Not as sinful as it tastes
Liz Clarke visits some local eateries that are putting good health on the menu
IT IS certainly adventurous, and without a doubt different, but when it comes to healthier choices for eating out, this foodie husband and wife team have given it their personal – and intriguing – stamp.
For starters, how about Penang ravioli filled with roasted butternut and cashew cheese in a sea of aromatic Thai curry spice and lemon grass infused coconut milk? Or, for a main course, chilli no con carne, described as a “heartwarming cassoulet” of beans, sofrito and wild mushrooms, topped with herb-infused mash, ending with avocado chocolate mousse?
Ursula and Rob Haupt are both vegans, as are their children, Pablo and Julia-Louise. They eat no dairy, eggs or meat products, but rather opt for a variety of fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, wholegrain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes.
So passionate are they about sharing their healthier eating lifestyle that the couple have ploughed their combined expertise into opening a 100 percent vegan restaurant, Chilliplum, in the centre of Hillcrest.
“Adapting a vegan lifestyle to a mainstream restaurant definitely comes with its chal- lenges,” says Ursula, who admits that the Outer West folk are still a little conservative when it comes to new things.
“But that’s the exciting bit really for us – seeing people’s surprise when they taste one of our meat and dairy-free dishes. But then our target is not only vegans and vegetarians, but those who enjoy good food.”
The added bonus, she says, is that eating the vegan way ensures a cruelty free and healthy meal.
Ursula turned to the vegan way of eating seven years ago, but then slipped back into eating meat for about 18 months.
“I opened my first venture – a coffee shop in Kloof – some time back, but when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014, the fact I was eating meat weighed heavily on my conscience and I decided to return to a vegan diet. My husband and children joined me, which made the transition a lot easier.”
She says that with a vegan diet and a daily dose of nonpharmaceutical medication, she is now cancer free. However, the vegan journey has had its challenges.
“The key is sourcing the right ingredients to make the tastiest dishes possible, and that takes time and patience. Offering vegan meals is one thing, but you need to ensure the dishes can compete with top restaurant offerings.”
As an ethical vegan, she says, it was important not to use products that harm the environment.
“Even our wines are vegan (no egg white or insects crushed into them) and certified sustainable.”
But mention vegan to many people and they’ll turn up their nose and say “no thanks; that’s boring and tasteless”.
“Our mission,” says Rob, “is to prove the critics wrong. We were booked out for Christmas Day lunch, so that says something, and we have just made our first vegan wedding cake.”
The couple’s motto is – “Join us for meal and help to save the planet, one meal at a time”.
Chilliplum, says Ursula, is really a love story.
“Rob and I met 16 years ago, I call him Chilli and he calls me Plum.”
lizclarke4@gmail.com