Green Rebel

Healthy, versatile, and flavoursome, Alpana Singh checks out Green Rebel’s sweet and sour 'pork', and 'beef' rendang, and comes back impressed.

Being a busy docent at the Asian Civilisations Museum, I was delighted to learn that the attached Privé restaurant will soon be adding some new, plant-based, meat alternatives to their menu. These offerings come from Green Rebel, an Indonesian company, owned by a young, and enthusiastic couple: Helga Angelina, and Max Mandias. Long-time vegans, with an established chain of plant-based eateries called Burgreens, in their home-country, the duo wanted to bring their delectable products, to Singapore. The win is for us!

We started our brunch at Privé, with a live cooking demonstration by Mandias, showcasing his exemplary skills as a chef, and to familiarise us with the look, and potential of the product. He dished up two starters of ‘beef’ steak with mushroom Alfredo sauce, and some delicious Indonesian-style ‘chicken’ satay (he even brought some special peanut sauce from Jakarta)! Mandias showed us the ‘raw’ product, and how it would not disintegrate or crumble with heat. The whole cuts are made out of mushrooms, non-GMO soy, and rolled oats, along with spices, and herbs. The steak, I am happy to report, was fork-tender, and beautifully flavoured, with a classic mushroom sauce. The satay was caramelised to perfection, with a smoky flavour, and had the right amount of punch, making it a great option as an appetiser, or a snack.

For the second course, we had ‘beef’ tenderloin ($24), which used meatless steak, and came with crispy vegan fritters, slices of water chestnut, and a tantalising black pepper sauce. We then sampled the absolutely delectable sweet and sour ‘pork’ ($22), which tasted like the real deal,and made a perfect pairing with a bowl of fluffy rice. The crispy ‘pork’ pieces were cooked in the classic zingy sweet-sour sauce, served alongside strips of capsicum, and topped with a sliver of lychee. These two dishes will be available at the Chinese restaurant  Empress, which is also attached to the Ancient Civilisations Museum. 

The main course was a Philly ‘cheesesteak’ sandwich ($21), served with thick french fries and mesclun salad. The sandwich was gratifying and comforting, just how it is supposed to be: meaty, filling, and quite addictive.  The star dish for me was the ‘beef’ rendang spaghetti alfredo ($20). A little spicy, with the luscious rendang sauce clinging to the noodles, it featured traditional Indonesian flavours such as kaffir lime, lemongrass, and coconut flakes. The ‘beef’ pieces were tender, and juicy. I will definitely be coming back for this! Both of these remarkable dishes can be enjoyed at all Privé outlets across the island.

You can also savour some more dishes made using Green Rebel products at plant-based butcher Love Handle’s restaurant. The company endeavours to expand to more restaurants, and also aims to have whole-cut pieces, available in supermarkets soon, giving patrons the option to personalise their meals. But if you’re often on the go, fear not, pre-flavoured cuts will also hit the market, wherein you can dish up a healthy, and tasty meal in less than 20 minutes!