tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49703831081017812822024-03-14T03:18:43.693+00:00Thoroughly Nice BurgersKeeping track of where to get a decent burger in London, the UK and beyondChris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-63256728715340585852016-08-31T21:44:00.002+01:002016-08-31T21:44:40.705+01:00The Sun / Carshalton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJjFsjcwEHk/VZRlulNDctI/AAAAAAAAFmo/cb1C-Zf20QM/s1600/risingsun01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QJjFsjcwEHk/VZRlulNDctI/AAAAAAAAFmo/cb1C-Zf20QM/s400/risingsun01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Who are they?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Sun (formerly the Rising Sun) is a prominent gastropub located close to Carshalton park in leafy Surrey. I happened to take my parents out to lunch when I was off work and decided the try the pub to celebrate my dad's birthday. </span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Thoughts</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">As we visited during the midweek, there was no trouble with finding a seat for the three of us in a bright corner of this pub. Formerly a rather average pub, this venue has had a much needed overhaul in recent years and now resembles a cosy bar with a restaurant area and even a beer garden and decking out the back.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">The Sun's lunch menu features a variety of eats, including its burger: a 6oz beef patty with lettuce, tomato, chips and a bun that can be augmented with bacon OR pulled pork and cheese, however the charismatic diner can convince the lovely ladies tending bar to add bacon AND pulled pork. This is served not on a plate or wooden tray, as is the norm, but on a curved glass plate as shown and looks rather striking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Wangling the bacon and the pulled pork is a good shout; both are rather juicy and flavourful, but the pulled pork's presentation belies its origins as frozen food, as mine came cooked in a distinctly disc shape placed on top of the bacon. I'm not expecting the best here, but what you do get is tasty and there's lots to enjoy on your plate. Speaking of size, the chips are clearly your average oven chips but they are at least well cooked to leave them fluffy on the inside.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Conclusion</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">A solid and plentiful burger with nice chunky chips - it's nothing special but decent value and in a lovely part of the world.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Score</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">7/10</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Where can I find them?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thesuncarshalton.com/">http://www.thesuncarshalton.com/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "trebuchet ms" , sans-serif;">Located close to Carshalton train station</span><br />
<br />Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com04 North Street, Carshalton, Greater London SM5 2HU, UK51.366916499999988 -0.1642563000000336630.925375999999989 -41.472850300000033 71.80845699999999 41.144337699999966tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-82715025500140278632016-06-20T19:26:00.000+01:002016-06-20T19:26:56.070+01:00Hello Burger / Sidcup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FSHukd9dADA/Vzj3iGnwUmI/AAAAAAAAGjE/4E6Gewop_Ew8P_gXCsvo_mxYD7kFmbq0ACLcB/s1600/helloburger01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FSHukd9dADA/Vzj3iGnwUmI/AAAAAAAAGjE/4E6Gewop_Ew8P_gXCsvo_mxYD7kFmbq0ACLcB/s400/helloburger01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<br />
<a name='more'></a><b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Hello Burger are a delightfully independent burger joint who have recently set up shop a mere stone's throw from Sidcup station. The south east of London has been a bit bare on the pages of this blog and as I have had an appropriate hiatus from burgers (<a href="https://twitter.com/Southern_Trax/status/716343386761011200" target="_blank">Bar Boulud notwithstanding</a>) it only seemed fitting to check out a burger place close to home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">If I had thought that a Wednesday evening would be quiet time to visit, I must have been wholly misguided. Rather than the laid back and unassuming place I had expected, Hello Burger were pleasantly heaving with two groups of ten each, with plenty of other tables taken by couples and family groups - word to the wise seems to be to book to avoid waits or disappointment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nevertheless we were seated quickly and had a chance to check over the menu; like most places in central London, less is more here with plenty of choices of burgers but outside of this fare you might be disappointed. In my opinion if you are going to specialise in something (the clue is in the name with this place) you might as well commit to it and ask your diners to adapt their expectations!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">One small note about the cocktail menu; i was surprised to receive a Mojito with ice cubes instead of crushed ice, which did explain why some classic cocktails may have been missing from their menu. This won't impact on the review but it's not difficult to crush ice...is it?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Foregoing an entree in favour of the main event, I selected a deluxe burger from their selection: a prime beef patty complete with a special thousand island dressing, smoked bacon, cheese and gherkins in a brioche bun with fries and some onion rings to try. Thankfully, the sides come in large quantities to share with a friend: the fries came well seasoned with rosemary salt (so far, so good) and the onion rings were suitably fried, forgoing the usual limp batter that I have experienced elsewhere.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As for the burger, the best comparison I would make is between this and Patty & Bun: a well rounded offering with good quality beef (medium rare of course), plenty of extras that compliment the patty well and a generous serving of sauce, which mixes delightfully with the patty and soaks into the toasted bun to produce a sloppy and flavourful combination in a burger. Taste and texture-wise, this is a delicious example of the form and I am delighted to report that it compares well to established, Central-London burger restaurants.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">I have to say that I am pleased to find that there are decent places to grab a gourmet burger around the South East of the capital, with plenty of variety to keep you coming back for more and they will no doubt find me a returning customer soon.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Food aside, I only wish it were not as expensive as its London counterparts; at least you do save on travelling into and out of the capital if you are close to Hello Burger but it might be a bit of trek if you are not located nearby.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Score </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8 / 10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.helloburger.co.uk/">http://www.helloburger.co.uk/</a><br />A short train ride from most south-facing train terminus stations.</span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-28504859984839684242016-06-03T18:49:00.000+01:002016-06-03T18:49:09.605+01:00Cheeky Burger / Liverpool Street<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nbh3a9kWWXc/Vp0BaZiPxyI/AAAAAAAAGWQ/ljgoC0VNnm8/s1600/cheekyburger01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Nbh3a9kWWXc/Vp0BaZiPxyI/AAAAAAAAGWQ/ljgoC0VNnm8/s400/cheekyburger01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Who are they?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Cheeky Burger are a London-based roving burger van, bringing meaty goodness with a smile across a number of markets. Having come across them and their cheery burgerettes as part of the monthly Devonshire square market, a cheeky burger for lunch seemed like a good idea!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "times new roman";"><br /></span></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A cheeky bacon burger comprises of a nice slab of premium beef mince, freshly cooked with a significant slab of cheddar and well cooked bacon along with a strong tomato sauce and caramelised onions. Pile this into a toasted burger bun with the satisfyingly optional salad and you have a burger with chips as fresh as it can be.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Given that this was a fantastic treat for a midweek lunch, i want to get the negativity out of the way first, which is namely the chips. Sadly these are pretty disappointing (if only a couple of quid), consisting of standard catering grade frozen French fries that go a little soggy once they cool. Best to concentrate on the burger itself and go for the chips if you are overly peckish, is my advice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">As with all food taken from market stalls in the middle of Winter, the issue is eating it before it goes cold but also enduring issues with handling it without spilling contents all over the floor. I can definitely say that if / when I have another I will be sure to ignore the chips so as to leave both hands free to enjoy the main event right on the spot - by the time I got back to my desk the innards were already slightly above lukewarm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">The sides can be all too easily overlooked as the burger is a solid effort from Cheeky Burger. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://cheekyburgercompany.com/#!/page_Services" target="_blank">http://cheekyburgercompany.com/#!/page_Services</a><br />Available all over town at regular intervals</span></div>
Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-35906778387458812412015-12-09T13:01:00.006+00:002015-12-09T13:10:10.885+00:00Burgershack / Marylebone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnYj8L2wvgQ/VhBcSy1BiTI/AAAAAAAAGDg/QrVkpIP6emk/s1600/burgershack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AnYj8L2wvgQ/VhBcSy1BiTI/AAAAAAAAGDg/QrVkpIP6emk/s320/burgershack.jpg" width="244" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Who are they?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Among the London burger scene, one of the more familiar names is
Burgerac, a longstanding blogger whose reviews are the benchmark for decent
burgers across the UK. After quite so many burgers, it goes without saying that
he ought to know how to put together a decent one himself and his latest
enterprise at the Royal Oak pub in Marylebone is the perfect vehicle to show
the rest what they should be doing. Armed with a booking and the company of
stalwart companion Mr Hazeel, we descended on Burgershack to see the fruits of
his labour.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
Thoughts<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">As October and colder weather draws in, neither the dropping
temperatures nor Stoptober campaigns have done little to diminish inner city
London pub crowds. Royal Oak is a charming and busy pub off of the main street
and if the number of reserved tables is anything to go by, a popular one too.
