Vegetarian Japanese in Southsea - Yo! Sushi and Sakura | Headhuntress Guide to eating out in portsmouth and Hampshire

•Sakura is the Japanese restaurant on Albert Rd, which has been an instant hit for all who dine there. The majority of the menu is fish based, but I had some veggie dumplings, some veg udon noodles and some perfectly cooked mixed vegetable tempura. Japanese cuisine is so clean tasting and a real treat, there is a little space for prams at quiet times. They offer takeaway but no home delivery as yet.

But what is this?  Competition?  Competition on a conveyor belt no less.  Because Yo! Sushi has landed at Gunwharf Quays. This is fast food at it's very fastest. And oh, how I wish I still ate fish, because the menu has got me salivating!

But for us veggies - there is plenty of choice and it is super affordable too - with Miso Soup only costing £1.00 - yes, one tiny pound and simple avocado and cucumber rolls at only £1.70, the problem will be that you will want to try everything on the menu.  But hey, there is always another day.
So, what to have, mmm, well veg udon noodles are a must as are the Pumpkin Korroke Crispy Japanese breaded pumpkin croquettes with a fruity sauce, yum and the crunchy tofu is perfect because unlike the Age Dashi Tofu at Sakura, Yo Sushi serve their's with a miso based sauce instead of a fish based sauce.  Oh, and don't forget the tempura - it's beyond yummyville.


Oh and just when you thought things couldn't get any better let me tell you something more my friends - they do - HOME DELIVERY!  Woo hoo.  Well, it does cost an extra £3, but it is being despatched all fresh and fabulous direct from Gunwharf Quays.  So get ordering - or pop down to Gunwharf quick sharp.

Love Japanese culture?  Get the look with Harajuku Style

Veggie Bubba, vegetarian babies

Bringing up baby to be vegetarian can seem daunting but it really needn't be. Our little one is far from little. I was vegan when he was conceived and only staryed eating dairy again when I was about 14 weeks pregnant. I'm 5 foot nothing and had quite a neat bump compared to when I was carrying bubba 1 and bubba 2. I gained 4 stone with each of their pregnancies and only 28 pounds with the latest babe. So he should have been a little dot, but alas no. He was a whopping 9 pounds 2 ozs and on time. He was exclusively breastfed my vegetarian milk for 6 months and has remained a whopper ever since.

So what do you feed baby once he is passed the fruit and veggie early tasters? It's still important to make sure they are having some protein, but the best diet for babies is high fat and low fibre for some reason, the opposite to us. I give our baby plenty of yoghurt and I mix cheese in with his veggies sometimes. Beans and lentils are great for protein, but one of the best sources is quinoa flakes. It's so easy to add to baby food. Just soak in hot water then add to normal cooking. It's like a grain but high in protein, wonderful stuff and if you stick to the flakes, much more blendable for those early purees.

Be mindful when you are cooking the family dinner, don't add extra salt to your veggies and make extra so that you can blend them up for baby. Courgettes, sweet potato, broccoli and butternut squash whizz up a treat. When baby is older he will really enjoy the family bolognese made with Quorn mince mixed with the spaghetti pasta. Our 7 month old is over 20 pounds, bigger than many one year olds. He is also strong as an ox and has chosen the more difficult army style crawl to regular crawling. He's going to have arms like Wolverine and will probably be taller than me by the time he starts Infant School at this rate!.