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Temple of Seitan is the holy grail of vegan people in London - it’s not just 100% vegan food, but it’s also a fun restaurant to enjoy your meal, listen to a great playlist (yes, music is important when you go out for food), and great staff. Also, last but not least … you can get a burger, a side and a drink for less than £15!
I just want to confirm, the brand is not for vegans only, I am not vegan, but Temple of Seitan gave me the idea of a better concept of fast food. Did the food taste different? Not the same? Of course, it was different! But definitely better than your normal fast food chain’s meal. Besides, the variety of sides and combinations you have is insane. Needless to say, they have the best, YEAH! THE BEST Mac ’n’ Cheese I’ve ever eaten.
We had a different selection of food off the menu: the classic Temple Burger with Chick’n Fillet, Ranch Mayo (which you can also buy to bring home with you), Bacon, Cheese, Lettuce and Pickles - the BBQ Bacon which is a quarter pound patty with classic mayo, cheese, bacon pickles and house BBQ Sauce with sides of BBQ Flavoured Wings, Fries Popcorn Bites and Mac N Cheese. Obviously, everything was delicious and we already mentioned the Mac 'N' Cheese, but let me take a moment to talk about the BBQ Flavoured Wings, I can't explain how mouthwatering they are. You better get to your nearest branch and try them yourself.
What are the ingredients of the food at Temple of Seitan though? The chicken is a blend of wheat gluten and spices, Temple of Seitan's own secret seitan recipe.
All the bacon is 'made in house' seitan as well, as are the beef-style burgers. Each is made to reflect the texture and taste of their non-vegan counterparts. For instance, the wheat gluten base for the beef-style patty also includes soya protein to help it mimic the texture and chewiness of a traditional hamburger.
The idea of Temple of Seitan begun when Rebecca McGuinness wasn’t satisfied with vegan options around town back home in Australia and had to make her own vegan recipes It all came out of a deep love for junk food, something that at the time wasn’t widely available for vegans around 6 years ago! Fried chicken was her favourite pre-vegan takeaway so she tried to get as close to the real thing as possible, after many tests and recipe tweaks she found that her seitan was the most realistic and gave her that nostalgic experience she’d been looking for! That’s when with her husband, she started sharing with friends and finally decided to test it out at street food markets in 2016.
From 2016 counts four locations in London with the idea of expanding nationwide especially in Northern England, “We’re definitely always on the lookout for new locations” she told us, “a dream would be to open somewhere up north or internationally!”. So, get ready people! Temple of Seitan might come to a place near you very soon!
So what's next for Temple of Seitan? We asked Rebecca and things are looking very exciting for the brand: "we have a few things on the horizon, currently testing out some new menu items and products for people to enjoy at home but all will be revealed in due course!"
There's one thing left to do now, if you're London, make sure you visit www.templeofseitan.co.uk to find out what the restaurant near you is!
Words by: Sal F.
Photos by: Federica B.
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