Reservation ahead of time secures you a table in the quieter upstairs
restaurant area, providing a more relaxed dining experience to enjoy a pricey
beer and make your selections.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Despite a busy menu with a variety of options of mains, the
Burgershack is the only sensible choice; a 6oz beef burger complete with strong
cheese, barbecue smoked bacon, chipotle sauce and iceberg lettuce ensconced in
a brioche bun. In reality, this is the textbook construction of a good burger:
a medium rare patty that strikes a good balance between sloppy and dry, with a
sweet taste that is reminiscent of Meat Liquor and offset well by the taste of
the cheese and crispy bacon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div align="center" class="separator" style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l0noSgKPg8c/VmgnZGfNIhI/AAAAAAAAGLw/Cii0mhihnTI/s1600/burgershack02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-l0noSgKPg8c/VmgnZGfNIhI/AAAAAAAAGLw/Cii0mhihnTI/s400/burgershack02.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The sides also warrant a closer look at well; we opted for fries
with and without blue cheese, Amazeballs (delicious pulled pork deep fried and
ensconced into a ball) and deep fried gherkins. The Amazeballs are the
highlight here, as the fries are your standard thin fare that you can find
anywhere, with a smattering of cheese and Franks Hot Sauce making the
difference between the two, while the deep fried gherkins are a good <i>amuse
bouche</i> while you are waiting for the event but seemed to suffer an identity
crisis as they arrived neither crispy nor soggy - I prefer crispy as befits
something deep fried.<b><br />
<br />
Conclusion</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0cm;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Burger
Shack is evidence enough that given enough time and tasty hamburgers that the
accrued experience will give you the knowledge needed to make an above average
burger all of your own.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
<b style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Score</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">9 / 10<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
Where can I find them?</span></b><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.burgershack.co/">http://www.burgershack.co</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-27184389456619622412015-11-02T13:31:00.000+00:002015-11-02T13:31:29.524+00:00Lucky Chip / Islington<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnuOYYPv4CI/Vhem2ytxmZI/AAAAAAAAGE4/q1Egx8Hasiw/s1600/luckychip01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nnuOYYPv4CI/Vhem2ytxmZI/AAAAAAAAGE4/q1Egx8Hasiw/s400/luckychip01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lucky Chip are a band of desperate burgerites who after running successful East London burger stands have taken up residency in pubs and restaurants all over London. Currently available in a pub in upmarket Islington and a in trendy night spot in Dalston, Mr Hazeel and I went northwards to Angel to see what all the fuss was about and to finally try out their wares.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A Thursday night didn't bring any real difficulties with finding a space at the as we made our way to the Old Queen's Head Pub on the Essex Road and were quickly able to make our selection from the <a href="http://luckychip.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/John-Candy.jpg" target="_blank">menu</a> choices - most of which seem to be a play on actor's names, as you may well see. While my partner in crime decided to go for the special, an Antonio Banderas, I went for an El Chapo burger based on its reputation from a few top <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-best-burgers-in-london-ranked-by-twenty-something-2015-6" target="_blank">10 reviews</a> that rated it highly, as well as a few fries to accompany the main event - it would be rude not to! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Not even 10 minutes later our food arrived and </span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">coming served in a red plastic basket (which smacks of places like Rotary Diner, RIP), the sesame seeded bun plays host to a decent-sized, well cooked beef patty complete with smoked bacon, blue cheese and roasted jalapenos, with alioli in lieu of a traditional burger sauce to counterbalance any dryness you might endure. No such problem here; the rather juicy El Chapo oozed deliciously out of its breaded interior, with the combined flavour of the smoked bacon and blue cheese being a perfect combination for the meat. Speaking of the meat, perhaps it was the overpowering taste of these other ingredients as I couldn't tell whether the patty was indeed crafted from a decent bit of aged beef or not, but together provides </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the chips are certainly nothing special nor are they awful either - a decent amount of slightly crispy fries that do well to compliment the El Chapo's origins as an American diner staple. While not crispy as say, Honest Burgers, they certainly weren't limp as Fatburger's were.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">A deliciously sloppy burger whose ensemble belies the actual ingredients used and proof that simple things done well can be excellent. Well worth checking out!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">8.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.lucky-chip.co.uk/">http://www.lucky-chip.co.uk/</a></span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com044 Essex Rd, London N1 8LN, UK51.5372034 -0.1003542999999353951.5370489 -0.10066929999993539 51.5373579 -0.1000392999999354tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-77588165180356870372015-10-03T23:41:00.000+01:002015-10-03T23:41:17.417+01:00Bad Egg / Moorgate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rdX4OnriTs/VgKb8vM0ksI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/5Q2PieyoFAk/s1600/bad%2Begg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1rdX4OnriTs/VgKb8vM0ksI/AAAAAAAAF_Y/5Q2PieyoFAk/s400/bad%2Begg.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</span></b><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bad Egg are a bar / diner located in the City Point mall area and a bit of an anomaly in being located in the City but whose presentation and food is better suited to the trendy streets of Shoreditch and Hoxton; only a stone's throw away. Long time collaborator Mr Hazeel and The Missus joined this most recent exploration of London eateries.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thoughts</span></b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QwxXiDrhds/VgLRadCppBI/AAAAAAAAF_w/W5Du7_zLP-Q/s1600/Y11h8xUH3JOCIG5KB4FXTBmPttx3QL75maHnDJKbsLo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_QwxXiDrhds/VgLRadCppBI/AAAAAAAAF_w/W5Du7_zLP-Q/s320/Y11h8xUH3JOCIG5KB4FXTBmPttx3QL75maHnDJKbsLo.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bad Egg's menu is fairly much what you might expect for a burger or diner restaurant, with the big exception that theirs seems to have any excuse to add eggs where possible. This extends to their fries (a rather unimaginative dish of a fried egg placed on top of a plate of fries) as much as it does their signature Bad Egg burger; a beef patty with nduja cheese and soft egg yolk, together with pickles, onions and yellow mustard and enclosed in a brioche bun.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On taste, the burger itself is very reminiscent of a dead hippy, with the pickles/onions/mustard combination an able substitute for Meat Liquor's signature sauce. Clearly the patties have been hand crafted with some decent quality beef, with delicious salty juices mixing with the burger sauce to make a sloppy burger with plenty of flavour. It even rivals Meat Liquor in terms of taste and texture and might have done so if it were not let down by one thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><b>We were served cold food.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After waiting nearly half an hour for our main course (thankfully we had at least ordered some chicken wings as starters) it was a bitter disappointment. I assume that our order had been forgotten, as other guests who had ordered some time after us had been served before us, with our meals cooling rapidly on unheated plates with no hot lights.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Had we not had to wait so long for a food, i would have had no trouble sending it back, but hunger got the better of us and we settled for luke warm eats. We did let our waitress know and the bill was adjusted accordingly, but it is a severe disappointment that a restaurant with only 15 covers could not produce a hot meal; the absolute minimum that a restaurant ought to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">All this aside, we thought we would order dessert to get over the failure of our meal; a pair of rice krispy and ice cream sandwiches with salted caramel drizzle and an icecream sundae should do the trick. After all, they can't make a mess of pudding as well. Right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><i>I wish that were the case.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Let me start with my girlfriend's sundae. This is presented as a tall knickerbocker glory glass, filled with two small scoops of ice cream, a large amount of squirted canned cream and topped off with some melted chocolate drizzle and solo kit kat stick. At a cost of £7, this really was underwhelming and almost as if the squirted cream was a deliberate move to mask how little you actually got.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But the cherry on top here was my experience with the ice cream sandwiches. In contrast with Mr Hazeel's perfect sandwich, my own came with melted ice cream that oozed all over the plate. Here another basic lesson in service is ignored; if you are going to serve two dishes of the same meal, then make sure that they are the same!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So I did what anyone ought to: I picked it up, walked to the kitchen, gave it to the waiter there and asked for a replacement without melted ice cream. Yes it is not a very British thing to do, but after a sub par main my patience was running severely thin. And unsurprisingly the replacement was a carbon copy of my friend's one; as it should have been the first time. I question why the kitchen staff thought it was acceptable to serve the same table two different versions of the same dish - quality control is clearly lacking.</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conclusion</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With name like Bad Egg mixed with the evening I had, some might say that the reviews write themselves.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Terrible? Possibly; the reasonable foodie in me suggests that it's too easy to disregard the whole experience as "Bad Egg are terrible" and perhaps the cook/s were having a bit of an off day. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judging from <a href="http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/ShowUserReviews-g186338-d7376018-r265034436-Bad_Egg-London_England.html" target="_blank">reviews</a> I was not the only one who was served cold food and so as a result I cannot simply consider this was a one off</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Neil Rankin should exert some better quality control there, as I know they should be capable of so much more.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I think if they were able to provide me with hot food I would have a better chance to judge and I did feel that were it hot, it may have even rivalled a burger from Meat Liquor. I can say this all hypothetically however, because with so many other eateries in the Square Mile I need never darken their doorstep again.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">4/10</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where can I find them?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://badegg.london/">http://badegg.london/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Around the corner from Moorgate and Barbican tube stations (Hammersmith & City, Metropolitan and Circle lines)</span></div>
Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-48587386064870670872015-09-23T13:24:00.000+01:002015-09-23T13:33:56.176+01:00Mary Jane / Aldgate<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPyMr-55GEM/VgB8N-xVQpI/AAAAAAAAF_I/SXlKmn4hNMY/s1600/maryjane01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OPyMr-55GEM/VgB8N-xVQpI/AAAAAAAAF_I/SXlKmn4hNMY/s400/maryjane01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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</div>
<a name='more'></a><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mary Jane is a sleek looking yet surprisingly affordable burger, steak and lobster establishment nestled on the Minories between Tower Hill and Aldgate. At first glance you would be forgiven for mistaking they are a fancy wine bar of some sort, located near to a Jamie's, Vodka Revolution and numerous pubs, and while they do keep a well stocked bar they also offer a good line of burgers and on a wet Monday evening with a hungry partner in tow, it made sense to avoid the rush and see what they had to offer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a Monday night of course the last thing they might have are customers, so of course we had our pick of the restaurant - a darkened interior with overt bulbs marking booths and expansive tables. I have seen the bar pretty full on Fridays, so I can tell it's probably better to visit during the beginning and the middle of the week to check out their <a href="http://maryjanesbar.com/menu-food.html" target="_blank">menu</a> and get served in a timely fashion.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">First of all, the front window does not kid; Mary Jane has a comprehensive selection of burgers for sale and plenty of variety to boot and I enjoyed the opportunity to chose my own combination of burger and sides: in this case with all the news about <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PigGate" target="_blank">Piggate</a> it seemed rude not to choose a Squealer (Beef patty, pulled pork, chorizo slices, candied bacon, cheese and gherkins) paired with some triple cooked chips - keen to stress, these are not fries, as you will clearly see.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OPwQCzhE1mo/VgB8N3albqI/AAAAAAAAF_E/fvWiWniOXv4/s1600/maryjane02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OPwQCzhE1mo/VgB8N3albqI/AAAAAAAAF_E/fvWiWniOXv4/s320/maryjane02.jpg" width="179" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After swift service, it appeared; a wooden paddle board with a steaming hot burger whose admittedly small patty was festooned with additional meats. From the first mouthful to the last, it is abundantly clear that Mary Jane do not skimp on portion sizes, creating a rather filling burger filled with strong tastes of beef and pork, with the chorizo in particular getting high praise from me. The candied bacon comes well cooked, providing an antithesis to a lovely juicy burger bursting with flavour with some crispy yet sweet bacon that is at times reminiscent of crackling - YMMV of course.