Vegan fish & chips with Wagamama for Veganuary
There was a time when January just heralded the arrival of soon-to-be-discarded New Year's Resolutions. But now the month brings with it a whole series of events which help up to kick the year off in new, exciting and (hopefully) self-improving ways. Chief among those are Dry January and Veganuary.
These two mean that every year, restaurants, bars and shops all around the UK offer a range of meat-free and alcohol-free options to help those of us trying to get a healthier start to the year. Or just wanting to try something new.
Wagamama have been going big on their vegan options for a while. The company has an excellent Vegan Edit, which has made it a real hit with S and I. Those of you who have seen the Millennial Gent Instagram will know from the #SufferingCarnivore tag that we are big fans of a restaurant which offers good options for vegan and meat eaters.
So it was with some intrigue that we heard about this year's new Wagamama vegan offer - fish and chips.
This limited edition dish is just for Veganuary, but having tried it out, I for one am really hoping it will make a return. On the surface, this is quite different to most Wagamama fare, but if you can get down there to catch it as a Monday treat then I would really recommend it.
I am not usually a big fan of direct meat and fish replacements for vegans. Most of the time they taste nothing like the original and don't really assert their own flavour either. However, the lightly tempura-coated soy, rice and pea protein which is the centrepiece of this dish is possibly the best vegan replacement I have ever had. It keeps the texture and a semblance of the fish flavour, while remaining something exciting in its own right.
The lightly tempura-coated soy, rice and pea protein which is the centrepiece of this dish is possibly the best vegan replacement I have ever had
Personally, I was a big fan of dipping it in the curry sauce, which is provided in a small pot alongside it, but S preferred the tartar sauce crafted from vegan mayonnaise and Japanese pickles.
The F-ish is accompanied by luxurious chunks of sweet potato, bathed in spicy bang band red onion sauce, and mushy peas crafted from edamame beans and avocado. One their own each piece is great, but they come together perfectly to make a dish which pays tribute to fish and chips without failing to create something exciting and new.
Even though we were there to try out the fish and chips, we couldn't resist tucking into a few of the other vegan bits on the menu, so we grabbed some Spicy Teriyaki Vegan 'Chicken' Buns and a crispy plate of Yasai Gyoza to accompany it.
Nevertheless, the fish was the star of the show, and I was certainly a big fan. It's a shame the dish is not currently planned to stay on the Wagamama menu past the end of the month, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it make a return down the line. The fish would be a great addition to other vegan dishes on the menu and the whole meal would be a perfect summer dinner with a cold beer.
But for now, this was a great way to kick off the year!
This meal was gifted by Wagamama, Regiate.