Vegan News
Plant-based chicken with celebrity foodie endorsement hits Dallas
A new plant-based chicken with a celebrity foodie endorsement is now on the menu at some Dallas restaurants: The chicken is from Tindle, a buzzy company based in Singapore, and is being served at a quartet of Dallas eateries, with more on the way. Tindle for everybody, yay.
Tindle is a juicy, plant-based chicken and the first chicken made from plants created specifically by chefs and for chefs. Said to be versatile and easy to work with, the chicken has caught the eye of culinary professionals internationally, due to its unique similarities in taste, texture, and aroma to chicken from birds.
Tindle was launched in March 2021 at select restaurants in Singapore, then expanded to Dubai, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur, used by discerning chefs and food connoisseurs across four continents and 42 cities around the globe and currently offered in more than 400 restaurants and works with nearly 110 chefs worldwide. It's also available for nationwide delivery in the U.S. through Goldbelly.
Dallas restaurants just signed on include:
- Family Thais Asian Bistro, family-operated Thai restaurant in historic West End. Menu favorites such as Pad Ka Pow and Drunken Noodles can now be prepared with Tindle and choice of spice level.
- Tiki Loco, fast-casual vegan restaurant from Oliver Peck (Elm Street Tattoo, reality TV show Ink Master) will showcase Tindle in its Double Trouble Pineapple Chicken Burger, with a Tindle patty, sweet 'n smoky BBQ sauce, grilled pineapple, bacon, avocado, and cheddar style cheese on a toasted brioche bun. Tiki Loco was recently nominated for CultureMap's 2022 Tastemaker Awards for Best Neighborhood Restaurant.
- TLC Vegan Kitchen, led by vegan chef Troy Gardner, will offer Tindle Lovin' Chickn (TLC) served in dishes such as Crispy TLC Dinner and General Tso's TLC Dinner. TLC Vegan Kitchen won CultureMap Dallas' 2021 Tastemaker Award for Best Ghost Kitchen.
- Project Pollo, the San Antonio-based fried chik'n chain, will overhaul its menu and convert all of its Chik'n items to Tindle as its exclusive chicken partner, at its new Dallas location and at three Austin locations; the remainder of Project Pollo's Texas locations will add it later this month.
To usher the chicken into the U.S., Tindle has retained the services of Andrew Zimmern, host/creator of Travel Channel's Bizarre Foods, MSNBC's What's Eating America, and Magnolia Network's Family Dinner.
"Tindle is a fantastic example of how the food choices we make can create positive change for our planet — without sacrificing amazing flavor or any of the memories created around the dinner table," Zimmern says in a statement. "Tindle's ability to mirror the flavor, aroma, and texture of chicken and take center stage in any dish is remarkable and makes it a true stand out among plant-based companies."
Tindle launched in Texas in mid-March 2022, timed to make a splash at SXSW in Austin, where Zimmern showcased the chicken in a special Parm Slider at a number of events.
Austin restaurants serving Tindle include:
- Austin Rotisserie, the French fast-casual spot, will put a spin on traditional rôtisserie by featuring Tindle in dishes such as the L'American Baguette, with Tindle chicken, arugula, and vegan goat cheese on a baguette with Roti spread; and Vegan Roti Bowl with Tindle, arugula, red cabbage, walnuts, and cranberries.
- Love Supreme Pizza Bar will serve a new signature pizza, made with roasted Tindle, honey sambal sauce, tomato sauce, pickled jalapeños, radishes, and cilantro; diners also have the choice to add Tindle to any existing pizza. Chef Russell Victorioso will also prepare Tindle in Plant-Based Nuggets, with choice of honey sambal or buffalo side sauce.
- Project Pollo, the San Antonio-based fried chik'n chain, will overhaul its menu and convert all of its Chikn' items to Tindle as its exclusive chicken partner, at its three Austin locations and the newest location in Dallas. The remainder of their Texas locations will follow later this month.
The company plans to continue its expansion into new markets including the United Kingdom and Germany later this spring.
Big photos make Texas BBQ fun to flip through.Image courtesy of HarperCollins
Author Veronica Meewes at la Barbecue.Photo by Alex Gray