Wing It invited DailyEdge.ie to try their new new premises without the promise of a positive review.
EVERYONE HAS AN opinion on that EAT-Lancet report that came out recently on red meat.
You can read it here if you fancy, but the TL;DR version is that scientists reckon we need to start massively reducing how much meat we eat to avoid catastrophic consequences for our planet. Gulp.
With that in mind and #Veganuary coming to a close, I decided to suss out the latest vegan food offering in Dublin 2 – chicken wings, no less.
Wing It has just opened its doors on George’s Street (where Camera Exchange used to be, just FYI), offering wing, beer and chip lovers something to salivate over in equal measure.
Ultimately, what intrigued me most was the vegan options on the menu. As well as offering vegan wings (made from seitan), the list of accompanying sauces and rubs is impressive.
On this occasion, I went for vegan wings with the Cajun dry spice rub. My carnivorous partner-in-crime opted for boneless chicken wings in the Teelings Whiskey BBQ sauce. We went for a large portion each (€14.50) but if you’re not as hungry, you can downsize for €7.95. We shared a regular portion a chips (€3.50) and immediately regretted not ordering waffle fries instead due to their illustrious reputation.
Fizzy drinks are €1.50 with unlimited refills.
In terms of shape, the vegan wings aren’t exactly dead ringers – they’re more goujon/nuggest-esque. Taste-wise though? You’d be hard pushed to tell the difference. I’d go as far as saying that its the closest chicken substitute I’ve eaten thus far in my quest to leave an earth for my children to come home to.
Obviously, if you want to go saucier, you can: I was torn between the Cajun and the Caribbean jerk sauce myself (also vegan!)
I tried my compadre’s Teelings Wings which were as good as they looked, a perfect example of as to why some struggle to make the change to veganism in the first place. It’s the restaurant’s second most-ordered sauce, which must be satisfying for them given they spent 12 months perfecting the recipe.
Whiskey lovers will be all this, offering a tangy lilt that rides out with sweetness (though if you’re not a fan of the strong stuff you may find it to be an acquired taste.)
Overall, I’m looking forward to going back and expanding my palette as a fully-fledged veggie/vegan in the future.
