Burger me, that was tasty!

1F may sound like a boy band that three members have dropped out but don’t let the name fool you.

This is no place for young, impressionable and insecure teenage girls – it’s actually a pub-style venue with a prop-uppable bar, tables for more civilised drinking and dining and a less scummy clientele than might be expected for the location.

So far so good.

Guinness RMB 50. I guess health food is worth paying for.

Soon the burgers arrive, accompanied by chips and even a dressed salad. The vegetarian burger is in fact extremely tasty. It relies on aubergine for taste and texture proving that the powers of the purple fruit are often underestimated. A “Spanish” burger containing rice is very acceptable. My brother has a spicy burger and assures me it is excellent.

A curious, well-dressed Nepalese man recounts an unlikely anecdote of his times in India in fluent English. I half expect him to make a bet with me that involves my cigarette lighter striking ten times in a row.

I make a mental note to return at some point.