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Meanwhile, the overly salted and peppered chips we ordered certainly try hard to upstage the burger. While triple cooked seems to be a bit of an overestimation, as ours were fairly fluffy inside and not as crisp on the outside, the portion sizes are huge. In fact, I have a photo of the missus, whose finger is dwarfed by the size of one chip, who remarked that they had more in common with potatoes than fries or chips. I can definitely see these being a firm favourite as bar snacks with a beer, where the beer can soak up the overpowering seasoning..</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the prim, proper and underwhelming burger from <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/bills-borough-market.html#more" target="_blank">Bills</a>, Mary Jane are a welcome return to a cheap and cheerful burgers that are not afraid to be sloppy, sauce-filled delights from start to finish. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At around £6-7 a pop, with sides being extra at around £3-4, Mary Jane scores high for offering excellent burger and chips for around £10 and gives Honest Burgers a run for their money!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If this is what they can offer in terms of burgers, then this establishment looks promising for Surf & Turf. Good work guys, keep it up!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://maryjanesbar.com/">http://maryjanesbar.com/</a><br />A stone's throw between Aldgate and Tower Gateway (District)</span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0127 Minories, London EC3N, UK51.5124017 -0.07557580000002417451.512363199999996 -0.075654800000024169 51.5124402 -0.075496800000024178tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-30751392595170010632015-09-21T09:30:00.000+01:002015-09-21T09:30:02.105+01:00Bill's / Borough Market<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PfuEm1H8jJY/Vf6MiO4CoEI/AAAAAAAAF78/7ocIJyEDDAA/s1600/bills01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PfuEm1H8jJY/Vf6MiO4CoEI/AAAAAAAAF78/7ocIJyEDDAA/s400/bills01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">(new phone and new 15MP camera responsible for crisp photos!)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bill's are an upmarket bistro-style restaurant chain, serving contemporary European cuisine for breakfast lunch and dinner and can be found in more upmarket locations in London and across the country. Be warned: they are often busy if not completely booked out, so do bear this in mind if you decide to venture out to one!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After making plans for a dinner and movie with friends, only to be let down in stupendous fashion by national rail services (thanks for nothing, South Eastern!), the missus and I found ourselves wandering around London's fashionable Borough Market (a location with other <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/pop-up-borough-market.html" target="_blank">delicious burgers</a>) and found their restaurant on the corner of Clink Street on the north side of the market towards the river walk. Despite it being only 6pm, the restaurant area was already half full and by the time we had ordered food, the rest of the seats had been taken. Either go early or reserve to avoid disappointment, I would say!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a bistro, the wooded interior reminds me of places like Leon, all seeking to invoke a sort of faux 70s Mediterranean charm and the food on offer is very typical of other places in London like Cafe Rouge. This also means that they were bound to have a decent burger on offer so I decided to check out their offering - a beef patty with tomato and lettuce encased in a toasted sesame seed bun and paired with a portion of fries. This all comes presented on a posh-looking wooden board and with the fries in a distressed looking bucket and while it was nice to look at, I was surprised that the bacon and cheese had to be added at an extra £1.50 per ingredient. Sure you get what you ask for; a thick slab of cheese and a couple of fairly well cooked slices of back bacon, but I can't help feeling that it is a bit much for just an extra.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This aside, the burger itself is rather large, but suffers from the same problem as Burger & Lobster. A rather above-average tasting beef burger, which arrived fairly well cooked despite confirming that I wanted it cooked medium rare, marred by the inclusion of far too much salad to bulk out the size. I definitely think that the beef made for a great burger, but I think it would not have been quite so great without the extra bacon and cheese and without the fresh lettuce the burger or the addition of a sauce it would have been slightly on the dry side for me. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the sides, the fries are sadly nothing particularly special. They may have been cooked slightly longer than usual, but after trying some proper triple cooked chips these come off as slightly amateurish for their limp appearance. As for size, the bucket is deceptively deep, making for more fries than you might think, but don't expect a particularly generous portion.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A nice and tasty burger if a very prim and clean version of the form. The well presented burger with cocktails makes Bill's good for dates and meals with close friends, though you do seem to pay for the privilege.</span></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Score</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
7/10</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>Where can I find them?</b></div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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</span></div>
Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0Victor Wharf, Clink St, London SE1 9DW, UK51.5067667 -0.0916081000000303942.0181187 -20.74590510000003 60.9954147 20.562688899999969tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-26056516906221511632015-09-01T09:00:00.000+01:002015-09-01T09:00:08.324+01:00Hot Box / Spitalfields<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXS9Tt-RYew/VeBTJh5U9hI/AAAAAAAAFz4/Xw_oP5nDvzU/s1600/hotbox01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yXS9Tt-RYew/VeBTJh5U9hI/AAAAAAAAFz4/Xw_oP5nDvzU/s400/hotbox01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With National
Burger Day this Thursday, I thought it would be a good excuse to finally check out
Hot Box and enlisted the help of a workmate to join me. I had been meaning to
try Hot Box for a while, especially as the last times I had been there the wait
time had been an hour minimum. This owing to their surge of popularity
following a Time Out Magazine piece of them - a double edged sword for anyone
who wants to try them out.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Located
half way along Commercial Street, Hotbox straddles the trendy Shoreditch and
grimy Whitechapel districts of London, with well-to-do city slickers from
Aldgate and Bishopsgate only a stone's throw away. This may go to explaining
why the facade and decor is rather smart in its greys and blacks but retaining
an edgy feel to the menu and layout of benches in lieu of formal tables. And of
course, advertising the fact that you have a meat smoker makes this
establishment a potential goldmine for decent burger eats.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of
<a href="http://hotboxlondon.com/hotbox-menu.html" target="_blank">menus</a>, theirs comes on a raggedy clipboard that might be more suitable for a
butchers or a slightly less upmarket establishment like <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/honest-burgers-soho.html" target="_blank">Honest Burgers</a>, who I
had seen recently for one of their specials. The choices are fairly
straightforward if not down right Spartan: a few burgers, a few steaks and
quite a few sides to chose from gave me the indication that what little they offer, they
ought to do well. </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1YCn2syIzw/VeBTKLJwPTI/AAAAAAAAF0A/F-E8nFcJgxk/s1600/hotbox04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j1YCn2syIzw/VeBTKLJwPTI/AAAAAAAAF0A/F-E8nFcJgxk/s320/hotbox04.jpg" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">Based on
recent top 10 lists and the recommendation of a friend who happened to be
finishing up when I arrived, we opted for the Smokey Bandit; an aged beef patty together with some smoked short rib, jalapeño and red cheddar enclosed in a brioche bun. Rather than ordinary potato fries or chips, as you would expect, Hot Box only offers sweet potato fries, which seemed to be a decent alternative based on the ones I saw on other tables (the mac & cheese looked enticing as well, but as it was only lunch there wasn't much space).</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">Which brings me to the only downside I can find with this establishment; wait times. Either owing to lack of staff for lunch times or an underestimation of how popular National Burger Day has become, being served (either at all or in a timely fashion) at busy times can be a challenge. Therefore, if you are strapped for time, perhaps you might reconsider your options!</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-weh2PtAUvZs/VeBTJkGIFPI/AAAAAAAAFz8/fX7cgfYWVVA/s1600/hotbox03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-weh2PtAUvZs/VeBTJkGIFPI/AAAAAAAAFz8/fX7cgfYWVVA/s320/hotbox03.jpg" width="180" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU">As you can tell from the cross section, Hot Box's offerings are marvellously decadent in their size and come with plenty of meat; both in the patty and short rib. Interestingly, the jalapeños come both as chopped on top of the short rub as well as in the green chilli relish on top, with some well chopped onions and gherkin providing a bed underneath the patty - it's a nice alternative to the usual lettuce and tomato that you might expect to get (which don't usually add much to the experience either).</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-AU"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We were warned that the burger was hot and were not disappointed; the chilli relish counterpointed a very juicy bit of beef, with copious amounts of smoked short rib to boot, providing a piquant and pleasant experience indeed. Where other burgers add heat with sauces, it's great to see Hot Box add heat by just adding chopped chilli instead and there's plenty on offer to satisfy even the hungriest diners for a lunchtime.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Plus, the sweet potato fries were some of the best we had tried. Well cooked and crispy, yet full of flavour from the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">sweet potato and cracked salt, these formed a rather indulgent portion of chips and, like the burger they accompanied, in large enough amounts that we struggled to finish them off.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conclusion</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An amazing burger with some excellent sides; a fitting entry to celebrate National Burger Day 2015. Roll on next year!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>9/10</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://hotboxlondon.com/" target="_blank">http://hotboxlondon.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close to Aldgate station (District and Hammersmith & City Lines)</span></div>
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<br />Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com048 Commercial Street, London E1 6LT, UK51.5172307 -0.073244100000010825.9951962 -41.38183810000001 77.0392652 41.235349899999989tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-61951605672334249312015-08-31T21:22:00.001+01:002015-08-31T21:22:06.865+01:00The Crown and Shuttle / Shoreditch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hp-BJ7ecoo4/Vc8aADfKukI/AAAAAAAAFxc/-xGYOcfsCVw/s1600/crownshuttle01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hp-BJ7ecoo4/Vc8aADfKukI/AAAAAAAAFxc/-xGYOcfsCVw/s400/crownshuttle01.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Boasting the largest beer garden in Shoreditch, the Crown and Shuttle is one of those all-inclusive trendy pubs that not only boasts an excellent selection of beer and ale but prides itself on a spacious exterior to enjoy the unpredictable British summer weather. I had passed the pub many times on travelling up towards other pubs around Hoxton square, so the opportunity to try them out on a company summer party was a great excuse!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite it being a Friday lunchtime, the pub was more or less deserted, with a few tables here and there taken by other punters enjoying an extended lunch break over a beer or wine. This was hampered somewhat by us being a group of twenty, so after playing waiter to get everyone's order, I dutifully ordered at the bar and waited for the chefs cooking in an caravan-style oven in the courtyard to prepare and send over our food. Admittedly this was a little longer than expected but kudos to the cooks is in order as they did send it all across at the same time.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfV5JbULwuE/Vc8aApe53HI/AAAAAAAAFxg/L8PXDWdI6bg/s1600/crownshuttle03.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JfV5JbULwuE/Vc8aApe53HI/AAAAAAAAFxg/L8PXDWdI6bg/s320/crownshuttle03.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Before long, we had what we had ordered; pretty much one of everything off the </span><a href="http://crownandshuttle.com/home/food-menu/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">menu</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, including a standard Crown Burger and fries for me and the ability to pick from everything else (including onion rings, chilli cheese fries and chicken wings) as I wished. Speaking of the side dishes, a</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> quick word is in order about these; the chilli cheese fries are well worth getting and do not doubt the decision for a moment. Portions arrive in a large sized bowl with plenty of chilli and cheese throughout and in truth left me wondering why I had bothered ordering the standard affair. </span></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IpX-51enMJ4/Vc8Z_9HhPOI/AAAAAAAAFxY/UFZN3hh6TYM/s1600/crownshuttle02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IpX-51enMJ4/Vc8Z_9HhPOI/AAAAAAAAFxY/UFZN3hh6TYM/s320/crownshuttle02.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Likewise, the wings are also great - plenty of chicken and pretty large to boot, though the sauce itself is not particularly hot. Don't expect the spiciness or flavour of, say, Meat Liquor's Bingo Wings, but these are certainly decent as a side dish or appetiser with a beer. After all, this is kind of the thing that you expect to get at a pub.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It is slightly disappointing then that the main attraction is nothing special; a slightly above average catering-grade beef patty atop a large slice of tomato, gherkin and lettuce leaf, stuck between a brioche bun. While it has all the usual elements of a decent burger, especially compared to what you might find elsewhere, and doesn't taste terrible, it is decidedly average. I believe the main thing that brings this down is the lack of sauce or strong flavour of any kind, making me reach for the ketchup to equalise the matter. In the past I have found that this is to highlight the quality of the meat, but when the meat isn't really anything special this seems more and more like an oversight.</span></div>
