Alain Ducasse's New Paris Restaurant Is All About The Veggie Burger
French chef Alain Ducasse knows a thing or two about food, especially since several of his restaurants in France, Monaco, Britain, and Japan are the proud awardees of between one and three Michelin stars (via Fine Dining Lovers). And while he is a proponent of sustainable eating and cutting back on consuming animal protein, he is no fan of real-meat-looking substitutes like Beyond Meat. Ducasse told Insider in 2020, "We still feel like we need it to look like minced-up meat, but we don't need vegetables to look like meat. They should just look like vegetables. Period."
So it should come as no surprise that Ducasse's latest venture into the world of plant-based food should come in the form of a delectable burger made with zucchini, lentils, onions, quinoa, carrots, and parsnips, all served up in a vegan bun. The burger is being served at Burgal, a burger kiosk in Paris' Place de la Bastille, per Fine Dining Lovers.
Ducasse's vegan patty is no meat substitute
Ducasse and his team at Burgal are proud of their product, not just because it tastes good, but because it has "nothing to do with an imitation meat steak," they say, per Fine Dining Lovers.
And the burger doesn't just feature a vegetable patty in a vegan bun. It also comes with eggplant caviar, a spicy vegan mayo, and pickles. For sides, diners have the option to order chickpea or veggie chips, and they get to pick a vegan chocolate mousse for dessert.
Ducasse's latest offering shows he's willing to go the extra mile to promote a healthier diet. "There's no need to consume animal protein four times a week. We can eat less animal protein, eat better quality food that contains less fat, less salt, and less sugar — and do so in smaller quantities — and we can take care to eat seasonally, to bear in mind certain fishing and fish-breeding periods, etc.," he told Insider.