Welcome the new year with plant-based fine dining that promises to impress and satisfy
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Forever sleek and stylish with seamless service, Hakkasan Dubai at Atlantis, is always a good choice for contemporary Cantonese cuisine. Our usual order always includes a couple of portions of jasmine tea-smoked Wagyu beef ribs, so trying out an all-vegan menu was certainly a different experience. But, a surprisingly good one at that. Executive chef, Andy Toh Chye Siong and his team offer an impressive selection of plant-forward dishes, many of which we would order again. Highlights include the beautifully curated dim sum platter; a generous serving of tofu, aubergines and shiitake mushroom in a sticky chilli bean sauce, the eight treasure delight basket brimming with pumpkin, Jerusalem artichoke, gai lan beetroot, ginko nuts, girolles, cloud ear and pied bleu mushrooms – and a fried trio of organic wild rice.
2
A visit to Japanese hotspot TABŪ at The St. Regis Downtown, Dubai will provide even the most seasoned vegan foodies with surprising substitutes and impressive textures. Crunchy and creamy, the ‘corn on the cone’ starter with corn foam, crispy corn and purple corn dust offers a strong start while the hibachi grilled aubergine, sticky with miso and served with a side of kimchi relish also goes down a treat. And don’t feel that forgoing seafood means that you must go without the sushi action: asparagus tempura with an avocado-yuzu sauce, takuan and black truffl e makes a delicious and refi ned substitute. Don’t pass up on vegan tres leches (made with a mix of plant-based milks) – it’s a showstopper of a dessert and a suitably theatrical way to end a meal.
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It’s always been all about the ingredients at Folly at Souk Madinat Jumeirah and the restaurant’s vegan menu, created by chef Bojan Cirjanic, is no different. The fi ve-course meal serves to impress with its delicate presentation, where the ingredients are simple, but the flavours complex. There was a true dedication of ‘garden to plate’ emerging from the dishes, where local ingredients paired with global ones smoothly. A delicate tart with sweet peppers and fennel will refresh your palate from the amuse-bouche plate and we loved the main dish where a ring of crispy artichoke surrounded salt-baked celeriac was topped with truffle. A sweet fi nish of coconut cake and mango sorbet will leave you satisfied.
NUTS ABOUT IT
Doughnuts are everywhere, but there’s no reason for these to be considered an indulgence. There are a number of places where you can satisfy your craving but stay healthy.
1 Il Donaccino: All the doughnuts on its menu are eggless, but Il Donaccino also has a range of doughnuts that are vegan. From matcha, vegan chocolate and coconut glaze vegan doughnuts, you will find something for your palate.
2 Here-O Donuts: This brand doesn’t use pre-mixed commercial dough but slowly ferments its sourdough starter for a great flavour. Sourdough is a gut-healing food and can be digested easily – so it makes for a relatively light dessert.
3 Healthy Pâtisserie: A range of gluten-free, vegan and sugar-free desserts, this spot offers mini vegan doughnuts made using brown rice flour and tapioca flour. They come in a range of flavours including vanilla pistachio and apple cinnamon.