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conclusion</b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">An oh-so-slightly average patty bolstered by better side dishes makes for a decent bite to eat if you happen to be drinking there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7/10</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<a href="http://crownandshuttle.com/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">http://crownandshuttle.com</a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A stone's throw from Liverpool Street (Metropolitan, Circle, H&C lines) and Shoreditch (Overground) stations</span></div>
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<br />Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-22637963314996288232015-08-11T19:48:00.003+01:002015-08-11T19:48:45.733+01:00The Pippin / Maidstone<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sxkmPdeUfsk/VaJRUFYN-lI/AAAAAAAAFrA/0g5e2gpy1Ec/s1600/pippin01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sxkmPdeUfsk/VaJRUFYN-lI/AAAAAAAAFrA/0g5e2gpy1Ec/s400/pippin01.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>The Pippin is an attractive chain gastropub on the main road into and out of Maidstone, Kent. I wasn't journeying into Kent for the sole purpose of finding burgers; far from it! The only reason I was in town was for a wedding at a weekend and after driving down a day early, the missus and I had clocked the place on the way to the hotel and as we were in need of sustenance, we both thought it better than risking the hotel's bar for a bite to eat and looked more appealing than other pubs we had passed along the way.<br />
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<b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Located in a fairly quiet part of town, aside from the line of slow moving traffic, when we parked up and entered there were only about a dozen tables inside and outside taken by other customers and I expect that most of the trade comes at the weekend. As a result, service was swift and friendly, with bar staff positively raring to do anything other than play on their phones.</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The burgers <a href="http://www.pippin-maidstone.co.uk/menus/food" target="_blank">on offer</a> looked pretty good, with a big selection of choices and large enough to satisfy a fairly large sized hunger without breaking the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">bank balance. Add a beer on top to cool down after a hot day stuck in the car and I wasn't going to say no to an attractive offering! </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After mulling over the various offerings, I opted for the beef shortrib burger and some additional fried </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">pickles to join the fries and coleslaw that the burger came with. These are dutifully served on an attractive white platter, with plenty of space to pick it apart at your leisure, and at </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">first glance seems like a pretty solid choice with plenty to get through - especially with the additional onion rings on top (did I mention I hadn't eaten since 5am and this was a late lunch?)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Et9JZKq07Yw/VaJRT2pX8WI/AAAAAAAAFq8/2IylVctBBFE/s1600/pippin02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Et9JZKq07Yw/VaJRT2pX8WI/AAAAAAAAFq8/2IylVctBBFE/s320/pippin02.jpg" width="226" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, appearances can be deceiving and as when we started to pick apart the burger certain things became obvious. For one, the burger pulls the old trick of looking large but this is because of the overly large brioche bun that encases the rather lackluster patty, both in size and taste. As expected of a burger from a chain pub, this is nothing special, a catering grade example of a patty that could have probably done with a bit more seasoning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The sides were equally a disappointing affair The rather expensive £2 pickles are woefully inadequate in stature; mine came with a half dozen small breaded pickles so overcooked to leave the innards nearly bone dry. The pair of battered onion rings came with so little onion and so much soggy batter as to be non-existent. Admittedly it's quite a lot of food and a beer to boot, but this is quite clearly a case of more filler than killer.</span><br />
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<b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's a beer and a burger for £10, dressed up to look better than it tastes. Granted, I shouldn't expect much from a chain pub but at least here what it lacks in quality it tries to make up in quantity</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>5/10</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b>
<b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.pippin-maidstone.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.pippin-maidstone.co.uk</span></a><br />
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Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com078 London Road, Maidstone, Kent ME16 0DR, UK51.2804784 0.5063685000000077730.8390924 -40.802225499999992 71.7218644 41.814962500000007tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-43717349054144615332015-08-01T10:04:00.000+01:002015-08-01T10:04:08.326+01:00Pop Up: The Karma Cola Special at Honest Burgers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6NVe2rBKYE/VbyEKAOVv0I/AAAAAAAAFu4/UfkCvJaULdo/s1600/2015-07-31%2B18.36.51.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-g6NVe2rBKYE/VbyEKAOVv0I/AAAAAAAAFu4/UfkCvJaULdo/s320/2015-07-31%2B18.36.51.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In a collaboration with the Karma Cola Foundation, the bright sparks at <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/honest-burgers-soho.html" target="_blank">Honest Burgers </a>(home of my favourite London burger & chips for under a tenner) have been working on a limited edition burger to raise money for the charity.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From <a href="http://www.honestburgers.co.uk/news/2015/07/karma-special/" target="_blank">Honest's Website</a>:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For each Karma Cola Burger sold we will donate £1 to the Karma Cola Foundation. We’ve been inspired by the extent these guys go to in order to look after the West African people who grow the Cola nut from which Karma Cola is made. We hope that the HB contribution will make an impact to these people who’ve had a rough ride lately in the wake of the Ebola crisis.</span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The premise for the Karma Cola is simple: take one of their standard Honest Burgers - in and of itself a classic of the form with beef sourced by the renowned Ginger Pig butchers - with added green chili coleslaw, applewood smoked cheese and some cola-infused braised beef on top. So it's double beef with an additional twist, a very special burger indeed and well worth taking the time out to go check out. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Service at the Soho joint was typically speedy, as is the norm for Honest Burgers, and even on a Friday night when tables were turning faster than cards in a game of poker we got seated and served in under 15 minutes. If that's not amazing I don't know what is. The squidgy bun houses a nicely cooked patty, neither too dry nor too wet, with some lovely flavours coming off the cheese. The coleslaw is nice in and of itself, though it is unfortunately too easily overshadowed by the cola-soaked brisket. Very much the star of the whole show, the cola imparts a lovely sweet flavour that counterbalances the beef patty and the cheese.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Oh, and did I mention that this also comes with tons of the amazing triple cooked chips with rosemary salt that I love so much?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It ends Monday 3rd August 2015 and as this means that there are less than five meals to go before this expires, any self respecting burger junkie ought to get their socks on and get over to see them. Come on, it's for charity!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9.5 / 10</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Karma Cola on Twitter</b><br /><a href="https://twitter.com/KarmaColaUK">https://twitter.com/KarmaColaUK</a></span><br />
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<br />Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-46828938924467009692015-07-31T09:30:00.000+01:002015-07-31T09:30:01.558+01:00Temple Brewhouse / Temple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c-b1JYVHoco/Vboh07RuLKI/AAAAAAAAFtw/iZMa_3EnpSQ/s1600/essex01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="226" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c-b1JYVHoco/Vboh07RuLKI/AAAAAAAAFtw/iZMa_3EnpSQ/s400/essex01.png" width="400" /></span></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Temple Brewhouse is a lovely basement bar that not only serves a ton of beer and has a great bar menu but also has its very own brewery on site. Sitting on the site of a former German-styled gastube / bierkeller on a side street opposite the Royal Courts of Justice, you would be forgiven for thinking that, on first glance, this was just another pub. And so, when looking for the same German bar I remember going to when I used to work on Fleet Street to set up a meeting with long time collaborator Mr Hazeel, I decided that this place would make for an excellent substitute; because damn it, the Thoroughly Nice Burger Blog has never been for a burger in a brewery before.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A typical Wednesday evening during the summer in London town brings plenty of people out to enjoy a beer or two and even at around 7pm, the downstairs bar was half full. Snagging a comfy booth, we remarked that the decor has more akin with a trendy Hoxton bar than a little pub tucked away in a side street of the Fleet Street area. Not that I was complaining; the bar has a full compliment of lagers, ales and ciders on a set of front pumps and a rotating selection of craft beers and ciders behind the bar - also draft - and if that wasn't enough, then there's a healthy compliment of bottled and canned beers as well. It's basically a slice of beery heaven that also serves food. Don't believe me? Check out their interactive thing on <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/The+Temple+Brew+House/@51.512942,-0.113073,3a,84.4y,2.31h,66.5t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1s7Ukye5pbI0oAAAQZFGiN6g!2e0!3e2!6s%2F%2Fgeo0.ggpht.com%2Fcbk%3Fcb_client%3Dmaps_sv.tactile%26output%3Dthumbnail%26thumb%3D2%26panoid%3D7Ukye5pbI0oAAAQZFGiN6g%26w%3D124%26h%3D75%26yaw%3D352%26pitch%3D0%26thumbfov%3D103%26ll%3D51.512942,-0.113073!7i13312!8i6656!4m2!3m1!1s0x487604b48d5c7c8b:0xd222dc7875f63810!6m1!1e1" target="_blank">Google Maps</a>!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of food, the <a href="http://my.propcom.co.uk/data/media/pdf/TBH%20April%20Menu.pdf" target="_blank">Temple's menu</a> is a comprehensive a look at decent bar food and larger bites as anything out there - handily separated into small plates and big plates. The establishment actually features two burgers; a classic char-grilled bacon burger with coleslaw and chips (not fries) or the intimidating Stack: a steak patty paired with smoked brisket, smoked cheese,
maple bacon & onion rings. Not willing to suffer the larger of the two, we opted for the lesser bacon burger together with some of their hot chicken wings after chatting with a barman and being intrigued by how he had described them.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCxLVrtZQyA/Vbp5I5JGZRI/AAAAAAAAFuI/u15f61FxruU/s1600/templebeerhouse02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="181" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-uCxLVrtZQyA/Vbp5I5JGZRI/AAAAAAAAFuI/u15f61FxruU/s320/templebeerhouse02.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In the meantime, we tried a couple of side dishes to see what they could do; the Szechuan squid and the onion rings, both of which came in plentiful amounts in these rather fetching steel basins and made for a lovely crispy pair of entrees - not too dry yet not too soggy, as is the case for the fare you get in most pubs, though surprisingly it did need a little salt to add to the flavour and was at best a minor inconvenience. This also gave plenty of opportunity to try a selection of 3 1/3 pints and try out some of the craft beer selection: lovely!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">No sooner had we finished off the squid than the burgers arrived, a plate with a slightly charred patty and very crispy bacon slice atop some lettuce and tomato, whilst the the top of the bun had been left off to allow easy access for whatever condiment you might need. Accompanied by a healthy portion of crispy coleslaw with home made mayonnaise and a bucket of well-fried chips, it only leaves me to wonder exactly how large the Stack would be in comparison. Adding the coleslaw to the ensemble and packing it down with brioche, the burger would come at a perfect moment in the evening to start soaking up the beer, which it did in fine fashion. The char-grilled (to the point of it being crispy on the edges) patty leaves a lovely smokey aftertaste to what is a decent piece of beef to start with and while the same is true of the crispy bacon, mine was perhaps a little too carbonised and was difficult to break off in large pieces. This is not a huge oversight however, as the lettuce and coleslaw freshened things off nicely with each bite and altogether provided a much larger burger than I was expecting. Perhaps the only thing that was slightly underwhelming were the accompanying chips, which were fairly small in size and number when compared to the amazing side dishes we had had earlier.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of side dishes, the chicken wings do deserve greater praise. Glazed in a sweet stout dressing with habanero and scotch bonnet, these make for sweet yet with only a slightly tingly heat on a roasted chicken akin to the traditional British Sunday sort. Heat-wise, they are certainly not the hottest, but it is not the intention to blow your socks off. It's very different to the standard American hot wings and aside from tasting great are a lovely change from the same battered and fried hot wings smothered in sauce that you can find everywhere. As with the battered squid and onion rings, they come in a large steel tin that is perfect for sharing - perhaps there's actually more than you might need for just one person and if we weren't eating a big plates we could quite happily have a selection of these to enjoy the cricket showing on the projector screen.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's times like this that I think vegetarians have made </span><a href="https://youtu.be/Ubw5N8iVDHI?t=3s" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;" target="_blank">rather bad life decisions</a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">. Perhaps the only thing they can do to discredit this establishment is that the side dishes and beers are more expensive than usual - even for a London pub. But what you do get is an altogether more decadent place to go for pub grub that actually delivers solid food and none of the stupid pretentiousness that is common around Fleet Street and Temple. Not sure when we'll get back to attempt the stack, but it's always good to have an excuse to return!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>8.5/10</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.templebrewhouse.com/">http://www.templebrewhouse.com/</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A 2 minute walk from Temple underground station (District & Circle Lines)</span></div>
