text: ChuChai is amazing not just for its uncanny yet playful renditions of fake meat but for the flavor combinations that make it great cuisine meat or notnnFirst let us talk about the meat made of tempeh tofu seitan and other such things The beef has genuinely beefy texture that of braised meat that falls apart at the touch of a fork The duck has fleshlike striations and even emulates that layer of fat between the meat and the skin The shrimp is probably the least realistic but playful with pink stripes painted on to the curved little nuggetsnnOur table started with an order of poutine not knowing what to expect It was a marvelous play on the classic with crispy fries blanketed in a Thai mock beef salad piquant with lemongrass lime and herbs then topped with diced avocado and arugula That was my favorite item of the night though the spicy and flavorful beef panang curry was a close second The crispy duck came in a sweet and sort of boring soybased sauce but the duck was a marvel to be admired Husband particularly loved the garlicky eggplant with faux shrimp and hoarded it mostly to himself And the spicy chicken in peanut sauce came with an outstanding crispy spinach reminiscent of kale chips The only dud was pad thai which did not live up the excitement of the other dishes Come here and be astounded