills #momentsofmine #thisdelightfullife

A post shared by Michelle Chai (@winyeemichelle) on Feb 22, 2019 at 9:53am PST

On the table… Hongyou Chaoshou (meaty veg and fennel dumplings in crimson oil — absolutely delicious although a tiny portion for £6.50. Shao Bing (sesame flatbread sandwich stuffed cumin oyster shrooms and veg) — SO TASTY. I could’ve eaten 10. And they didn’t taste mushroomy at all.

Then, Youpo Mian (wheat noodles topped with hot oil-infused aromatics with pan choi and beansprouts) — the pièce de résistance. Moreish belt noodles with a satisfying bite, topped with a simple, spicy dressing and veg. Again, I could easily have eaten 10 portions.

Their current Loveshack residency ends on 2nd March 2019 (my 28th birthday!), so if you’re in London next week, be sure to book a table and visit.

A few much-loved recipes

Preparing lunch in advance and being the only plant-based eater in the house means I’m doing SO much more cooking than I was before. I’ve discovered myriad new favourite recipes and, surprisingly, plenty are online ones! If you’ve been enjoying the Instagram Stories of my recent eats, here are the recipes:

Eat with Clarity’s Vegan Mushroom Broccoli Rigatoni with Lemon Garlic Cream Sauce
Rhyme & Ribbons’ Cabbage, Leek and Potato Tart
Love & Lemons’ Creamy Vegan Pasta Bake with Brussels Sprouts

Getting into the Good On You app

Another thing from this week… the Good On You app! I spoke about this briefly in a few of my older posts, but I’ve really been enjoying it of late.

The app is completely free, and acts as a library of all of your favourite brands. It rates them on their ethical and sustainable standards, grading them on a human, animal and environmental basis.

I’m really enjoying researching brands and figuring who and who not to give my money too. You can also see recommendations for ethical and/or sustainable alternatives to popular high street brands. Plus, their blog is always full of useful tips and tricks for maintaining a more sustainable life.