A Growing Appetite For Plant-based Food (and drink)
A plant-based diet is simply one that completely avoids animal meat, as well as animal products such as eggs and dairy. Plant-based meals are vegan and could be a combination of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. We are also seeing the emergence of a variety of lab-created plant-based meat alternatives that are designed to mimic the real thing in both taste and texture.
Even though we FoodNewsers are steady advocates of eating real, whole and wholesome foods such as top-quality Australian beef and lamb, Delectable Irish Duck, Sweden-made health foods and fresh, delicious seafood from the vast, cool waters of Ireland — we can all agree that the boom in plant-based meal choices and available alternatives cannot be ignored, and neither can the F&B industries’ conscious pivot towards welcoming more vegan and vegetarian diners.
Photo: Canchita Peruvian Restaurant
In Singapore, our foodie tribe is buzzing about … Canchita Peruvian Restaurant fronted by power couple Chefs Tamara and Daniel Chavez delves deep into Latin American history to produce a stunning array of vegetarian dishes with high-impact flavours.
Their signature dish may be the Poached Rice and Lobster Meat ($25) but Ritz-Carlton’s Summer Pavilion has a solid vegetarian selection with several plant-based and vegetable-forward dishes that are still reflective of their signature, luxurious Cantonese flavours.
Photo: Analogue / Asia’s 50 Best Bars
This ethos extends beyond food, and includes drinks and the drinking experience too. As a bar with a 100% plant-based menu, Analogue, made it to No.37 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars List.
Photo: Cure
Ireland-born Chef Andrew Walsh’s restaurant Cure, shines a spotlight on ‘Nua Irish’ cuisine – this is their new and novel way to present dishes that are anchored in Irish history and Irish produce. Holding their own amidst the shellfish and protein dishes is a well-planned Vegetarian menu that is big on flavour while evoking images of the island’s rustic coastlines and sprawling grasslands.
Even with all of the emphasis on eating green, eating ‘real’ protein is important, particularly for growing children. We got together with Meat & Livestock Australia to discuss why that is. .. and one last thing before we wrap this up
Don’t go thinking that plant-based means eating only vegetables and salads. Our clients at Business Sweden have a whole host of ready-to-eat healthy, convenience foods in the Try Swedish x Redmart store that make eating vegan a breeze, such as Oatly’s milk alternative drinks, ice-creams and more.
