Carlingford Vegetarian Cuisine | Carlingford

If you are vegetarian, then the chances are that you would have heard of or dined at Carlingford Vegetarian Cuisine. They are famous for their "not-so vegetarian" menu which comprises of items which look like certain food, but in reality are only either mushroom, tofu or vegetables. The restaurant serves both a banquet as well as an a la carte yumcha option which has some good looking selections. Have a look at their yumcha or a la carte menu. 

We celebrated my Grannie's 70th Birthday so this vegetarian banquet was specially created for her. Matt and I are intrigued with the presentation of vegetarian dishes and how closely it can replicate the appearance of meat. We weren't sure how to write this post so this will be a picture post. After the first couple dishes, the flavours ended up tasting VERY similar and we were quite full. Overall, we would suggest you visit Carlingford Vegetarian Cuisine however, wouldn't recommend the banquet. 

Banquet Menu for my Grannie's 70th Birthday

Shark Fin Soup

Don't worry, no sharks were hurt during the making of this dish. Well not in this restaurant anyway, we can't speak for the rest of the world.

Suckling Pig with Seaweed and Vegetables

This actually tasted quite legit. It had us questioning whether it was actually pork or not. Hmm

Chicken Drumsticks

Highlight of the menu - If you decide to visit this place you most definitely have to try the Chicken Drumsticks! Just don't eat the paddle-pop stick in the centre.

Abalone

Look how closely this replicated Abalone! It was unfortunately...tasteless.

Roasted Duck Whole

Again, this looked AMAZING and it even had stuffing in the middle filled with tofu,  nuts and vegetables. Very creative chef's in the kitchen that is for sure.

Fried Fish and Vegetables

The sweet chili sauce meant for the chicken drumstick was heavily abused during the consumption of this dish. The design of the fish is quite unique though!

Prawns and Vegetables

You would think these prawns were real prawns. These actually tasted and looked like prawns - yet we still to this day have no idea what it was exactly inside.

Steamed Rice in Lotus Leaves

This was a miss for us.. at this point of the meal everything started to taste the same and it felt like this dish was missing something. 

Stir Fried Noodles

The noodles were left almost untouched by the time we finished. This could be because everyone is full, or it could also mean that no one enjoyed it. Again, everything started to taste the same at this point.

Longevity Buns

The highlight of the meal - These buns were great and had a sweet and gooey centre that is best enjoyed warm. Worked well with the red bean soup (below).

Red Bean Soup Dessert

You typical red bean soup as most Chinese restaurants serve after the meal. Nothing too special, but it was a nice and refreshing change in flavour!