Fish-Free Tuna and France’s Swap Chicken Debut in Chicago: “A Meaningful Shift”

Two exciting brands have made the Windy City the official site for the launch of their meatless products, which will take center stage on plates in some of Chicago’s most respected and bustling restaurants. 

Meatless chicken lands on Chicago menus

Swap Food, based in the Alsace region of France, is making its US debut in Chicago after debuting its whole-cut filet in Europe four years ago. The meatless filet features 19 grams of protein and is made with just eight ingredients, including non-GMO soy protein and pea protein. Using a proprietary technology called Umisation, Swap Food transforms plant proteins into the fibrous textures found in meat.

Swap Food plans to launch throughout the US and Canada, first with restaurants and then grocery retailers. Chicago is its first stop, and Swap Chicken can already be found on many local menus, including at The Chicago Diner.

Swap Food

“We are excited to build on Swap Chicken’s early market traction in the vibrant food scene of Chicago and offer consumers and chefs an easy ‘Swap’ for animal meat, a tasty, versatile, high protein chicken replacement,” David Biede, Vice President and General Manager of Swap in North America, tells VegNews. “We are excited to see what chefs swap next on Chicago menus and beyond.”

Chefs are creating dishes such as lemon chicken piccata at Spirit Elephant and Vegan Now 2Go’s chicken gyro. Swap will also be sampling dishes from its own food truck. Set to travel around the city, the truck will feature a different menu item and restaurant each day. (To keep up with the food truck and sample its tasty offerings, check out Swap’s Instagram for the schedule and menu.)

Swap Food

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“It’s important for us to only add items to the menu that already meet our standards of taste and texture as well as a clean label with minimal ingredients,” Arel Brown, co-owner of Soul Veg City and Vegan Now 2Go, which both carry the product, tells VegNews. “We were intrigued when the team reached out and have had a great time working with Swap because it works seamlessly with the menu our customers already love. Their chicken passed our taste tests with flying colors. The feedback has been great.”

While Swap is sweeping Chicago, a local brand is also making  its  debut on menus across the city. 

Locally made fish-free tuna

Aqua Cultured Foods’ fish-free tuna has not only gone onto the menu at Mama Delia, a Bib Gourmand restaurant in Chicago’s Wicker Park neighborhood, but it has also entirely replaced its conventional tuna. 

Aqua grows whole cuts of cruelty-free seafood from microbes in brewing vats, which are then fermented on trays, cut, and marinated in plant-based umami flavors to look, taste and behave like the fish it is replacing. The process is akin to the same traditional fermentation techniques used in sourdough and wine making as well as biomass fermentation.

Aqua Cultured Foods

“After nearly four years in the making, I’m incredibly excited to see Aqua Tuna on fine dining menus,” Brittany Chibe, CEO and co-founder of Aqua Cultured Foods, tells VegNews. “Seeing our fish-free tuna prepared by visionary chefs brings out its full potential—delicate, rich, and incredibly fresh, just like the real thing. This launch represents a meaningful shift in how we can approach seafood. It’s better for the planet and just as satisfying on the plate.”

For Michelin-starred chef Marcos Campos Sanchez of Mama Delia, choosing Aqua Tuna was easy due to its taste, texture, presentation, and overall sustainability.

“Aqua vegan tuna is a game-changer for our kitchen—it brings the ocean’s essence to our dish without compromising our commitment to sustainability and health, as vegan options often have lower levels of mercury and are cholesterol-free,” Campos Sanchez tells VegNews. “It also caters to a broader audience, including vegetarians and those with seafood allergies—enhancing the restaurant’s appeal to diverse clientele and providing diners with a nutritious alternative.”

Aqua Cultured Foods

US rollouts for both brands are just beginning in Chicago, but the goal is to make inroads across the country in very different ways. Swap is casting a wide net for finding partner restaurants, while Aqua is focusing on working with Chicago fine-dining chefs and their establishments before the company branches out to other locales.