The Milk Bookstore is a delightful little getaway located in Colombo 7 that entices book lovers both young and old. This beautiful space also features a café, which serves up a range of delicious food in a lovely setting. Team Meatless Monday Sri Lanka dropped into the Milk & Honey Café on a weekday evening to enjoy some delicious vegan and vegetarian food options and was delighted by its soothing environment and warm and welcoming staff. The Milk & Honey Café has placed high priority on vegan and plant-based food options and the menu provides plant-based foods right at the top, offering a wide range of vegan and vegetarian food options. The café also has a special food menu for kids and it is noteworthy that it constantly endeavors to add healthy, home-made, and locally sourced ingredients to its meals. For this review of vegan options, we tried the creamy and crispy Zucchini and Avocado Sourdough Toast. The meal was served up with a generous helping of avocado, zucchini and dukkah (an Egyptian and Middle Eastern condiment consisting of a mixture of herbs, nuts, and spices). The toast was sourdough, which is unique in that it does not use ordinary yeast and is a healthy alternative to bread or other wheat flour foods we usually consume. It is nutritious, easy to digest, and lowers blood sugar levels.
Avocado spread is an ideal plant-based substitute for butter and its thick and creamy properties softened the toast delightfully. Avocado is one of the most popular fruits among Sri Lankans and is also highly nutritious. It contains several vitamins, potassium, and other nutrients. Avocados are also high in monounsaturated fat, a type of fat that is considered healthy. The toast also featured layers of thinly-sliced zucchini, which is rich in nutrients and antioxidants and facilitates digestion, lowers blood sugar, improves heart health, and helps to lose weight. Dukkah – a mixture of grains, sesame seeds, coriander, cumin, and other spices – further enhanced the flavour of the toast. For diners whose focus is on fitness and health, the café offers up an ideal solution with a menu that features a wide range of plant-based diet options. The Meatless Monday team looks forward to sharing more information on these special foods in the future and invites readers to add more plant-based foods to their diets. Author: Chalani Marasinghe