Stoked Vegan Norwich Food Review - Credit: Autumn
Vegan barbecue maestro, Stoked, announced in the summer it was taking up a residency at Norwich's Artichoke pub, running it alongside its original Southend branch.
I had heard so many good things from friends of mine about how amazing their experience was trying Stoked for the first time, so I couldn't wait to visit and sample as much of their menu as I possibly could.
Food Review Artichoke - Credit: Autumn
My partner and I popped in mid-week, thinking that food and a few pints would get us through the rest of the working week. The Artichoke was lively for a Wednesday with a lot of people ordering from Stoked so it seemed very popular.
When we walked in we decided straight away to order some drinks from the bar. I already knew exactly what I wanted (we often visit the pub at the weekend) - a Schöfferhofer, which is a wheat beer with a fruity sweet grapefruit taste. My partner ordered a Helles.
Artichoke Food Review - Credit: Autumn
As soon as we sat down, we started to deliberate on what food we were going to choose from their menu - ordering easily online via the QR code at the table.
To start, we chose the Baja Phish Tacos (£7.95) to share between us. They arrived really quickly. Everything is fresh and prepared in-house by their chefs so we couldn't wait to tuck in and try them.
Phish Tacos at Artichoke Stoked Norwich - Credit: Autumn
The tacos were filled to the absolute brim with layers of gherkin mayo, pickled red onions, lemon and pea puree, and crispy iceberg lettuce. Sitting perfectly on top was 'fish' (phish) made from brined banana blossom. We had one each and we made such a mess eating them, but they tasted absolutely amazing. The brine from the phish was salty and the sweetness from the layers of sweet pickled red onions complemented it perfectly. The tortillas were so gorgeously soft I could genuinely have eaten another five afterwards, they were so moreish.
We then went onto our mains. I had ordered their famous Stoked Reuben (£11.95). I'd heard it was one of the best vegan sandwiches out there. I couldn't couldn't visit Stoked without trying it. But everyone had talked it up so much that, honestly, I was thinking, 'how good can one sandwich be?'. Let me tell you - it was unbelievable. Definitely one of the best I've ever had.
Food review at the artichoke - Credit: Autumn
It's made from house-cured seitan pastrami, caramelised onions, sauerkraut and a sriracha dressing, sandwiched between two layers of Texas toast. This sandwich was so mega I could barely hold it. Each bite had a really meaty texture that was emphasised by the creaminess of the dressing. The sandwich had a subtle kick of spice that really gave it a whole other level of flavour. It came with a huge spoonful of coleslaw, giving a fresh, creamy touch to each bite. We also had some layers of gherkins which I happily ate alongside the sandwich.
Crunch wrap at artichoke food review - Credit: Autumn
My partner chose the Crunch Wrap - (£10.50) a crispy tostada filled with charred, barbecued soya chick'n, mac 'n' cheese, iceburg lettuce, mustard mayo, sriracha, and a 'secret' seasoning. He described it as decadent, with the mac 'n' cheese being soft and cheesy compared to the crispiness of the soya chicken coated in a rich, smoky sauce. The wrap had a powerful kick of mustard, which went perfectly with his beer.
Crunch Wrap Artichoke Food Review - Credit: Autumn
You'd think we'd both be full after demolishing our huge main dishes but we also ordered The Original BBQ Plate (£15.95) to share as we wanted to try as much as we could. It included cherry, oak and hickory wood smoked half rack of tempeh ribs, mac & cheese, BBQ pit beans, and slaw, arriving on a large wooden board. it smelt so smoky and rich. I I had to get stuck in quickly as my partner was definitely about to eat the entire thing. The pit beans had an amazing barbecue taste to them, and were pleasingly stodgy. Teaming them with the macaroni was an absolute dream.
BBQ plate Artichoke Food Review - Credit: Autumn
The ribs almost need a whole review to themselves as they were 100% the star of the show that night. I would go back every single day for a plate of them if I could. I feel like this is the dish that represents Stoked to its fullest, with a smoky umami taste and meaty texture that just melted in your mouth. While I was trying everything else on my plate my partner warned me I needed to be quick because he was going to eat the rest, so we definitely shared the same opinion!
We were so full afterwards, but chose to stick around for one more drink which was the perfect end to the evening.
Food Review Artichoke - Credit: Autumn
The toilets were easily accessible from outside and inside and they are really clean.
I can't fault the staff in the Artichoke or Stoked at all. It is, without a doubt, one of the friendliest pubs in Norwich.
For me, it has to be the ribs but a close second was the Stoked Reuben.
If you're looking for hearty vegan food that's going to fill you up, Stoked is the place to visit.
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Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues which do or do not advertise in our publications.
George Thompson, Local Democracy Reporter