What are they? I've yet to come across them except at really nice vegetarian restaurants. My wife is a vegetarian, I've tried quite a few and none live up to their meat counterparts.Said that, at the moment, there are already plenty of meat alternatives that taste just as nice as meat, so why wait for lab meat? ; )
The fact that you find dishes in vegetarian restaurants tasty proves that there are vegan options that can satisfy your taste. Maybe ask for the recipe next time you eat something nice. Usually the tastier vegan options tend to be more processed so they aren't usually the healthiest. The problem is that our palette is so accustomed to high salt and fats that we no longer enjoy the subtle flavours of vegetables. The tongue can be trained though. The Taifun brand has quite a few tasty tofu products. My favourites are Puszta-Wiener and the Smoked Tofu. This is a German brand which is available throughout all Europe, I'm not sure if it's available elsewhere. Seitan, which is derived from wheat, has quite a "meaty" texture. There are some nice marinated options available. You can also do your own marinades. Plain meat substitutes are bland (just as meat is bland without spices) so it can take a bit of practice until you find a flavour that you're happy with. Things like salt, soya sauce, olive oil, lemon juice, miso, paprika, garlic, onions, and various herbs can be combined in different and interesting tasty ways to make your meat alternative taste yum : )