A dinky neighbourhood diner, Wicked Vegan deals in the best kind of plant-based cooking: the naughty kind. It’s all here, from burgers and wings to mac ’n’ cheese or nachos.
Some of it is decent. One highlight was the signature jackfruit burger, with its golden, deep-fried patty (not unlike a breaded fishcake) plus a whole heap of pickles, slaw and salad. And while the style of the aubergine wrap didn’t exactly gel with the rest of the menu, it was nonetheless terrific: the warm wrap packed with juicy just-a-hint-of-smoke aubergine and sweet, soft, mildly pickled carrots, plus tomatoes and a generous fist-grab of fresh spinach. Smoothies were equally great, from the zingy and refreshing Super Green, with its notes of lime and apple, to the delicately fragrant Merry Berry, its medley of red berries lifted by floral lychee.
Other dishes were fine but forgettable, like soft but mushroomy mac ’n’ (cashew) cheese, or bland jackfruit wings, which needed to be dipped. Just make sure you steer clear of the Fooled Pork Wrap (too sweet), the garlic bread (too dry: ours actually arrived burnt), or the bean burger (like chewing on chalk).
Overall, though, this is a nice little addition to Hildreth Street, especially as it also offers cakes and shakes (tip: skip the raspberry and chocolate cake and instead get a tall glass of the creamy Pink Storm, with its subtle notes of strawberry). Staff could not have been lovelier, which in a local spot counts for a lot.