Soul Burger – Randwick
A few months ago I went to Soul Burger in Randwick for the first time since they went completely plant-based in December 2015. Having become used to being limited to just one option at burger joints (generally involving a veggie patty of some sort), it was so strange being able to pick anything from the menu! But before I go into detail, let me share with you my story.
I have a long history with burgers.
When I was growing up in Jakarta, my mum used to treat us (my sisters and I) with Wendy’s burgers on weekends. Wendy’s was (and still is) a big-name US fast food chain, which pretty much revolves around burgers and chips, and is marginally better than McDonalds.
Back then burgers were a luxury food for our family and for many others. They were more a lot more expensive than local Indonesian food and you could only find them in high-end shopping centres. People would go to burger joints for a celebration, or some sort of special event. You certainly wouldn’t find people eating burgers every day. Not even the people working there.
Fast forward a few years later, I moved to Australia… the land of burgers, pies and sausage rolls. I put on ten kilos in the first year! (I think I’m still carrying most of the weight gain, even now, 15 years later!).
So now I’m back to treating burgers as a luxury food item, not because of their price (although some can cost upward of $20), but because of their high calorie count. I need to either have enough ‘calorie credit’ to eat the burger or know that I can ‘pay for it’ somehow (with some sweat and tears). That’s how I treat all comfort foods. It’s a fun way of looking at the trade-off between taste and calories, and it also helps you make a better decision. And when I do indulge, I want it to taste good. Really good. Because, hey, I’m paying big for it, not just with my wallet, but with my hustle.
Anyway, the point is (and sorry for the long-winded introduction), now that I’m vegan, finding a good plant-based burger has become an ongoing pursuit.
Until Soul Burger! They don’t just make good burgers, they smash them out of the ballpark. Just check out their menu.
I wanted to try everything all at the same time but settled with Chilli Beef which has plant-based beef, lettuce, tomato, jalapenos, sriracha aioli (I know!) and tomato relish. My boyfriend Nat opted for a more traditional Classic Cheese burger which has plant-based beef, cheese, lettuce, tomato relish and mustard aioli. They were both really good (though I think mine tasted better!). Here’s a quick video on how it all went down. Missa (my spoodle) makes a cameo in this little clip. Hope you like it.
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