Mushroomburger: Very Tasty Vegetarian

 

My sister recently flew home from Singapore for a week's vacation. When asked where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do, she asked us if we could head over to Mushroomburger for a spot of lunch.

And so we found ourselves - our mum, myself, both my siblings, and our driver - taking the south road out of the metropolis to make our way to Tagaytay to have a veggie feast with a twist.

Mushroomburger first opened its doors in the late 1970s. For nearly five decades, it has served delectable fast food with very little or absolutely no meat at all. Indeed, most of the dishes on its menus in both the flagship store in Tagaytay and its sole branch along West Avenue in Quezon City use mushrooms that are grown by their own team.

If you visit the one in Tagaytay, take note of the fact that the restaurant is surrounded by buildings that look like giant warehouses. These are actually mushroom farms producing shiitake and oyster mushrooms that go into the kitchen or are available for customers to purchase and consume at home. As further proof that Mushroomburger takes mushrooms seriously, a culture mushroom display is in full view in the dining area.

Another thing: do not expect this fast food establishment to look like any of the big, slick, and cartoonish interiors of most international chains. Indeed, the dining area and ordering counter are more reminiscent of a school or company cafeteria rather than the overly perky (and, unfortunately, standardised) ones in major urban areas.

But I didn't come here to criticise the decor; I'm here to eat!

As shown at the top of this post, I had the mushroom sandwich set which comes with a signature mushroom sandwich, Mushroomburger's excellent mushroom fries, and a cold cup of sago't gulaman (a refreshing pandan syrup cooler made with tapioca pearls and agar-agar cubes.)

Considering that the sandwich was totally meat-free, it was a satisfying sandwich to be had. Locally-grown oyster mushrooms are sauteed, topped with cheese, and stuffed into a yeast roll. This is served hot and goes perfectly well with...

...mushroom fries! These are beautifully battered all 'round, deep-fried, and are absolutely crisp and moreish. Honestly, I should have bought a bucket of these to go as the frozen ones I wanted to cook and enjoy at home were out of stock when we visited. Still, a great meat-free meal all 'round.

Mushroomburger - Tagaytay

📍Km 60, Aguinaldo Highway, Tagaytay

Restaurant open from 0700 to 2200