Veginity, a restaurant founded by Mark Senn, a Melbourne-based Australian chef, and his Lithuanian accomplice, Ingrid Baceviciute, started operating a shiny green food truck on South Circular Road in Portobello about a year ago. After facing astronomical expenses post the pandemic, Veginity and its sister establishment, Vish, had to close down.
Currently, they mainly specialise in a number of mushroom varieties which they cultivate in a dark, humid chamber located in a previously used retail space next to their parking area. Their research led them to discover that a blend of oak and coffee grounds from Full Circle was the most effective growing medium. Bastible, Saucy Cow, and Cornucopia are a few of the restaurants they cater to, while The Fumbally stocks their mushrooms for retail sale.
The food truck operates solely on Saturdays, and its menu changes on a weekly basis. Crepes and sushi have been on their menu in the past. During my visit, they were introducing stuffed flatbreads and doughnuts made from a slow-fermented, high-hydration dough for the first week.
On the day of our visit, we ordered a variety of items, including a mushroom fillet roll, a handmade flatbread packed with oyster mushroom stroganoff, a tandoori flatbread, a chestnut Bolognese flatbread, and a doughnut featuring crème brûlée.
The service was outstanding, with each dish freshly prepared while chatting amiably. The mushroom fillet roll, which consists of a fresh baguette filled with Cajun-spiced, deep-fried oyster mushrooms, pink oyster bacon bits, lettuce and tomato, proved to be a delightful change from the regular Kentucky-style fried chicken.
The Stroganoff flatbread with oyster mushrooms offers a tantalising, luscious, and umami-infused taste, as does the tandoori flatbread laced with oyster mushrooms, topped with an Indian spice sauce and enhanced with a mint-cucumber pickle. The Bolognese flatbread, our third option, is brimming with hearty mushroom and deep tomato savours.
There’s also something sensational to savour in the form of a crème brûlée doughnut. The vegan creme patisserie filling is topped with a rich layer of dark caramel, creating an astounding culinary experience.
As for the packaging specifics, the foodstuffs are placed inside a paper bag with the flatbreads and bread roll wrapped securely in tin foil. The doughnut is packed using paper for optimal quality.
Pricing is set at €38.50 for a meal that easily serves four consumers, comprised of a mushroom roll priced at €10; three flatbreads each tagged at €8, and one irresistible crème brûlée doughnut for €4.50.
While it doesn’t offer a delivery service, the takeaway is prepared for collection every Saturday from 10 in the morning till 3 in the afternoon.
Wall I place an order again? Absolutely, without a second thought. These culinary delights don’t just satisfy your satiety – they are downright scrumptious, and they seamlessly embrace the vegan approach.