Tofish At Canvas Cafe: A Poor Pun, But Absolutely Delicious

Hanbury Street is home to one of London's most famous fish and chip shops: Poppie's. Now down the road at the Canvas Cafe, it's got a vegan rival: Tofish.

Not the little things that nibble tourists' toes in the Med, but a tofu substitute for fish. A weak pun perhaps, but how does it actually taste?

Though many mightn't care to admit it, the best part of seaside style fish is the batter and the sauce. Here they're both exquisite. The batter has just that right level of crunch and chew, isn't too greasy and has seaweed at the bottom, which is a simple but elegant touch. The tartare sauce is better than most, made with real mayonnaise. Within the batter, the tofu has a similar texture to fish. Cut up some tofish, lather it with tartare sauce and some mushy peas, to make it all come together in perfect harmony.

The chips are great too, clearly freshly made, and go well with those 'fish and chips essentials', ketchup and vinegar.

If you're not feeling tofish — but seriously, why not? — then the vegan brunch is another fantastic case study in putting tofu to good use, using it to replace the eggs in scrambled eggs. It's a tad simpler, but matches Canvas' homely vibe. Speaking of which, the Cafe is a social enterprise that funds great community projects, so you can really feel good about yourself as you tuck in, knowing you're funding an amazing space.

As some long time punters might know, veganism is a new look for Canvas Cafe, which is a wonderful community hub. It all started as a bit of a joke; popular chef Tegan the Vegan was laughing around with the kitchen, then managed to end up with a job. The whole place is slowly going vegan over the coming year, so this is the start of more good things to come.