“The beautiful thing about mycoprotein is that it doesn’t need to be defrosted.”
Truly, more beautiful words have yet to be spoken. We all love food. Food is love, food is life. But who really enjoys cooking? All that waiting around for things to defrost bothers us- which is why we were thrilled to find out that with Quorn, that’s not a hurdle you’ll have to cross in order to get to eat delicious, meat-free food!
But first- what’s mycoprotein, you ask? Well, in the case of Quorn, mycoprotein is a naturally nutritious fungi-based protein made from the fusarium venenatum plant. It includes eight essential amino acids, is low in saturated fat, contains no cholesterol and is soy-free. And not only is it an incredibly nutritious, bioavailable source of protein, it’s also incredibly rare that you’ll find someone allergic to it, AND it’s a sustainable food source! Talk about ticking all our boxes.
In our unbounded quest to reduce our massive carbon footprint from the consumption of meat, we decided to try Arbite’s amazing selection of plant-based menu items- starring, of course, Quorn’s meat-free “meat”. Here’s what we thought of the meat-less mycoprotein!
Appetizer: Pop Quorn
(SGD $7/cup)
Featuring their incredibly versatile meat-free pieces, this Pop Quorn was absolutely delightful. Coated in tempura batter, deep-fried to a delicate crisp, coated with a honey-butter-marmite sauce and then finally topped with black and white sesame seeds, this Korean-inspired snack is one appetizer that’ll have you licking your fingers! With its soft, chewy texture, we think that these super versatile Quorn pieces would be perfect in stir-frys and as snacks for kids.
Main Dish #1: Hainanese Fillet Rice Bowl
(SGD $12)
Ah, a classic Singaporean philosophical conundrum: Can you really have chicken rice without chicken in it? Our answer is a resounding YES! This incredibly juicy, vegetarian take on a Singaporean favourite is made using Quorn fillets that are cooked sous vide for three hours, with pandan leaves and garlic. Not only does the “meat” then have a superb flavour, but the texture is also incredible. We could hardly believe it wasn’t real chicken meat- and we actually preferred this version to the real deal. The meatless fillet was unbelievably succulent and realistically fibrous. We’d definitely recommend you give this a go.
Main Dish #2: Rendang Mac and Cheese
(SGD $14)
This was hands-down, our favourite dish of the day. This meat-free version of Arbite’s Signature Beef Rendang Mac and Cheese was every bit as flavorful as its meaty counterpart. Made using Quorn’s Swedish Style Balls and topped with cheddar, parmesan, mozzarella and crumbled coconut, this dish had us ordering seconds in seconds. It even came with locally-farmed pink, golden and king oyster mushrooms, as well as a homemade pickled watermelon rind accompaniment. Needless to say, if you need to pick one meal that you could eat every single day for the rest of your life, you’re going to want to pick this. 10/10 recommend.
Side dish: Quorn Meat-free Southern Fried Bites
(Available for $6 a packet at most local supermarkets!)
Our chef saw that we were absolutely fascinated with Quorn meat, and decided to treat us to a side of meat-free Southern Fried Bites- and our minds were blown. Look at that texture and tell us- doesn’t that it doesn’t look JUST like real meat?! These were incredibly yummy. Crunchy, flavorful and with such an incredible bite and texture to them- we couldn’t help but fall in love. If you are only going to commit to trying one meat-free alternative this week, be sure to do yourself a favour and try these.
Main dish #3: Quorn Burger
(SGD $14)
This one’s for all the Korean-fusion-cuisine lovers out there. And also all the onion-ring lovers. And the homemade-brioche-bun lovers. Okay, so this one is for everybody. This burger has a really hearty bite to it- it’s definitely not for the faint of heart! With a grilled Quorn burger patty, homemade gochujang sauce, mayo on incredibly fluffy brioche buns, an onion ring tempura AND a side of french fries, this is one veggie burger you don’t want to miss.
Main Dish #4: Quorn Benedict
(SGD $12)
Have you ever seen a more Instagrammable vegetarian brunch? Neither have we. But not only does it look amazing- it tastes pretty damned good, too. Featuring two crumbed Quorn fillets, a perfectly poached egg over oyster mushrooms topped with a medley of cheddar, parmesan and mozzarella, this dish also comes with a side of creamed spinach and a generous splash of gochujang hollandaise sauce. Make all your friends #jealous with this delightful beauty of a dish.
Dessert: Gula Melaka Tiramisu
(SGD $7)
And of course, no meal could ever be complete without dessert. We had an incredibly light yet creamy tiramisu to top it all off- and what a fantastic end to our meal it turned out to be!
If you’d like to try out Quorn products for yourself, head on down to Arbite and have your mind blown first hand. Don’t say we didn’t jio you- if you head down on Mondays, you get ONE-FOR-ONE deals on every Quorn dish ordered for either lunch or dinner. Talk about upping the #MeatlessMondays game. We know where we’re going for sure.
If you’d like to add your own cooking twist and swap out some meat for some yummy Quorn, get your hands on them at RedMart, Cold Storage, Market Place, Amazon Prime Now, Sheng Shiong, FairPrice Xtra and selected FairPrice Finest outlets island-wide. There are currently 22 different products available for you to try, from Swedish style meat-free meatballs to meat-free Southern Style bites.
Aaaaaaand if that’s not enough for you, check out the other vegan and vegetarian restaurants we love. Do you know where you’re heading for #MeatlessMonday yet? ‘Cause we sure do.