Last week, I gave a vegan restaurant a low score on the basis that it is way overpriced and too reliant on sodium-heavy sauces in order to create flavour. That doesn't mean I am against vegan restaurants - in fact, I am very curious about them, and although I am not a vegan, I see a reduction in the consumption of meat as a positive thing for animal rights and for the environment. This week, I have a very, very exciting vegan restaurant to review: Calle Rey.
This Mexican-style restaurant / bar is serving vegan food so good you barely notice they are vegan. It operates on a seven course meal system that is not only vegan but also gluten free, and the only thing you can order a la carte is its impressive range of beverages, which are largely alcoholic. Both the food and the drinks are incredible.
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| Placer de Tarde, $8 |
The Placer de Tarde is a mocktail - usually not something I gravitate towards (what's the point?), but I was pleasantly surprised by this coconut milk and fresh strawberries number. Tart yet creamy, I barely missed the alcohol.
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| Pina thickshake, $20 |
The pina thickshake is a twist on the classic pina colada, made with coconut milk, coconut cream, vegan baileys and pineapple. It is the adult version of a summer milk bar treat - sweet, creamy, boozy and satisfying.
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| Sandia fizz, $8 |
Another mocktail: this time, a mixture of watermelon, pineapple juice and sparkling water. It's refreshing, but a tad bland in flavour. A great palate cleanser nonetheless.
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| Homemade "Baileys", $8 |
Calle Rey makes its own version of the famous Irish cream with coconut cream instead of its dairy counterpart. While I worry the name is some kind of trademark infringement, that doesn't take away from the fact that this homemade version is gorgeous. In fact, I prefer it to the real deal.
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| Guac corn chips |
The seven course meal starts with a classic. The corn chips are salty and particularly crunchy, which translates to just-can't-stop moreishness. The guac is flavourful, with an oddly runny avocado but lots of well-seasoned tomatoes and corn.
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| "Seafood" plate |
The second course is a "prawn" and "calamari" plate made of konjac, which is a root vegetable that has a texture that mimics the bouncy, hard texture of prawn and calamari quite well. I was both curious and suspicious of this course when I read the menu, but it ended up being my favourite dish of the evening: chewy, beautifully flavoured and satisfying, I might even prefer it to real prawns and calamari because it has the added benefit of never having to worry whether the ingredients are fresh and free from the dreaded "fishy" taste.
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| Amarillo corn |
The best thing about non-vegan amarillo corn is butter, which makes the corn silky, glistening and delicious. I'm happy to report that the vegan version is just as sweet and just as juicy.
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| Buffalo Wings |
These wings are made of cauliflower - drench in a smokey and sweet BBQ sauce, I really don't miss chicken, They are filling, satisfying and sufficiently greasy to provide that authentic wings experience.
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| Taco Carnitas |
The "beef" here is jackfruit, which has a texture that is quite similar to meat and therefore has grown in popularity in recent years on the vegan food scene. I have only once had it in a savoury form prior to this experience, and I found it a little over-salted then. The flavours at Calle Rey is on point. The jackfruit flavour didn't particularly sing out, but then again, it shouldn't: it's just there to pretend to be meat, and that it does perfectly.
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| Eggplant Taco |
After all these courses of creative use of ingredients and vegan things pretending to be carnivore-friendly items, I enjoyed this fried eggplant taco. Unapologetically vegetable-centred, it's got the well-balanced flavour and fried goodness to showcase its star ingredient.
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| Tres leches cake |
The final course is a bite-sized chocolate and caramel cake, which is the perfect way to end a meal. For a gluten free and vegan cake, this is pretty respectable stuff.
And here's the kicker: all these courses are only $28 per person. That goes to show vegan food need not be expensive, and are not only for the privileged greenies. It is possible to make vegan eating-out affordable. We need more vegan restaurants just like this one: creative, interesting, affordable, delicious.
Score: 5/5
Cost: approx $50-$70pp including drinks; $28pp for food
Address: 62-64 King St, Newtown
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