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Please note, CookDaily has now closed. However, it has since re-opened an outlet in unit 56 at Shoreditch's Boxpark. Time Out Food editors, MARCH 2020.
Having built a cult following at the original Boxpark site, charismatic plant-food champion King Senathit (aka ‘King Cook’) has migrated further east to this larger space. The location couldn’t be cooler: a short hop from Mare Street Market in one direction and Netil Market in the other. Then there’s the setting: under a railway arch, with concrete floors, an arcade machine in the corner and more tables on fake grass outside.
It’s essentially a trendy canteen: you order and pay at the counter, then collect your food on a tray when your number’s called. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of the king himself, bustling in the small semi-open kitchen.
The food itself – a line-up of globe-trotting bowls for £8.50 (plus toppings), served on big beds of carbs – was satisfying, rather than stellar. Our best dish was the ‘noodle bowl’, a stir-fry of udon noodles and green veg that was both sweet and fiery. But ‘da infamous’ – the Thai-style curry on which KC’s rep was built – was ordinary. It was packed with veg, which we loved, but the coconut milk sauce lacked depth and fragrance. Toppings are extra: it’s worth stumping up a quid for the gnarled ‘fake chicken’ (soy and wheat protein).
CookDaily isn’t quite a destination, but for a satisfying vegan lunch? Sure.