‘best burgers in town’ are ones with no meat!
EVERYONE has their idea of a perfect burger.
A juicy patty stacked high with onion rings, slathered in sauce or topped with piles of cheese... we’ve all got our favourite. But how about a burger made from beetroot, cashew nuts and lentils?
According to TripAdvisor, the best burgers in Cardiff are meat-free.
Taking the top spot in the Welsh capital is popular vegan restaurant Anna Loka, on Albany Road, which might not be the first place to spring to mind when you think of burgers.
It has beaten the likes of The Grazing Shed, Bill’s, Got Beef and Elevens Bar & Grill to take the crown, thanks to more than 300 “excellent” ratings on the website.
Many people will no doubt be shocked that a meatless burger is number one in a city where a plethora of juicy beef patties reign side-byside.
There are three burger options on the menu. The Anna-Loka Rodeo Burger is a homemade seitan patty topped with an onion ring, vegan cheese, tomato and gherkin, smothered in barbecue and burger sauce; the Ultimate Burger is a beetroot, cashew and red lentil patty stacked between two onion rings, jalapeños, tomato, lettuce, gherkins, garlic mayo and sweet chilli sauce, and the Mendoan Burger is a Purwokertostyle battered tempeh with thai slaw, lemon-herb mayo, sweet chilli sauce, tomatoes, gherkins and pickled ginger.
According to TripAdvisor reviewer oPandao: “I’m no vegan, but their deep fried tempeh burgers are amazing! Friendly staff, good food, and a cute little place.”
Twiggywales84 writes: “I had the rodeo burger with added ‘bacon’ and it is by far the best vegan burger I have ever eaten. Really worth the trip for that alone.”
As for reporter Kathryn Williams’ view? She went along to see if they lived up to the hype...
I’ve no problem with calling meatless bun-stuffed fast food, burgers, either. While the traditional hamburger is historically a minced beef patty between two halves of bread, we’ve been more than happy to stick the terms chicken, lamb or turkey before it for years.
Anyway, you might garner that I’m not a vegan, not even a veggie, in fact I’ll try just about anything – without the gluttony – but I don’t think this stops me from enjoying the new-found combinations of meat-free alternatives, as I think on the whole, we should be eating less meat. It’s just common sense.
Anna Loka’s a well-established eatery in Roath, so I was confident that they know what they are doing. In fact I was told by my server that the burger was one of their best-sellers.
With this in mind I ordered the Ultimate Burger (£12.95), which comes with triple-cooked chips – nice.
When it came, it was the pictureperfect burger – the kind Scooby and Shaggy would dreamily float towards, distracting them from Old Man whateverhisnameis.
I’m not gonna lie, it tasted pretty good too.
I think Anna Loka has utterly nailed the flavour and texture sensations you want from a burger.
You have a perfectly formed bun which held well against the fillings. Two big onion rings, a bed of beef tomato and lettuce plus a nice layer of vegan garlic mayo and some gherkins and jalapenos for extra crunch.
The patty itself was made from beetroot, cashew and red lentils. No, it wasn’t the same texture as meat and I wouldn’t want it to be, but it provided a substantial, thick, focus for all of the other ingredients to work with.
It was tasty in its own right, too. And yes, I managed to get all the fillings in one big bite – what can I say, other than, yes, I have a big mouth. While you may scoff (not the eating kind, the dismissive kind) at a vegan burger being number one, it’s fair to say that Anna Loka’s contribution proves that you can enjoy a meatless meal whether you have a plantbased diet or not.