Since my first visit to Temple of Seitan in 2018 I have yearned to go back as often as possible. I’ve made it back twice now, which is not very impressive (though at least partially understandable, given the travel restrictions of the pandemic). I used to talk to Dr HH about it all the time, but, as he was not with me on the 2018 trip, he always lamented “I’ve never been, so I wouldn’t know.” I finally took him there last year, and now it’s destined to become a regular stop on our annual trip to London! This review covers our trip in summer 2023.

Dr HH ordered some buffalo wings as part of a meal deal with chips, a sauce, and a drink. While he liked the chicken itself, he had a few complaints about the serving. He didn’t love that the wings were served fully coated so he couldn’t pour himself and control how much of the batter got drenched in sauce – he felt he was missing out on the seasoning and crispiness of the batter. Is that just the nature of ordering buffalo wings though? He found the buffalo sauce a bit too sharp as well, though it was nice and spicy. So, not a total winner from his perspective.

Mother HH and I were very satisfied customers though! We both ordered popcorn chicken, me as a side and her as part of a snack pack with fries. I am wild about vegan chicken, and this is a very good version of it. The coating is exceptional, really herby and well seasoned. And it has a lovely texture, quite fibrous. Omnivorous Mother HH reported that it’s a bit softer than real chicken, but no complaints from me. The fries were also good, very crispy and salty.

I’m always tempted to order mac and cheese when I see it on a menu, but I also follow the general guidelines that I shouldn’t order something I can make better myself at home. I do have what I consider to be the perfect mac and cheese recipe, from the Superfun Times cookbook, and am usually disappointed when I get mac and cheese in a restaurant. This one is always worth ordering though! The sauce is really flavoursome, the pasta is cooked so that it retains some bite, and the bacon bits on top are a delight.

Temple of Seitan made my top ten list for 2023, and it has a pretty strong chance of hitting the same heights in 2024 – fingers crossed I make it back for a visit!