Over the last year and a half, we’ve frequently been ordering food from Alta Foods. In fact, for those of you who follow me on instagram, I’ve probably posted about their food at least once a fortnight! Yep, that’s how much we love what they do.
Alta Foods started up during the initial phase of the pandemic, working with Dumplings Legend in London’s Chinatown to deliver frozen versions of some of their most popular dishes. Fast forward to now and there are 6 restaurants and brands working with Alta with a range covering frozen meals from Indian street food to gourmet pasta sauces and now, even vegan alternatives to many Chinese dishes through their new partnership with Kay Kay.
Frozen meals for food lovers
As I’ve mentioned, the range is growing all the time. For me though, where Alta excels is their East Asian food. Our absolute favourite which goes in the basket every time is the marinated aubergine with minced pork and chilli from Dumplings Legend The slippery velvet texture of the aubergines combined with the ground meat and sheer thump of garlic and chilli is delightful. We also love the Hong Kong curry brisket and Dongpo braised pork belly (pictured below), both also from Dumplings Legend.
Alta also does a good amount of vegan food – not just the range from Kay Kay which I mention below but also the OmniPork dishes. Their mapo tofu is incredible and probably my favourite dish so far after the aubergine.
We’re yet to try the Italian range from Taste Modern (Michelin starred no less) and have only had the Hariyali chicken from Aatcha (which was delicious) but they are on the list to try soon and I have no doubt they’ll be excellent.
How does it work?
Working with their restaurant partners, Alta Foods prepare restaurant quality meals which are delivered frozen and flat packed (handy for fitting more into your freezer!). You simply pick the one you want, heat it in boiling water for 15-20 minutes and away you go! We’ve ordered probably 5-6 times now throughout the lockdown and never been disappointed!
Kay Kay Vegan Chinese
Tonight we tried the new range from Kay Kay Vegan Chinese. Usually, we’d share one large pouch between the two of us with some steamed rice. But, hey, it’s Monday night so why not feast and try them all at once?! The range includes three dishes and each pouch serves 2 people.
- Chick’n In Cantonese Sauce – 中式鸡
- Mock® Lamb in Agave Syrup Black Pepper Sauce – 蜜汁羊
- Shanghai Noodles with Five Spiced Tofu, Black Fungus & Shiitake Mushrooms – 上海撈麺
They were all delicious, just as we’d come to expect with the wider Alta range. My favourite was the Mock® Lamb in Agave Syrup Black Pepper Sauce. It was sweet, spicy and with an intense heat from the black pepper. The mock lamb, which is made from soya protein, is actually one of the best vegan meat alternatives we’ve tried – both for flavour and texture. It really could have been slices of lamb in there. Priced at £11.00 this is the most expensive of the three dishes on offer but it felt like a real treat – restaurant quality and well worth the money.
The Chick’n in Cantonese Sauce is a classic dish. It has soft onions and that tangy sweet and sour sauce that many of us associate with Chinese takeaways of our youth. A proper nostalgic and very tasty bowl of food. This dish is £9.00 – £4.50 a head is cheaper than you’d ever get at a takeaway.
Dave’s favourite was the Shanghai noodles and I have to agree, they were pretty special. The five spice tofu pairs perfectly with the umami-rich, earthy flavour of the mushrooms and black fungus (which I love). The noodles go in for just a few minutes at the end, to cook through in the boiling water alongside your pouch. They had a good springy texture. This one is £10.50.
Try Alta Foods for yourself!
If you’ve seen enough and want to give Alta Foods a try, I’ve got good news for you. I have a friends and family code for new customers! Get 20% off your first order^ by clicking here and you do try it, I’d love to hear which meals you order and what you think!
*I didn’t pay for my Kay Kay Vegan Chinese dishes. I paid for the other dishes shown and have been buying Alta Foods products for a long time now.*
^Spend over £30 to qualify!