Eating out needn’t be unhealthy. At The Marketplace, Marriott Al Jaddaf the culinary team have created a very special vegan menu for health conscious diners.
Post a very pampering session at Saray Spa on the 7th floor, it only seemed apt that I treat myself to a vegan lunch and give the brand-new menu a try.
The one-page menu allows you to choose a few dishes for each course, and features favorites from around the globe.
I had just had a very renovating Pumpkin Delight facial at Saray Spa, and brimming with love for this root vegetable, I decided to order the pumpkin soup as one of my starter dishes. Loved the presentation of this soup! It comes in an edible bread bowl, topped with a generous handful of raw pumpkin seeds. The soup is very thick and gets thicker when you spoon into the softening bread. The soup has this rustic, earthy taste about it that is all at once wholesome and satisfyingly good and can easily be a complete meal in itself.
I also spied another favorite ingredient on the menu… avocado! So I had to order the Avocado White Asparagus Bruschetta. The white asparagus looks deceivingly like shards of cheese, but ofcourse we have no dairy present on this slice. The flavor combinations work well together, although I found the bread to be a little to crusty for my liking, and therefore hard to finish.
My favorite dish from the menu was the Thai Vegetable & Tofu Curry. Brimming with the exotic scent of Thai herbs, this creamy curry has just the right hit of chili in it and goes exceptionally well with the mildly nutty wild rice that was served on the side. Highly recommend this one!
I washed it all down with fresh juices. I am a huge fan of fresh watermelon juice, and after dunking a glassful, I was recommended the chef’s special… the Lemon Mint & Carrot Juice. I love both these flavors on their own, and was therefore intrigued to see how they fare, married into one cocktail. It turned out to be a delightfully refreshing combination! The hint of lemon brings out the freshness of carrot beautifully well.
For the dessert round, I was recommended the Vegan Brownie with Pistachio Coulis. The brownie was far too rubbery and dry for my taste. Perhaps it is my love for desserts that has kept me from turning vegan all these years; give me a naughty non-vegan version any day!
The vegan menu at The Marketplace is a great way to eat clean on the run. There were a few hits and misses here for me, but try it out for yourself. Would love to hear your feedback… and do order that Thai curry while you’re at it!
The Tezzy Files 