A Bloody Plant Burger Might Save the World

Excerpts from my article in GOOD

Crisp lettuce, juicy tomato, a spongy bun lavishly smeared with mayo, and slices of cheddar cheese melting over the top of a thin patty. The white paper-bagged burger, flanked by a crisp, golden mound of thin-cut fries, could have been part of any meal at any burger joint in nearly any city, but it was anything but ordinary. Most have called it impossible.

The Impossible Burger made its public debut Wednesday at New York City’s Momofuku Nishi, the only one of David Chang’s restaurants to offer the much-hyped vegan meat on its menu.

On Wednesday, just before its doors opened at noon, the Momofuku Chelsea location had already drawn a crowd of about 40 people, including me. We all lined up, awaiting our chance to taste the infamous plant burger that bleeds.

The lunch wait quickly climbed to an hour after the first wave of diners filled the restaurant to capacity. Burgers were brought out on small silver trays lined with peach-dotted white Momofuku paper. Our party of four — a vegan (myself), a part-time omnivore, a meat lover, and a zealous burger aficionado (and Chang enthusiast) — was seated and the moment of truth quickly arrived.

Read the rest → GOOD