Meatcetera

1 Reviews on “Meatcetera”

• Halal Chronicles

  The halal gourmet burger revolution exploded onto the scene a few years ago, enamouring a large population of the Muslim community that yearned to enjoy burgers that were prepared fresh, used high quality meats, were epicurean in standard and all served in a comfortable dining environment, thereby liberating us from the confines of processed meat burgers from the local takeaway/fast food joint.The halal landscape was changing and we all presumed it was for the better. However, everyone suddenly wanted to jump on the cash cow that was Gourmet Burgers (excuse the pun), and soon burger parlours were in abundance, with prices rocketing and quality and standards slowly slipping.The burger revolution recently entered into a new chapter, with the rise in competition, encouraging innovation, such as sourcing halal Dry Aged meats; along with influencing standards to rise and enticing prices to flatten. Now you can enjoy a gourmet burger experience, without feeling as though your wallet has been unceremoniously violated.Meatcetera, who are the spiritual reincarnation of the former beloved Neon Burgers, are a welcomed addition to the gourmet burger chronicles.The interior is spacious and decorative; paying homage to Londons graphic art scene, with graffiti style designs, pop art and modernistic murals flowing through the decor, in addition to retro lighting, all providing a trendy and urban feel.The menu is American inspired, with elements of Asian fusion, plus some innovative ideas that are truly intriguing.First we ordered their signature burger, the Meatcetera, which was a 6 ounce Beef patty with mozzarella, sauted Mortadella, Merguez sausage, caramelised onion, relish and mixed salad leaves. This was a superlative burger. Everything I crave for in a burger. The patty was cooked well done, even though we prefer it to be prepared medium, yet the patty was still juicy, succulent and well seasoned. The relish and caramelised onion provided a sweet and tangy taste, which to my tastebuds was sheer pleasure. The Merguez sausage was bold and spicy in flavour and the sauted Mortadella further enhanced the umami taste of the burger, making the burger a true carnivores delight. The brioche bun was lightly toasted and the fresh, buttery baked aroma of the bun was deliciously intoxicating.The second burger was the Lamborghini; 6 ounce lamb patty, with aged cheddar, minty mango yoghurt, mixed leaves. The patty was once again unfortunately prepared well done, but yet again, the meat was still juicy and tender, with subtle seasoning, so not to diminish the natural flavour of the succulent lamb. This was a pleasant burger, but lacked any flavour sensation. The minty mango yoghurt, which is the key component of the burger, was too weak in flavour; the mint needed to be more prominent and the mango needed to be bolder in taste. The yoghurt unfortunately tasted like the bland mint yoghurts that are usually provided with papadums by mediocre Indian restaurants.The final burger was the Zaal; which was a 6 ounce beef patty, with English cheddar, grilled Romero pepper, caramelised onion, Sriracha and mixed leaves. The Sriracha sauce coated the mouth like lava coating a volcano, making the palate bubble and boil with the addictively saporous chilli heat. This is a Asian fusion burger for all you chilli heads. The heat, even though prominent, still did not defuse the lovely meaty flavour and texture of the beef and the rest of the components of the burger. This was another good burger.For wings we opted for the Meatcetera BBQ, which were of good size and were copiously slathered in slightly tangy BBQ sauce. Even though the wings were tantalisingly exquisite, personally I would have liked some underlying chilli heat to cut through the sweetness of the BBQ sauce.The Candy Shop Wings, which are drizzled in honey butter and coated in icing sugar are an innovative idea. However, it terms of flavour, my tastebuds needed Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), as the wings bordered on unpalatable. The wings are undoubtedly a novel concept and we are sure many patrons will find the Candy Shop Wings a joy to eat, but they were just not to our taste.Similar to Neon Burgers, the prices at Meatcetera are reasonably set, especially for a gourmet burger establishment, which is serving aged meat. The prices range from 5 to 7, plus they also offer rotisserie chicken.Meatcetera offer some great and some average dishes, but what is exciting about Meatcetera is their desire to push the boundaries and try different ingredients and flavour combinations. Whether their innovative ideas are successful or not are a different matter, but at least they are attempting to offer something a little different to all us food adventurers.Disclaimer: We were invited to review.

  June 22, 2016, 6:44 pm

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