Tofish and Chips: Norman’s vs. Vegbar

At the moment I’m seeing also of this tofish and chips business spiralling around the web, which i’m definitely not complaining about – I’m a big fan. So this very traditional English dish has made it’s way onto many vegan menus in the form of tofu wrapped in nori and fried. While Me and Dillon ventured out for our London Vegan Food Crawl, I first found the Tofish in Norman’s Coach and Horses, introducing me to this delish dish. Then stumbled across it again in Vegbar – of course I had to eat it again to battle the dish out and find my perfect tofish.

Like I mentioned previously in our Mock Tuna Recipe, fish is a pretty difficult flavour and texture to replicate, hence why I got a little excited about the idea of mock battered cod! Curiosity got the better of me and I really didn’t mind I was eating a truck load of deep fried food, I wasn’t going to deny myself fabulous food experiences. Even so, tofish still has high protein and calcium content form the tofu and the direct source of Omega-3 from the seaweed. So don’t you go feeling so guilty about fried food!

My first vegan fish and chip experience was quite overwhelming. I got exactly what I wanted, and what I felt my vegan life was lacking at that moment. Norman’s did the job and presented some fish tasting deep-fried goodness. Yet I must say in hindsight, the flavours were dull and the batter was below average. Although their tartar sauce did make the difference; it enhanced the fishy flavour and beat any regular tartar sauce. Yes, Norman’s managed a fishy flavour, it fulfilled my craving and inspired me to find a better than standard English fishy dish.

Just like that, my dream was granted, in the form of Vegbar. I was pretty impressed with Vegbar’s Tofish and Chips, the tofu had an impressive flaky texture, which was the biggest flaw in Norman’s. This authentic texture was even shaped into a more beliveable shape. Again the nori created that all important fishy flavour, that was covered in a crispy batter. I respect any good imitation of fish, I therefore recommend taking your oblivious non-vegan friends to try this dish and see what they think! Laying on a bed of seasoned and slightly spiced chips, the dish was just what I wanted from my vegan food crawl, and venture to discover the perfect tofish.
I could have looked further, since there are so many good vegan resturants in London, but I felt I could only be disappointed by other. I found my match!