Vegans, vegetarians, flexitarians and meat-lovers unite. Plantface is going to revolutionise the plant-based scene in Singapore. Here’s how…
From vegan pizzas at Pizza Express to an increase in vegan and vegetarian options, and more recently Impossible springing up everywhere, the plant-based movement is strong in this little red dot – and now we introduce Plantface, reasonably-priced, no fuss, delicious, plant-based meals delivered to your doorstep. How do they do it? Gautam Param is the founder of the local start-up and he gave us the skinny on what exactly they’re rolling out and what it’s going to cost you (it’s not a lot).
Why Plantface?
When talking to Gautam, we realised that he used the word “plant-based” as opposed to “vegan”. When asked why he mentioned that there was a stigma around the word “vegan” and that such branding might turn some people away from trying it out. Anyways, their point is to make plant-based meals readily available. Gautam went on to explain that for the past year or so there’s been a lot of buzz about veganism (sustainability and ethics), yet there’s been a lack of “execution.”
“You can send out the message very strongly to a million people and they’d hear the message and think that this is something they can get behind but if we don’t give them a convenient option to try it out first, they can’t actually get behind it,” he said. It’s only with the existence of services that make it easy for the average Joe to get on board. Like abillionVeg, global plant-based food review app, also another example of a service we love, they are making plant-based options more accessible to a wider market.
How does Plantface work?
Essentially, you order a few meals via their website (a minimum of four and seven if you’d like free delivery). Then, the Plantface team gathers in a kitchen once a week and cooks all the meals in one go. Meals are chilled, then delivered to your doorstep. The reason for these numbers is simple economics: to keep the meals super affordable without compromising on quality, it’s important to cook and deliver in larger batches. We recommend ordering for you and your colleagues, friends, or even family all together. You could even order for an event since their meals keep well in the freezer (fridge for up to four days or in the freezer for a month).
It’s that simple. Gautam told us that Plantface stands for just that – no-frills, plant-based, delivered meals. And to make plant-based options easily available to people who want them. Whether you’re a vegan who’s looking to regularly purchase nutritious meals, a flexitarian who’s thinking of being more plant-based, or just someone who’s open to try new things, then Plantface is a great option.
Vegan Dry Laksa and Tikka Masala. Looks as good as it tastes. (Really.)
But does it taste good?
We managed to get a taste of their (chilled) Dry Laksa and Rigatoni Carbonara, and we’re not food critics, but they were fantastic. The spiciness of the Dry Laksa was just right, and they even managed to replicate the cockles – a plant-based, mushroom “hum”. The base of the Dry Laksa is creamy, but not as overwhelming as regular Laksa. As for the Rigatoni Carbonara, we don’t know about you, but vegan carbonara isn’t easy to get right. This dish, however, was creamy, with delicious mushrooms and topped with their homemade plant-based parmesan cheese. Homemade? Yes! We asked Gautam to clarify, and he said that the team hand makes their cheeses and milk (for affordability). Impressive.
What about the other stuff?
AFFORDABILITY: At $9.90 a meal, meals are within the average Singaporean worker’s budget. Maybe not an everyday option, but something to consider as an alternative to queueing for the latest new ramen shop. Or maybe skip the new bubble tea joint? Or, as we recommended earlier, order once a week perhaps, and suggest to your co-workers as a way to ease them into plant-based meals.
HEALTH: If you’re concerned about nutrition, on their website you can find an exhaustive list of ingredients, along with caloric and macro-nutrient content per serving. For those of you worried about how you’ll be getting your B vitamins – since B12 especially is something vegans or vegetarians are typically lacking – there’s nutritional yeast in some of the meals (check for details). Additionally, the team ensures that there’s an appropriate amount of protein and servings of vegetables per meal. Oil and sugar are kept to a minimum and there’s no mock meat or synthetic meat substitutes. And of course, no artificial sweeteners, flavours, colouring or preservatives.
SUSTAINABILITY: Being fully plant-based, they are already environmentally conscious. The bowls are made from wheat fibre and are compostable, but come with a plastic cover on top, which is probably our only gripe.
All in all…
We love what Plantface is doing and what they stand for. A practical, easy way to get our community to be open to trying a plant-based diet. No frills, no agenda, no problem. Try some plant-based meals today.