Can a burger be healthy and tasty? - Eating at IKU Wholefoods

The humble burger, a crisp bun piled craftily with a selection of salad and sauces, then crowned with a warm grilled beef patty. Luscious filling with a side serving of crispy fries and a coke, it has to be the best meal invented.

The only problem with this indulgence is the large amounts of fats and additives that often come with it. Which is why in recent times I have found myself looking for a healthier option, and that’s where IKU Wholefoods comes into the picture.

The food outlet boasts a healthy and organic menu with options that are dairy, gluten, wheat, preservative-free and free from genetic modification. This is a company so focused upon its impact upon the environment that even its packaging is recyclable and/or compostable. IKU ticks all the right boxes so I know that I am doing the environment, and my body, some good.

Everything on the menu is simple and pure from the creamy porridge oats for breakfast, to the variety of lasagne, casseroles, soups, wraps and deserts available. It takes me a long time to finally decide that I want the Macroburger ($9.80). A rice fritter nestled in between a wholemeal bun with salad, tahini and the option for chilli sauce, a choice too good to be true.

But wait, they are all completely sold out. I will have to return. On my second visit I arrive too early, before the lunch menu is ready. I am told to come back in a few minutes. My quest for the mouth-watering burger ends when at last I am able to secure my hands on the prize. Now, after all this running around, is the burger as good as it seems to be?

The bun is toasted, warm and golden with an array of grains on top including wheat, oats and pumpkin seeds. The lettuce is a little fiddly but crisp. The sauces are creamy and compliment the flavours well. The hero is in the burger patty itself which is crisp, creamy and delicious, and unlike the common “veggie burger” made from chickpeas, which can often taste too starchy. The addition of poppy seeds adds to the savoury flavour which satisfies my carnivorous side.

All in all, a wonderfully filling and wholesome meal that was a pleasure to eat. I will definitely be back for it again!

By Brendon D’Souza a.k.a. The Smiling Chef