New World Order

Once a fringe movement driven by animal advocacy, veganism is going mainstream. As the plant-based market matures into new levels of sophistication, we highlight the exciting new vegan menus and concepts in Singapore.

- NAFEESA SAINI

There's no stopping the plant-based train. According to Bloomberg in its Aug 21 report titled Plant-based Foods Poised for Explosive Growth, global retail sales of such foods may reach US$162 billion by 2030. The largest projected share belongs to the Asia-Pacific region, with a forecast that it could hit US$64.8 billion.

As a food tech hub, Singapore is a hotspot for alternative protein startups with products that deliver on both taste and mouth feel. However, with more options now crowding the ecosystem, the novelty is wearing off, and consumers are looking for innovation. Here's where restaurateurs come in: Local F&B brands are taking on creative approaches with their menus, introducing inventive flavours and ingredient pairings, as well as new formats.

SETTING THE BAR

Ranked 37 on the 2022 Asia's 50 Best Bars list, Analogue's plant-based menu is centred on a future-forward focus on sustainability. Award-winning founder of Native bar, Vijay Mudaliar, adopts a multi-pronged climate-friendly ethos. Central to the experience at Analogue is the 20m bar counter of a free-form shape. It's 3D-printed from 1,600kg of recycled plastic bottles, with a sloping corner inclusively designed for wheelchair users. The bar also features tabletops grown from mycelium, a type of fungus.

This planet-first approach echoes in its menu where plant-based ingredients are chosen for their minimal impact to the environment. Eschewing over-farmed foods such as beef, pork and cheese, the bar pairs vegan substitutes with bold flavours.

The popular Jackfruit Tacos features the fruit, slow-cooked rendang-style, stuffed into a taco shell and lightly toasted over a binchō-tan. Other standout dishes are the Pumpkin Dumplings and a Celeriac Ratatouille, in which the root vegetable is turned into long silky strips and served with smoked vegetables of eggplant, zucchini and green capsicum.