Before I start the review, I just wanted to ask – how are you? It’s an important question, and one that very rarely gets asked. Its significance however, should never be downplayed. I hope you and yours are well, and that we see an end very soon to this devastating Covid pandemic.
I cannot quite believe that it has been over six months since I last dined in a restaurant. That’s my longest sojourn, but I’m a hopeful soul and look forward to dining in a restaurant, eatery or café very soon.
In the meantime, there are a plethora of dine-at-home options to whet and sate one’s appetite. Home-X UK is one such establishment that boasts offerings from a stable of avant garde chefs and restaurants. Menus for February include Home By Nico (Cooking the Hebrides), Chateau X (Chateaubriand), The Cheese Club and Green Haus Volume 3. I received my second Green Haus box this weekend (it was very good), but for the purpose of the review, I will be writing about Green Haus Volume II.
Ordering food online is quick and easy. The Green Haus dining experience comprises of a monthly 8 course vegan menu designed to be shared, replete with a carefully chosen wine. You simply pick a date and your order is confirmed by email in seconds. You also receive updates and a text message giving you a one-hour window of when to expect your parcel of joy.
Each box arrives beautifully presented in thick, green cardboard, which is a real treat, and what feels like Christmas Morning every month.
Both times my Green Haus delivery has arrived in the morning, so you could technically eat it on the day for an indulgent lunch or treat of a supper. If you wanted to save it for later, you have 48 hours to tuck in (although it is beyond me how you can wait that long, when you know gorgeous food lurks in your fridge).
Offerings from Green Haus Winter Volume 2 is as follows, along with my notes.
Chargrilled carrots with burnished edges sit atop tangy kimchi cabbage. The sesame and ginger dressing brings this dish together and I especially like the vibrant green pop of colour from the edamame.
A pulverised butterbean base is beautifully waxy and holds a heck of a lot of flavour and texture. Its slightly dense composition allows nestling of ingredients in the centre. I like swiping warm focaccia bread through it, the bread’s thyme slivers working well with the walnut salad.
Tangy, vibrant and the chipotle packing a warming punch, this dish is filling and packed to the rafters with Eastern promise. I love the pistou, which is citrussy and chockfull of coriander (one of my favourite herbs).
This is a dish of varying textures that is playful on the palate. Toasted faro provides crunch and earthiness, tiny lemon triangles bring squidgy citrine glamour, whilst sweet pepper brings a whisper of warmth to this otherwise chilled out salad dish.
Rice noodles are my favourite kind (they’re so versatile, can be cooked in minutes and are veritable sponges of anything you throw on them). Ginger and soy are the main flavours at play here, along with wedges of pak choi that makes this one of the most filling dishes from this vegan menu.
I don’t have smoked potato often. When I do, I thoroughly enjoy it. This twist on a South Indian dish means it has all the spice of Goa, with the added depth of the charcoal laced waxy potato. This is one of my favourite dishes off this menu.
Pillow soft tofu with a lightly chewy exterior doused in a piquant ginger dressing sure makes tofu infinitely more interesting. Tokyo turnips provide a mild heat (think of them as the exotic cousin to radishes) that I wish featured more in this beautiful dish.
One of the best vegan cakes I have ever eaten. Creamy coconut frosting atop a fragrant orange sponge is sublime. You wouldn’t even know this cake was vegan.
We sipped Green Haus’s excellent wine choice of chilled Maison De Vigneron Blanc. Its pale citrus profile (I also got hints of ripe apricot and juicy grapefruit) married well with the menu, in particular the Cantonese ho fun and crispy tofu.
Green Haus’s menu is versatile, like art-on-a-plate and vegan. Like I said about their pumpkin and orange cake; you wouldn’t realise it is a vegan menu until you read the word ‘vegan’. Green Haus’s accomplished chefs ensure you will enjoy their expertly prepared food, which is really easy to put together. Just follow the simple instructions that accompany the menus and food packages. (Pro-tip – pour yourself a glass of wine whilst you prep the dishes. Because you deserve it.)
February’s menu is live and diners can book now.
Food: 10/10