Beef & Barley

With my passion for burgers, I was super excited about Beef & Barley opening on the Foreshore, offering burgers and craft beer. The menu has all of your classic burger needs, with some exotic additions (the Pedro, with chorizo and beef), but I stuck to the classic beef burger this visit – the American ($17), with beef, bacon, fried onion, cheddar, BBQ sauce and mustard mayonnaise. I must admit, I was really impressed by the service here – staff were eager to take my order and be helpful, creating a friendly vibe without being over the top. Burgers come with a serve of their beer battered chips; unusual, as they have a sweet dusting on top. I think this worked with just a little sugar, but was a bit much on some chips, and to be honest, it probably isn’t necessary as the flavour of the potato and batter alone are great. The burger had a huge patty cooked through and nicely charred, and whilst I would have liked more melt on the cheddar, it was really tasty and complimented the streaky bacon’s salty kick. The fried onions were magical (think a less oily onion ring) and the only thing missing was some pickles (which will be an option later down the track, I’m told). Oh yes, these guys have a winner.

Beef & Barley, Corner of Eyre Street and Kingston Waterfront, Kingston ACT, http://www.beefandbarley.com.au

Le Pain Quotidien

I love wandering through The Rocks, especially around lunchtime, when you can be tempted by all sorts of lovely smells in the narrow alleyways. I stumbled across Le Pain Quotidien from the backstreets, and moving inside, I was delighted to discover secluded little private rooms – sure they seemed small, but quaint. It was only when I took my seat in the main room that I realised the restaurant/bakery occupies the old police station! The space is utterly charming, and one menu item leapt out at me – chacuterie. I ordered it ($26) with a jug of housemade lemonade ($4.50), both of which arrived quickly. The lemonade was everything I was hoping it would be, not overly sweet, but not mouth-puckeringly sour. The chacuterie? Oh my. Apart from being beautifully presented on a bread board, I was smitten with every flavour included. There were generous servings of ham (simple and fresh), proscuitto (rich and salty) and salami (just plain yum), as well as a subdued but elegant wedge of pate, which, combined with the range of bakery breads, stole the show. I adored the olives, baby cornichons and sun-dried tomatoes, as well as the dressed lettuce, to break up the meat-fest. Hearty, tasty fare that I will be back for.

Le Pain Quotidien, 127 George Street, Sydney NSW, http://www.lepainquotidien.com.au/

Hey Jupiter

Hey Jupiter has been on my to visit list for ages – I finally got there! It was a busy weekday afternoon, and I managed to snag a seat at the two-seater bar. The waitress was really helpful and got me a watermelon, apple and mint juice ($7.50) to kick things off – it came in a gorgeous flask and whilst much darker in colour than what I would expect from fresh watermelon, it was tasty and refreshing. Now, normally I’m not a sandwich kind of girl, but sandwiches seem to be Hey Jupiter’s forte, so I gave them the benefit of the doubt and ordered the pancetta sandwich ($13). Holy moly. That is one damn fine sandwich. The ingredients are top quality, from the crispy, long bread to the salty, paper-thin pancetta, and boy does it show in the flavour. The lemon-thyme mayonnaise is something rather special, and paired with the generous serving of avocado, there’s a lovely creaminess that cuts through the salt of the pancetta. The baby spinach leaves are really packed in, and I left with both taste buds and hungry stomach satisfied. Not to mention the friendly staff who are clearly adored by their regulars, making me wish I was still a local.

Hey Jupiter, 11 Ebenezer Place, Adelaide SA, no website

Double Shot

This was by far my best experience at Double Shot – I only had a short amount of time for lunch, and the waitress was very happy to point me to menu items that wouldn’t take too long to prepare. I really appreciated that level of service, and ordered one of the toasted sandwiches ($10), picking the tuna as something a bit different. As promised, my meal came out quickly and I was struck by the simple but appealing presentation on a small sandwich board. On first bite, it was clear that this was a very special toastie. The bread was lovely and flavoursome, having been pan-fried in butter to create rich, luxurious mouthfuls that hit just the right balance of crisp and soft for my taste. Inside, the sierra tuna was thickly packed in, well-mixed with capers, green olives, spanish onion and aioli. The combination was fantastic, every ingredient bringing something to the flavour party (yes, I’d invite them all again). Combined with the buttery bread, what may seem like a humble toastie is elevated into a gourmet delight. Apart from the pickle, the garnish salad was a bit thin for me, but the lettuce leaves did break up the richness nicely.