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Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com046 Essex Street, London WC2R 3JF, UK51.5129485 -0.1130861999999979231.084797000000002 -41.4216802 71.9411 41.1955078tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-34151206526569875832015-07-27T21:35:00.001+01:002015-07-27T21:37:34.280+01:00Slug & Lettuce / St Mary Axe<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The Slug and Lettuce is a chain of bars commonly found in locations close to their progenitors All Bar One, offering better pub grub and a more varied selection of draught beer and cocktails. Given this, they tend to be found around the more upmarket ends of town and as this particular bar is next to the Gherkin on St Mary Axe, it attracts the usual collection of suits and ties looking for a liquid lunch, as well as me, my father and his friend who wanted something to eat along with a sneaky beer.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">For a Wednesday lunch, it only dawned on us when we went in and saw such a busy restaurant area that that the sensible thing we should have done was to book, as most tables were taken by small groups of two to four people. However, there were plenty of tables left and the attentive waiting staff ensured that we were able to find a spot to sit and didn't have to endure the scrum at the bar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Surprisingly, there are <a href="http://www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/resource/binary/62297f9f263d36b27804117dae29894c/SlugMenuBandC.pdf" target="_blank">plentiful options</a> when it comes to a burgers here, though I did note that we should have come in on a Monday when food is at 50% off. As is traditional for the burger blog, I opted for the Swiss; a bacon and cheeseburger with coleslaw, tomato and lettuce and encased in a brioche bun. So far, so normal, though I was impressed that you could order a selection of chips, skin on fries or wedges as your side order (though it probably made little difference to the portion size, as these are all likely cooked from frozen). The ensemble comes presented on a dark wooden paddle board as shown, with an annoying paper cover that reminds me of <a href="http://www.habitat.co.uk/Wallpaper/content/fcp-content" target="_blank">Habitat wallpaper</a>. At least it doesn't tear when you're trying to cut the burger in two and then you end up with bits of paper on your mouthful of food, so it's an improvement there.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Firstly, the sides. The coleslaw is a decent example of its kind with not too much mayonnaise and crisp carrots. Likewise, the fries are nice enough despite being well-cooked frozen oven chips, my only issue being that there could have been more of them. As for the burger, it's nothing to write home about and in truth I wasn't exactly sure if I was expecting anything better from a bar. It's a better-than-average beef patty, straight from a catering packet and augmented with some decent seasoning that gives something that's lightly flavoured for a well done bit of reformed minced beef and the addition of the fresh salad and light brioche bun makes for large bites, only it does seem that it looks better than it tastes. That's not to say that it's not any good and far from it; it's certainly better than McDonald's and streets better than some of the poor excuses for a burger I have had in pubs, but just nothing special.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">I do think that for more than a tenner and without a drink, it makes for a very expensive lunch and if it's a lunchtime burger you're looking for, you can certainly do better if you happened to wonder up toward Liverpool Street to Patty & Pun and you can certainly do a beer and a burger cheaper elsewhere too.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Not bad for a pub lunch burger and certainly on par with the usual fare you can find at a central London establishment but at a premium price for being in an upmarket bar.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>6/10</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/slug-stmaryaxe" target="_blank">www.slugandlettuce.co.uk/slug-stmaryaxe</a></span></div>
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Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com030 St Mary Axe (The Gherkin), 30 Saint Mary Axe, London, EC3A 8EP EC3A51.514491799999988 -0.08030650000000605431.080932299999986 -41.388900500000005 71.948051299999989 41.228287499999993tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-13952270263631839672015-07-02T10:30:00.000+01:002015-07-02T10:30:02.186+01:00Pop up: Borough Market <br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Now that London is sweltering in the heat and I happened to be in the Southwark area after an interview, I thought it would be a crying shame not to check out the market for a lunchtime burger and something to cool down with. If I was going to find either of these things, a sunny day bringing out all the tourists in this, the largest and most popular of London's food markets.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While not technically a popup, as this place has a main fixture, I can't seem to find these guys on the <a href="http://boroughmarket.org.uk/market-map#trader0" target="_blank">Borough Market website</a>. Nonetheless, this grill stand is prominently located in the middle road area of the market, in close proximity to vendors selling similar offerings, and in addition to huge vats of chicken curry, they offer premium venison burgers with meat sourced from the Highlands of Scotland and accompanied by a slice of gouda cheese, a dollup of bacon jam and red onion relish, all contained in a rather solid kind of brioche.</span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c-qiGRAq1sQ/VZRQH13UUZI/AAAAAAAAFmQ/8VIh2GKOQ8Q/s1600/borough01.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-c-qiGRAq1sQ/VZRQH13UUZI/AAAAAAAAFmQ/8VIh2GKOQ8Q/s400/borough01.png" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">At £7 a pop, this is certainly not a cheap prospect, but in comparison to the stand not a few paces across the way who were selling their smaller take on a venison burger with a token piece of lettuce for one pound less, the addition of other premium ingredients make this a more complete option to go for. Judging by the interest from other market visitors that outnumbered the opposition by about 4:1, this was not only the popular vote but in hindsight the better one.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">The venison is cooked medium rare and with plenty of it to enjoy, I feel you do get what you pay for. This is augmented nicely by the generous amount of slightly vinegary onion relish and salty sweet bacon jam respectively, which compliments the meat well. Finally, there's plenty of soft brioche bun to keep things intact. Worth checking out if you are in the area!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>7/10</b></span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0Borough Market, 8 Southwark Street, London SE1 1TL, UK51.5056541 -0.09077000000002044551.5044186 -0.093291500000020441 51.5068896 -0.088248500000020449tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-27327903290174320122015-07-01T21:51:00.000+01:002015-07-01T21:51:49.655+01:00The Fourteenth Colonie / Farringdon<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Who are they?</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Nestled in the former site of Giant Robot, The Fourteenth Colonie is a relatively new bar on the Clerkenwell road, with their formula for stylish drinking and food transplanted from Brooklyn to the trendy streets of Islington. Given that London is currently experiencing a heatwave, the darker (and cooler) interior of the Fourteenth Colonie's bar makes for a good place to hide away from the sun after a long day's work to relax over a beer or two and sample one of their many burgers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Strolling in on a hot Tuesday evening, the bar area started off relatively peaceful and began to pick up as local offices began to close for the night. In particular, a large group of about a dozen joined us around dinner time, quickly filling up most of the bar area but leaving plenty of space to spare.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">While waiting for a partner in crime to try some of the wares out, I installed myself at the bar itself and took full advantage of the free, no-nonsense Wi-Fi and decent Happy Hour beers. While options are limited on tap, there are plenty of decently-priced craft beer in bottles and the selection seemed to please one bearded beer-geek that I happened to overhear. The same care to attention of drinks extends to a large selection of bourbon and vodkas along the back wall, which would make for decent shooters and cocktails later in the evening.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">With significant amounts of beer on the agenda for the evening, it seemed only fair to try some of the side dishes as a starter; in this regard <a href="http://static1.squarespace.com/static/54b016b2e4b0c2885b01606f/t/558bcfb4e4b0c093c661272a/1435226036109/evening+menu+-+220616.pdf" target="_blank">the Fourteenth Colonie</a> has several choices so we opted for the sweet potato fries and the beer battered fried shallots. A few moments later and two generously piled portions awaited us, with the very sweet potatoes taking second place to the magnificent fried shallots, with a batter that was neither too crunchy nor too soggy - as Goldilocks would say, "just right". This isn't the only thing they nail - the batter is not too strong a taste, leaving the shallots space on your palette to breathe and actually taste of something. If the Fourteenth did onion rings in the same style I think they would easily win my vote, as these are very more-ish and clearly the secret weapon on the menu. A highly recommended side order and one we were only too happy to have again for the main course.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Speaking of the main event, there are quite a few burgers on offer, including several incarnations of beef, a salmon burger, a chicken burger and two vegetarian options, should you be this way inclined. The choice was an easy one to make, however, and we opted for a the Drunken Piglet Burger - a beef burger supported by a portion of flavoured pulled pork, a sliver of Monterey Jack and a boozy BBQ sauce, sealed in a brioche bun (par for the course) and accompanied by a portion of fries and salad. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">As you can see from our photo, the salad is arranged in such a way that if you wanted, you could add it directly into the burger to augment it if you wish or simply eat it as a side salad, whilst the fairly chunky chips benefit from a slight helping of rosemary (as other excellent examples of the form tend to do - see Honest Burgers) and are served on the softer side of cooked. My personal preference would have them a bit crispier, but I imagine that this is the Brooklyn way of doing chips.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">But no matter - the flavours of the pulled pork, 'Jack cheese and BBQ sauce intermingling together in a delightful medley in the burger. I do think that it's a combination effort here, as on their own each individual ingredient might not be sufficiently strong against the beef, but as an ensemble effort they make for a burger that is better than you might expect.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A solid burger from these guys with some excellent sides to go with it and enough of a variety of food and drink to warrant a second visit. </span><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Friendly bar staff as well!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">8/10</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.thefourteenthcolonie.co.uk/">http://www.thefourteenthcolonie.co.uk/</a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">A stone's throw from Farringdon Tube station (Circle and Metropolitan lines, National Rail)</span></div>
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Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com045-47 Clerkenwell Road, London EC1M 5RS, UK51.522390400000013 -0.1037717000000384431.080893900000014 -41.412365700000038 71.9638869 41.204822299999961tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-6152653495270332702015-05-02T13:01:00.000+01:002015-05-02T13:01:37.209+01:00Bleecker Street Burger / Spitalfields<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3EuC7SK4HUY/VUS7yhdNyyI/AAAAAAAAFgA/fYX70DjG6iY/s1600/bleecker01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3EuC7SK4HUY/VUS7yhdNyyI/AAAAAAAAFgA/fYX70DjG6iY/s1600/bleecker01.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b></b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Bleecker Street are a well-known sight
in London's food markets, with their shiny can gracing many an inner
city street market with their boisterous presence. I first ran into
them at a market in the O2 / millennium dome and ever since have made
a point to go back if I run into them again. Having made a song and a
dance in the local press about finally planting some roots in their
first market venue in trendy Spitalfields Market. At once hoping to
entice the finance community away from Liverpool Street and the
hipsters from Brick Lane, Bleecker Street are well placed to get
their first booth off the ground properly so I thought it rude not to
take a look.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a Thursday afternoon in the sun and with
the vintage market already closed up for the night, Bleecker Burger
were not rammed for customers but equally were doing steady trade.
