Afternoon Tea at Café an-an for World Vegan Day

Cafe an-an Brighton Portslade Step Up Japanese World Vegan Day Learn Japanese Online Fran Wrigley.jpeg

2021 update: Cafe an-an has moved! Now at 94 Boundary Rd, Hove BN3 4EF. Make sure to pop in and chat some Japanese with Noriko-san while you buy your sweets. She's always very welcoming! The cafe’s opening hours are changeable, so check their Facebook or Instagram before making a trip.

I was a vegetarian for ten years…then, I moved to Japan. I lasted about two weeks as a vegetarian in Japan, before swiftly abandoning my principles in favour of late-night ramen and fish for breakfast.

That's not to say that being vegetarian - or even vegan - in Japan is impossible. It just wasn't for me.

But did you know that lots of wagashi (Japanese sweets) are naturally vegan?

I hadn't really thought about it, until I learned that Cafe an-an in Portslade was running an Afternoon Tea event for World Vegan Day on 1st November.

Here are some pictures of the tasty food I managed to take on the day - before I ate it all.

I got there super early, partly because I got the bus, and partly because I was trying to run on "Japan time", i.e., if you're not early, you're late.

Cafe an-an is run by the lovely Noriko-san, who you can see selling Japanese sweets at lots of events around Brighton.

I meant to get a picture with Noriko too, but she was very busy cooking! Next time...

Anyway, we arrived and were presented with this cute handwritten menu.

Today's reading practice for you! ↓

Cafe an-an Brighton Portslade Step Up Japanese World Vegan Day Learn Japanese Online Fran Wrigley 2.jpeg

We started the Afternoon Tea with a little soy milk and pumpkin soup. Then chestnut rice, nasu dengaku (glazed aubergine), and ganmodoki (tofu fritters) with lotus root.

You can see from the picture how small the aubergine is. It's  a proper tiny Japanese one - sweet and delicious.

I haven't had aubergine that good in a long time...

Next, the sweet bit!Tsukimi dango ("moon-viewing dumplings"), and steamed chestnut yōkan (a jellied sweet made with agar) - that's the purple triangle below.

And pumpkin kintsuba - that's the orange slice that looks a bit like a piece of brie. 

Kintsuba is another type of Japanese sweet, popular with people who like their sweets a bit less sweet.

Cafe an-an Brighton Portslade Step Up Japanese World Vegan Day Learn Japanese Online Fran Wrigley 4.jpeg

The last little course was i-no-ko mochi  ("baby boar rice cake"). Tasty, and of course it doesn't contain any boar...baby or otherwise.

And lastly, we had an awesome little maple leaf shaped sweet. Isn't it pretty?

Cafe an-an Brighton Portslade Step Up Japanese World Vegan Day Learn Japanese Online Fran Wrigley.jpeg

Finally, my little rabbit manjuu (steamed bun) filled with anko (red bean paste).

He was almost too cute to eat, but I ate him head first.

Cafe an-an Brighton Portslade Step Up Japanese World Vegan Day Learn Japanese Online Fran Wrigley 5.jpeg

I felt pretty sorry for the cute bunny. But at least he's vegan! Unlike me...

2021 update: Café an-an has moved! Now at 94 Boundary Rd, Hove BN3 4EF. Make sure to pop in and chat some Japanese with Noriko-san while you buy your sweets. She's always very welcoming! The cafe’s opening hours are changeable, so check their Facebook or Instagram before making a trip.

First published November 2017. Updated August 2021.