Is a meal at Planta pricier than any other vegan meal you've had? Probably. But is it an excellent option if you don't eat meat and going out somewhere "fancy" with people often means ordering the lone risotto at a nice resto? Absolutely!
There were some hits and misses with the food, but it was overall a great (and great-looking) place to celebrate. Portions are large. We were so stuffed by the end of our giant 2-hour lunch that we couldn't get to dessert, but they were happy to let us linger and finish our wine.
Notes:
+ Peas & Rice ($6.35): this side was excellent (and sadly seems to have rotated off the menu at the time of writing). Its simple name belies the savoury mix of red beans, pimento, pumpkin and coconut milk that makes it up.
+ Pizza ($17): tried some of a daily special with greens - if it's any indication of the other pizzas I'll happily get another one on my next visit.
± Planta Burger ($18.90): the concept of a $20 veggie burger may be a little hard to stomach, but that aside, it's pretty good. It will fall apart though, and was a bit dry - use the tomatillo ketchup. Spiced fries on the side were DELISH!!!
± Steamed Broccoli ($6.35): Good. It's broccoli.
± Curry Hot Pot ($18.25): I was expecting something heartier and thicker - it was still tasty although not super exciting, so I'd try something else next time.
- Chicken Fried Mushrooms ($6.35): tasty but only when they just hit the table - they very quickly become greasy and limp, so get to them fast if you're going to order these.
- Fried Kimchi Dumplings ($10.25): hard pass. Sounded great in theory but they were pretty much just over-fried dumpling wrappers without filling, which seems to be the norm judging by some other reviews below.
+ It's so pretty here.