You would be forgiven for not wanting to go full veganuary in early 2021 despite what all those healthy eating gurus suggest. A period of gentle moderation is far more realistic, especially in lockdown. Fortunately there’s an array of healthy delivery options to help you on your way, none of which compromise on taste. Gone are the days of diet shakes. As these delivery options prove, you can be mindful of your health and still dine like a king.
Gauthier Home
Alexis Gauthier remains very much in the vanguard with his commitment to sophisticated, inventive gastronomic vegan food with a different theme each month. Currently he is showcasing Japanese plant based cuisine with its emphasis on texture and umami. His food is sensational. It does require a little assembly but the instructions are clear enough to pull off at home. The eight dishes to serve 4 (£75) include avocado maki roll; white miso with semi-soft tofu, wild mushrooms; caramel, black radish, seaweed crisps; buckwheat noodle with dashi, spicy winter cabbage, shiso: and yuzu curd tarts. The menu could easily be enjoyed over several evenings. Menus tend to sell out quickly. www.gauthierhome.co.uk
Green Haus from Six by Nico
Adventurous diners should try a new offering from the team behind Six by Nico whose home delivery dishes have proved a hit so far. Green Haus has an exhilarating round-the-world vegan menu including Korean Gochujang carrots with edamame bean, hot & sour kimchi cabbage in a sesame & ginger dressing; muhammara, butterbean, walnut & basil salad with crisp breads; chipotle five bean estofado with tomato, roasted scallion, mint, coriander & lime pistou; salted crispy tofu with fennel & pineapple Salad, Szechuan peppercorn & Tokyo turnip and pumpkin & orange Cake with coconut frosting, blueberry & Tahitian vanilla. Priced at £55 for two including a bottle of vegan wine and available on specific dates throughout January, this is special enough for a birthday/anniversary treat www.home-x.com
Skinny Pizza by Way of Alsace, Amelie
A clever, new business, the first of its kind in the UK, Amelie specialises in flam-kuche, whose origins are in 14th-century Alsace,. It proved so delicious I confess, I had to make a second for myself immediately. Amelie dubs it “skinny pizza”: an ultra-thin base, rather like a single sheet of filo with a generous topping. I tried nutmeg infused creme fraiche with masses of mushrooms , onion and (not exactly authentically Alsatian) mozzarella bocconcini and pesto. The venture, named after his daughter, has been created by Regis Crepy, the chef behind Suffolk restaurants Maison Bleu in Bury-St-Edmunds and the Great House at Lavenham, together with his chef son Alex. Each kit contains four bases and toppings £18.95/£19.95. www.ameliestore.co.uk
Kalamba
Turning up the spice tantalises the taste buds when eating more healthily. Kalamba, a newish Sri Lankan restaurant in Soho offers nationwide delivery of many of its vibrant, yet soothing dishes that arrive in pouches ready to reheat/microwave via Restokits who facilitate deliveries for a good number of independent restaurants. Ambrosial red split lentils in coconut milk and turmeric soothes with gentle flavours of pandan leaf (vanilla like), mustard seed, chilli and cinnamon. Green bean curry with coconut cinnamon, fenugreek, turmeric and lime is beautifully nuanced too and served with excellent fresh coconut sambol, just the safe side of fiery. I wasn’t convinced by the jackfruit curry but don’t think I will ever like its texture. There’s a gloriously fudgy pear and lime chutney and cardamom and curry leaf fragrant rice too. Dishes can be frozen. Meal for two: £36-40 https://www.restokit.co.uk
Shoryu
What could be cleansing and re-energising than a properly authentic ramen, difficult to reproduce at home without years of experience and all the right ingredients? Kanji Furukawa’s recipes are authentic and real labours of love. The Gansu Ramen is worth trying. It’s a 12 hour tonkotsu broth with ramen noodles, char siu bbq pork belly, beni shoga red ginger, kikurage mushrooms and spring onions. Though my preference was for the equally umami rich vegan white miso broth made with soy milk, miso, konbu and shitake mushrooms, served with hosomen noodles topped with atsuage deep fried tofu (beautifully silken and fluffy within), menma bamboo shoots and kikurage mushrooms. Joyous, I will definitely be re-ordering. £20-24 for two. www.restokits.co.uk
