Mickey’s

Ok, I’m a bit ashamed to admit that we had a burger whilst in Turkey, but after an eight hour meeting I think we were entitled to a menu we could navigate without too much thought. Mickey’s offered an inviting outdoor setting where we could enjoy the summer sunshine. We started with daquiris – I had a strawberry one, which came out in a big glass and was sweet and not overly alcoholic. Whilst the menu offers food from a range of non-Turkish cuisines, we both opted for a burger – I had the ‘Mickey’s burger’, with beef, cheddar cheese, caramelised onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles and relish, and accompanied by fries and coleslaw. The beef was tender and went well with the sweetness of the relish and caramelised onions. The sauce was very oozy but had a good kick, and I soaked up the excess with my fries. Overall it was a very filling meal – if I went again, I would order the smaller of the two sizes – and whilst it wasn’t the best burger I’ve ever had, it was a good, reliable meal at the end of a long day.

Mickey’s, Arjantin Cd, Gaziosmanpaşa Mh., Ankara, Turkey http://mickeys.com.tr/

Parlour Burger

Sometimes you just need a burger. After a matinee at the Opera House, I found myself craving some beef, and remembered the diner-style addition to The Morrison that is Parlour Burger. Having eaten there in a hurry once on a work trip, I decided to pop in without the time pressure to satisfy my craving. Parlour Burger has a simple concept – five different burgers, $10 each – and has something for everyone’s tastes. I picked ‘The Original Morrison’, a beef burger with chipotle mayonnaise and decided not to have a side, despite being sorely tempted by the deep-fried pickles and the duck fat chips. You can choose to have your patty pink or cooked through – the menu recommends the pink option, so that’s what I went with. The burger came out quickly and was hot and fresh – the patty is a bit coarse, so you feel like you’re sinking your teeth into some serious meat. There’s lettuce, tomato and pickles on top, and the chipotle mayonnaise has a good amount of bite to it. Parlour delivers exactly what it promises – a cheap, filling, tasty feed served without fuss.

Parlour Burger, 225 George Street Sydney, NSW             http://www.themorrison.com.au

The Dock

I organised a dinner/drinks event for a group of 20 and was delighted that The Dock could cater for a group this size, as I was really keen to try their food. Their nautical theme suits their Foreshore location, and includes barrels, rope and wooden furniture for the total seafaring look. The menu has plenty of pub favourites – pizza, schnitzel, burgers, fish & chips etc. – and a selection of ‘Docktails’ to drink. I went for the burger – Angus beef, with cheese, pickles, bacon and egg and ranch dressing. The food came out very quickly and I was impressed at the serving size. The chips that came with the meal were incredible – they had a thin crispy outer with soft-to-perfection potato inside, and were really tasty, even without the tomato sauce. The burger bun was a thick sourdough roll that you would expect to get from a good bakery, and whilst this made it a bit hard to eat, it added great flavour. The beef patty was densely packed and quite heavy – no chance of leaving hungry – and the ranch dressing was a real highlight. The streaky bacon and fried egg rounded it out nicely for a good value pub meal.

The Dock, 7/81 Giles Street, Kingston ACT 2604                  http://www.thedockkingston.com.au/

Street ADL

Showing visitors from interstate around your hometown can be surprisingly stressful, especially when you want them to really appreciate how great the city is. Luckily, my friends were happy to try Street ADL on Rundle Street. This part of town is great for al fresco dining, and even though we could only find a seat inside, it was one facing out to the street so we could watch the world go by while listening to the live music. I started out with a glass of the full-bodied Halifax 2010 McLaren Vale Shriaz to match the dry-aged cheeseburger I’d ordered. I’d hoped for the kangaroo salami hot sandwich, but sadly they’d sold out, but really, the burger was so good I can’t actually complain! The patty was incredible – densely packed ground beef oozing with cheese and mayo – and with a generous amount of bacon slapped on, there was zero chance of leaving hungry. The onion was thoughtfully served on the side with the pickles, allowing both to be optional. The accompanying chips were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Really, both my friends and I were very impressed. Street ADL is doing Adelaide proud.

Street ADL, 285 Rundle Street, Adelaide SA                             http://streetadl.com/

Ostani

There were a couple of food options at the Night Market at the Realm complex, but my friend and I couldn’t go past the sliders on offer from Ostani. Before the queue got too long, we ordered one of each of the two flavours – BBQ pork and chipotle beef. They were obviously well prepared for churning out food quickly, and we only waited about five minutes before our orders were ready (so fast!). I tried the pork first – it was incredibly tender and really did just melt in your mouth. On my last mouthful I had a lovely hit of corriander, which would have been perfect if it had been throughout. The brioche bun wasn’t overly sweet, but the pork and I want to say char-sui sauce had an overall sweet flavour. The beef was fantastic too, with quite thick chunks and a rich tomatoey sauce. For fast street food, we were very impressed with the quality – two was also just the right amount to leave room for dessert! The market itself was lovely – not overly crowded, with plenty of variety among the stalls and fabulous live music all creating the perfect atmosphere for a summer evening.

Ostani, Hotel Realm, 18 National Circuit, Barton ACT                                   http://www.ostani.com.au/

Delectaballs

My next choice at Fork on the Road was the sliders from Delectaballs. There were a few flavours on offer, but I opted for the Moroccan lamb with minted yoghurt. While they were being freshly cooked, the lovely gentleman wearing an ‘I like big balls and I cannot lie’ cap chatted to each customer and then used my order to demonstrate to someone who didn’t know what a slider is. My model sliders were well-sized and oozing with tomato sauce and the minted yoghurt, so were good advertising! I was expecting the bun to be a bit too much, but it cushioned the giant meatball nicely and was thankfully quite light. The meatball itself was perfect – well-cooked, high quality lamb mince with a mix of spices I couldn’t quite pick. There was just the right amount of sauce to prevent the slider from being dry, and the rocket made me feel slightly healthier about eating such a big serve of meat! I was surprised by how filling the slider was – I needed a good digestion pause before trying the next thing. Next time I think I’d try the eggplant and parmesan slider – I’m definitely a fan of Delectaballs!

Delectaballs, changing locations around Adelaide, SA                    http://www.delectaballs.com.au

 

Re:hab

When one of my friends suggested going to a burger place for lunch in Cairns, I was a bit hesitant – why eat a burger when there’s such good Japanese and Korean food in town? But he insisted this was no ordinary burger place, and so I found myself at re:hab. The first thing that strikes you is that re:hab could fit in quite easily on Lonsdale St – it’s got chalkboard walls with art on them, wooden floor boards with shipping brands imprinted on them, and an ecclectic mix of chairs and tables. We went for the leather armchairs, and I decided to order the tropical burger (being in Queensland and all). The burger was massive, a thick, well-cooked patty topped with tomato, lettuce, aioli and pineapple on a soft and slightly floured bun. Yum-o. It came with re:hab potatos on the side, a bit heavy in the warmth but very tasty. Finally, as if re:hab hadn’t ticked enough boxes, there was a plate of cronuts sitting on the counter, calling out my name (ok, not really calling, more like whispering). Such a great find, a definitely not your average burger place.

Re:hab, 46 Lake Street, Cairns QLD, no website