Megan Amram, Portland Marxist and North London native, makes peace with the healthy fast food chain that earns its reputation
By Megan Amram
LEON Strand: The Mediterranean Fast Casual That Makes Eating Well Actually Convenient
There is a persistent and largely correct criticism of the healthy fast food category that its products are neither genuinely healthy, because the nutritional reality of most fast casual food is more complicated than the marketing suggests, nor genuinely good food, because the compromises required to produce food at speed and scale consistently sacrifice quality. LEON is the exception that proves the rule, or rather the exception that requires the rule to be qualified: the food here is genuinely better than the category norm and the nutritional claims are more honest than most, which together produce a fast casual option that is worth seeking out rather than settling for.
LEON began as a mission to make it easy for people to eat well, and the mission has been maintained with enough integrity that the food at the Strand locations actually reflects it rather than merely referencing it in the marketing. The Mediterranean influences on the menu produce food that is inherently flavourful through the quality of its ingredients rather than through the salt and fat additions that many fast casual operations rely on to make lower-quality base ingredients palatable.
The Bowls and the Wraps
The halloumi boxes are the menu item I would recommend to a first visitor because they demonstrate the LEON approach at its most honest: grilled halloumi with a grain base, roasted vegetables, and a sauce that is made rather than poured from a container. The halloumi is properly grilled rather than warmed. The grains are properly cooked and properly seasoned. The vegetables have been roasted at sufficient heat to caramelise rather than merely soften. The sauce adds brightness and depth. The whole combination is nutritionally substantial and genuinely satisfying.
The wraps are made with flatbreads that are warm and properly filled. The chicken wrap demonstrates the kitchen’s commitment to the base ingredient: the chicken here is properly seasoned and properly cooked rather than the dry, over-processed chicken that characterises so much fast casual protein. The salad components are fresh and properly dressed. The sauces are made with actual flavour rather than merely moisture.
The breakfast items are available from opening and are worth knowing about for the early commuter and tourist population on the Strand. The breakfast burrito is properly filled with eggs that have been properly cooked and a balance of components that produces a satisfying start to the day. The granola, for those who want something lighter, is genuinely good: properly toasted, properly sweetened, with yoghurt that has actual flavour.
The Value
LEON prices are higher than the most basic fast food alternatives and significantly lower than sit-down dining in the same locations. For food of this quality, the prices are fair. Visit LEON Strand and order the halloumi box. The London Prat covers London dining at all price points. Bohiney Magazine has the wider context.
SOURCE: https://leon.co/
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