If you’re trying to take a “Meatless Monday” approach and pare down your consumption of animal products, consider dining at Nightshade for a 100% plant-based menu that does not leave you missing out.
It has been a year since Nightshade opened in Vancouver’s Yaletown, so in celebration of this in the upcoming spring season they’re launching new menu items. They are already known for their creative interpretation of vegan dishes that are more than just replacing traditional proteins with a beyond meat patty. They are innovators in the forefront of the all plant-based cuisine regime, and this new menu continues to speak to this.
It is always a pleasure dining at Nightshade with its modern decor and plenty of green life to represent their green menu. It is also one of the only 100% plant-based restaurants that I would classify as a finer dining experience. A great addition to the lifestyle and ideal for date night.
We were given a one day in advance sneak peek of the new menu, that would be made available to the general public the following day. Our taste of this was spread across 5 courses to share. To begin, I was apprehensive, concerned that there would not be enough food for two. However, midway I realized that this would not be the case. And especially after Chef Chanthy stopped by our table to say “h”i, and give us a brief description of his approach. The chef prides himself on using “value proteins”. What that means is you walk away feeling full. The restaurant is very cognizant of the greens, lentils and vegetable proteins available, and uses each strategically to complete each plate with dietary balance in mind. As intended, we walked away feeling full, but not heavy and gross, with plenty of room to enjoy dessert without stretching our stomachs.
Once again this is not a set menu per se, just new individual dishes, arranged in an order that includes appetizers first.
The Krao Chnang Soup is a chilled citrus broth of lemongrass and makrut lime, served with a squash salad. It drank like a watery gazpacho. All the flavour, but none of the same creamy thick texture. I appreciated the presentation of having the soup poured out table side, but there was not enough liquid to share. A couple of spoons of broth each and a few chunks of firm and lightly salted vegetables to accompany it. The latter added hearty substance and a harvest quality to an otherwise tropical soup, reminiscent of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. I would like to see this as the base to a future cold ramen option for the hotter summer ahead.
My favourite dish of the night was the Truffle Gyoza. Given how filling it ate and how well dressed the medley of mushrooms were, I would not think this was vegan. A mix of mushrooms tossed in a rayu sauce, stuffed into a slippery dumpling wrapper and finished off with crispy taro strips. No missing out on the distinct essence of mushrooms and truffle here.
From my very first taste of Nightshade I’ve always been impressed with the sushi and this new creation is no exception. This is their Tempura crunch sushi. It has the make up of a traditional sushi roll with sushi rice and seaweed, wrapped around smoked maple soy tofu and sweet potato, then topped with a shoyu pepper tartare.
The result is of the crispiest crunchiest, most satisfying to eat plant-based sushi I’ve ever had. I know traditional sushi is not meant to be crunchy, but if there was a category for a crispy style sushi, this would win. I did not get much salty, soy flavour from the listed “shoyu” dressing, and the flavour was more like Fred’s red hot Tabasco with its tangy spice. I would have liked more of the smoky tofu flavour for depth. And for balance, some pickled ginger on the side or some cucumber slices would’ve been a nice way to add some freshness. Or maybe just a side of soy sauce, considering wasabi was included on the plate.
The main was a Cauliflower and celeriac steak like I have never had it. Typically, your cauliflower steak comes as a half or a quarter of a head of cauliflower. This was cauliflower, chopped up, blended, and re-purposed. Lentil risotto, castelvetrano and kohlrabi agrodolce with a blanket of sunflower sabayon. Everything about this was unique from the description above to the flavours and textures on the plate. You can tell this was a well-conceived and assembled dish.
For my personal preference, I am not a big fan of lentils due to its grainy texture, as I am very much so textural diner. And the reimagined cauliflower loaf had a similar ashy-ness to it. But in conjunction with the luscious-ness of the gravy-like celeriac I had no issue, and there was more than enough to enrobe everything fully, adding flavour. The mixed salsa and firm roasted vegetables were necessary as a fresh element and contrasting texture, helping to balance the heaviness of the proteins out. You are guaranteed to walk away full if you finish this one. This is a prime example of “value proteins” that Chef Chanthy spoke of.
The room was most excited for dessert. A plant base crème brûlée featuring the iconic flavours of Vietnamese coffee. The Vietnamese ca phe creme brûlée was a luscious pudding with cacao nibs, roasted coconut ribbons, and a dalgona whip. The presentation had this dessert looking like a creamy island in a sea of coffee.
The flavour reminded me of the iconic Sees brand of coffee hard candies. It had a potent, but sweet coffee flavour balanced out with bitter dark chocolate, crunchy tropical coconut, and sugary cream foam. It even included the trademark crème brûlée torched sugar topping that you crack. But I found this completely unnecessary and a bit overkill in terms of sweetness. Although overall, this was a solid dessert, that I would order again happily. It would also make a fine coffee martini base, and/or a popsicle for the hotter weather to come.
My experience with most vegan and plant-based cuisine options is that it fits a typical format. However, at Nightshade they’re doing what they can to turn this over. This is vegan cuisine that does not need to be labelled “vegan”, and instead can stand on its own as a well-made and well-balanced, delicious dish.
Nightshade
1079 Mainland St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5P9, Canada
+1 604-566-2955
nightshadeyvr.com
