Hold the door! I was so excited. I’d been reading about Beyond Meat but didn’t know it was available in Australia. I love the taste of meat, but I’m fully on board with the research that says we eat too much of it to be healthy, and that if the world consumed much less meat, it would be much better for the planet.
So, what would it taste like? I was glad to find it at Grill’d (this branch was in World Square). I’ve always found it an interesting chain. To still be fast food but go up a notch, offering a wider menu, a nicer customer experience and serving alcohol: I think it’s a good approach. On the other hand, I think the idea of a burger and a glass of wine (and a side of fries) for $30 would surprise a lot of people. But I think the value was fine.
Completely aside from the burger, the zucchini chips were ridiculously good. Whatever technique they use to get them so crispy: bravo. And the burger? Well, it didn’t bleed, as I’d heard it might do, from the beetjuice, but the biggest thing I noticed was the charred flavour from the grill tasted pretty much exactly like charred meat.
The texture tasted like a somewhat overprocessed meat patty, as you often get at fast food restaurants, which don’t necessarily taste like meat, either. So, while I didn’t think it tasted exactly like a burger made out of freshly ground beef, I did think that it tasted like a burger that you get at a fast food restaurant.
And matched with a delicious bun and extras, those amazing chips and a glass of wine: I was mighty, might impressed. Am going to drag my husband in to try one too. Soon.