Vegan Wings And Burgers Are A Welcome Addition At Boxpark Shoreditch
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Last Updated 01 October 2019
Biff's Jack Shack has a tough task ahead of it: replacing one of London's most beloved vegan eateries, Cook Daily. That restaurant had scores of people queueing outside on a daily basis, and received plaudits from across the foodie world. That's a lot to live up to for Biff's, which occupies the same physical space that Cook Daily did.
The good news is that Biff's is up to the challenge, although not without the occasional misstep.
As the name suggests, the main ingredient at Biff's is jackfruit, the vegan flavour of the month (or, more accurately, year) in London. It's a meat substitute that's worthy for its texture, which has a surprisingly accurate pulled meat vibe. Biff's fries jackfruit into a patty and puts it in the range of burgers, all sandwiched by a cavalcade of fillings and a brioche bun. We try two of the simpler offerings, The Big Jack and The Samuel Hell Jackson — yes this place likes puns.
Both are tasty, the Big Jack helped greatly by the secret sauce — that's the joy of jackfruit, its malleability to the other flavours around it. The Samuel Hell offers a good amount of kick as the spicier of the two. Neither slice of vegan "cheese" adds that much taste-wise, but contributes a helpful amount of colour which vegan Instagrammers are sure to love.
Moving on we sample the Wingz, a food type that's still rare to find for vegans. They're the highlight at Biff's, crispy jackfruit deep-fried around a sugar cane spear to act as the bone, and slathered in sauce and other goodies on top. We try one of every wing type and the Buffalo hot sauce — although not that hot — is our winner. However, the other three are all worthy contenders. While delicious, the Wingz are a little pricey — it's £10 for four pieces.
Now for that aforementioned misstep. Vegan AF Poutine. There are a few problems here. The main one is the "meat", something that's been so strong in everything else we've tasted, is bizarrely cut into tiny cubes. It's described as gnarly seitan bacon on the menu — a stretch to say the least. Not only that, but they're rather scarce too. Combine that with a bit of a nothing "cheese", you're essentially just getting fries with gravy and seeds. Which is ok, but isn't what was promised. It's still moreish, but a safer option for next time is to go for simple cajun fries.
Biff's Jack Shack is a worthy addition to London's vegan junk food scene, and to Boxpark Shoreditch. There are a few items on the menu that we didn't have time or physical space to try, that we're already planning our return visit for — you're in our sights, Jackfruit Brisket Chilli.
Biff's Jack Shack, Boxpark Shoreditch, 2-10 Bethnal Green Road, E1 6GY