Vanilla Black: do you really want to call it “vegetarian”?

Andrew Dargue, owner of Vanilla Black vegetarian restaurant, is capable of creating dishes full of color and flavor, respecting the ingredients and showing great technique.

With lot of rumours around new dietary requirements and food trends, it seems that the vegan and vegetarian scene is becoming more and more fashionable. Sometimes a necessity, in other cases a lifestyle, the vegetarian offer in many restaurants has recently improved a lot, especially in London. 

The journey of Andrew Dargue and his wife Donna Conroy, Chef Patron and Manageress of Vanilla Black, starts in 2004 when they set up their first restaurant in York. They were not vegetarian, and had no intention of becoming so. The idea of opening a vegetarian restaurant came to them after realising how poor the offer of vegetarian options was when eating out: they knew that they could do better than vegetable curry and pasta bake, and became pioneers in the vegetarian cuisine scene.

In 2008 they relocated in London and opened a beautiful restaurant, close to the City of London. The ambience is warm and welcoming; the service is attentive without being intrusive. The wine list is 100% vegetarian and they also have a vegan wine list. The bread is always served warm, and complemented by dried yeast butter.

Dining in a vegetarian restaurant might be quite an experience, if you are used to eat meat and fish almost on a daily basis; also, I believe that often we leave the vegetarian option as the very last one.

Andrew is capable of creating dishes full of color and flavor, respecting the ingredients and showing great technique. As starter, I had the Sweet Potato and Puy Lentil 'Dhal' Crispy Lentils and Curry Oil. It’s his take on the Indian classic, with the sweet potato cream creating the right balance of texture with the crispy lentils and also tempering the spiciness.

Likewise, the Cucumber, Sticky Rice and Ginger Purée Pickled Cucumber Ketchup and Seaweed is a must try starter. Here the sticky rice is presented in a shape of ‘fish finger’, and the flavors are perfectly balanced.

As main course, I tried the Baked High Cross and Charred Spring Onions Roasted Onion Purée, Sherry Vinegar and Button Onions. High Cross is a locally sourced cheese, very similar to Wensleydale: creamy and crumbly. This dish is another perfect example of balance of flavors and textures, and shows great technique.

I finished off with a mouth-watering Kahlùa Cake with Coconut and Toasted Rice Mousse Fresh Coconut, Coffee Gel and Coconut Sorbet. I think that the picture says all the words.

Visiting Vanilla Black makes you rethink your perception of vegetarian food, and it definitively proves that creativity, complexity and textures can be achieved using only greens.

Vanilla Black is not only for vegetarian and vegans: it is a place for all.

Vanilla Black 
Chef : Andrew Dargue
17-18 Took's Court
London EC4A 1LB
Tel.  +44 20 72422622
info@vanillablack.co.uk
www.vanillablack.co.uk
Facebook : Vanilla-Black
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Opening : From Monday to Friday lunch and dinner - saturday dinner only - closed on sunday