222 Veggie/Vegetarian Restaurant Pt.1.....

"Lively,relaxing,inviting atmosphere".Is what one customer said about 222 Vegan/Vegetarian restaurant located in West Kensington.It's about 7pm and i arrive at a full house,full of laughs,smiles,small talk,and the smell of great food being prepared by the Chef Ben Asamani.Born in Ghana,raised a vegetarian,food to him is not a lifestyle it's a way of life."Artistic healthy food on a plate" another customer said.I'm looking at everyone's plate,full,vibrant,and lot's of love as you can tell from the eyes of the guests as their entree's or desserts are placed in front of them.I ask the lady next to me what should i order,she tells me to get the Ben's Special.A West Indian Vegetable stir fry consisting of snap peas,green beans,carrots,broccoli,bell peppers,zucchini,baby corn,red onions, with smoked seitan strips,nicely spiced atop a bed of brown rice."Satisfying,delicious,plentiful",another couple said to me.With laughs,exchanging of positive energy,friendly staff,along with the simple yet elegant dining room,you feel as if must eat here.My plate arrives and it looks amazing.The colors on the plate bright from the slight stir fry to the vegetables,the smokiness of the seitan strips,art on a plate.A nice spice,the veggies have a crunch to them and i'm enjoying every bite.While eating i browse the rest of the menu and chat it up with a guest sitting next to me.Other entrees include the popular 222 Gardens,which is baked plantains,okra,falafel,marinated aubergines and courgettes in a tomato sauce or the Broccolini Di Parma,whole wheat pancakes stuffed with tofu cottage cheese broccoli and pimento sauce served with sauteed potatoes all make me hungry wishing i had more time here to try the others.Starters such as the Back eye bean and tofu pate wrapped in a whole meal pancake,or avocado pomodoro,salads like the sun dried tomato and artichokes,or the roasted courgettes and aubergines marinated in organic tamari soya sauce,all sound satisfying.Sides like the baked plantains, boiled yams,or something to wash it down with like a freshly made juice like pomegranate and apple,carrot and apple with ginger (as an option) or the Classico smoothie orange juice,bananas,and strawberries,tea,organic white and red wine is available too.Now once dinner is finished and you are a bit relaxed try the 222 Pancake,which is vegan vanilla ice cream wrapped in a wholemeal,topped with warm vanilla and chocolate sauce is just a sight to see before you even eat it or if you are in the mood for something light a bowl of fresh fruit is available.With nothing more than ten pounds,this a definite choice to come and check out.Also being here 5 years ranked as #4 in the top ten Veggie Restaurants in Britain by Vegetarian Guide in 2006 makes it a must come.Just a couple blocks away from the West Kensington Underground station,open 7 days a week from 530-1030 for dinner and for lunch noon-330.In the next i'll tell you about the lunch i had here.