Kurami
Kurami specialise in delivering gut-healthy fibre-rich, wheat-free meals. Their offer promotes a balanced way of eating rather than a diet, I wanted to love it, yet I found the dishes somewhat underwhelming. Best was breakfast of teff (an Ancient Ethiopian grain) flaxseed pancakes, pleasingly nutty in taste with pear compote and coconut yoghurt. The dinner of wholegrain rice with a good smoky tomato sauce, has a stodgy chickpea tofu plus cauliflower florets which was a little lacklustre. Other dishes such as fennel and olive tagine with chickpeas and amaranth and super root laksa sound more appealing. £41.00 per day for two day minimum one-off. Subscriptions offer better value. www.kurami.co.uk
Aprés Food
A favourite cosy Farringdon restaurant based on optimal nutrition has thoughtfully brought a much expanded version of their offer online. Chef-founder and nutritional therapist Catherine Sharman has devised a set of health-driven pick and mix meals. The food is wonderfully vibrant, nurturing and, importantly, tastes like an indulgent treat. After Shakshuka with caramelised onion, spinach sauce and rosemary/garlic roast potatoes I didn’t need to eat again until the evening. The Cornish fish stew with mussels, garlic aioli and saffron new potatoes was not only bright, earthy and reminded me of summer. Other choices include 15-hour slow cooked beef bourguignon with potato, carrot and swede mash, 12-hour slow-cooked Sri Lankan pulled lamb shoulder curry with cauliflower pilau, unsulphured apricots, toasted almonds, parsley and coriander. Nationwide delivery. www.apresfood.com
Detox Kitchen with Thomasina Miers
Chef Thomasina Miers is collaborating with Lily Simpson, founder of Detox Kitchen – one of the first companies to deliver healthy meal plans. Their “fridge full” range includes the novel enchilada lasagne. Mellow, earthy tomato and chilli sauce, fabulous crsp tortilla wrapped around black beans and sweet potatoes with vegan parmesan, super nutritious with plenty of macro-nutrients in the herbs and spices, it is deeply savoury and satisfying. Other dishes include a vegan mushroom meal in a broth, teriyaki aubergine noodles, chicken and coconut hal, shepherdess-less pie. 6 dishes: £45 www.detoxkitchen.co.uk
No. 50 Cheyne
Although many of us could benefit from eating more vegetables and less meat and dairy, it is all about balance and diversity in one’s diet. Eating well sourced high quality meat is to be encouraged. I am amazed how good the open-fire cooked Hereford rib-eye steak tastes even having travelled from Number 50 Cheyne, Chelsea to Balham, clearly well rested, it is still medium-rare with a superb, smoky resonance. I did just give it 40 seconds each side in a super hot griddle before serving with (admittedly decadent) bone marrow sauce and grilled cauliflower with gremolata and cumin hummus. Exceptional and pampering. Tempting too are the full roasts and slow-cooked oxtail all overseen by chef Iain Smith, formerly of Jason Atherton’s Social Eating House. Expect to spend £30+ a head. www.fiftycheyne.com
Bubula
Bubula offer Tel Aviv inspired vegetarian mezze by Helen Graham of Shoreditch’s popular all vegetarian restaurant. Order a sharing feast of superb labneh with confit garlic; silky proper hummus; shitake and oyster mushroom marinated in soy, coriander and maple skewers; crisp, grilled halloumi with black seed (nigella, coriander, pepper and chilli-infused) honey; pumpkin with amba (dried mango) beurre blanc and greens, potato latkes with toum (a Lebanese garlic sauce) and a couple of cheeky chocolate truffles. £50 for two (enough for several meals) www.dishpatch.co.uk
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