The latest in foodie news, events, and products – including a fine dining pledge to plant-based, a local vegan meal kit delivery service, and Loquita’s newest party guest.
Monster Kitchen & Bar’s 365-day veg pledge is back
The Canberra fine dining institution has taken meat off the menu once more, instead serving up cutting-edge veg. Following the success of its ‘Year of the Veg’ campaign, launched back in October 2020, all Ovolo Hotel restaurants are back to plant-based fine dining. CW Taste editor Anja de Rozario spent the evening trialling Monster’s fresh menu for the season. The atmosphere continues to strike the balance between cosy and high-end, through moody lighting, tasteful-eclectic decor, and of course, expert wait staff. Her pick of the night was the Pistachio cake with Pandan Ice Cream. A growing fan of pandan flavour, the finale dessert was balanced in sweetness, and left you feeling light and satisfied. CW’s resident vego, Abbey Halter gave Monster the vegetarian stamp of approval. Her pick was the Hokkaido Pumpkin, which was cooked to perfection and served in a creamy mushroom sauce. An underrated pick of the night was the Aperol spritz. A bit of an Aperol connoisseur, having tasted many during her travels, Abbey declared Monster’s humble concoction trumped even those from Northern Italy. Be sure to order one on an evening you decide to pledge the veg.
Visit monsterkitchen.com.au for bookings
Vegan Food (Vood) delivers fresh to your door
CW tried and tasted! Vood is the response of local chefs to their customers laments on how hard it is to reduce animal products in their diets and cook plant-based meals that taste good. Greg Lally of XO restaurant and ILY, and Frank Iannelli of Canberra’s largest omni food wholesaler, Alpha Fresh Foods, built Vood on a singular shared interest (other than working with food since before they could say “broccoli”): restaurant quality plant-based meals. Our office loved the Eggplant Biryani and Mushroom Tacos, which were delivered fresh to our door. We love that Vood is locals all the way down, developed by local chefs, using local produce, and sourced directly from a close network of local suppliers.
You can make an order online via eatvood.com.au
Loquita hosts retro margarita minivan
After taking the party up and down the East Coast, Cointreau’s customised retro VW Kombi is hitting the streets of civic, bringing authentic margaritas and tacos to boot. From Friday 1 April to Sunday 3 April, Taqueria bar Loquita’s is hosting the booze bus as they serve Canberrans three varieties of margaritas. Choose from the Original, Passionfruit Frozen Margarita, or Spicy Margarita. Naturally, Loquita is handling the tacos, serving up their Tempura Fish, Slow Cooked Beef Brisket, Slow Cooked Pork, and Grilled Chicken tacos. Veggie options include the Grilled Corn or Feta, Minted Yoghurt and Parsley taco. This weekend, sip on a Cointreau margarita whilst absorbing the beautiful ambiance of Loquita’s Mexican-inspired interior.
For bookings visit loquita.com.au
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