Don't expect a full restaurant experience here - this is purely a
booth in one of the corners of the market and complete with "first
come, first served" access to the garden benches and table in
the market.</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Subsequently, ordering and service is both easy
and prompt, with a menu that mirrors their famous offerings in the
truck. I opted for the Bleecker cheeseburger and some dirty fries: a
mixture of normal and sweet potatoes covered in a sinfully decadent
mix of melted blue cheese and hot sauce (naturally Frank's Hot Sauce
- after the success of Meat Liquor the cat is well and truly out of
the bag there).</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see, for a tenner you do get what
you pay for thought the dirty fries are more than a little generous
in their portion sizes, which lead me to believe that I should have
gone for a beer to soak it all up after all. The mixture of different
potatoes is perfect on the palate to give some variety to each
mouthful and the Frank's blue cheese did not disappoint my
expectations, providing a hot and sloppy side dish that felt like a
naughty indulgence.</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of disappointment, those who eat with
their eyes might be a little downhearted by the burger itself,
though I am pleased to say that the burger is deceptive in its
ability to fill you up. Straddling that line between too dry and too
juicy, Bleecker gives you a lovely dense beef patty with only a
modest accompaniment of lettuce and burger sauce in a well toasted
sesame seed bun and by the time you are finished with it and the
chips, you can see why the option of a second patty would have been a
little too much.</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While their offering is a much better burger
than you will find from the average, aside from the messy and
delicious dirty fries there is little to really distinguish the
Bleecker burger from other specialist burger joints out there. I know
this does seem harsh despite my score - what this perhaps means is
that I will need to try one of their specialist burgers on a return
trip and see what they are truly made of and at these prices I am
certainly not going to worry about breaking the bank either.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With their market booth, Bleecker have
successfully transplanted what makes their burger van so good into a
stall, ensuring that burgerites will have a fixed place to make a
pilgrimage to if they want to see what all the fuss is about. I will
no doubt be back for more soon!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7.5/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://bleeckerburger.co.uk/">http://bleeckerburger.co.uk/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Close to Liverpool Street (Central, Hammersmith, Circle and Metropolitan tubes)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0London E1 6EA, UK51.520072799999987 -0.07521229999997558551.51945529999999 -0.076472799999975583 51.520690299999984 -0.073951799999975587tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-53082569496681415672015-03-16T22:59:00.000+00:002015-03-16T22:59:03.392+00:00The Lord Tredegar / Bow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SzusL2VQk8/VQdLZdpuoiI/AAAAAAAAFc4/igg41FsVprU/s1600/lordtredegar.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2SzusL2VQk8/VQdLZdpuoiI/AAAAAAAAFc4/igg41FsVprU/s1600/lordtredegar.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lord Tredegar is a fantastic, old East End pub located in the heart of fashionable Bow and a stone's throw from Roman Road market. While the nearby Morgan Arms takes some of the limelight away in terms of places to eat and drink, I hadn't tried the Lord Tredegar before. So after some evening exercise classes were out of the way, I joined the girlfriend and our best gay friend to see what they could offer.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With The Morgan Arms completely full by 8pm on a Thursday night, it didn't bode well at the Lord Tredegar either, whose cosy bar area was completely full with punters warming themselves next to open fires with a pint or two. Going round to the back, the dining area was also full, though as it wasn't a particularly cold night we opted to sit out back with the few smokers who had dared to venture outside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Judging by the menu, it is entirely fair to call this place a Gastropub, offering a dozen hearty mains paired with a great selection of lagers and ales. As it would be rude not to have a beer and a burger, my craft lager went down a treat while waiting for the burger and chips, plus the extra chorizo of course!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Only half a pint later (which suddenly had the company of another pint as I was drinking slowly), my burger arrived; a wonderful stack of meat plus more meat, cheese and token lettuce leaf encased in a toasted bun, accompanied by a sizeable bowl of crispy chips and mayonnaise. To a hungry fool like me, it's an amazing thing to behold after a long day and more than I could have hoped for from a pub.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I doubt whether the order to cook the burger medium rare actually resulted in a burger cooked that way, but nevertheless, the burger patty is made of excellent quality beef that melts in the mouth, no doubt aided by the mature cheddar, sparingly added to melt over the top of the patty. Furthermore, the addition of two small chorizo sausages, halved down the long side and cooked to a crispy finish, made for an excellent, spicy alternative to slices of bacon. To be honest, I had expected to receive only thin slices on top of the burger, so getting two sausage's worth for just £1 extra is not only a pleasant surprise but excellent value to boot and something I highly recommend. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whether you have the hunger for it or not, the combination of beef burger and chorizo sausage makes for a lovely mixture in the mouth, though tempered by the inclusion of a crispy toasted bun that is slightly on the more crispy side of toasted than I would have liked - though those who crave polar opposites may not find this such a bad thing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving on to the sides, I am happy to report that the excellent value continues with the chips, with a suitably-sized portion to match the burger. I'm not entirely sure whether these are chipped in the kitchen, but the variety of sizes leads me to believe this is the case unlike some establishments that seem to serve oven chips <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/shake-shack-covent-garden.html" target="_blank">straight out of the McCain factory</a>. Regardless, these are well-cooked to leave them lovely and golden brown which a crispy, slightly greasy finish, as if they are the natural evolution of fish and chips shop chips, plus the seasoning means that they go really well with the supplied mayonnaise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now, I know it would be crass of me to compare the fare on offer here favourably with the relative tat on offer with <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/the-goose-wood-green.html" target="_blank">your</a> <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/argyl-pub-leather-lane.html" target="_blank">standard</a> <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/08/the-yacht-bexleyheath.html" target="_blank">pub</a>, so here I can confidently say that the food on offer is good enough to rival a restaurant. Pubs on the whole haven't really got <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Pub" target="_blank">a good reputation</a> on this blog, so it's lovely to visit a place that cares enough to do something really well, offers a great selection of beers to go with and provides both surprise and value.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Top stuff from The Lord Tredegar, with plenty of excellent pub food done properly to soak up a beer (or three). Who says you can't have quantity AND quality?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">9/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A stone's throw from Mile End station</span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0Lichfield Road, London E3, UK51.527806800000008 -0.03554580000002260951.526571800000006 -0.038067300000022612 51.529041800000009 -0.033024300000022606tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-62062684736897363602015-03-03T14:27:00.002+00:002015-03-08T09:41:27.842+00:00Chapters of Blackheath / Blackheath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPuJl8MqY4g/VKmt0bJ7_WI/AAAAAAAAFRk/4Prfx81iFKg/s1600/chapters01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MPuJl8MqY4g/VKmt0bJ7_WI/AAAAAAAAFRk/4Prfx81iFKg/s1600/chapters01.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chapters is a French bistro based in the rather posh South London area of Blackheath, a place I wouldn't usually visit if it weren't for a family get-together.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the perks of going to a restaurant midweek is the relatively low number of other people who will be eating out, meaning that there were plenty of tables available on a Tuesday evening.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Chapters is unique in the sense that they are a French-styled bistro based in England and champion the use of their specially imported Spanish <a href="http://www.josper.es/en/" target="_blank">Josper</a> charcoal oven for all their meat dishes. The oven itself is simply a small charcoal oven / smoker unit, so nothing particularly special about that, but it does mean that the food itself will have succulent, smokey flavour to it. Well, it would be rude not to see how it affects the burger, right?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Arriving as is usual these days on a wooden board, Chapters' burger is a towering testament to a burger, which did remind me somewhat of the large, towering disappointment that was <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/burger-lobster-bread-street.html" target="_blank">Burger & Lobster</a>, though there seemed to be plenty of beef, mature cheese and crispy bacon to counterbalance the salad and tomato. Speaking of buildings, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concrete_masonry_unit" target="_blank">breezeblock</a>-sized chips are a lovely accompaniment and were it not for the size of the burger they may have dwarfed the main attraction. But I digress...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The oven is worth its reputation; the burger, and the bacon as well, come with delightful grill lines and an even more delightful soft aroma of charcoal - it's a taste that is neither over the top but not inconsequential either. Definitely a great device for cooking and providing that smokey barbecue smell for an indoor restaurant and makes for a juicy, well cooked beefburger. Of course, it does help if the burger itself comes with some decent quality meat, which this certainly does, and it goes well with the spartan salad accompaniments.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Moving on to the chips: these are lovely double or possibly even triple cooked versions of the form and plenty of them to boot (though for some reason you could still stand to have a few extra once you're done). While not as crispy as some, the innards are lovely and fluffy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A lovely burger with a unique smokey flavour. Not worth going specifically down to Blackheath for (particularly if other Chapters Restaurants closer to your location have similar ovens), but this is certainly an option to consider if you find yourself hungry on the heath.</span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.chaptersblackheath.com/" target="_blank">http://www.chaptersblackheath.com/</a></span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com045 Montpelier Vale, London SE3 0TJ, UK51.4676171 0.008075599999983751325.945582599999998 -41.300518400000016 76.9896516 41.316669599999983tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-68799361924687843042015-01-30T23:21:00.000+00:002015-01-30T23:45:15.427+00:00Palmers / Bethnal Green<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gqr4WCm_5A/VMwDT6MsxTI/AAAAAAAAFV0/u7azWkSiYMo/s1600/Palmers01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4gqr4WCm_5A/VMwDT6MsxTI/AAAAAAAAFV0/u7azWkSiYMo/s1600/Palmers01.png" height="180" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></b></div>
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">
</b></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">When hunger strikes after after work classes, Palmers seemed to be a good place to sort it out as a family-oriented restaurant with lots of British classics. Imagine to my surprise and delight when a sandwich board boasted a house burger special, so of course I had to give it a try.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a chilly Thursday evening, Palmers had no trouble organising a table for three in their reassuringly warm and welcoming restaurant, located off the Roman Road near Victoria park in London's East End. The menu offers a refined selection of starters, mains and desserts (read: small but they know what they're doing!), though whether the burger will be a standard option in the future, who knows.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">What I can say is that they should certainly consider making it a regular entry on their menus, as the size of the burger patty itself is a refreshingly massive plate, accompanied by a dollop of mustard sauce and token attempt at salad (just how I like it) between two slices of toasted brioche bread. It might not be a bun, but as it's brioche it's perfectly adequate in this case and at least it means that the meat takes center stage on the plate. Speaker of which, there's plenty of meat on offer that makes for a thick, juicy, if slightly too salty patty. It's clear that there's some decent quality meat thrown into the mix, but definitely overseasoned. This even before you get to taste the tangy mustard sauce against the sweetness of the </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">caramalised onions; </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">a surprise ingredient lurking under the top slice of brioche. What I will say is that the Colemans in the mustard sauce may leave it slightly too tangy for some compared to, say, the Dead Hippie sauce, but it works well enough and it's good to see places trying something different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A decent burger needs decent company and in this case I am happy to report that the accompanying thick, home made chips are excellent. While they haven't been triple cooked, they certainly have been cooked well enough to leave them crispy and satisfying, though the only issue here that they are mostly gone with just a few bites.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However, this did mean that I had an excuse to try their chocolate dessert, a moist and warm ganache covered in delicious chocolate sponge, complete with raspberry couli and quennelle. Given that we've got snow and temperatures falling in London town these days, this was the perfect to warm me up at the end of the meal before heading back outside.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A excellent burger from Palmers here, with a unique take on burger sauce and excellent value for just over a tenner.