After getting diagnosed with coeliac disease earlier this year, I've been on a quest to find the best places that serve gluten-free, vegan food. I've been poring over Google Maps, Happy Cow, and Find Me Gluten Free to triangulate where I can find a good meal. It turns out that one of those elusive restaurants was right on my doorstep. I'd even been there before, without knowing it was entirely gluten-free.
Casazul is a Mexican place in Brighton's Open Market. It's got a few tables inside, and a few more outside for when the sun's shining on the seaside. Service is fast and friendly, and the prices are pretty decent for central Brighton.
The menu is pretty short, made up of a handful of taco choices, which are neatly divided into half vegan, half non-vegan: tinga, cochinita, mole, colorado and el pastor. The vegan tacos' filling are either carrots (tinga), mushrooms (cochinita, colorado) or cauliflower (al pastor, mole). For a plate of three tacos, you're looking at about £12-£13.
I've been to Casazul a handful of times, and I've got a different taco each time. Clearly, I must like the food to keep coming back.
The tacos the sort of tasty, sloppy meal that leaves you with sauce running down your arm, while you nod enthusiastically at your dinner companion - you would talk, but you'd rather be eating, because the
tacos are great.
And there's good news for those that get overwhelmed by decisions - there's one side on the menu. It's a portion of rice and refried beans. Rice and beans together is a vegan classic - I've eaten it all over the world, and I make it at home regularly. Add some to your Casazul tacos, and you're turning your dainty tacos into a proper meal. And at just over £3, it feels like a bit of a steal.
All of the tacos have a lot of spicing, but not a lot of heat. If you're a heat fiend, you might find some of the tacos a bit on the mild side (well, the ones I've tried anyway). But if you want to boost the spiciness, you'll be offered hot sauce on the side. You can pick either medium or hot - and the hot is definitely hot.
The fillings all seem to have a similar texture across each of the tacos, of uniformly minced veggies. I would love to see the oyster mushrooms used in more of pulled-meat texture, or the cauliflower to be roasted for more of a substantial consistency. But I'm nit picking here though, the food's good whichever way you slice (chew?) it.
The fillings all seem to have a similar texture across each of the tacos, of uniformly minced veggies. I would love to see the oyster mushrooms used in more of pulled-meat texture, or the cauliflower to be roasted for more of a substantial consistency. But I'm nit picking here though, the food's good whichever way you slice (chew?) it.
There are also lots of fun drink choices - agua de Jamaica, a deep pinky-purple refreshing hibiscus drink; Jarritos - brightly-coloured Mexican sodas - in a range of flavours, and even vegan horchata.
Desserts are more on the minimalist side, with a choice of homemade ice lolly flavours, most of which are vegan. I definitely recommend the horchata - it's creamy with little bit of comforting cinnamon in there, but still refreshing enough for a hot day. Very good.
Definitely worth checking out for a satisfying lunch, whether you're dodging gluten or not.
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