Foodie Masters: Taste EnVie Vegan

Hello! We are pleased to announce that the ‘Foodie Masters’ series started in 2020 by Antonia, Amelie, and Madeleine will be revived as of today by a group of year 12 foodies: Samuel, Seb and Zak.

The format of the reviews will not change; we will continue to review local restaurants serving different kinds of food from different parts of the world in order to appeal to as many people as possible.

This time, we decided to visit a vegan restaurant located near Plainpalais. They specialize in vegan fast food made with meat substitutes. We chose this restaurant because not only do we think that it is important to consider different people’s diets, but also because we have to realise that, one way or another, the future will include more vegan food. This was our first time eating at an all-vegan restaurant.

The restaurant is easy to get to using google maps, and is only a 3 minute walk away from the Plainpalais tram stop. Both takeout and dine-in is available; we chose to eat in the restaurant terrace, which felt homey and the space was well optimized for the amount of people there were. Also from our experience some of the images of the restaurant’s setting did not represent what was there.

Seb – “I chose the ‘BBQ’ burger. As I first bit into it, I was blown away – it was very difficult to tell the difference between this vegan patty and a meat patty. The flavour was surprisingly close! The only thing that threw me off was the texture – it was a bit grainier than I was expecting. The vegan cheese somehow tasted cheesier than store-bought burger cheese, and the bun was perfect, not too soggy and not too dry, whilst their homemade barbecue sauce rounded off the burger with a sweet yet pleasantly smokey flavour. The fries were good, and their spicy ‘fuego’ was incredible, although 1 Chf extra for a small serving is a bit steep. To finish the meal, I had some vegan carrot cake, which was very well balanced; not too dense but not too light either. I was especially impressed with how filling everything was, you feel the same satisfaction you get when eating at a regular fast food restaurant. All in all, I rate this restaurant a 8/10, simply because of the lack of table service, and the fact that there was a bit too much sauce in my burger.”

Zak – “I picked an iced lemonade and the meatless “American” hot dog with the halloween themed “Dark Knight” burger, paired with two portions of fries. I first tasted the lemonade which was presented in a mason jar of sorts with lemon slices and ice cubes. Although it already seemed good from the start, its taste was something I was unprepared for – it was not too sweet, nor too sour, and was completely clear without any lemon residue. I then went on to try “The Dark Night” burger and the “American” hot-dog, which looked identical to their respective images on the menu and made me hope that their tastes would be just as good as they seemed.

As I bit into the burger, I forgot that I was in a vegan restaurant. I could not tell the difference between its patty and cheese and their non-vegan counterparts, somehow finding them to taste better due to their heightened tenderness, a taste only strengthened by the freshly sliced tomato, onion, and lettuce sitting atop the patty. After finishing the burger and tasting the finely done fries, I moved onto the traditional “American” hot-dog, which was paired with two lines of ketchup and mustard. The sausage looked too crispy to resemble one which was genuinely meat-based, but once I bit into it, I again could not tell the difference. It tasted like regular sausage meat but had a more chicken-like tone to it, however, this taste was unfortunately drowned out by the high amounts of ketchup and mustard, which made it too sour for its taste to be experienced at its fullest potential and is a problem shared too by the hamburger. Despite the few shortcomings of the dishes, I would still consider them to be better than most of the meat-based meals that I’ve eaten, and would, without a doubt, come back to enjoy them again. An easy 8/10 from me.”

Samuel – “I ordered the chickenless nuggets with fries. I found the presentation of the food to be a bit cliché. I was surprised by the fact that the nuggets looked a lot like the real deal. As I took my first bite, I attempted to notice any difference in taste between this nugget and a chicken nugget though I was left astonished, since the only difference I could tell was a very faint taste of fish at the end. Even if you looked into the bitten part of my nugget, it had the recognisable white chicken meat look. After my first nugget it was basically impossible to tell the difference, and adding sauces, such as ketchup, made it seem as if I was eating a chicken nugget. I also found the “fuego” sauce to be delicious; something that everyone must try if they have the opportunity to visit this restaurant. As for the fries, I thought they were adequately priced. Finally, I tried the oreo donut, which was good, however, it did not have any filling, which made it a bit dry. Generally, I find that if your diet limits you from eating meat, or even if you want to become a bit healthier, then this is an excellent substitute for non-vegan fast food. Overall I rate this a 7.5/10.”

Overall, we had a good experience at EnVie. The food was of high standard, and was reasonably priced. It is also easy to get to and quite good for a quick, filling bite. The restaurant also offers take-away, should you want to eat on the go or at home. We would recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys fast food but wants to try something different.