A VEGAN DELIGHT AT CAFE ROYALE (PALMERSTON NORTH)

There are not too many places that are 100% vegan in Palmerston North, so when I learned that Cafe Royale had a plant-based menu in addition to the regular menu, that was me sorted.

I knew Cafe Royale was on the southern corner of The Square, but struggled to find the place at first. Turns out it’s on the bottom floor inside the big blue building called Square Edge (which has this amazing mural on the side).

I arrived a little before 11 am on a Wednesday and other than a few people having coffee there was noone else there. It’s a beautiful building with nice high ceilings.

The music in the room was kind of loud but not annoyingly so and it was easy enough to chat with people at your table if you wanted.

I used Shazam to remember a few of the songs they played while I was there:

• Stand By Me by Ben E. King
• Easy by the Commodores
• Heart’s Desire by Don Blackman

I grabbed one of the laminated Plant Based menus and as a burger lover started debating the two options:

• Portobello Burger: Seasoned potobello mushroom in toasted seasame seed bun, salad greens, white onion and spicy mayo ($16.50)
• Shredded Burger: Shredded spiced jackfruit with homepace apple and onion relish, grilled pinaeapple and salad greens ($17)

I went with the shredded burger, if the jackfruit is done well like at Smiths in Queenstown, it’s amazing.

The size was solid for $17 compared to other burgers around the country. I haven’t eaten out in Palmerston North for a while so I can’t comment on how good the value is.

After making my order it was just under 10 minutes before my burger arrived. The presentation looked nice, but I don’t really see the point of the greens on top and sauce around the outside with a burger.

TASTING NOTES FOR THE SHREDDED BURGER FROM CAFE ROYALE (PALMERSTON NORTH):

• The jackfruit was warm which is nice. It’s not always the case! There was a faint spice to it, I would have liked more of a kick. If you’re worried about the spice, it’s not going to be an issue.
• But I really dislike the presentation where it overflows the burger. If you’ve got too much jackfruit that it’s overflowing, seperate it from the burger. It just makes the start of eating the burger annoying.
• The burger bun is interesting, it’s not massive and is a pretty sturdy on it’s own with a few black seeds on top. But it holds together well, and thankfully there’s enough sauce happening so it doesn’t feel dry. Loved it.
• The pineapple is an awesome addition.
• The burger was presented well in terms of greens being on the bottom and sauce on top. The apple and onion relish wasn’t very noticeable.

Overall, I would order the shredded burger again if I was looking for a vegan burger in Palmerston North. I was still able to eat the burger with my hands after getting rid of the excess greens and jackfruit from the burger.

With a little bit more spice I would be raving about this.

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Cafe Royal Palmerston North is located at Square Edge, 47 The Square.

Walk inside the blue building in the first photo and you’ll find Cafe Royale at the back of the first floor.

If you’ve been to Cafe Royale Palmerston North, let us know your thoughts below or email me: jub@churnewzealand.com

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Vegan Burgers in New Zealand

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