I found 3 unique things about Vegan Delights Cafe in Ipoh:
- They had a variety of Western and Asian foods
- They train the mute and deaf as part of their staff
- The doorman was in the form of a handsome sleepy dog
I’m glad I found this cafe via HappyCow.net — I swear it’s such a life saviour during my travels!
Vegan Delights is probably the only fully vegan cafe in the area that I was in. Heck, there weren’t that many vegetarian cafes either compared to Penang.
We were nearly at the end of our road trip in September 2019.
My uncle felt it was a good time that he had some healthy food. Eating quite a bit of roadside stall food and oily fried foods made his stomach queasy.
I was all too happy to oblige!
Variety of Vegan Food at Vegan Delights
I never thought to find a fully vegan cafe in Ipoh. I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had come across a Chinese vegetarian restaurant.
Alas, there was Vegan Delights!
I was amazed by the options they had; from Vege Fish Chop to Japanese set meals.
ALL VEGAN!!!
Spoilt with choice and having an indecisive moment, I finally settled with the first dish on the menu — Vege Chicken Chop with Black Pepper Sauce.
It was DEEELICIOUS!
It had been a while since I’d eaten a chop of any kind. I’m a sucker for black pepper gravy and to have tasted it after so long was pure satisfaction!
The “chicken” itself was I guess the usual kind of mock meat, probably made of soy. Together with the fries and side salad, it did feel like a full meal.
My cousin had Mushroom Tomato Pasta. She purposely ordered the dish with the least vegetables in it, but it came with a side salad too (which I happily devoured for her).
We also had a plate of Yuba Maki Roll to share!
Vegan Dessert — Matcha Red Bean Cake!
If I had seen the cake before ordering, I probably wouldn’t have ordered the Yuba Maki Roll.
But it was okay. NO REGRETS!
I thought I wouldn’t get the cake or that I’d come again later in the evening or the next day. But our plans weren’t certain and it might not have been convenient to go back there.
So before leaving, I thought hard about getting the cake to go.
The thing is – my container already had the unfinished Yuba Maki Roll. We were too full and I didn’t want to let it go to waste. So I packed what’s left into my container.
But I really wanted the vegan cake.
Luckily, Mr Teh (presumably the manager), said that they would pack the cake into a paper container.
I felt better then. But at the back of my mind I know it might not make a big difference considering that the paper container would go to the trash anyway.
BUT I WANTED THE CAKE SO BADLY.
I MEAN…. MATCHA!!!! I LOOOOVE MATCHA 😍
Sacrificing my sustainable ethics for my sweet vegan tastebuds, I bought it anyway and kept it to eat for breakfast the next day.
IT WAS WORTH IT!
The vegan matcha cake was moist and the icing wasn’t too sweet.
Although the matcha taste wasn’t strong, it still tasted good. The red bean in the middle with whipped cream was perfect. The crumble on top I think was just pieces of the cake itself that they sprinkled on top.
I wish more cafes do vegan cakes that are under MYR10 (USD2.50) per piece!
For comparison, a standard slice of vegan cake you would normally find in Kuala Lumpur costs about MYR17 (USD4).
Sidenote: Okay, the prices in USD don’t look so bad! Damn the economy.
Businesses Need to Follow the Ethics of Vegan Delights
Honestly, it’s very rare to come across a cafe that not only serves fully vegan meals and desserts but also employs the mute, deaf and disabled.
When was the last time you come across a server with Down syndrome?
Exactly.
All the staff were so friendly and you instantly feel such warmth from the moment you step in on an empty stomach until the moment you step out with a full belly.
It’s also a good opportunity to get to know different kinds of people and just have a chat with them.
And if you find yourself facing a communication barrier, then it’s time to learn their language!
