BRINGING fresh Aussie culture to London, the Daisy Green Collection is a band of independent and individually designed cafes and restaurants serving antipodean-inspired food around the capital. Since joining the popular collective last year, Scarlett Green is now an established fixing on the London dining scene and the two-floor restaurant and bar is renowned for its award-winning brunches, artisan coffee and innovative evening sharing platters.
Expanding on their vegan offering, Prue Freeman founder of Daisy Green has teamed up with chef Kirk Haworth of Plates – a plant-based food innovation studio – to create five limited-edition dishes exclusively at Scarlett Green. Developed through a joint love of Australian culture, the special collaboration pays homage to Australia’s unique food history and the exciting dishes are likely to intrigue even the staunchest steak lover with their bright and bold flavours.
Interior of Scarlett Green, courtesy of Scarlett Green
After suffering the Central Line in thirty-degree heat, my arrival at Scarlett Green couldn’t have been more appreciated. The top floor is incredibly spacious and airy, filled with chic marble tables and leafy plants. Bursts of colour from huge bespoke artwork pieces adorn the grey walls and left me dreaming of booking a trip down under to sunbathe on Bondi Beach.
The five new plant-based and gluten-free dishes are additions to an already flexible dinner menu. One of the smaller plates, Tomato and Strawberry Tartare interested me the most because, as I am sure you all would agree, Tartare is something most would associate with raw meat (raw and chewy for me). Kirk Haworth’s Michelin star techniques transformed cubes of tomato and strawberry into a delicate and flavoursome dish, a dish that has completely re-envisioned the concept of Tartare into a vegan-friendly masterpiece. The chilled elderflower sauce encased the cubes with punchy flavours of mint and basil and the piped avocado cream and charcoal croutons added texture to the dish. A crisp glass of 2017 Shaw and Smith Sauvignon Blanc from Southern Australia paired beautifully with the sweet and savoury combination. Other smaller plates included the Herbaceous Pancake topped with chickpea aioli, pickled beetroot and rocket, and the Smoked Aubergine Tacos filled with slow-baked carrot, house kimchi and avocado cream – both of which mirrored the level of flavour the Tomato and Strawberry Tartare achieved.
Tomato and Strawberry Tartare courtesy of Scarlett Green
One of the larger and more filling plates was the Beetroot and Cumin Falafel, with pickled kohlrabi, hibiscus and toasted seeds, a welcomed twist on your standard falafel. However, it was the Fragrant Roasted Butternut Squash and Carrot Curry that became my favourite dish of the collaboration and one that I am hoping will be permanently adopted for the dinner menu. Black rice and toasted broccolini covered in a silky curry sauce, with subtle hints of lemongrass and lime made for a truly delicious plate. With over 24 options of wine by the glass alone, Scarlett Green proudly boasts the largest Australian wine list in London and the staff are happy to help you select the right choices for your meal – for the fragrant curry it was a glass of 2015 Jim Barry Cabernet Sauvignon.
Beetroot and Cumin Falafel, courtesy of Scarlett Green
Rounding up the evening was a permanent feature on the menu – and according to our wonderful waitress, a firm favourite with vegans and non-vegans alike – the Vegan Chocolate Cake. It was moist and light to eat even after devouring five courses, and after washing it down with a very good expresso martini (Australians really do know their stuff when it comes to coffee), I left Scarlett Green feeling satisfied and content. Admittedly, with an overwhelming feeling that I should be stepping out of my beach condo on the Australian shores and not back on to the thirty-degree monstrosity of the central line …
All dishes from the Daisy Green Collection x Plates collaboration courtesy of Scarlett Green
Herbaceous Pancake, courtesy of Scarlett Green
Interior of Scarlett Green, courtesy of Scarlett Green
by Sally Roulston
The Daisy Green Collection x Plates limited-edition menu is available exclusively at Scarlett Green and expected to run until the end of autumn.
Scarlett Green, 4 Noel Street, Soho, London, W1F 8GB.
For more Daisy Green locations and menus click here.