All Things Vegan at Wagamamas

After cutting out meat throughout January, purely to see if and what effect it would have on my body and partly because I love a good challenge. I’m incredibly fond of meat, always have been but as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found the inevitable bloating feelings and sluggishness in my energy levels. With my daughter turning vegetarian, she urged I try and ditch the animal products and so I did!

I was kindly invited to try the vegan menu at my local Wagamama at Cabot Circus, Bristol, in exchange for a review. Would I miss my regular favourite of spicy beef ramen? Let’s see;

We were greeted and promptly seated and ordered our drinks. I opted for a beautiful sparkling sake. Light and bubbly, it was the perfect way to liven up my taste buds in anticipation for my first course. We it’s to share a bowl of the chilli garlic salt edemame beans which were firm and perfectly cooked.

Next we tried the Yasai Gyoza. 5 steamed dumplings, filled with tasty vegetables with a dipping sauce. Delicate in flavour, they were my daughters favourite. To this we ordered the Mixed Mushroom and Pannonia aubergine Hirata steamed buns. Ok so these really hit my meat hankering spot. The mushrooms were incredible. Thick, firm and juicy, creating that perfect umami flavour. Added to the crunch of the crispy yet light panko  crumb on the aubergine, these were deliciously filling.

Now we were ready for our mains. My daughter opting for her favourite of Vegatsu. A take on the popular Katsu dish, this was a crispy Panko crumbed seitan fillet, on a bed of rice and covered in an aromatic curry sauce served with a side salad.

I went for something different than my usual choice of ramen and instead tried the Yasai Pad Thai. Rice noodles with bean sprouts, spring onions, tofu, leeks and chilli and topped with fried shallots, peanut, mint, coriander and lime. This dish was incredible, the lime was a wonderful contrast to the amai sauce and the peanuts gave it the added texture. I ate this dish so fast the the tofu was almost gone before I took the photos!!

We were so full at this point that we almost laughed when we were offered the dessert menu. Never one to turn down sweet offerings, we shared bowls of each flavoured sorbets. 

Lemon grass and lime with mint and pink guava and passion fruit. Both delicately flavoured and completely vegan, they were the perfect end to the meal. 

Since January, I have significantly cut meat out of my every day diet and now only have it occasionally when I eat out. It’s not made a massive difference to my wellbeing but I’m far less bloated and the environmental impact is enough to want me to continue to become more plant based. 

Have you checked out the vegan menu at Wagamamas? Do you have a favourite dish or recipe you’d like to share? 

***Disclaimer***

I was offered this meal for 2, in exchange for social media and or blog posts. All opinions are my own and no monetary exchange took place. 

Sunday Lunch at Backwell House

If you read my last post on Backwell House then you'll know just how much I loved this place. A 9 bedroom house hotel that has been listed in The Sunday Times Ultimate 100 British hotels. Imagine my sheer joy at an invite to return and try out their Sunday roast.

Usually a stickler for roast beef, I made an effort to order something different so I went for the superb pork belly and pressed shoulder with carrot purée. I was not disappointed with this succulent slice and was relieved that crackling was super crisp. The pressed shoulder was a great addition and was not only tender but full of flavour.

Meats were accompanied by roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, baby carrots, spring greens and a generously sized Yorkshire pudding 

Dessert was a double chocolate delice which was super rich and fudgey, topped with the most delicious cocoa nib tuille and raspberries 

Backwell House is open from Wednesday to Sunday lunch times. 

For telephone enquiries 

0117 3251110

For email enquiries 

quiries@backwellhouse.co.uk

Christmas Snacking with Tyrells

So usually I'm posting new outfits, recent purchases or an event I've been to, but today I'm talking snacks. More specifically, crisps and popcorn. I'd like to think my body is chistled out of a combination of the two and with Christmas lurking around the corner, I thought 'why not!'

The fab guys over at Tyrrells  kindly let me sample their two new seasonal flavours. Three Bird Roast crisps and Bellini Poshcorn. These just scream Christmas and no doubt in 6 weeks I'll be slumming it in stretchy pants, reaching for a bag whilst watching cheesey movies under a blanket OR I could be dressed in my favourite party frock, heading to a family house party, armed with my new decadent flavoured snacks. My family loved the Three Bird Roast flavour best and the Poshcorn was actually fizzy! It was very subtle in flavour too, perfect to accompany drinks.

 

Seasoned to perfection, Tyrrells is giving traditional roast turkey a splendiferous twist, with the traditional Christmas trio of roast chicken, duck and turkey brought to life on a characterfully curly Tyrrells crisp. Avoid 'foul-tempers' at Christmas and fill up your bowls with this entertaining sharing sized pack!

 

It's Tyrrells Poshcorn Cocktail hour! Put the glamour into Christmas with this fun, frivolous and ever so slightly fizzy cocktail delight from the popconnoiseurs at Tyrrells. Available in generous sharing sized 75g pack, Bellini Poshcorn is carefully popped in small batches at Tyrrells Court Farm using gold standard kernels, Tyrrells Bellini Poshcorn is available from CoOp, Ocado and independents nationwide.