So we filed in to the brightly-lit, canteen-style place and I remembered the things I didn't like about the Loving Hut. First up, the screen playing Supreme Master Chiang Hai-themed videos on the restaurant wall. Sure the sound was turned down, but it's hard to have a conversation with your other half while a large musical number complete with women in butterfly and rabbit costumes unravels over his shoulder.
Other thing I don't like: lack of booze. I'm British - if I'm more than 10 feet away from a beer I get twitchy. Still, I can't hold that against Loving Hut, given it's never pretended to be anything other than alcohol-free. Alas it did mean we ended our holiday with a delicious bottle of.... water. Yeah, doesn't sound right, does it? We ended our holiday with a delicious bottle of rioja? Now we're talking!
But there are things I like about Loving Hut - it's all vegan (hooray!), the food's different at each one (hoorah!) and they serve dessert (huzzah!)
We skipped past starters and into mains, where the crepes were calling my name. Here's what ended up in front of me:
Pancake perfection! (Oh alright, they're crepes, but that doesn't rhyme with much complimentary).
The crepes were filled with tofu, seitan and mushrooms in a cream sauce - well, what should have been a cream sauce, but it has been cooked to long and reverted into a semi-solid creamy mass. I didn't mind too much - it was just the comforting goodness I was in need of.
The crepe was light with just the right texture, while the tofu and seitan pulled off a soft-chewy one-two as a backdrop to the fried fungi. There was a bit of uninspired salad on the side which could have done with a lighter hand with the salt shaker, but the occasional bite of greenery was a welcome way to cut through a heavy meal.
Mr Flicking the Vs went for a burrito. This may have been an error.
I don't think Loving Hut is overly familiar with Mexican flavours - the veggies in the burrito had not been introduced to anything you might have enjoyed south of the border. Instead, the main taste was of soy sauce with a hearty helping of American yellow mustard.
If you ignored that, or indeed you're a fan of a Mexican-soy sauce mash-up, the result was entirely edible.
A couple next to us was tucking into some desserts which looked grand, but we'd decided to skip off by then. It was our last night after all, and we needed something with an ABV to undo all the water's good work.
Loving Hut
http://madrid.lovinghut.es/
11 Calle de los Reyes
Madrid, Spain
+34 (0) 915 590217
Ha! I don't often order alcohol when out at a restaurant because it's so pricey, but it's always nice to have the option. Bummer about the burrito, it sounds kind of weird, but I guess you can't blame them. I've never actually been to a Loving Hut but they sound like they can be really good!
ReplyDeleteI've heard of the Loving Hut chain, but I've never been to one (there aren't any around here, either). I think it's cool that a vegan chain restaurant exists! Too bad about the booze though, I'd be sad about not celebrating the last meal with a beer. And that is the weirdest burrito of life. At least it was edible! Hope you had a good last evening!
ReplyDeleteI love your writing voice, it is so funny! The savory crepe sounds delicious. I've not been to Loving Hut, but hope to visit one someday!
ReplyDeleteWhat city is next on your travel-culinary review?!