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Vancouver’s Ugly Dumpling eatery focuses on the
ingredients and flavours of the meal rather than the
appearance with their Curry Pork Dumplings.
3 . Z E R O - WA S T E C O O K I N G
There was a time when restaurants (and home cooks) would dispose
of root vegetable tops, and trim portions off meats. Not only is food
wastage costly, but some of the best flavours and textures are also
lost when trimmings are trashed. Restaurants across the country
are developing menus that involve using all parts of vegetables and
feature cooking from nose-to-tail. This means offal and lesser-
known cuts of meat are being featured prominently on some menus.
This was exemplified by Chef Justin Ell at the now-shuttered
Crowbar in Vancouver. He now plies his trade at Tocador and will
surely bring some of this influence to the menu.
4 . H I G H -T E C H D I N I N G
It has become the norm to order dinner and even groceries on our
mobile devices, but some restaurants are even bringing the digital
experience to their on-site patrons. No longer do diners need to
hail a server to add something to their order. They merely peruse
the menu on their phones, click on their desired items, and food
is delivered to the table. This experience can be had at Haidilao in
Richmond, where high-definition photos help the customer decide
on their choices. At Tap & Barrel locations, the “Ready” online
platform allows diners to pay and split their bills without the aid of
a live person.
5 . U G LY F O O D
We all know that we eat with our eyes as much our palates, but
in the same vein as zero-waste cooking, the trend towards not
discriminating against deformed veggies and irregular cuts of meat
is growing. Some restaurants are focusing on the ingredients and
flavours of the meal rather than the appearance. Aptly named eatery
Ugly Dumpling focuses on the end product rather than fancy
plating; you’ll find more family-style presentation from chef-owner
Darren Gee. However, this is nothing new in Vancouver, with many
of the Asian food restaurants serving their dishes as-is. You might
be lucky to find a carrot flower as a garnish, but it’s the flavour that
is the focus.
6 . FA U X - M E AT S N A C K S
A variety of tofu and seitan products have been available for a long
time in Asia and Asian markets like T&T, but in North America,
faux-meat snacks are just beginning to gain traction. Dried and
flavoured, these snacks are texturally as satisfying as the real thing.
Noble Jerky is one of the more prominent mainstream vegan
products on the market. It features plant protein that is all-natural
and non-GMO. The product looks, tastes and eats like meat jerky.
7. I N S E C T P R O T E I N
What is a low-fat way of getting more protein into your diet? Bugs.
Insect protein is pretty commonplace in countries like Mexico where
grasshoppers are eaten as snacks. In fact, you will find significantly
more protein and other nutrients per gram from insects than from
beef. Despite the initial strangeness of eating insects, they are one
of the healthiest additions to your existing recipes. Ontario-based
Entomo Farm offers a variety of 100% Canadian farmed insect