[Meat Free January] Patty & Bun 'Dig It' Veggie Burger

There's always a slight sense of disappointment when revisiting some of my best rated and favourite burgers in London, only to masochistically ignore the joys of their unctuous beefy creations, and instead order the vegetarian option.

Patty & Bun 'Dig It' Veggie Burger

Patty & Bun, one of London's best burgers, delivers just that feeling. As I continue my meat free January - the second year I've sacrificed the pleasures of the flesh for the pleasures of the field - I can't help but crave. So I order the only burger on the menu that I'm allowed - the portobello 'Dig It' mushroom burger...

Price: Dig It Burger - £7.50

The Dig It veggie burger, all wrapped up

Analysis:

The Dig It burger consists of a flat-griddled portobello mushroom, topped with garlic parsley butter and covered with melted parmesan cheese. This core is then accessorised with pickled onions (the same strips of pinky-red pickled onion used in the definitely-not-meat-free Ari Gold burger), a 'slaw, lettuce, buttermilk baby courgette and tarragon mayo. It's all wrapped in a brioche bun.

mmm...shiny brioche

To say it wasn't a painful experience, to sit and wait for my veggie burger takeaway while a stream of Ari Gold and Smokey Robinson burgers were paraded past me from the kitchen, would be a lie. But my burger arrived in short order and I departed the heaving restaurant to sit on a street corner and undertake my burger analysis for veggies everywhere.

That's one seriously cheese-coated mushroom right there...

Even a Patty & Bun veggie burger is a 10 napkin clean up job.

And as veggie burgers go...it's pretty darn good. The portobello mushroom as the patty replacement is a tried and tested ingredient (Byron use it as their core veggie burger across their restaurants), but I find it SUPER boring if it's not accessorised well. Luckily it is. And with a cracking combination of toppings too.

It's all about balance. The acidity of the pickled onions and parmesan umami strike a perfect note when combined with the mellow creaminess of the tarragon mayo. The garlic butter enhances the flavour of the mushroom, and the crunchy lettuce adds crunch and texture to the whole construction.

This is a win/win situation for meat lovers and veggies alike - you can ALL go to Patty & Bun and be satisfied that the burger wares won't disappoint!

Patty & Bun
James Street
London W1U 1EH