There are two things fundamentally wrong with this burger with respect to my culinary tastes:
1 - it is pink.
2 - there's no real meat in it.
However, the thing with fundamentals is that they remain the primary rule as long as they are not challenged and changed. That only comes with being open to having your fundamentals challenged to prove them right.
With food, the very first time my fundamentals were challenged were at the P.F. Chang's at Dubai mall. The "P.F. Chang's secret" would forever change how I would look at non-alcoholic beverages. It is very safe to say my Alice of beverages has gone through many rabbitholes of tastes ever since.
The second time would be a combination winner of trying rabbit and subsequently horse meat. Were they to be standalone scenarios, I do not think the effect would be just as grandiose. However, the closeness and timing of the two incidents would bring an everlasting change to my fundamentals about meat.
When it comes to oddly colored food I am quite excommunicado about it all. It might be the mix of my ancestral gut feeling of keeping away from colorful yet toxic plants and remembering the first time I learned octopus blood being used to create black dye for black burger buns.
However, this was a very special treat that wasn't limited to the taste buds of my tongue. I did not expect to get bamboozled to the point of impression by vegan meat. But here we are.
I cannot express how thoroughly impressed I was by how uncanny the patty tasted like beef. I mean, I've read about it. But would you really trust the words of someone who hasn't tasted real beef in the last 12 years? I wouldn't. But now that I've tasted vegan meat, I can join the cheers and be loud about it. But it isn't even about the taste...but how I felt after it.
The blue burger was for @delishtreats and the salad and sweet potato fries for Stephan, who drove hours and went out of their way meeting up with myself and @priyanarc. If it weren't for them, I would have probably never known what I was missing out on.
Ever since, which is a long time back, I have found myself dipping my fingers in a lot more vegan dishes. I see myself resonating with many vegan-food lovers when they say they feel much better after vegan meals compared to non-vegan meals. Even when I'm eating out, I genuinely consider eating vegan simply because the food quality is really up there and I feel superb throughout the day and the next. The benefits that come with eating vegan lifestyle is the cherry on top.
Vegan kip (chicken) biryani from the Vegan Food Bar is my second choice on their menu. It is Pri's first, though. Tbf, the restaurant is not all that. Actually, it could come off as disappointing at the first look, as it did to me. But the food is incredible. I've tried a couple of vegan spots in Amsterdam and I can say the experience is not limited to this restaurant. But it being the most accessible for me and introducing me to this side of the culinary world gives it an extra star.
Try vegan. Frfr.
