Temple of Hackney

There is a reason for the never-ending queue outside Temple of Seitan/Hackney. This vegan fried ‘chicken’ joint is ironically located right next to the Hackney Meat Centre on Morning Lane. With a constant queue down the pavement for burgers and wings it is no wonder the owner of the Meat Centre has since complained…

The ‘chicken’ here is actually seitan, a meaty vegan substance made of wheat gluten. One thing I will say about seitan is, whilst it is a great meat substitute and works specifically well covered in their batter or between a burger bun, if you are not used to such a high amount of gluten it could mean an upset stomach. This happened the first time I ate it but now I am a seasoned regular and have no problems, thankfully!

My personal favourite item on their menu is the ‘Temple Spicy Burger’, which is a crispy seitan fillet with cheese, coleslaw, jalapeños, hot sauce and chipotle mayo. Holy moly this is a SERIOUS burger. And I LOVE burgers so I like to think my standards are rather high.

A close second favourite would have to be the ‘hot wings’, which are 4 wings in a spicy buffalo sauce with ranch mayo. A must try!

As a (self-proclaimed) chicken wing aficionado, my brother was hesitant to try these when I forced him to join me on one of my visits here. However, he gave Temple and their wings his stamp of approval which is probably the most honest review possible.

However, I also got to try their simple sliders at Kerb’s Living on the Veg vegan food festival and this was also so simple but SO good.

There really is a reason for the buzz surrounding this place, and for anyone who doesn’t live near enough to wander down the road on a hangover for your new favourite burger, I have some VERY good news. Due to popular demand Temple are opening a brand new branch in the heart of Camden in 2018. I'll see you there!