Visit to Leon – A ‘Natural Fast-Food’ Restaurant

At the weekend Ben & I paid a visit to Bluewater Shopping Centre in Kent.  We arrived around lunchtime and spent a while wandering around looking for somewhere to eat. After the excesses of Christmas we were keen to eat something healthy, so we were drawn in by a place called Leon, situated just outside the food court, which claimed to offer ‘Naturally Fast Food’. Leon is a small chain of 10 restaurants - the others are situated in London.

I ordered the Sweet Potato Falafel with Aioli (which was baked not fried) and my husband ordered The Leon Gobi (a mix of sweet potato, cauliflower, chilli, ginger & spices with fresh coriander and coconut milk). The meals were £5.85 each and were served in a cardboard box with brown rice and fresh slaw. The boxes were pre-made behind the counter, so we were served very quickly. Other vegetarian options included a Sweet Potato Falafel wrap and an Original Superfood Salad. They also had an interesting breakfast menu which included porridge with different toppings and an egg and mushroom grilled sandwich.

We both enjoyed the food - it seemed fresh, healthy and a bit different to the usual fast-food offerings. The slaw was unusual - it was like coleslaw but without the mayo and it contained peas as well as cabbage and carrot. The rice was al dente and made a nice accompaniment. However, within an hour of eating, Ben and I both developed stomach ache which stayed with us for the rest of the day and cut our shopping trip short! This may or may not have been caused by our meals - but it has put me off returning just in case.

Have you been to Leon before? If so, we’d love to know what you thought of it.