</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> If this is what they can do for burgers, then it's worth a repeat visit to see what the rest of their menu is like: same time next week?</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /><a href="http://www.palmersrestaurant.net/">http://www.palmersrestaurant.net/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Sort of halfway between Mile End and Bethnal Green tube stations</span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-85791737611581050992015-01-13T22:34:00.004+00:002015-03-08T09:42:44.722+00:00Pono Burger / Santa Monica<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJYBoeZ2J6M/VKm0pBUUMzI/AAAAAAAAFR0/OGXlHsmJKu8/s1600/pono01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RJYBoeZ2J6M/VKm0pBUUMzI/AAAAAAAAFR0/OGXlHsmJKu8/s1600/pono01.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pono Burger are a burger joint with Hawaiian influences and are based in sunny Santa Monica, north of Los Angeles. I could have chosen any place to go out for a Saturday night when I was in the States, but a quick Google search while I was out on the town and I was heading up from the beach to see what all the fuss was about. After all, how bad could this be after the awful <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/fatburger-century-city-la.html" target="_blank">Fatburger</a>? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Nestled in a curious outbuilding on a street corner far from the madding crowd, Pono Burger looks less like a restaurant and more like a large air-raid shelter or surf shack, decked out with plenty of seating and wood furnishings, giving this a very distinctive look. Put simply, you're not going to miss it driving down the street! Even at 7pm on a Saturday the place was nearly packed out - which is always a good sign if the locals go there. They also have a small outdoor area to enjoy burger al fresco and given that 30+ degrees in November was very much a novelty for me, I picked a table outside the kitchen building and decided what to go for.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ToP8oqyAnU/VKm0p4cUB9I/AAAAAAAAFR4/mMJwyyuTEwI/s1600/pono02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4ToP8oqyAnU/VKm0p4cUB9I/AAAAAAAAFR4/mMJwyyuTEwI/s1600/pono02.png" height="320" width="180" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A quick glance at the <a href="http://ponoburger.com/#menu" target="_blank">menu</a> told me that Pono was going to give me a decent burger over the average main street vendor, espousing the use of organic beef married with a thoughtful choice of extra ingredients in each menu offering, all encased in a brioche bun. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In short, something along the lines of what I am used to enjoying from places in London but different in terms of the Hawaiian inspiration.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With only a few stock burger choices, which do seem to change with the season, it does ease the decision making somewhat. In this case, I went for the Paniolo, a 1/3 pound patty with English mature cheddar, bacon, housemade BBQ sauce and housemade buttermilk fried onion rings. Add some "pomme frites" (aka posh skinny fries) and a lovely cold Utah-brewed IPA and you're set to go.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Service is friendly and fast, with all three components served up in under a quarter of an hour despite the busy evening trade. While the burger is bulked out by the three large onion rings, something I have complained about in the past, it's a simple chore to remove the offending articles from within the toasted brioche to enjoy them separately and with a generous portion of chips, it's unlikely that you will still feel hungry afterwards</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Speaking of fries, the sheer volume of them means that you can justify picking up a few of these very crispy fries at once. While the use of salt, rosemary and thyme is a familiar and well chosen combination, I'm not entirely sure that the use of "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kosher_salt" target="_blank">kosher salt</a>" really enhances the flavour that much. I suspected that this might be a case of Emperor's New Clothes syndrome, but after tasting a few of them any concern vanished under the taste. The accompanying onion rings are also just as excellent, with a well cooked yet still slightly moist coating encasing a generous slice of onion. This scores highly in my book as they have really got the balance right between soggy and completely dry batter and I do think three of these seem to be the right amount - any fewer and I would want more, any more than three and I might just have left them.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As for the burger patty, it's certainly a cut above the average patty and a lovely, juicy piece of beef to boot. Yes, it's a little less than what I'm used to over my usual side of the pond, but this did leave more room for a potential pudding or extra beer for later. The mature cheese is always a good choice for a strong accessory along with the crispy bacon, but for me it's the prudent use of Pono's homemade BBQ sauce that </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">gives this particular burger a standout character </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">for me. It imbues a slightly smokey yet oh so sweet flavour with every bite, while not completely overwhelming the taste of the other elements of the burger and perhaps the greatest BBQ sauce I have come across so far. Strong and well deserved words, with a sauce that exhibits the Hawaiian influences of this burger joint in fine fashion.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Don't let the liberal use of the word "organic" and over-the-top descriptions of the individual ingredients on the menu fool you, Pono Burger know what they are doing when it comes to hamburgers. The one I had was great, especially with the lovely individual, homemade touches, and I could have quite happily gone back to try one of the other options for a completely contrasting flavour. Add </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">quick service and a reasonable price makes this place a no-brainer if you happen to be in town.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So far, America has one solid entry and a clearly awful one when it comes to thorough nice burger restaurants in my book. The next trip I make to the 'States will be to New York, so if you have any recommendations, let me know in the comments and I'll take a look!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">8.5/10</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://ponoburger.com/" target="_blank">http://ponoburger.com/</a></span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0829 Broadway, Santa Monica, CA 90401, USA34.0187262 -118.4894275000000313.577196200000003 -159.79802150000003 54.4602562 -77.180833500000034tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-35699097350630294182015-01-13T22:05:00.000+00:002015-01-13T22:05:04.663+00:00Fatburger / Century City, LA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2StjdWBnkf8/VKnIE1h2zWI/AAAAAAAAFSk/HpmHqamIJck/s1600/fatburger01.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2StjdWBnkf8/VKnIE1h2zWI/AAAAAAAAFSk/HpmHqamIJck/s1600/fatburger01.png" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span lang="en-AU"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Yes you are reading this right: the burger blog
has finally gone international and crossed the Atlantic to go to the
'States to see how they do things there. During a recent journey to
Los Angeles for work, it would be wrong of me to not to try a couple
of interesting places to go, starting with Fatburger.</span></i></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i></span>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><div lang="en-AU">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span></div>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">From what I can tell, Fatburger are a rival
chain to incumbent McDonald's and have outlets pretty much all over
LA: from street corner diners to mall cafeterias, they seem to be
everywhere. I couldn't tell if they can be found further outside of
LA and California, but as they happened to be next to the hotel I was
staying in I couldn't pass them up for lunch.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span></div>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At least in this particular outlet, Fatburger
were tucked away on the side of the Westfield Food court in downtown
Century City, a rather quiet business district of high rise towers
where the mall was conveniently the most interesting thing in the
neighborhood. Fatburger's offerings are more or less the same as your
standard McDonald's fare - beef burgers of varying size and a choice
of toppings, salads, sauces and so on - but that's about it. I barely
remember there being something about a hot dog but I might be
mistaken, but to be frank you know what you are getting with a place
called "Fatburger".</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJTWR8aGZS4/VKnIFaRv1WI/AAAAAAAAFSw/PJJvLyE1N2g/s1600/fatburger02.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UJTWR8aGZS4/VKnIFaRv1WI/AAAAAAAAFSw/PJJvLyE1N2g/s1600/fatburger02.png" height="320" width="180" /></a></div>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Not wishing to disappoint my appetite, which
was enhanced by hair of the dog from the night before, I opted for an
XL sized burger with added cheese and with the works, ie all the
usual trappings of salad, gerkins, mustard, onions and so on, plus
some chunky fries to compliment the burger. This all took about 15
minutes to materialise, as there was a steady stream of patrons
taking advantage.</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Size wise I am impressed with the size of XL
and even more so that this is only the third biggest size on offer -
quite why you would want even more baffles me! It's certainly a lot
of burger for your money, though on closer inspection the additional
salad etc does go someway to bulk out the contents of the bun.
Strangely enough, the fries I was served were a combination of thin
and thick fries contrary to my order, but at least this gives me the chance to sample both
their offerings. So far so good, you might be thinking!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-AU"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-AU">However, as I have come to find from writing
this blog, size is definitely not everything and this is the case
here. </span>
</span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My chunky fries were so barely cooked so that
the exterior was only slightly crispy, with innards that tasted of
raw potato more than chips, while I get the impression that the
skinny fries would have been the better bet had they not been served
cold. For shame, Fatburger; I would have hoped that your staff would at
least understand that food does still take some time to cook properly
and that in the 15 minutes of wait time they would be able to sort
out something quite so basic of an accompaniment when it comes to burgers.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-AU"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-AU">Moving on to the burger itself, I was hard pressed to
discern any difference whatsoever with a fatburger and a McDonald's
Big Mac - perhaps in the 'states there is a bit of a problem with
bucking the market leader when it comes to fast food that for common
fast food burgers they all have to taste the same (ie: terrible). As
such, I got an albeit hunger-destroyingly large example of a tasteless hamburger patty,
but so thoroughly caked in mustard, mayonnaise and other condiments
so as to render any taste of the meat completely overpowered. In retrospect perhaps that was a good thing.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-AU"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span lang="en-AU">Even the burger bun, a stodgy, squashed thing, had more in
common with a Big Mac instead of its own identity and together with the rest of the fillings and the rather large patty gave me the impression of stuffing a pillow down my throat with each bite. Rather than taste good, this burger worked at only making me feel full, which is not something I've come across before.</span></span><br />
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<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">In another first, this is the first burger that I have been unable
to finish completely. Yes, you heard that right: I couldn't finish it. Whether
it was to do with my current state of inebriation, the burger or
something else, I still can't say. But what I am certain of is that it does not bode well that I can't
stomach putting away 100% of what has been put in front of me and should be an indicator of quality.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you want to know what a Fatburger is like, buy a large Big Mac from McDonalds and then stuff more mayonnaise, gherkins, salad and onions on top. Different label, same sort of shit.</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Friends who have been Stateside before had urged me to try a McDonald's out there to see how different it is from the UK (as if it is somehow done properly over there), but I certainly cannot see the appeal after this experience. I'm sticking to gourmet places from now on!</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">2/10</span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span></span><br />
<span lang="en-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.fatburger.com/">http://www.fatburger.com/</a></span></span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0Century City, Los Angeles, CA, USA34.0536608 -118.4133894000000334.0273503 -118.45372990000003 34.079971300000004 -118.37304890000003tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-89473112354779448392015-01-08T12:30:00.000+00:002015-01-08T12:30:02.560+00:00Marks & Spencer / Cheapside<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6v32-8dO6DM/U7K8VkhnuQI/AAAAAAAAEIA/bD8Goyu2rJ4/s1600/IMAG0406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6v32-8dO6DM/U7K8VkhnuQI/AAAAAAAAEIA/bD8Goyu2rJ4/s1600/IMAG0406.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</span></b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Marks & Spencer are a beloved retail institution on England's high street, at once a bastion for quality goods and customer service that represent one of the longer-standing retail chains. Little did I realise that in an effort to capture the market of hungry office workers that M&S have plenty of places in the city of London that offer a counter where you can order hot food instead of settling for a boring sandwich. Let the lunchtime revolution commence!</span><br />
