Breakfast for Lunch: "Ham" Omelette at Padmanadi

"Ham" omelette at Padmanadi #yegfood, a photo by raise my voice on Flickr.

I have been a fan of the Indonesian vegan fare at Padmanadi for years, ever since the restaurant was still located in Chinatown. However, I never had the opportunity to have brunch until this past weekend.

Only available on Saturdays and Sundays until 2 p.m., the brunch menu concists of a variety of pancake, French toast, scramble, and omelette dishes - all made without actual eggs, meat, and dairy. Substitutes mostly made from different formulations of bean curd are presented.

I had a "ham and cheese" omelette, sans cheese. I have realized that even in vegan form, I cannot handle the taste and texture of it. The "butter" on the organic multigrain toast tasted so much like the real thing, I was almost afraid I would actually have a lactose reaction. A side of fresh fruit added colour to the dish, while the root vegetable hash was ample and had a nice seasoning to it, some of the pieces were undercooked.

Now, for the omelette itself. The "egg" part was bean curd spread thin. It had the look and texture of egg with a very pleasant crispy outside, but did not much of a flavour in and of itself. It absorbed flavour from the filling, which was spinach, mushrooms, and large slabs of "ham", also a soy or tofu substitute I have had many times at the restaurant. I was amazed at how much of the meat was in there. I opted out of the "cheese" but I am sure it would have been generous.

I added a side of "sausage" to my meal but really did not have to. This was as filling as a supper entree. Bean curd is much denser than eggs and I was full for the rest of the day.

At around $15 per meal, plus drinks and additional optional sides, brunch at Padmanadi is a bit pricey but very unique and with huge portions.