Quality. Creativity. Ambition. Gorilla Kitchen
When it comes to food, these factors determine whether you have found your El Dorado. At Gorilla Kitchen, on a quiet street in Vienna’s 5th district, I recently found mine.
Simple white walls and wooden decor surround the kitchen area, flanked by an outline of a gorilla painted on the wall. I sat in one of the few chairs, next to me a gorilla mask resting on the table. Despite the limited selection of fare (buritto, or buritto?) I was having decision-making issues. Should I choose Picadillo minced meat or Guinness beef on my burrito? Refried beans, lemon rice, mixed ground meat in tomato and paprika sauce, almonds, raisin, cheddar and lettuce all wrapped into a tortilla? Or beef instead of the minced meat? Damn, I still have to choose a sauce! Avocado-tomato, orange-chili (a bit spicy), tomatoes with olives and capers (a bit more spicy) or habanero-lime sauce (very hot)?
I started thinking about the pros and cons of each possible combination. But that just made it more difficult, they all matched perfectly! I let the chef decide and a couple minutes later I got an enormous, warm, crunchy burrito.
The first bite is important. I took a long breath, and sank my teeth into it. All the ingredients mixed with each other majestically. I have always loved burritos, honestly, I avoided them because of the difficulty of looking civilized, without dribbling and dropping bits while you eat. But this baby was utter perfection, firm and tender at the same time. I was looking forward to the second bite, then the third… I wanted this handful of happiness to last forever, as Nelly Furtado and many a wise person have said, all good things come to an end.
They also offer vegetarian and vegan options with chick peas, lotus tofu and the like. They must be just as mind-blowing, going by the hearty “nom-nom-noms” and “mmmh-mhhhs” of the patrons next to me.
In addition to the one in the fifth district, Gorilla Kitchen opened a pop-up location on the Burgasse in November and December 2014. We burrito lovers pray they open a permanent shop closer to the center of town. In the mean time check their Facebook for current news of pop-up venues.
Verdict: In a city spoiled for choice in burgers, sushi and pizzas, Gorilla Kitchen’s version of the burrito vastly outranks it’s few competitors. So, choose your combo, take a deep breath and dig in!
Gorilla Kitchen
Ziegelofengasse 18,
1050 Vienna, Austri
+43660 4817152
