I’ve never been intimidated by a pile of vegetables before,” says Boyfriend quietly, almost to himself, as his fork hovers indecisively over, yes, what is essentially a big pile of vegetables. It is, in fact, deliciously rich ras el hanout-tinged ratatouille on a bed of refreshing basil puree, the main course on Tendril, Soho’s vegan discovery menu.
When I heard that Rishim Sachdeva, whose best hits include The Fat Duck, Almeida and Chiltern Firehouse, was offering a seven-course tasting menu at Tendril’s current residency at the Sun & 13 Cantons pub behind Carnaby Street, I thought: this is perfect. I am here during Veganuary, on a mission to convince said fussy-eating other half that vegan food isn’t all kale, lentils and tofu. A couple of years ago, Rishim, a self-proclaimed “hardcore carnivore”, set out on a mission to “satisfy my cravings as a meat-eater while giving me satisfaction as a chef”, and he never looked back.
