The Quest Is Over: The Croissant Is Found

When I gradually became vegan, it followed a clear path. First, the renunciation of any kind of living, breathing animal on land, in the sky, or underwater. Later, the bargaining of dairy products, mainly cheese, due to the years I’ve spent in France, following the Sunday omelettes, French toasts, crème caramels, and profiteroles. With a little bit of practice in the kitchen and technology evolving in response to the increasing demand by vegans, most of my desires were catered for. The Sunday omelettes became chickpea flour with spinach, leek, and potato mixture or turmeric tofu scrambles. The cheese, whether homemade or store-bought, is easily found or prepared nowadays. The one thing I could neither find on demand nor cook at home remained the crackling, crumbling, flaky croissants—hence, my search began.

OKJA, Shoreditch featuring: swirls in the front, croissants in the back, and pain au chocolat.

First, in Paris, while visiting, I was referred by some friends to this vegan patisserie, Land & Monkeys, that was slowly expanding across neighborhoods, so I decided to give it a try. Unfortunately, the result wasn’t what I was expecting. The croissant seemed dull and flat and the Croque Monsieur was slices of bread coated with a thick, dense batter. On to the next stop: Cloud Cakes. Tasty but it was a little too sweet for me. At last, I met VG Pâtisserie. Yes. Exactly. The croissant I was yearning for. The croissant I wanted to devour with no other accompaniment than a filter coffee. But, unfortunately, I don’t live in Paris, and although just a weekend trip to feast on a croissant at Boulevard Voltaire seems romantic, it’s not affordable. I returned to London and started my quest. And soon enough, I found Knead A Little Love in Bethnal Green. Until their closing in April 2024, I didn’t need to look for any other croissant anywhere else. 

It wasn’t until 19 December that I discovered the buttery, slightly salty, snapping croissant was available at Third Culture Deli in Broadway Market. After simply asking if they make their own or source them from a third party, I was on my way to Spitalfields, to OKJA, a vegan patisserie I hadn’t heard of before. OKJA was founded in 2020 in Camps Bay, then opened a second venue on Kloof Street before arriving in London in July 2024. Considering I had been away for a couple of months from the city, I wasn’t actually too late in my information. 

Chocolate hazelnut swirl and the croissant.

The secret behind their products lies not only in having an ex-Michelin-star-trained pastry chef to commandeer in-house recipe development but also in making their own plant-based milks using Italian oats, free of glyphosate residue. Choosing cold-pressed, unrefined sunflower oil and sea salt. Their soy milk is the kind a 4-year-old would happily drink with chocolate chip cookies. And the butter? They make their own cultured cashew butter, which explains the exceptional quality of their croissants and other items in the store, such as the swirls, with my personal favorite being the chocolate and hazelnut.

What to Order: Honestly, anything! If you're nearby, you can try a different item every day. They offer a wide variety, from The Pizza Twist with OKJA’s cultured cashew butter, to the Cinnaswirl.

My Favorite: The croissant. Obviously, I don’t even need to say more.

Bonus: OKJA also sells their creations to take home. Some new pantry additions may include Schmear, a creamy, smooth, and tangy cultured cashew cream cheese perfect for bagels and sandwiches, the Chocolat Hazelnut spread, The Granola with banana, dates, coconut, flax, spices, and the secret ingredient: rosemary extract.

Address: 29 Toynbee St, London E1 7NE

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