8 November 2018

Eat Chay Review

My Review of Eat Chay, a Vegan spot in East London serving up vibrant and delicious Vietnamese and Korean food, including banh mi, steamed bao buns, noodle salads, and rice bowls.

Where: Boxpark Shoreditch, Unit 48, First Floor, 2-10 Bethnal Green Rd, London, E1 6GY

Website: http://www.eatchay.com/

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/eatchayclub/

Menu: http://www.eatchay.com/menu/

CHECKED OFF MY LIST: 21^th October, 2017; 27-28^th Oct, 2018

OVERVIEW:

Eat Chay’s catchy and clever name (Chay means Vegan in Vietnamese) is just the start of things to love about this eating spot.

Vegfest 2017

I first experienced Eat Chay when I attended Vegfest London 2017 – my first ever vegan food festival! After sampling my way through loads of vegan deliciousness all day, I had room for one last meal. I saw a sign advertising ‘Plant-Based Vietnamese Food’, featuring a ‘Korean BBQ Bánh Mì Baguette’ and I knew I had found what I wanted.

As a half Korean (my mum immigrated to the US from Seoul, Korea), bulgogi and rice were major staples of my diet growing up. However, since going vegan I had yet to come across any vegan Korean food. Needless to say, I could not wait to try that Korean BBQ sandwich. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint!

Vegfest 2018

Coming back to Vegfest London 2018 just last month, I again found myself at the Eat Chay stand. In fact, I managed to eat my way through the entire Eat Chay Vegfest menu over the two-day festival. Yes, it was that good! Big shout-out to my amazing friend working at the Eat Chay stand, who kindly gave me these delicious meals to try. No review was expected/required of me, but how could I not share this epic food with you all?!

Excitingly, Eat Chay is now open in Boxpark Shoreditch, so if you’re in London definitely go check them out. There’s so much more on their menu that I need to go and try!

MY SHORTLIST:

Kimchi Bao Bun – ‘BBQ seitan, kimchi, sriracha mayo, crispy onions, topped with sesame seeds.’
- I am a recent converted kimchi lover (much to my mum’s delight!), and this bao bun highlighted the kimchi beautifully. There was just the right amount of spice and heat and the bao bun was fluffy, light, and delicious.
Hoisin Bao Bun – ‘Five spice jackfruit, pickled cucumber, spring onions, topped with sesame seeds.’
- This was my favourite bao bun, which actually surprised me as I thought the Kimchi Bao Bun would win out for me. I mean, they’re both incredible so you really cannot go wrong. But I am IN LOVE with Eat Chay’s jackfruit. Paired with the sharpness of the pickled cucumber, all in that fluffy bao bun (which really were delightfully light), this Hoisin Bao Bun sure was tasty.
Korean BBQ Bánh Mì – ‘Crispy smokey seitan, kimchi and sriracha mayo, served in a freshly baked baguette with fresh coriander, cucumber, sriracha and crispy onions.’
- This Bánh Mì sandwich was bursting with flavour and textures! Loads of ingredients were packed inside a gloriously crispy baguette – the whole thing was so satisfying to eat.
Vietnamese Noodle Salad – ‘Jackfruit (normally BBQ seitan), pickled carrots, cucumber, coriander, vegan fish sauce, peanuts, crispy onions and sesame seeds.’
- This noodle salad was my dish of the weekend. It was light, yet still filling and satisfying. I asked to replace the BBQ seitan with jackfruit (as I said, I’m in love), and while it might not seem like the most substantial meal, there’s so much going on in this bowl. The herbs and fresh salad gave the meal a fresh feel, the peanuts and crispy onions added a lovely crunch, and the many contrasting flavours all came together beautifully. This was the perfect meal to finish off my Vegfest weekend!