The Times
Giles Coren ate an entire week’s worth of 30 veg varieties in one lunch at a health-conscious restaurant that describes itself as “chef-driven” and “plant-forward” – Hg stands for Honest Greens, he stressed, not the dangerous element mercury – although “shareholder-driven” would probably be more accurate given that the menu is a fixed roster of “market plates” and “garden bowls” that is “as far as I can tell, the same all over Europe”.
Giles merrily mocked the virtuous slogans on the wall – “EAT LIKE YOUR ANCESTORS. What? Barely once a day if I’m lucky, glatt kosher, basically just bony lake fish, turnips and moss? Wahay” – while agreeing with the basic premise that we should all eat huge plates of fibrous greens, nuts, seeds and legumes, plus small portions of protein.
As for the flavours… well, apart from the fresh hot falafels and the tahini sauce, Giles’s food was “minging”: “the seven-leaf salad felt like standard bagged stuff to garnish a dull pub sandwich”, while his mushroom risotto “tasted of nothing at all, just a big pat of wet carpet”. Esther, Mrs Coren, though, was most partial to her “Latin Lover with extra beef” (cue much sniggering from Giles).
Giles Coren - 2026-01-18
