When I think of bar food, I think of chips, burgers, maybe a greasy curry. This is why it's surprising when I get invited to bars to try out their vegan options. Don't get me wrong, I friggin' love chips but it's always nice to have something a little different. I was excited to try out Aluna, as their sister brand is Siamais, and their vegan options are ace.
Aluna has a lux look that works for its Mailbox location, with accents of burnt orange, gold and emerald green.
Back to the food now. I ordered all the vegan options. I found that a couple of options that were listed as vegan weren't and some that weren't listed as vegan were. Very confusing so I'd recommend checking before you place your order. I went for the Chilli Spinach Gyoza, Chilli Crusted Tofu, Green Vegetable and Lychee Curry and Warm Aubergine Salad.
First up, the Warm Aubergine Salad. This was amazing! I wouldn't call it a salad but the mixture of the gooey warm aubergine with chilli, ginger, garlic and soy glaze was perfection. I would highly recommend this! It's the good fuse of thai flavours with something that can be something boring.
Next is the Chilli Spinach Gyoza. Again, this was a great fusion of flavour. The chilli and spinach in the gyoza worked really well with the spring onion and chilli soy. They were warm yet toasted and not slimy. Just the right amount of chilli kick too. I want more just looking at the picture of them.
I've tried a number of tofu dishes and cooked with it myself, so I know how a minute too long can mean soggy sponge. Thankfully that wasn't the case with the Chilli-Crusted Tofu. The crust was crispy and the inside was perfectly soft and melted in your mouth. I didn't find the crust spicy as the name of it alludes but it was peppery and worked well with the mint, coriander and chilli that was layered on top. It did need a little dip though to give it that x factor.
Lastly, it was the Green Vegetable & Lychee Curry with tofu and jasmine rice. The rice was the perfect size with the curry. The sauce was creamy, there was a good amount of vegetables and it worked well together. However, I found it to be really sweet. To the point that it became a little sickly. This was the let down of the whole meal, which is weird when the green curry at Siamais is amazing.
Overall, I enjoyed the experience at Aluna. The decor was nice, the vegan options are vast, the majority of which are great. I would go back for the gyoza and salad for sure.
**The views in this blog are my own but the meal was complimentary**
Would I go back? Yes but not for the curry
How did they cope with the vegan dietary requirement? The options are good but the menu is not labelled properly
What are the prices like? All together this meal would have been around £43, with the gyoza being £6.96, the curry being £8.95, chilli-crusted tofu being £11.95, the rice being £3.50 and the aubergine salad being £8.95
What is eatery best for? Lunch, a catch up with a friend or even a date
Hope you enjoyed this review. Let me know if you're been and what you thought
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