UK-based Asian fusion chain Wagamama has launched a range of new menu options for Veganuary. The restaurant’s much-loved Firecracker curry can now be ordered with tofu instead of chicken, while the Grilled Duck Doburi can be made with seitan.
Additionally, the chain has veganised some of its side dishes, including its Cripsy Chilli Squid. The vegan squid is made with king oyster mushrooms and served with a chilli and coriander dipping sauce. Another new side dish is Vegan Sticky Ribs, made with mushrooms and soy protein.
Furthermore, the company said it was aiming to make half its main menu options meatless by the end of 2021 as part of its “Small Choices, Big Change” campaign. It has been working to offer more plant-based options for a while — in 2020, it became the first major restaurant chain to offer vegan tuna.
With the UK in lockdown and all its restaurants closed to eat-in customers, Wagamama acknowledged that it was a strange time to launch a new menu. But the chain said it hopes to make 2021 a year of positive change by encouraging customers to eat more plant-based food.
“We believe that vegan choices should be so delicious that everyone should want to include them in their lives, whether a strict vegan or someone who has never thought of themselves as a vegan before,” said Wagamama CEO Emma Woods. “As Covid causes us all to press pause on so many things, let’s make sure we fast forward the small decisions which can better our planet.”
