When I first moved to Reading, in the relatively early stages of my new found intolerances I was still a Pescigan. Or that's what I called myself. I was a Vegan that ate fish occasionally. I figure a Vegetarian who eats fish is called a Pescatarian so it worked!
I say this because I spent a lot of time near the high street with my job as our store wasn't open yet. This meant trying lots of new fancy things for lunch, although Itsu was always my favourite. Sushi for days I wanted it, Salads for days I didn't and Edamame Beans for every day. It was on the cheaper and healthier side of what was available in the high street.
It was a clear favourite. Well that was until I dropped fish, then for a while I boycotted it. There wasn't much in there that was Vegan except for the Avocado Maki Rolls and Edamame Beans. That isn't the greatest lunch in the world, although for me that is still quite a decent meal! (Better than my staple Ready Salted Crisps and an Apple.)
Today, it is a different tale. Not only did they introduce more Vegan options, but they are delicious and they have definitely improved the quality of the food too.
Here is my take on what to eat at Itsu and why you should give it a go...
Staff:
I shall not be scoring on this occasion, it is very much a counter service kind of a place. They are nice, friendly and the queue is never too big, so big thumbs up in my book!
Food:
I will split this into Sushi, Salads and Hot Pots (as I now have options in all). For those of you who don't know Itsu, I should have mentioned earlier that it is "Fast Food of the future" inspired by Asian Cuisine. It's all pretty healthy, great to eat on the go and you can try so many different things without being too adventurous.
Sushi
For those of you who read the blog and are solely Vegan, there are now 4 solid options for you. One of which is a great combination box filled with Avocado Baby Rolls, Veggie Club Rolls, Veggie Gyoza and Edamame Salad. A brilliantly healthy and quick lunch.
For those of you who are both Gluten Free and Vegan, then there is just the one Sushi option which is the 14 pack of Avocado Baby Maki Rolls. Obviously not a great selection to choose from, though I still adore them plus they are great for a little lunch or for snacking on them throughout the day. The Avocado is always perfectly ripe and they have completely improved on the Rice with a smoother texture.
Those of you just being Gluten Free, you've got a tonne to choose from. All the Salmon in the world awaits you, from memory I enjoyed it a fair amount although it was a bit bland and could have done with some seasoning. Now I don't eat it anymore, I must remind you to ease my conscience that the oceans are horribly filled with plastic and the fish eat there, you might want to think twice what's in your food... Yuk. (No more judgement from here on.)
Salads
In this option we again have a fair amount to choose from, as a Vegan only, you could choose from wraps, to Gyozas, to Salads. I however always go for the only Gluten Free Vegan option which is called "The Humble Warrior" which contains "a baked not fried Quinoa & Sweet Potato Falafel, Avocado, Seed & Veg salad and Sushi Rice with a low fat green herb dressing." It is delicious and wins me over each time.
I find Falafel can be pretty dry and dense, Itsu have countered that and brought us this brilliantly light yet flavoursome piece of Falafel instead. The Avocado as always is perfectly ripe with there being a favourable amount of it in the dish too. The Veg Salad has wonderful Tenderstem Broccoli (always a winner), shelled Edamame Beans, Peas with mixed leaves as a base. A great combination, as you know by now I love Edamame Beans so you can imagine that Peas are also up there with my favourite Veg. I've been known to eat them on their own too! Anyway, the Sushi Rice brings it all together, giving it that Asian food feel whilst complimenting the rest of the ingredients. I am not a huge fan of dressings, this one is pretty good just not something I would empty completely over the salad. Sometimes, I just leave it altogether. Having that option is definitely a plus!
Hot Pots (Rice Bowls, Soups, Noodles etc)
The Hot Pot range has grown the most I believe, there are now 5 options for Vegans and 2 for Gluten Free Vegans in this range. I hadn't tried any of them until recently and this has sparked my review.
I tried the "Thai Coconut Veggie Pot'Soup". Part of what drew me in to giving it a go was that it contained Silken Tofu. A type of Tofu I've seen on shelves and walked past due to not knowing what the difference was or if it was difficult to cook. This gave me the opportunity to try it without needing to chef it up. As my broken record reminds you, I'm not a big fan of Coconut. Although I find when it is in a broth or sauce I can manage the flavour better.
The Veggie Pot'Soup contains Silken Tofu, Brown & Red Rice, seasonal Greens in a Thai spiced Coconut Broth topped with Pumpkin Seeds. When I opened it I definitely didn't feel ripped off, I don't understand how they got the lid on! All the Tofu and Seeds were packed in the top, I gave it a good but careful stir. It was piping hot, considering it came from Deliveroo it shows Itsu specialise in takeaway food and ensuring it stays an ideal temperature for longer.
Having tasted a bite, soon enough the entire pot was gone pretty quickly. The flavours weren't kick you in the teeth though they were still pretty good. The broth wasn't too prominent which fortunately didn't make it too soupy. Sometimes I find pots or bowls like this have way too much soup in them, making it harder to finish the whole thing without drowning! This level of liquid was perfect, the Rice was cooked well and the Tofu was... interesting. Not sure I liked it, it pretty much just melted as soon as it touched my tongue without much flavour.
Overall, I enjoyed their food even though it doesn't blow me away. Let's be fair though, we are talking about a relatively low price fast food place, so my standards can't be too high.
8/10
Allergies/Intolerances:
Itsu have definitely got a hang of this... Online. In the store it isn't as easy. Online you can go on each menu item and it will tell you what it contains. Or you could use the filter and it will only show you the things that are Vegan or Gluten Free etc. It is a great website, very helpful and easy to see which dishes are okay to eat.
Instore, not as easy. Well, that was the case the last time I checked which wasn't too long ago.
I think it should be easy enough for them to add the "ve" "gf" & "df" onto the labels on the shelf. One time I went in there and forgot which dish I could have, so I opened my phone and checked the website as the labels do not tell you much apart from calories. I know I could have asked, however sometimes it is just easier to use the tools you have. Plus I knew and trusted the website as I'd used it many times before.
I understand why they don't label the boxes, much like Pret a Manger, as they make their food fresh and they might have more of one item than the other so plain boxes saves on costs and unnecessary printing. So that I wouldn't ask to change, just the on shelf labelling system.
Itsu have plenty to choose from no matter what allergy or intolerance you might have. There is always something, plus their snacks and sides are growing in range too. Now I can even end on a Corn Cake or a Roasted Seeds bar. They definitely have health on the agenda.
8/10
All in all, Itsu is a great spot to grab a quick lunch. There is something for everyone, it is guaranteed healthy and super easy. If you have one near you, next time you pop out for your lunch break or to meet your friends for a quick bite, think of going here. It's a place I always keep in my rotation and I would bet they'll grow their Vegan and Gluten Free ranges more in the near future!