It has been a while since I first visited a MeeT location, and since then there have been many innovations and improvements to vegan cuisine. Therefore, I was curious to see what is hip and happenings today at their Gastown location.
Have you ever felt like your body is craving vegetables? Like you have eaten too much meat or carbs and your body tells you it needs something clean. You can order a side salad somewhere or instead, visit Meet where the entire menu is all vegetables and you are sure to get your fix, while leaving full and content.
The Gastown location is a vision. Located in a cobblestone courtyard, centred around a live maple and marked by patio lights. Inside becomes outside, as we grabbed a table between the two.
Our timing coincided with their new menu launch with tacos, skillets, and bowls. We would share a couple of items to get a feel of this menu.
We started with drinks. I am a fan of beans and peas so had to try their Snap Pea Sour with muddled snap peas and mint, lemon, lime juices, vodka, and white wine. I wish I got more of the distinct greenery of the vegetable. As is, with its whisper of flavour under citrus it felt more like a novelty add-on.
Our meal came with a complimentary taster of their new Nature & Nurture bowl. This is a citrus, gingery, kombu broth with veggies, quinoa, and cilantro. Served in a small bowl this was more a taste of their broth with none of the above mentioned ingredients to chew on. I got more of the herbal notes I was looking for above, here. This was coupled with a viscous oil and the warmth of curry spices.
I was pleased with the Jalapeño poppers. It did not miss a meaty beat, when comparing them to pub-style poppers with cheese and bacon. Here, the thicker cream and sweet corn contrasting the charred pepper was plenty of flavour. Three jalapeños charred and stuffed with house made goat cheese, chopped walnuts, corn, and fresh pico de gallo. I would recommend this one.
I would also order the Charred Eggplant again. This was a whole seared Japanese eggplant with a marinara and mozzarella sauce, under zucchini made into zoodles with arugula. All of it tossed with basil oil and finished with micro greens and a miso-chilli oil drizzle. Carved up like a grilled fish it eats like a pasta with chunky sauce, creamy layers, and zesty spices. This was a filling main .
Pumpkin Seed Pesto Bowl with marinated tofu, mixed rice, blend mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, olive pico, chickpeas, and hemp tzatziki. All topped with fresh micro greens and roasted pumpkin seeds with watermelon radish. This requires a good mixing before you dig in, otherwise it gets dry and bland at some parts. Regardless, I still found it varies bite to bite, with the best ones coming from smoky tofu and sweet tomato. This is definitely a healthier bowl and it tastes like it.
They have three different varieties of Stuffed Skillets, each can be made from either a potato or yam. Each served hot in a cast iron pan with a hemp Caesar salad side. This is topped with capers and Noochie Hemp Sprinkles, offering a freshening mouthful in between bites of heavier potato.
We went with the Loaded Stuffed Potato topped with queso, shredded tofu, sour cream, and sliced onions. I wish the potato came out crispier, its mashed texture was a little ashy. I liked the tofu that reminded me of ground beef bits, but without all its flavour. Overall, this could use more salt and seasonings, plus a greater variety of toppings for increased mouth interest.
Be warned, you want to reserve your dessert with your dinner. They sold out of the two we wanted to try, during our meal, so we were left with the last option. This was the Chocolate Capri Cake and Date Caramel Sauce. It was a dense almond flour cake with a gooey sticky sauce, topped with a the poached pear. Visually, this was not too appealing, in mouth it remind me of an already chewed cereal bar. I would’ve liked the pear as the focus of the dessert and more of it. This was not my favorite, but maybe it is because I had my heart set on the vegan dragon fruit cheesecake, or the chocolate banana mousse.
Overall we found our dinner more refined than any vegan edit on any regular menu. This collection has a wider variety of flavours, where other vegan offerings almost always taste the same. At MeeT each plate stood on its own.
MeeT in Gastown
inner Courtyard, 12 Water St, Vancouver, BC V6B 4K7
(604) 696-1111
eatmeet.ca
