Vegan Night at Brasserie Blanc Leeds Review

Dining out when you first turn vegan can be a troublesome affair with many restaurants not entirely knowing what 'veganism' really is and many having very limited options. Unfortunately, it isn't a rare occurrence for vegans to be handed a plate of vegetables, while their carnivorous counterparts tuck into a three-course meal with all the trimmings, most of which can be easily adapted to plant-based if the chef has an imagination. Thankfully for a lot of vegans out there, over the last twelve months, there has been a rise in popularity in veganism, subsequently leading to more restaurants offering vegan options than ever before.  Wagamama, Nandos, Pizza Express, Zizzis, to name but a few, have all jumped in on the plant-based action and added more options to their menus.

Earlier this week, I headed out with my husband to a vegan night held at my local Brasserie Blanc in Leeds. This was an entirely one-off, bespoke event, which was the brainchild of one of the managers after seeing an increase in vegan customers. They decided to test their chefs' culinary skills and create a three-course meal for one night only, in hope that would become popular and they could put on more of these events in future.

I love Brasserie Blanc due to their fresh produce, beautiful tab settings and relaxing ambience of their restaurants. I had been a few times when I was vegetarian but never vegan, so I was excited to see what they had to offer. The menu had been curated using seasonal, fresh produce and there were a plethora of options which was a delight to see. As a 'newbie' vegan, it was great to have the opportunity to sample some vegan a-la-carte food without feeling like the 'awkward' customer.

For starter, I opted for the 'Wild Mushroom Fricasse' which arrived with a side of bread. The mushrooms were cooked to perfection, with the perfect amount of herbs and oil, with the juices seeping to the bottom of the bowl - perfect for mopping up with a slice of fresh, crusted white bread. The portion was filling and generous and it was a great to start the meal.

In between courses we ordered a glass of wine from the specially created vegan wine menu for the evening. It was great to see that level of detail going into the menu as many people automatically assume that all alcohol is vegan when this isn't the case, as most wines, unfortunately, are filtered using fish. For my main course, I choose the chickpea cakes which a smoky tomato dressing and chickpea salad -this again was a delight. The manager informed me that this used to be on the menu and was quite a popular dish, I hope they add this back as I would definitely return for it.

The creme de la creme, the finale of the evening was the most beautiful coconut creme brulee that I've ever eaten. It tasted incredibly light but moreish with a soft vanilla coconut cream and a crunch sugared top. It tasted just like a dairy creme brulee, but even better and it was light on the palette and left you feeling refreshed at the end of the meal. 

The meal came to around £60, which included a complimentary glass of prosecco, three courses for two adults and a coffee (along with soya milk) at the end, which I think is a fantastic price. I'm a little bit disappointed that this is a once off as I would love to experience this all again, but I am grateful for the wonderful meal and the attention to detail of all the staff. It was great to see a business in the local community doing more for vegans and championing vegan food, hop, fully it will lead to more restaurants doing the same.

Have you been to a Brasserie Blanc before?