Week Two and I ate more burgers. Why? I kept asking myself. Why do I eat these good dam burgers? Mainly because it is the fear of missing out and wanting to try what is on offer, but also because when you follow other people that eat the burgers and they rate it highly, you want to try it for yourself.
Shepherd
Goldburger
Double beef patties, double soft cheese, lettuce, pickles, special sauce in a soft white Leeds Street Bakery buns, with crinkle cut fries
I heard that some people really liked this place, while others were disappointed. I went with no expectations and I also heard people were comparing this place to In’N’Out and Shake Shack in the U.S. I went just before open on the second Saturday and there was already a line and I had to wait 30 minutes for food. When my burger was ready, I was surprised to feel how oily the burger wrapping was. Overall, I did not really like this burger and thought it was really overrated. The bun tasted quite doughy and the oil that was in the burger was not great, with the bun soaking it up and the cheese also tasting oily. I did like the sauce though and I really liked the beef patty as it as a pink on the inside. The fries seasoning was nice but not applied evenly around my fries with some being to flavoursome and others having no taste. Score 7/10
The Old Quater
Beef BAOger
Vietnamese beef patty with green papaya salad, pineapple, roasted peanuts, homemade BBQ sauce and mayo in a bao bun, with house fries and aioli
This was presented really nicely with a sprinkling of salt flakes on a corner of the board. The fries were nice and the aioli went well with it, but you did have to dip the fries into the salt. The burger overall was really good. I liked how they had grilled the bottom of the steamed bun/ The papaya salad was nice and fresh and I really liked the sauces that were in the burger. The Vietnamese beef, was actually not a patty but pulled beef and had a nice aniseed/star anise flavour to it. It was a great burger to try and eat with your hands. Score 8/10
Park Kitchen
Life & Seoul of the Party
Korean fried chicken and kimchi in a homemade steamed bun, with fries
I simple description of a burger but I had to give it a try due to the Korean Fried Chicken. The fries were nicely seasoned and the aioli was good. The burger bun was steamed but then also baked and then grilled on the inside. I also loved the sesame seeds on the bun, which gave a bit of a nutty taste. The kimchi was really good as was the coleslaw but weird having cucumber in it as it dulled some of the flavours from the chicken. The fried chicken was nice and crunchy and I loved the sauce that was smothered all over it. I would have preferred more spice though and get rid of the cucumber. Score 8/10
Bebemos
Fowl Play
Cornflake-crusted chicken with cheese slice, bread & butter pickle slaw, maple-cured bacon and tangy sauce in toasted fairy bread, with waffle fries and dip
I was not wold on this when I was looking at photos of this burger on Instagram. It kind of looked wrong and not really appetising. However, after so many mentions and also Pepper Potts liking it, I gave it a try. They recommend you flip the slice of bread over as it is easier to eat which I did, but then I questioned is this actually a sandwich or is it a burger? I thought the chicken was nice but slightly overcooked for me, but I liked the cheese slice, and the bread and butter pickles slaw. The bacon was good but got slightly overpowered. Also, mine had a weird beer taste in it, and I mentioned that to Pepper Potts and she could not remember that being in hers. The waffle fries were really good and I loved the dip, which I think was french onion dip. Overall a good burger. Score 8/10
Apachè
Kung-Fu Chicken
Free range chicken, five spice, orange caramel, chilli herb salad, firecracker mayo, in a ‘Yin & Yang’ coconut and charcoal bun with popcorn chicken, chilli and kaffir lime dust.
I had waited over a week to give this one a try due to Apache always being fully booked. When it came to the table I loved the attention to detail and loved the different elements on the plate. The prawn crackers were really nice and I loved the kaffir lime dust on it, which also had a bit of chilli to it. The popcorn chicken was on point and had a great crunch to it and I have always loved the sauce they put on it. The burger was fantastic. I loved the bun and the chicken was really nice with a great crunch to it. What I especially liked was the different sauces in it. All of them matched together with the chicken and salad. I really loved the orange caramel and the crazy chilli kick that was in the burger. Score 10/10
FRANK’S Terrace
Oh Dear It’s Kina Good
Wild venison and kina pâté with smoked onion jam and free range fried egg in a beetroot buttermilk bun, with rosti nuggets and creamy pāuā sauce
This was a pretty cool presented burger. The pink bun was there to celebrate the Wellington on a Plate theme of a party. The rest was to symbolise the land and sea. The banana leaf and venison for the land and the kina and mussel shell to symbolise the sea with the potato rosti to look like rocks of the sea to tie it all together. The potato rosti was really nice and went really well with the creamy paua sauce. The burger was fantastic as a whole. The venison was really nice and went well with the smoked onion jam. The egg was a great addition but made a slight mess, but the kina pate was just beautiful and tied it all together. The burger flavours worked really well together and the kina rounded the flavours really well together. Score 9/10
Trencherman's Travels 