By Hannah Mars, From Buzzfeed – [November 20th 2015]
Newtown is known for its many vegan-friendly eateries. There’s even a vegetarian butcher. Now, the quirky inner-west suburb is also home to Sydney’s first vegan fish ‘n’ chip shop.
Everything on offer is totally plant-based, though judging by appearances, you wouldn’t know it.
The menu mimics a traditional Aussie fish ‘n’ chip shop, including the usual deep-fried seafood suspects, burgers, potato scallops, mash and gravy, coleslaw, and tartare sauce.
The drinks are more reminiscent of a stereotypical vegan outlet, including kombucha soda and house-made cold-pressed juices.
Owner Liss Harry told BuzzFeed Life that she came up with the idea during Vispassana, a 10-day silent meditation.
“It just came to me,” she says. “I’ve worked in the food industry for 20 years, and I saw a gap in the vegan market.”
Harry, who has a food science degree in chemistry and biological science, spent three years working with manufacturers around the world to perfect her products.
Ingredients include soy-based proteins and konjac, a gelatin-like substance of Asian origin. Most items are gluten-free and coeliac friendly.
The “seafood” basket gives you a taste of the calamari, crabstick, prawn, and bliss fish.
In terms of taste, nothing is overtly oceanic, though the texture of each item is uncannily realistic; spongey yet firm as you would expect from your average sea creature.
The chips (though vegan anyway) are solid, seasoned with a plant-based alternative to chicken salt.
Burger options include faux fish, prawn, and chicken, with customisable toppings.
The “chicken” burger comes on a gluten-free bun with crunchy colesaw, lime and chilli “mayo”, and cashew-based “cheese”. The nuggets have the same chewy bite as a well-fried schnitzel.
For dessert, there’s even a deep-fried “Mars Bar”.
On the menu, it’s called a “twilight bar.” There’s also a “jokerz bar”, which is like a Snickers. Also, rather ambiguously, there’s “butter”, which Harry says is “literally deep-fried vegan butter”.
In the future, Harry wants to expand the menu and improve on her current offerings.
For now however, Harry says: “I just want to get this perfect.”
