#FtLionAwards 2018 – Best Veggie of the Year?
After the #FtLionAwards 2018 Best Burger of the Year (sponsored by Chai Naasto and the newly opened Patri), we continue with the Best Veggie of the Year category.
After much debate and dialogue, we’ve shortlisted the following four nominees.
And while you marvel over them, remember that not only can you also vote for your favourite on our Instagram and Facebook pages, but in doing so you’ll automatically be entered in our prize draw with the chance of winning a fantastic Celebration Set Menu for 2 at Chai Naasto’s west London branch in Hammersmith.
SHORTLIST – Best Veggie of the Year
We want you to either: 1) vote for the following nominees, or 2) let us know both your favourite veggie and the place you had it, all on our Facebook and/or Instagram pages.
HANKIES
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With a main and dessert already in the mix, Hankies put forward this amazing Khumb Kofta. The mushroom kofta was huge, softly textured, and surrounded by plenty of smooth, creamy sauce that was deliciously sweet, courtesy of the cardamom, with a spicy undertone. Absolutely lovely and highly recommended!
KAHANI
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With two mains, a kebab and a seafood currently nominated, Indian fine dining Kahani in Chelsea also produced this simple yet incredibly tasty Marinated tandoori broccoli. A dish that’s essentially broccoli based can stand on simplicity itself, but requires dexterity of thought and attention for it to deliver on flavour while remaining the centre of attention. This did exactly that! The delicate interplay between the combination of sweet honey and the lightly spiced marination of the broccoli against the slight bitter edge of the nigella seeds was wonderfully achieved. Add to that slightly charred areas of the vegetable, enhanced by the crispiness of the wheat crisps, and we were utterly sold by this. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
MR FALAFEL
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Mr Falafel in Shepherd’s Bush, London, has been around forever and is extremely well known through reputation. And this Falafel & Spicy Potatoes Wrap, with the addition of the spicy potato cubes, was a master stroke. However, it was the addition of the green chillis that made this wrap arguably the most complex flavoured of the four had on the evening. We enjoyed the way in which the herby freshness of the coriander and the sourness of the pickle helped to dampen the heat generated by the green chillis and the sauteed potatoes. And while it even had slices of aubergine, we felt that the skin left on it did, on occasions, serve as a distraction that required being removed.
MR WHITE'S ENGLISH CHOPHOUSE
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This veggie dish by Mr White’s English Chophouse in East London’s Whitechapel joins its two other contenders for best beverage and best burger.
The first thing to come through in this cheesy rich Lasagne of Wild Mushrooms was the light, sweet tanginess of the tomato base followed, of course, by the earthy combination of the soft, tender mushrooms. And with plenty of cream therein too, don’t be too pedantic in counting any calories with this one. Had with the fantastic greens – an assortment of the pepperiness of the rocket leaves, cress, and fragrant coriander – and this lasagne was simply delicious.
