Hen of the Woods at The Glad Cafe [review]

Hen of the Woods Glasgow is the new brunch venture at The Glad Cafe in Glasgow's Southside. The chefs behind the new menu are also the masterminds behind the Asian-inspired all-vegan offering at the Hug & Pint and their new project does not fall short.

The vegetarian and vegan brunch menu is every day from 10 am and there are plenty of dishes available from a vegan point of view. Only launched in autumn 2018, but with creativity and unexpected combinations, Hen of the Woods is already a strong contender on the Southside brunch landscape!

Always a favourite Southside venue of mine, I'm happy that the Glad Cafe has a new brunch menu on the go. Finding a home at the Glad was a logical move for the hens led by head chef Jake Martell - after all he had plenty of experience of launching the vegan menu at the Hug & Pint, which is also a multi-purpose venue, and making it a top foodie destination. Thomas and I were invited along to try their new menu and speak our verdict - and I must say, we were not disappointed!

The menu by Hen of the Woods Glasgow is incredibly varied and boasts creative combinations that you don't come across in any of our usual Southside brunch regulars.

There are two small vegan dishes - a coconut and palm sugar porridge with roast plums and hazelnuts and a cauliflower and tarragon soup with sourdough bread - as well as three vegan mains and a big vegan fry-up (full breakfast). But the ingredients and combinations are really one of a kind. Kimchi pancakes with tofu and a wakame salad are joined by a coconut and turmeric soup with noodles and Sichuan pepper and black bean tofu - the hens are taking the term "brunch" seriously here!

The vegan fry-up comes with pickled chilli baked beans, miso mushrooms and a shiitake and lentil haggis that is so different than any other vegan haggis I've ever tried.

We ordered way three things (way too much, but we'll suffer for you): the porridge, the coconut soup and the vegan fry-up. Everything we tried was extremely delicious - my favourite was the soup which built in spiciness over the course of our meal. The porridge was lovely and the plums such a nice addition to make a simple dish really special. The fry up was great - again, totally different than vegan fry-ups in other places - and you could tell the effort that went into deciding on spice and herb combinations. The only downside I saw was that it was maybe a little bit too salty - but I have a tendency to use quite small amounts of salt when I cook.

The coffee made by the cafe staff was also delicious and they use my favourite soy milk - Bonsoy. There is always some vegan cake from the cafe available as well, but there was no way we could have fit any more.

We were really stuffed after our meal and came out happy and satisfied, feeling like we ate a big amount of healthy goodness. If you want to stuff your face with a nourishing breakfast but want something different than the usual brunch offer, then I can't recommend Hen of the Woods Glasgow enough.

Labelling:

Vegan dishes on the menu are labelled with a V.

Vegan Options:

There are two small vegan dishes, three mains and a vegan fry-up to choose from.

Please be aware that the menu might change on a regular basis.

Budget:

Hen of the Woods is a mid-range budget option - small dishes start at £4, vegan main dishes at £6.50 and the fry-up is £10.