Dines Out: Moshimo

For the last month or so my favourite Japanese restaurant has been undergoing a massive expansion. Moshimo in Bartholomews Square has increased its footprint massively in a move to cater for their ever expanding client base, and it looks great. It’s the first stage of their expanding dream and I can personally say that I cannot wait for them to actually open their planned sky bar and dining room, an exciting piece of architecture that will rise above the city and offer stunning views to match their food.

This week they are hosting their event The Great Moshimo Vegan Challenge, an event which earned them a prestigious PETA award for the promotion of plant-based eating.

For one night only, Brighton’s most celebrated chefs come under one roof to create Japanese-inspired plant-based dishes to be voted on by customers.

Amongst those attending will be chefs from award-winning 64 Degrees, Silo, and Chilli Pickle. Joining them will be VBites, Cashew Catering, CanTina, Purezza, Market, and newcomer to the Brighton restaurant scene, Pike and Pine.

The event, which has become an eagerly anticipated fixture for vegans and non-vegans alike, was set up by Moshimo in 2009 to demonstrate what its menu might look like in the future if fish stocks continue to deplete at the present rate.

We’re keen on promoting not just sustainable, but what we call restorative-eating

Moshimo became known for its work in fish sustainability due to its high profile Fishlove campaign, a series of photographs featuring naked celebrities with fish which became one of the most successful campaigns ever to end over-fishing. The images, including those of Helena Bonham-Carter, Dame Judi Dench, Mark Rylance, Gillian Anderson, Julie Christie, Lizzie Jagger, Sir Richard Branson and Sir Ben Kingsley, were shown on the front covers of the media across the world many times over. They are credited as being instrumental in some big wins for ocean conservationists.

“We’re keen on promoting not just sustainable-, but what we call restorative-eating, a type of ethical consumption which aims not just to make the environment sustainable, but to actually restore and improve it – to give back more than we take away,” says Nicholas Röhl, co-owner with Karl Jones.

“Scientists believe that the world’s oceans will be without fish by the middle of this century if fishing methods do not change substantially. Demand for fish continues to grow, and the methods for catching fish remain unsustainable, so we’re keen to look at approaches to protect fish stocks for future generations,” says Karl Jones. “One of the ways we can do this is to increase the amount of plant-based food and decrease the amount of animal or fish protein on our plate. We hold the vegan challenge to get people to imagine what Moshimo might be like if overfishing continues to deplete the world’s fish stocks. We are delighted that the success of the previous challenge has even contributed to us winning the prestigious PETA ‘Proggy’ award.”

This event is an annual sell out but worth a last minute try. £35 (£30 Moshimo Members). 7pm, Weds 22 November. Moshimo, Bartholomew Square.
Brighton. East Sussex. BN1 1JS
01273 719195 moshimo.co.uk