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<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thoughts</span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Despite it being a weekday other than Friday, the queue at the downstairs food area at the Cheapside Marks and Spencer was bustling. Despite a queue of about a dozen people, the line moved remarkably quickly and in less than five minutes I was able to place my order and get a food ticket at their Hot Food to Go counter. While there is quite a lot of variety on offer in terms of soups etc, their burgers are more or less a straightforward affair, with the option of cheese and bacon plus chips for either a beef or chicken burger.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A short five minute wait later, the pause giving you the opportunity to grab the necessary condiment sachets, plastic cutlery and napkins, my food appeared wrapped in a bag and ready to roll with. Getting even a simple order of burger and chips out in five minutes is a pretty good turnaround for me, meaning that in a quarter of an hour I was back at my desk and ready to tuck in.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">For a fiver, you certainly can't expect great things, but I was pleasantly surprised with Marks and Spencer's offering here. The burger is not that much smaller, if at all smaller, than those that you could find at <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2014/01/spuntino-soho.html" target="_blank">Spuntinos </a>or <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2013/12/tommis-burger-joint-marylebone.html" target="_blank">Tommi's</a>, with a decent-sized slim beef patty covered in a generous amount of cheese together with a thick slice of bacon and token salad pieces encased in a soft brioche bun. A portion of large chips also doesn't disappoint and while these do look suspiciously like oven chips, I think this can be slightly overlooked given the speed at which the service is achieved. After all, these are likely M&S chips - not just any <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekpBrywvRpo" target="_blank">other food</a>.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The burger tastes great as a takeaway, with the burger remaining juicy despite being well cooked and the cheese and bacon being more or less essential additions. The oven chips well cooked and taste more or less as you would expect them to, though they are a bit tasteless if you do forget to pick up the salt sachet at the store. Plus, I would advise speed being of the essence as they do get a bit limp as they get colder, but given the fact that you have hot food on your plate for lunch I doubt this will happen.</span><br />
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<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Conclusion</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a lunch time offering that can be had quickly and affordably (where a fiver barely gets you sandwich and a drink at Pret a Manger in London these days), M&S have got an excellent racket on their hands. I mean, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">why bother waiting in line upstairs for the best part of half an hour for Byron to get a seat or service when you can sort out a burger for desk or </span><i style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">al fresco </i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">and still have time to watch YouTube / read this blog etc?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Burgers for lunch anyone?</span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></b><b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Score</span></b></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7/10</span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="western">
<b><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Where can I find them?</span></b></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.marksandspencer.com/" target="_blank">http://www.marksandspencer.com</a></span></div>
<div class="western">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Loads of places everywhere! </span><br />
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Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0Western Europe46.2021848 1.2643874999999981.2004647999999989 -81.3528 90 83.881575tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-45028199976813888472015-01-04T19:34:00.000+00:002015-03-16T21:38:55.011+00:00Ring of Bells / Taunton<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L6d_orU61rc/U_3LePGCFWI/AAAAAAAAEjQ/a2x5vcJZUlQ/s1600/IMAG0479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L6d_orU61rc/U_3LePGCFWI/AAAAAAAAEjQ/a2x5vcJZUlQ/s1600/IMAG0479.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Who are they?</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The Ring of Bells is a <a href="http://www.somersetcountygazette.co.uk/news/11021176.Top_CAMRA_award_for_Taunton_s_Ring_of_Bells_pub/" target="_blank">Camra award-winning</a> pub, based in the quiet back streets of Taunton, Somerset. A sort of "blink-and-you'll-miss-it" affair unless you are looking for it, this was the location for a family lunch that came highly recommended from a TripAdvisor search - along with their burger offering. As I don't get to go through Taunton that often, it would have been rude not to try this!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">A quintessentially <i>English</i> establishment, with lots of vintage West Country signs and posters along each wall and decorated in the style of an old country pub, The Ring Of Bells is a warm and welcoming pub that no doubt gets busier in the evenings rather than the middle of the day when we had the chance to visit. </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Further to its culinary charms, the pub also boasts a great selection of local and guest ales, which made the wait for the food all the more pleasant by trying out a pint of the local best.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As you can see from the photo, the Bell Burger certainly does not scrimp on ingredients, with locally-sourced beef made into a very generously sized patty, with aged county cheddar, bacon and token offering of salad to keep it company between a lightly toasted bun. While the trend of having everything in a brioche bun has not yet reached this part of town, it was a pleasant change to enjoy a seeded bun instead and joined with a bowl of thick cut, triple cooked chips and home made coleslaw on a tray, I dug in.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Simply put, this burger is a meaty beast and goes down a right treat. The patty is expertly cooked to medium rare, ensuring that there is plenty of barely-cooked innards to go with the very juicy flavour of the outside with each bite. Meat-wise, the taste is well defined: a slightly gamey taste from the beef they had used with a very pronounced peppery flavour. This is quite different from the burgers I have had lately, but then again, this is partly to do with the venue itself. While others try to emulate the American style of adding flavour through a burger sauce, the Ring of Bells strives to make its mark by the choice of meat and spices added - reminiscent of the other burger I have had the pleasure of enjoying in <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/wine-sausage-taunton-somerset.html" target="_blank">Taunton</a>. Speaking of local produce, the mature cheddar was an excellent addition (just as I have come to expect from the West Country) though there didn't seem to be an awful lot of it versus the size of the patty so that at times the cheese was lost to the flavour of the beef.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While I cannot make to many remarks about the coleslaw (something that is not really my thing), I can definitely recommend the triple-cooked chips, which come crispy and hot to the plate with lovely fluffy insides. Even the last one on my plate which had cooled retained a satisfyingly snappy crisp to it: this pub certainly knows what it is doing in providing very thick-cut potatoes to make these. I can imagine these being popular as a bar snack for ale drinkers as much as they are a side dish in the restaurant area. Top job!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">While the peppery-flavour may not be completely up my street, the triple cooked chips and value for money here makes this a great spot if you ever find yourself in Taunton looking for a place to eat or for a slice of old-fashioned country pub drinking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Note: Since eating at this establishment, I notice that the menu has changed to feature a confit of pulled pork alongside some Applewood smoked cheddar as well. If the meal I had is anything to go by, I think this new development deserves a repeat visit!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">7.5/10</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<a href="http://www.theringofbellstaunton.co.uk/" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">www.theringofbellstaunton.co.uk</span></a>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com016-17 Saint James Street, Taunton, Taunton, Somerset TA1 1JS, UK51.017444 -3.101698499999997730.589337999999998 -44.4102925 71.44555 38.2068955tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4970383108101781282.post-84533429846240216832014-08-22T12:00:00.000+01:002014-08-22T14:01:17.503+01:00The Yacht / Bexleyheath<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1PtwRuAqI1M/U-oPabf8AHI/AAAAAAAAEaw/tZTCOcRJWjo/s1600/IMAG0454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1PtwRuAqI1M/U-oPabf8AHI/AAAAAAAAEaw/tZTCOcRJWjo/s1600/IMAG0454.jpg" height="226" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This is a special review in that it was my first burger eating challenge. Having spent quite some time </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">enthralled by shows like Man vs Food it was only logical that I try one myself. </span></i><br />
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<a name='more'></a><b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Who are they?</b><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The yacht is a pub run by the Flaming Grill chain and as such it focuses as much on food as it does on </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">the usual British pub drinking experience. As such, it has to be the first pub I have ever been to that </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">includes the normal, Wetherspoons' staples of burgers, steaks, currys and pasta dishes alongside Turkish kebabs, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Mediterranean seafood and tons of others. Check the <a href="http://www.flaminggrillpubs.com/pub/yacht-bexleyheath/c1884/" target="_blank">menu out here</a>, though I am not sure exactly how </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">authentic these are </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">might be compared to the real</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> thing. Either way, both the food and drink is cheap and on the recommendation of a good pair </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">of friends we tried them out on a Friday </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Thoughts</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Being a Friday and as well as the first Friday after payday, it was no surprise to find the pub packed - beer </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">garden and all - with wait times of an hour minimum for all food. In this case, it's not difficult to pass the time and </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">after ordering their massive Grill Burger (having been egged on by Natalie) and settled in to some cocktails to pass the time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Needless to say, the burger itself is intimidating by its sheer size: two large beef patties, fried onions, </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">tomato relish, cheese, bacon and two small chicken breasts sandwiched in a sedans bun. The only </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">disappointing thing was the portion of chips and onion rings, which was promised as a giant double portion, though such </span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">thoughts were an initial overreaction and I was glad to have fewer things on my plate</span><br />
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">So first
and foremost, an eating challenge is not just a bad idea, it comes with pretty
terrible quality ingredients as well. The oversized burgers were of the frozen
variety, as expected, but had such a dry and overly processed consistency with
the additional rusk and gristle paired with the thoroughly tasteless beef (if
this was actually what the burger was made out of). To eat one was a challenge;
to eat two was a thorough challenge. The top burger was much easier to tackle,
given that it had received some of the relish and melted cheese to
counterbalance the lack of flavour, whilst the second was a complete drag to
have to eat. Likewise, the bun was overly toasted and lacking in flavour,
leaving me reaching for a judicial dollop of ketchup to even out the equation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">However,
there is light at the end of the tunnel, as the bacon and dual chicken breasts
at the top of the stack could not have been tastier. The pieces contained
plenty of tender, juicy meat and flavour despite having probably shared the
same freezer space a half an hour prior. To me, this is proof that this
establishment has some decent food on offer if you choose wisely, though beef
patties are sadly not on this preferred list.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As a place for burgers, I suppose that the fare is on par with other pub chains, though
I won't recommend the challenge as something to travel to do. I was grateful
for the albeit small portion of oven chips as a distraction from the massive
burger, which clearly was more quantity over quality. as time was no factor in
the challenge, I say that anyone who is determined enough can probably finish
it, but at the cost of a bloated stomach and the pain of the last few bites
where my whole mouth screams not to eat something so dry.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-AU"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This "challenge" experience also makes me think that the burger challenge at <a href="http://thoroughlyniceburgers.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/red-dog-saloon-hoxton-square.html" target="_blank">Red Dog Saloon</a>
probably offers a better prospect because even if you don't manage to down the
burger, chips and milkshake in 15 minutes, you are still left with a tasty,
good quality burger. With the Yacht, you are just left with a stodgy
disappointment.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Conclusion</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Novelty value notwithstanding, the food at The Yacht is on par if not slightly worse that your basic pub fare, though if this meal is anything to go by what they lack in quality they make up for in quantity. Don't expect haute cuisine here, just a ton of rather sub-standard ingredients for a massive meal and were it not for peer pressure I wouldn't have enjoyed it more than I did.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Score</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">5/10</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b>Where can I find them?</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.flaminggrillpubs.com/pub/yacht-bexleyheath/c1884/">http://www.flaminggrillpubs.com/pub/yacht-bexleyheath/c1884/</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>Chris Smouthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14126432657324957651noreply@blogger.com0167 Long Lane, Bexleyheath, Greater London DA7 5AE, UK51.4664082 0.1450373999999783331.038459699999997 -41.163556600000021 71.8943567 41.453631399999978