I was cooking in the heavy meat industry. It was full-on, I didnt really like the energy, so I gave up meat and got a job in a vegetarian kitchen in 2009. Then in 2014, I took a break, started to train, and became vegan. I was posting my meals at home [on Instagram], and people were like, Where can I get this from? I thought, Its time to disrupt the industry. I set up Cook Daily in 2015 with no publicity whatsoever, and within a week we were established, everyone passed through the doors, all the London music industry scene. People are like, JMEs a vegan, JMEs going [to Cook Daily]. Its like, actually, its quite cool to be a vegan. You dont have to have dreadlocks and be white.

No ones ever caught cancer from eating too much broccoli, and thats a fact. As a professional chef, I advise people that a vegan whole food diet is one of the best diets you can have. I feel that living a vegan lifestyle has given me clarity; it makes me a much more loving chef, whereas before I was an angry chef. Now, I cant be angry, because all Im doing is dealing with broccoli and bananas.

Im from a south east Asian background, so Thai cooking is a big part of my culture, and it's heavy on fish sauce. [To substitute fish sauce] I thought, What tastes like the sea? Seaweed! I blend a mixture of seaweed and soy sauce, and there you go, Ive got vegan fish sauce. No one would know, not even my mum. Thats my secret weapon.

Whats your signature dish? Our bestseller, and one of my favorite dishes, is the High Grade. Its a smoky sweet and sour barbecue [flavor], with vegan chicken, chickpeas, and veg, topped with hemp seed crumble. We serve it with brown rice. Its based on marijuana. Its a real winner, especially with hemp seeds being 90% protein.

Link:

How To Be A Cool Vegan - The FADER