\u201cI took over the cafe when this area was mainly serving the Asian community working here in the warehouses and factories around NQ, and that\u2019s how these menus came about \u2014 Hello there!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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<\/figure><\/li><\/ul><\/figure>\n\n\n\nThis is pretty much the pace of this whole interview: from his tiny counter in his tiny corner cafe, Ali sings out snatches of his story (ask him about his Bollywood renditions) between greeting and serving customers during the busy lunchtime on which we cleverly decided to schedule this chat. His offering honours the cafe\u2019s past lives, continuing to feed and sustain workers in town with massive portions for small prices. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The majority of his customers are regulars and vegan, but that\u2019s about all they have in common. From students to construction workers, everyone is-without exception-so down for this food.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the counter, you\u2019re taken through the range of seven (seven!) vegan curries for your Rice+Three, which change daily and is their most popular order. On this particular Tuesday, you could choose from dishes including daal, spinach, cabbage, mixed veg, and cauliflower. Throughout service, I watch as food appears from what seems to be a hole in the floor – and when I can\u2019t take the mystery any more, we\u2019re led downstairs to the kitchen where world\u2019s friendliest chef Mustafa shows us his prep and cooking area – there are chickpeas marinating everywhere, and it smells so good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/image00027-768x1024.jpeg\")
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\u201cThe way we prepare the food is as if we\u2019re cooking it for family at home. There\u2019s nothing artificial, and the flavour is very unique. Because it\u2019s vegan it will always be affordable\u201d. [We digress at this point to talk about the resentment we feel towards establishments that do vegan food for super-expensive]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The food we had was fresh, honest and flavourful. It\u2019s very much a no-frills affair, which is why a falafel and fried tofu wrap (ngl looks basic, tastes amazing – especially with their homemade selection of vegan sauces: chilli, garlic, mayo and mango) won\u2019t even set you back a full fiver. The Biryani though, was notable in that where a traditional Biryani would be layered and cooked with bone-in meat, its absence changes the dish entirely. Expect generous chunks of butternut squash and other nutritious veg in there – you won\u2019t miss the meat, I promise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ali\u2019s journey with veganism started with a health concern:
\u201cI was always a big lad, still am. I started cutting down on red meat to lose weight, then stopped eating meat completely. I realised you don\u2019t have to add any animal products to enjoy good food. Then I got really really \u2018holy\u2019 on that – started working on myself and also learning from the many different vegan communities in Manchester and their views
\u2014 Hi guys, how are you?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ali\u2019s is a story of travel, hard work and determination. Like many in the 80s, he emigrated to the UK from Pakistan in 1986, \u201cI came alone and didn\u2019t know anyone. I would say I\u2019m a self-made man; I\u2019ve seen a lot of ups and downs but I worked hard, I feel like my cafe is a community spot serving the many friends I\u2019ve made.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With a story so familiar and reminiscent of the many people from all over the world, coming to the UK full of hope and carving out an honest existence, it is truly what makes Manchester such a beautifully diverse city. When asked for his parting words of advice for those trying to make it on their own, Ali is a champion of grit and self-motivation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.eatmcr.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/11\/image00003-768x1024.jpeg\")
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\u201cNothing is unachievable – and don\u2019t give up early. Though Covid did affect us big time with offices not being fully open, but people are starting to come back in. Never give up. The most important thing I would like to say is that nothing is going to help or be enjoyable if you don\u2019t have proper good health, and that\u2019s starts with food, the environment, and animal welfare.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ali dreams of expanding his tiny cafe, able to then offer even more of his super-popular
vegan food. With his growing die-hard following he has shown that this, like his dreams
before, can be achieved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"