4 VEGAN FOOD SHOPS IN ANKARA

 Ekşi Maya was our first stop in Ankara. Ekşi Maya is one of the most famous cafe-restaurant in Ankara, with Tunalı and Maidan branches. Ekşi Maya has an extensive menu for both vegans and non-vegans. It is possible to find both breakfast and lunch, dinner meals here. As a vegan, there are various salads and bowls that you can consume at Ekşi Maya. We ordered vegan Kale grass & green apple salad and vegan Kale bowl, which are the most preferred ones. Both meals were very tasty, nutritious, healthy for vegans and non-vegans. Kale bowl contains Kale grass, baked pumpkin cubes, einkorn bulgur, baked chickpeas, crispy brussels sprouts, roasted almonds, green apples and tahini sauce. In addition to being a very nutritious and completely vegan bowl, the tahini sauce adds a different flavor to the dish. With this bowl, you can experience the harmony of sweet-salty flavor together. Also, einkorn bulgur provides long-term satiety. Kale & green apple salad, which was our second choice, includes kale grass, apple slices, avocado, and dried tomatoes. The use of dried tomatoes in this green salad adds sweetness to the salad and contrasts it with sourness. In addition to these two options, breakfast items served on buckwheat bread that you can choose are also in the menu. At the same time, the falafel salad we tried was a very delicious option. In this bowl, there are falafel balls consisting of vegan products, maskolin salad, protacal and beetroot. Falafel salad is one of the delicious nowls of Ekşi Maya for those who want to have a balanced pot of protein while eating greens. The drink called “Cleaning Time”, which is one of the mixes we wanted as a beverage, meets green lovers with a fresh feeling. This drink contains celery stalk, basil, cucumber, apple, lemon. This green drink is suitable for detox lovers and vegans.
The price of the Kale green salad is 172 TL , 168 TL for falafel bowl, 162 TL for the Kale bowl. For the mixes that we drink the price is 67 TL. As vegan explorers, we recommend you to try Ekşi Maya which we love the atmosphere of the restaurant, the quality of service, the taste and variety of the food.

​Next place is the most colorful and eye-catching venue! ‘Junk Food’, which is completely vegan, surprised us the most among the places we went to. We were very surprised that there is such a variety of vegan meals, and that while everyone considers vegan meals to be ‘healthy’, Junk Food has a wide variety of fast foods. Located on Tunus Street, the place has its own pleasant and peaceful garden. While sitting inside, it is very enjoyable to watch the garden as the ceiling and walls are made of glass. We found this garden concept very friendly and felt like home. While going down the stairs of the place, the colors of the walls and the graffiti added a bohemian atmosphere to the environment and at the same time it looked very artistic. The walls of the place were painted in orange-weighted and unbelievably vibrant. Another feature that we liked in the Junk Food was that the water and tea are free and unlimited. The most obvious feature that distinguishes this place from other places is its fast food concept. Although there is no meat in their Fast Food, we were satisfied with the meaty content they made with gluten. In fact, we could hardly separate their vegan meat from regular meat. One of the most loved ones on the menu, Vickhen Burger was our favorite. It helped us to break our prejudices because what comes to mind when talking about vegan hamburgers may not be very tasty but Junk Vegan’s burgers are amazing. Another signature dish that surprised us was their hotdog. The vegan meat (also made from gluten) was delicious, even more delicious when combined with ketchup and mayonnaise and fresh hotdog bread. Remember that you must go to Junk Food even though we are not vegan! We agree that it is an interesting and enjoyable experience for non-vegans. Another important feature for us was the prices of the place. We paid 82 TL for Vhikhen Burger and 45 TL for hotdog in total Although it was affordable, it was very nice that it was satisfying and varied.

It’s time for our favorite vegan place! Maia Me! Firstly, we were impressed by the sweetness and hospitality of the owner. All Ankara residents have gone to base life club, one of the favorite places of Ankara, at least once. However, they do not know about Maia Me, the newly opened vegan café. When we enter the place, we see a colorful bubble tea bar. We know that bubble tea is a very rare beverage in Ankara and is loved by people. We were very happy to see bubble tea in the Base Life Club. There were lots of selections of bubble tea. They have mango, green apple, watermelon, strawberry, passion fruit, black berry, pineapple, chocolate and lichee options. The fact that there were so many varieties made the place very well equipped and enjoyable. You can also mix your own selections by your preferences. On the other hand, the place is very suitable for both vegans and vegetarians. Salads, pastas, farafels, hamburgers, noodles and delicious desserts made the place perfect for us. We also really liked that the venue has motivating texts and a sweet little stage on it. Also, there is live music on the stage in the evenings and on certain days which is so exciting.. We loved that the venue was most suitable for all types of people. From the moment you enter, the decoration and the walls decorated with pastel colors make you feel comfortable. From the meals, we tried the seasonal farafel salad and the purple bread that came with it. Yes, you heard right, purple bread! It made from purple-colored vegetables such as beets and purple cabbage. The bread was very tasty and satisfying. It satisfied us both visually and in terms of taste. The farafel salad was equally delicious. Crispy farafels, special tahini sauce and various vegetables in it were delicious. It was also good in terms of price-performance because of the large portions. We paid 120 TL for the salad. The interest and smiling face of the employees made us happy. It’s definitely a place we’ll keep coming back to often. Since it is close to Bilkent, students can choose lunch breaks and it can be a pleasant getaway after sports at the Base:)