Vegan News

Plant-based chicken with celebrity foodie endorsement hits Dallas

It tastes like chicken.

Goldbelly

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.

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Burger News

Northeast burger chain Slap Burger set to smash in Richardson

Slap Burger

Smash burger from Slap Burger, coming to DFW.

A buzzy burger concept from the Northeast is coming to Texas: Called Slap Burger, it's a small smash burger chain based in New Jersey, and it's opening its first Texas location in Richardson, at 888 S. Greenville Ave., in a center called the Arabian Village, taking over a space that was previously occupied by a CBD shop.

Slap Burger was founded in Paterson, New Jersey as a smash burger joint that adheres to the principles of halal, including using meat from halal purveyors and avoiding certain ingredients such as pork. (Their bacon and hot dogs are made from beef.) Halal has been increasing in popularity, due to both a growing Muslim population as well as a rising demand for "ethical" clean-label food.

Slap now has five locations in the Northeast — two in NJ and three in NY — as well as an expansion to Tampa, Florida.

They specialize in smash burgers, loaded hot chicken tenders, and cheese fries topped with slap sauce. They make a decadent banana pudding dessert, and they also keep late-night hours.

Their burgers are four ounces, featuring the lacy and crispy edges that are a signifier of a smash burger, topped with caramelized onions, American cheese, and pickle on Martin's potato buns, which they toast on the outside, leaving the inside of the bun soft.

They do two other burger styles: the Slap’N Melt, which features cheese stuffed into a beef patty, then seared so the exterior is hard and the interior is melting cheese; and the Slap N Jack, a double patty burger with caramelized onions, mushrooms, and pepperjack cheese.

Other menu options include hot dogs, as well as fried chicken in a number of ways: as a sandwich with pickles and cole slaw on a griddled bun; as tenders; in a loaded platter over choice of mac & cheese or fries; or chicken & waffles, with choice of an Oreo or Fruity Pebbles waffle.

Alcohol is not allowed at a halal restaurant, but Slaps has house-made lemonade in a variety of flavors such as dragonfruit, strawberry, orange Curacao, and mango.

Shepherding the concept to DFW is Adam Shawish, the enterprising owner of Arabian Village, who is transforming the center into an exciting foodie destination with businesses such as Arwa Coffee, recognized as the first Yemeni-style coffee shop in DFW.

Shawish was inspired after visiting Slap Burger while on a trip to the Northeast, seeking interesting concepts that might make a good fit at the center.

"One night, my wife and I had already had dinner, but I was determined to try it and they were open late," Shawish says. "I fell in love with it on the first bite. Texas has a lot of burgers, but I said, 'This is my type of hamburger.' It's very simple, not mixed with anything, the buns are not too soggy — just a pure burger experience, not like anything else in Dallas-Fort Worth."

Shawish says that construction is underway and they hope to get it open by Christmas.

"My office is right next door," he says. "Every time I get ready to go home for the day, I ask the kids what they want for dinner, and I can't wait for Slap Burger to open so that I won't have to ask."

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