How delivery-only restaurant brands became a legacy of the pandemic.
Korean chicken wings have long been a favourite at Bone Daddies. Marinated in a mix of mirin, sake, ginger and salt, deep fried, smothered in a sticky gochujang sauce, and topped with sesame seeds, the signature side has been a staple of the ramen group’s menu since it launched back in 2012.
So popular is the dish, in fact, it appears on the menus across the Bone Daddies London estate, which also includes the two-strong Japanese izakaya concept Flesh & Buns, with restaurants in Covent Garden and Oxford Circus; and Shackfuyu in Soho, which is inspired by the Western-influenced Japanese yoshoku cooking style. In May last year – as the country found itself locked down for the first time – the group even released the recipe online, giving loyal customers the chance to recreate the wings at home.
Rosa’s Thai Cafe is to bring back its vegetarian spin-off Rosa’s Thai Veggie in the form of a virtual brand in London Fields with ambitions to open further delivery-only sites as well as explore bricks and mortar opportunities.
The brand initially launched as a three month-long vegetarian-only pop-up at Rosa’s Thai Soho restaurant in 2018.
The group says it is bringing back the brand in response to an increased demand for vegetarian and vegan dishes across its 22-strong estate.
Rosa’s Thai Veggie s vegetarian and vegan menu will combine reworked Rosa’s Thai Cafe classics - including founder Saiphin Moore’s signature stir-fried aubergine dish and tofu pad thai - with new dishes exclusive to the concept, including Rosa’s summer rolls with tamarind tempeh to chu chi tempeh, a thick and creamy panang curry with kaffir lime leaves and fresh chillies, both developed in collaboration with organic tempeh specialists Club Cultured.