Bun Fiction @ Kongs – pop-up review

If there’s anyone who can rebrand veganism with a tough new image, Quentin Tarantino is the man to do it.

And while the Hollywood heavyweight has (presumably) not personally endorsed Bun Fiction’s burger business with a difference, his influence – or more specifically that of his cult classic Pulp Fiction – is a running theme throughout.

The logo features an image of John Travolta and Samuel L Jackson brandishing sandwiches, while the menu features such gems as ‘Bad Motherclucker’, ‘Teriyaki Honey Bunny’ and ‘Mushroom Cloud Layin’ Mother’.

You get the idea: these are some bad-ass burgers, bringing just the right amount of dirty to the vegan diet.

And having made a name for itself on the street food circuit, Bun Fiction has now secured a city centre residency with a new pop-up in Kongs on King Street.

On a recent  Sunday lunchtime and tables of people, all around their mid-20s, are joyously chomping down on hearty faux-meat sandwiches and fries, washed down with pints from Kongs’ extensive craft beer selection.

Hip-hop music plays overhead, competing valiantly with the constant background noises: the rhythmic ping of the table tennis ball, the frenzied clunk of table football and the fusion of beeps, crashes and gunshots from the game consoles.

Laminated menus outline the range of options on offer – all an inventive twist on a burger classic, with sides that include dirty fries, onion rings and seitan ‘chicken’ wings.

We opt for one ‘Teriyaki Honey Bunny’ (£6.45) – teriyaki seitan ‘chicken’, served with toasted broccoli, pickled daikon, shichimi togarashi and red miso mayo – and ‘Mushroom Could Layin’ Mother’ (£6.95) – Chinese crispy chilli ‘beef’ made from marinated portabello mushrooms, with homemade Shaoxing sauce, pickled ginger, crispy seaweed, spring onion and toasted sesame seeds.

On the side, a portion of fries (£2.95), served with onion and paprika mayo and pints of Lost and Grounded’s Summer 18 No.4 to wash it down – a white IPA brewed at the St Anne’s brewery in collaboration with Verdant and Unity, which at £5.70 a pint is definitely a beer to be savoured, not sloshed back.

A perch on stools at the high wooden table in the centre of the spacious bar affords a perfect view of the relaxed Sunday afternoon scene – a couple in matching plaid shirts are battling it out at table foot, while three 20-something men play Sonic the Hedgehog on a comfy leather sofa.

The burgers arrive quickly in overflowing plastic baskets, along with the generous portion of chips, which are hot, crisp and lightly glistening from the fryer.

The flavour of the accompanying mayo doesn’t really resemble either paprika or onion, but the fries hold their own without any sauce needed, each bite as crisp, hot and delicious as the next.

Each burger is set atop a beautifully fresh, soft bun and served with light green leaves, adding a nice balance to the carb-heavy platter.

There is no dressing up the seitan strips, which are unnervingly uniform in size and rubbery in texture. For the uninitiated, seitan is the product of rinsing and cooking wheat dough to remove the starch, leaving a protein-dense substance.

The Asian-influenced fusion of spices are key to enhancing this dish, which has a texture not dissimilar to beef jerky, but a good depth of flavour.

Mushroom Cloud Layin’ Mother

The mushroom-based Chinese crispy chilli ‘beef’ is a winning combination – crunchy to bite into, with a pleasant fusion of oriental spices.

The only disappointment was the lack of heat in the chilli, a situation easily rectified with a generous squirt of Sriracha Hot Chilli Sauce.

The whole combination is satisfying and more than meets a Sunday afternoon junk food craving.

While there can be no pretending that these meat substitutes really emulate the real thing, Bun Fiction have made a valiant attempt to create a fresh, innovative alternative that’s packed full of flavour.

It’s easy to see why this is proving a popular addition to Bristol’s ever-growing portfolio of plant-powered offerings.

Bun Fiction, Kongs, 13-15 King Street, Bristol, BS1 4EF
07753 483792

www.bun-fiction.business.site