In the spirit to try everything at least once in this lifetime (food that is, ahem), I decided to venture to Mercury Ville when I heard of a newly-opened premium vegan bakery called Veganerie. Of course, as a food and dessert devotee who would rather be pushed off a cliff by lemmings than live a life free from meat, dairy and eggs, it all boils down to one simple and obvious question. Will I be totally grossed out by the food here?
Most surprisingly, the answer is no. Something doesn't taste right, but it doesn't exactly taste bad either. In fact, Veganerie proves to be a pretty solid destination for desserts, even for people who aren't vegan. Behind the glossy and neon-lit signs, this hidden corner on the fourth floor offers hot beverages, smoothies, toast, ice cream, desserts and a large range of baked items spanning cakes, pies, bread and cookies. Everything is 100% vegan, although that in no way means you won't get fat from eating the food here!
Anyway, the taste of some desserts here aren't much off from their milk and egg-clad counterparts. The Vegan Choc-Banana Waffle with Ice-cream (small size 155 baht) did trigger the crave button when its deliciously sweet aroma filled the air while it was cooking. It's probably the (vegan) chocolate that masks any traces of soy, making the crunchy waffles a delight to munch through. Well-matched with a side of bananas, chocolate sauce and chocolate banana ice cream that we picked, this is easily a dessert fix that doesn't even taste like it's vegan.
Vegan Red Velvet Cake and Vegan Cappuccino.
The Vegan Pizookie (165 baht), which is a hot pan pizza-cookie, also follows the same suit, mostly because of the lack of milk and eggs isn't so pronounced in hard foods. The hot cookie at the bottom has a grainy texture, probably from granola and oats, but still proves to be satisfying thanks to the warm chocolate that oozes out of it. It tastes a bit like how crumbles would, although the banana ice cream tastes like it's in a weird no-man's land between ice cream and sorbet.
Their line of toasts, like Peanut Butter and Jelly Toast (145 baht), features a smaller-portioned snack that can be enjoyed alone. However, the most intriguing achievement I feel that the place has come up with is probably their Vegan Red Velvet Cake (125 baht). Outside, it looks no different than the usual fare, except for the chocolate plaque, which actually tastes like those delectable 10 baht chocolate balls. The cream is a good enough substitute for the real deal cream cheese and although the cake texture is more moist than normal, it's not torture to finish at all. Although people can probably pick up that something seems to be missing from it, this vegan offering could easily masquerade as a normal cake. It doesn't go over the top with the sugar either, which is all the more reason to keep eating it.
A popular drink that is pretty to look at is Vegan Strawberry Cheesecake Frappe (165 baht). It's mostly yoghurty and if you aren't crazy about the cheesecake factor (a slight, wane ghost), it's still a very rich and invigorating drink. Vegan noobs should brace themselves for hot beverages like Vegan Cappuccino (75 baht) though. There is an obvious stand-in of soy milk, which can be an abomination for some. Nevertheless, the coffee is still very delicious and although it's not conventional, it's not impossible to get around the smell of soy.
As a hopeless consumer of butter, I embarked on this review thinking I would be encountering some weird alien food that I probably wouldn't willingly choose to eat had the world not entered some Interstellar food supply shortage phase. Yet, I am pleasantly surprised to discover a dessert store that can definitely deliver some sweet bites, one I wouldn't mind returning to, even if it doesn't truly fulfill the soul the way comfort desserts can. It's no less an intriguingly puzzling experience, one that proves that even without eggs and butter, it is not the end of the world for desserts.
Visit Veganerie, 4th floor, Mercury Ville, Chidlom. Open daily 10am-9pm. Visit www.facebook.com/VeganBakeryBangkok.
Vegan Choc-Banana Waffle with Ice-cream.
Vegan Pizookie (Hot Pan Cookie).
