#FtLionAwards 2019 – Best Veggie of the Year?
After the #FtLionAwards 2019 Best Beverage of the Year (proudly sponsored by non alcoholic distribution company Azanti, which promotes a #soberlifestyle), we continue with our second of 12 categories: Best Veggie of the Year.
And we want you to participate because not only do you have the chance of voting for your favourite on our Instagram and Facebook pages, but you’ll also be entered into our prize draw with the chance of winning a special box of six premium beverages by Azanti.
So we want you to either: 1) vote for the following nominees, or 2) let us know both your favourite dish and the place you had it, all on our Facebook and/or Instagram pages.
COMPTOIR V
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London’s first Lebanese vegan restaurant Comptoir V was an impressive review with some dishes, including this veggie burger described at the time by one Lion as “the best veg burger I’ve had”, that really suprised us. This ‘It’s No Jerk’ had a wholesomely chunky and loosely textured 3-bean patty with a layer of cheese, in-your-face rich smoky jerk sauce, sweet caramelised onions, and a thick slice of tomato, that was sufficient in bringing this gorgeous creation together into a coherent whole.
More impressively, they also accounted for the inevitable mushiness that comes with any softly-textured bean patty by cleverly pairing everything in between with a robust and quite crispy pretzel bun.
COMPTOIR V
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As we said, Comptoir V impressed, this time with the meatiness of these Jackfruit Nuggets which could so easily have passed for chicken nuggets, such was their tenderness.
Not only were these balls coated in a teriyaki-style glaze that was warm, spicy, tangy and honey-sweetened to leave an addictively sticky-cum-chewy exterior, but they were also crispy in just the right places. These were, for us, the pick of the starters at the time.
DUSK
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Not only was Dusk in Essex an impressive new establishment, but its fully dry bar is supplied by our sponsors Azanti! What’s more, they also served up this exceptionally good Mirza Ghasemi. There were essentially two factors that made this the standout starter of the review. The first was the delicate nature of the aubergine and scrambled egg amalgam, which was dreamily soft and tender; and the second was the precision with which the spices in the fresh tomato puree were balanced. Masterfully done, and arriving with enough freshly made tandoori naans to make this a must have.
FATT PUNDIT
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After being shortlisted for two beverages, Fatt Pundit in London’s Soho continued to wow us with this absolute triumph. This Crackling Spinach, both in terms of flavour and texture, was smothered in good amounts of sweet yoghurt and sauces, and was delicately crispy, had a candy-like sweetness to it, and a touch of chilli running through the background.
A good sprinkling of pomegranate seeds added some crunch to a dish that we still remember with fondness.
FATT PUNDIT
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And they continued with these Sticky Sesame Vegetables, which may not look like much, but whatever they did to the manuka honey to achieve such a deliciously sweet and smoky glaze was quite something.
Not only were these crispy vegetables coated in a rich sticky glaze, but were sufficiently chewy enough to render them dangerously addictive. Add to that a touch of heat, and these were just as good as the Crackling Spinach had above. Truth be told: simply too close to call between the two at the time!
