Tofu Vegan

Chinese

105 Upper Street, N1 1QN

£

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know about Tofu Vegan. A low-key, unpretentious restaurant in Angel, serving up Chinese classics which are completely free of meat and animal produce. They have recently opened up a second branch in Golders Green, much to the joy of all their loyal regulars, and after hearing countless rave reviews about the food I decided to swallow my carnivorous pride and go and see what all the fuss was about. Booking a couple of weeks in advance, there was only one table left on a Thursday evening: a testament to the popularity of the restaurant. The interior was way more plush and comfortable than I was expecting: I guess I’d imagined a brightly-lit, canteen, purpose-driven style establishment similar to that of Silk Road in Camberwell. Instead, Tofu Vegan has warm lighting, plush booths and plenty of seating both up front and down back.

Once seated, we both discussed the various dishes that had been recommended to us. I was told I absolutely must try the “fried fish”(£13.8) and the wontons in a spicy sauce (£7.9). Tilly was advised to go for either the mock chicken or lamb too, so we opted for the cumin stir fried lamb (£12.8) along with two portions of steamed rice (£2.4), some smacked cucumber (£7.2) and a couple of Tsing Tao beers to wash it all down with (£4.5). The cucumber arrived first and was swimming in a surprisingly scrumptious satay-like sauce. It tasted almost like a Thai red curry had eloped with a tub of peanut butter, it was indulgent, delicious and pimped up this cucumber to a point where it was barely recognisable. Set on an unexpected vegetable high, the wontons followed. I am a big fan of any kind of dumpling/wonton/gyoza/dimsum mash up, and always have rather large expectations. These did not disappoint: they were tender, stuffed with what I assume to be tofu and vegetables. The sauce is spooned over the wontons by the waitress on arrival, which gives the mystery wontons a deep and rich flavour. We ask for it to remain on the table long after the wontons are gone. I end up drinking it.

The fish arrives next, and whilst I am usually pretty sceptical around the ‘fake’ meats and fish on offer for vegans, I decide to set my judgement aside. All the better for it, as it turns out this dish really is something truly special. Perfectly fried, thin strips of something we question to be courgette, banana leaf, tofu, aubergine - who the fuck knows, but who cares? Because it’s delicious. Firstly, the batter is crispy and thin and not dripping in oil, secondly - the flavour is salty and distinctly ‘fishy’, thirdly, the texture is delicate and flaky, much like a good piece of plaice or seabass. We later find out that this is in fact flattened bean curd, complete with a strip of seaweed which replicates the sheen of fish skin once nestled under the batter, and brings unmistakable pangs of the ocean into the dish. This is complimented by the simple bed of onion and pepper which are coated in shocking orange chilli sauce.

Last to arrive were the rice and the lamb. Again, I have no idea what made up this lamb - following suit with the “what the hell is all this?” theme of the menu. However, what I do know is that it was tender and juicy: it felt like meat, it kind of tasted like meat, and it was beautifully seasoned with cumin and pepper and chilli. Whilst there were some more obvious ‘meaty’ flavours missing here, it still didn’t feel like a failure to replicate or a let down on the carnivore front. The rice that accompanied the dishes was cooked perfectly and provided a great way to mop up the remaining juices (much like a paratha at the end of an Indian thali). Whilst we agreed that we were comfortably full at this point, we decided to opt for one more dish - that of the assorted dim sum (£8.9). Annoyingly, this was less good than the previous dishes - the filling was pungent and tart but not in a nice way, and one of them was really crunchy which was a weird contrast to the hot, sticky casing that it was in. I can forgive them, though, as the wonton’s at the start were obviously where it’s really at.

Overall, Tofu Vegan is a serious joint for those who decide not to indulge in the sin of meat eating. I would rank it up there with the likes of Dim Sum and Duck (Kings Cross) and Silk Road (Camberwell), which are similar no-nonsense, casual joints for quality Chinese food. The service is great, the setting is comfortable, and if you can look past the fact that everyone in there looks exactly the same (white, middle class, Islington vegans), then it feels like a really original experience. Tofu Vegan is the type of restaurant where you feel you don’t have to compromise. I’m still unconvinced that all of these alternatives actually provide a healthier way of eating, but given you’re out for chinese who cares about the calories? A vegan experience that’s a cut above the rest, all hail Tofu Vegan.

OVERALL RATING: *****

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