DEVOURED

A New “Butcher” In Town: YamChops

July 8, 2014

Post written by: Ildiko.

I never thought I would hear the words vegetarian and butcher in the same sentence – until now! Growing up in an Eastern European family, our meals were all centred around meat and potatoes. Even to this day, when I go to my parents’ house for their regular feasts, they serve at least four or five meat courses (in addition to their ‘side’ dishes). So when I told my mom that I decided to become a vegetarian about a year ago, she genuinely worried that I wasn’t going to be able to eat anything. But once I showed her some meatless meat options, she became more comfortable with the idea: at least the food resembled what she was used to. So when I got invited to the YamChops opening, I was super excited to see and – more importantly – taste their vegetarian and vegan creations…

Photo credit: Sik Photography.

When I walked into the College Street store, the first thing that caught my eye was the L-shaped counter where they display all of their meatless meat. It was filled with a variety of different food options, everything from beet burgers to ‘no crab’ crab cakes. YamChops also sells condiments, specialty drinks and juices and frozen foods for pretty much any diet. I had a chance to sample a few of their favourite recipes at the opening night event:

CARROT LOX BITES – Organic carrots marinated in smoky spice blend and baked to “lox’s” smooth texture. Served with cashew sour cream, capers and dill. Photo credit: Sik Photography.

RAW PAD THAI – Spiralized carrot, zucchini, beet and the house-made raw pad thai dressing. Topped with nut and seed blend. (My personal favourite!) Photo credit: Sik Photography.

TUNA-LESS TUNA SLIDERS – Free range chick peas, massaged to “tuna” like consistency, and dressed with vegan mayonnaise, dill pickle, red onion and nori. Photo credit: Sik Photography.

COCONUT BA-CON – Organic coconut flakes are marinated in slightly smoky, slightly, salty, slightly maple-y marinade and then baked off until golden and crisp. Photo credit: Sik Photography.

I’m always on the lookout for new vegetarian food options that are healthy, tasty and interesting (which is more difficult than you might think). Not only is YamChops’ food delicious, but all of their meatless meat options are filled with essential protein and vitamins great for any diet. I’m excited to try more of their vegetarian and vegan-friendly dishes; next on my list is their chick’n cutlet parmesan – yum!