Double Shot, 18 Duff Place, Deakin ACT , http://doubleshotdeakin.com.au/

The Fish Can

Canberra seems to have gone mad for bao, the latest foodie trend to sweep Instagram, and The Fish Can are giving the people what they want. We went on a warm weekend afternoon and there was a significant queue of people waiting to order and collect their bao. We ordered a couple of different fillings to try – pork belly, soft shell crab and fried chicken. Yes, it’s a small shipping container/food truck, so we did have to wait a while, but the bao were dished up fresh, and whilst this isn’t fine dining (the bao wrappers don’t really compare to somewhere like XO), it is tasty and filling food. The pork belly bao is packed full of tender, fatty meat, refreshing cucumber and sprigs of coriander to lift the whole combo – I liked it, rather than loved it. Next up was the soft shell crab – mmm. Cooked in tempura batter and dished up with coleslaw and crushed peanuts, this was one I’d come back for. But my ultimate favourite was the ‘Chican’ -fried chicken breat with aioli, crushed peanuts and coriander. The chicken was so perfectly tender inside and crispy on the outside, combined with the crispy peanuts and spicy aioli to make a real winner.

The Fish Can, Westside, 3 Barrine Drive, Acton ACT

Little Brooklyn

Merry Christmas!  Here’s some #burgerweek goodness to help the celebrations! Little Brooklyn is one of those lovely places I always mean to spend more time at but rarely end up visiting, so I was excited to go back with friends for a catch up lunch on a Saturday afternoon. We started with a jug of sangria ($25), which was reasonably sized and packed full of fruit (oranges, blueberries and strawberries plus mint). I found it a little bit weak, given the amount of ice, but it was refreshing and tasty. For lunch I ordered the Big Brooklyn Burger, with angus beef, bacon, cheese, pickles, caramelised onion & brooklyn ketchup. I do love a good burger, and this didn’t disappoint. The beef patty was really thick and cooked to perfection (slightly pink inside, lovely!). Adding to the flavour, there were plenty of pickle slices (one of my favourite things), loads of ketchup and even more tastiness from the bacon. I also really loved the chips, which came with a small bowl of aioli, and the meal was so filling that I couldn’t quite finish my burger. The staff were friendly and the atmosphere relaxed – keep doing your good thing guys.

Little Brooklyn, 14 Jardine Street, Kingston ACT, http://www.cocu.com.au/little-brooklyn/

Hoi Polloi

#burgerweek continues! After seeing the incredible burger Bec from inexplicable wanderlust created at Hoi Polloi, I had to stop in to try it! We went on a weekday for lunch (they’re open from 11:30am-2:30pm daily), and I went straight to the burger specials menu. There are three options, designed at Hoi Polloi’s media launch, each inspired by a former Australian Prime Minister. Bec’s creation had some of my favourite burger ingredients – beetroot, pineapple, caramelised onion, cheddar cheese, beef and lettuce, served on a milk bun. We did have a bit of a wait for our meal, so I would recommend visiting when you’re at leisure to enjoy your lunch. The Full Yard burger ($19.90), inspired by Bob Hawke, was beautifully presented on a chopping board, served with a huge pile of chips and tomato sauce served in a jar. The chips were heavenly – perfectly seasoned and just the right balance between soft and crisp. More, please! The burger was equally satisfying – I loved the combined flavour of the ingredients, although I felt like the beef patty was a bit thin and commercial for the price (especially compared to somewhere like Parlour). Overall the balance of flavours was brilliant and I couldn’t believe how much beetroot was packed in there! Yum.

Hoi Polloi, Old Parliament House, King George Terrace, Parkes ACT, http://www.hoipolloioph.com/