13 Mar 2023
James Cameron checks out the vegan offerings at the pub pop-up…
Hank’s Dirty is one of the latest additions to the St Albans dining scene, and it is definitely riding the zeitgeist. It’s a pop-up at the Snug, it’s ‘Dirty’ (not one of my favourite adjectives when related to dining) and all the food it serves is fully and completely vegan.
For those who are part of this ever-growing movement it’s great news that we have somewhere that places plant-based dining front and centre in everything they do.
Those who are less keen might decide to give the place a miss, and indeed it seems that some punters when they realise that every item on the menu is vegan do walk straight out again.
I’m here to tell you that you would be making a huge mistake if you avoid Hank’s for this reason, even if you’re a meat eater like me.
The focus is on American diner fare, and this in itself sets Hanks apart from its competitors.
When you consider the range of the menu and the fact it is achieved with no animal products it is nothing short of remarkable.
In order to fully test their ingenuity we ordered a large range of dishes and all of them delivered on the brief. I went for the Chilli Cheese Dog, possibly not the greatest challenge to recreate as there are quite a few hot-dogs I’ve had in the past that tasted almost but not quite entirely unlike pork, but in this case it was also very pleasant to eat.
I’ve always maintained that cheese is the one thing that the boffins could not develop a convincing vegan substitute for, but I am pleased to say that with the Applewood and Cauliflower croquettes at Loft and the cheese sauce here I have been proved conclusively wrong.
There is a large range of loaded fries, and my companion went for the ‘Dirty’ loaded tater tots, with the dirt provided by pickled cabbage, tzatziki and Gyros ‘meat’.
The option of tater tots is something you don’t often see in this country and was very welcome, and whilst the fake meat was convincing this is not enough to make it a good dish, however the way the slightly fatty gyros were cut through by the vinegar in the pickles was enough to make you keep coming back for more.
Another of our party went for the Homer, a double Beyond Meat patty with cheese served in a doughnut with pink icing and sprinkles. Again it tasted exactly like the authentic version would, so if you have ever wanted to eat a burger encased in a doughnut but have been held back by ethical concerns then I guess this is your lucky day. If on the other hand you think this probably isn’t for you then I’d have to say you’re probably right.
As well as our mains we ordered some nachos and onion rings to share, and these were delightful and complimented the meal well.
The onion rings were breaded rather than battered, and still had that soft and hot interior when you bit into them, whilst the nachos again showed the virtuosity of the vegan cheese sauce, enhanced by the smoky chilli and creamy guacamole.
Special mention must also go to the coleslaw, usually a dutiful but unenthusiastic nod to healthiness but here an integral part of the dish.
Portion sizes were generous to say the least, and I would definitely recommend going hungry. As I had gone for a substantial walk during the day this wasn’t a problem for me, but there was still food uneaten at the end of the meal that it pained me to have to say goodbye to.
