The prospects are blurred, on this day after a party that was a little too drunk. Getting out of your sofa, dressing in soft fabrics and not too close to the body, failing on a movie theater chair would be the only possible actions. They could be crowned with a CBO (chicken bacon onion) bought clandestinely at McDonald’s.
Today, this kind of impulse is difficult to assume in broad daylight. Fortunately, Alain Ducasse always thinks of everything and everyone. Since April, he has invested in a former newsstand to set up a well-regarded fast-food restaurant: Burgal, a contraction of the words “burger” and “vegetable”. In a deliberately pop tone, this new brand takes a vegan approach to junk food to, among other things, help “the planet which is not doing very well at the moment”, according to the press release.
On the Place de la Bastille, on the rue de la Roquette side, a revolution would therefore be underway. Five young women pound the pavement in front of a pink and green menu that advertises: burger chips drink = €12.50. The only choice to make is the sauce: herbal, vegetable or spicy. The smile of the gentleman behind the counter as well as his explanations dispel all doubts. The freshness of the herbs would do the greatest good to the still foggy minds.
Sparkling black tea as Coke
A young woman on an integration contract – the project is also intended to be social – turns her back on her audience. She is active on the planchas, implementing the Ducassian vision of the modern burger. It comes swaddled in a closed white paper with a white and green label on which the ingredients are listed. The idea of reading these four lines or flashing the QR code “Come, we’ll explain everything to you here” rekindles the headache. Then the paper is torn unceremoniously and the sandwich crunched with gusto.
The bun, made without eggs or dairy products, is airy, soft and sweet. It prepares the palate for the tenderness of vegetable steak, pleasantly frothy. Neither carrots, nor parsnips, nor lentils, nor zucchini, nor quinoa assert taste. But, together, they create a texture without resistance, perfect for broken faces. The pickles and eggplant caviar, supposed to boost the whole, are a little too discreet. On the other hand, the herb sauce (coriander, parsley), mounted with a soy cream, takes its place by expressing, without detour, its tangy character.
From the second bite, the body and the heart understood: this burger will do the job, like all its meaty cousins. Protein intake provides the necessary boost to revitalize dormant cells. Chickpea chips, unfortunately not homemade, will provide the fat and salt quota.
As a Coke, sparkling organic black tea releases a sufficient dose of theine. The only downside: for the subtle end-of-meal sugar, you might as well avoid the industrial chocolate mousse that is on the menu and wait for the Ducasse chocolate factory to develop a recipe that lives up to Burgal’s commitments. We’ll come full circle and vegans, like everyone else, will have their hangover junk cure.
The Burgal address, kiosk located opposite 12, place de la Bastille, Paris 11th. Open Tuesday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Take-out only.
The essential dish The herb sauce.
The detail that is not one The recipe for vegetable steak changes according to the season.
Menu bill at €12.50.
