Burger Theory

Disclosure: I was invited to dine as a guest

When Brad and I first started dating, we’d often find ourselves grabbing burgers at least once every one or two weeks. (Almost) six years later, it’s more like every couple of months. 

Just can’t get away as much as you used to when you were 21…

So when I do have a burger now, it better be a good one. These days we’re definitely spoilt with options, so when Burger Theory came into the scene, or more specifically the Melbourne scene, they’ve been in Adelaide since 2010, I was interested to see what they had to offer.

Walk into (or eventually stumble in, the entrance isn’t super clear) the eatery, joined next Tuxedo Cat, on Latrobe street, and you’re greeted by their spick and span prep room where all their meat (whole chuck steak muscles) and produce hangs out until it’s ground and formed into patties (which is done daily). 

This treatment isn’t just limited to their beef, the guys care about everything that goes into their burgers; chicken patties are made from free range chicken and fried to order, and for vegos the falafel patties are made in house, so it’s all good. 

The burger menu is short and sweet; the guys started from a truck originally and as such have stayed faithful to their original menu for the most part. 

I grab the #1 Beef Burger, which is as classic as you can get; beef patty (cooked medium), American cheese, crunchy iceberg, tomato and their homemade ‘truck sauce’ a tangy mayo. The only difference is that I get mine wrapped in lettuce leaves to keep my gluten-intolerant gut a little more pleased. 

It isn’t pretty, but it is delicious; the patty is perfectly pink and I love a burger that’s generous with the mayo. It’s very, very moreish and down the hatch without much of a thought!

My Canadian colleague Sarah got the Original Fried Chicken Burger, bun n’ all, with pickles and ‘special sauce’. Can I just say yum? The bite I had the chicken was so tender and lovely, and I just loved how zesty the pickles were. ‘Special sauce’ is also more mayo-y delicious goodness. 

We also got the spicy loaded fries; which is way dangerously delicious. Kimchi, gochujang sauce, sour cream and bacon bits are surely what all your dreams are made of. Although I’m a crispy chip kind of person, I actually liked the soggier chips under all the kimchi as it just absorbed all the flavour; big of spicy, bit of sour, bit of kick; all yum. And moreish. You will finish these despite how big they look!

When I was in the States, one thing that I ended up loving so much more than I was expecting was the Shake Shake….shakes (funnily enough). Not the burgers. I’m not quite sure how they do it, but I just love how thick and creamy and dense the shakes are, and also totally flavoursome without tasting artificial. 

Yet for whatever reason; we just can’t seem to emulate it back in Australia and I’m never quite satisfied whenever I order a milkshake (there’s also a good chance I don’t have enough milkshakes either). 

But Burger Theory has now come to my rescue. The chocolate shake I had, had me on cloud nine. Thick, dense, creamy, and so, so, so chocolatey. Highly recommended if you’ve had the same ‘Shake Shack shake’ deficiency that I have had. 

Although we are kind of reaching peak ‘burger’ in Melbourne, Burger Theory actually is a great contribution to the scene, especially on the Latrobe side of town where the burger offerings are a little leaner (unless you count Grill’d these days…?)

Burger Theory

293 Latrobe Street

Melbourne 3000

 

Woody P, Stoke Bar & Kitchen, The Lincoln, Truck Stop Deluxe, Hunters Kitchen

Disclosure: I was invited to the below events as a guest of the restaurant 

It’s been a very busy couple of months, with plenty of food, good drink, great company and expanding waistlines. Here’s a little round up of some the launch parties and dinners I’ve had the privilege of attending recently…

Woody P

121 Flinders Lane

Melbourne 3000

 

Rubbing shoulders with famous neighbours, Chin Chin, Woody P had to make sure it put on a good show and if the little (packed out) launch party was anything to go by, the food has a lot of promise. 

The interior is warm and inviting, a fun mix of timber, brick, and greenery creeping up to the ceiling. I also simply adore the ‘When in Rome’ neon. 

We don’t sample a lot of the food (there’s far more booze floating around), but beautifully done scallops and simply moreish strips of prosciutto definitely make me want more. The menu reads a treat online, and surprisingly it all looks very reasonable, with the pasta hovering around the low $20 mark and mains pushing up to $30. Definitely keen to pop back soon. 

Stoke Bar and Kitchen

7 Alfred Place

Melbourne 3000

 

The last time I was at the Stokehouse City Bar downstairs, I was there for my girl Caryn’s birthday, where I drunk the most amount of gin in the last year (I’m actually not kidding) and realised how well Monkey 47 worked in a negroni (it’s magic). 

So, after a bit of a facelift, and a tweak in the name, I knew Caryn had to come with me to check out the newly re-opened Stoke Bar and Kitchen. 

Upstairs is still a beautiful fine dining restaurant, but downstairs has been turned into a more casual spot, for a relaxed bite to eat, or post-work drink with colleagues (which is how many of us seemed to be treating it anyway…)!

A fresh paint job makes the space a bit darker, moodier and broodier. Very Melbourne. 

Prosecco in hand, we enjoy a beautiful spread of oysters, spoons of beef tartare with tomato, egg yolk and rye, and the most delicious salt cod and speck croquettes with romesco sauce. Had two of everything. At least!

Roast cauliflower with herb yoghurt and brown butter crumbs comes out looking like a macabre white brain with a knife sticking out of it (but don’t worry, it’s delicious) and brussel sprouts are the new green of the season, here they are served with cotechino sausage and smoked almonds. 

It’s a lot of comforting goodness, but served up pretty for the city folk to enjoy…and we certainly do! Funnily enough, it’s nearly Caryn’s birthday again…so watch out Stoke Bar and Kitchen…there might be a whirlwind of gin drinking coming your way soon…

The Lincoln

91 Cardigan Street

Carlton

 

When I learnt that the Lincoln was being bought and getting a face lift, not just to interiors but to the menu as well, I’ll have to admit, I was a little sad. The Lincoln was an old favourite of the family, and we loved the moody and cosy spot, with it’s distinctively upmarket gastropub comfort style food that was always comforting. I had the best rabbit pie of my life there.

It was like losing an old friend, and so when I was invited to check out what the Lincoln was now offering, I was certainly intrigued to see it’s evolution. 

Now looked after by owner operator Iain Ling (ex-Movida), the Lincoln’s looking a little lighter and brighter, with a bit of colour added to the walls with retro posters. 

We enjoyed beers from the Melbourne-based Barrow Boys Brewing, who do very small runs. Apparently they usually do about 25 barrels in one patch of porter, and one barrel of that sells at the Lincoln in 26 hours! 

We get a sample of what their ‘Our choice’ menu of 5 dishes would be like, starting with spanner crab in corn crackers and coffee cured ocean trout with radish and nashi pear. The latter is a very interesting combination, with the earthiness and round richness of the coffee coming late on the palate after the sweet salmon. 

Beetroot, pickled green tomato, farro and goats cheese makes for a really, really tasty salad, with plenty of texture that’s also comforting, that partnered well with the lamb shoulder with pickled fennel and yoghurt.

Triple cooked chips came golden, but could have totally been much, much crispier, but fortunately the chocolate & beetroot pudding with creme anglaise did not disappoint, with it’s molten and gooey centre. 

For the most part, the Lincoln put on a good show, and has definitely taken a turn towards more contemporary modern Australian. Something new, in something iconic. 

Truck Stop Deluxe

98 Watton Street

Werribee 

 

Got 5 year old boys? Bring them to Truck Stop Deluxe in Werribee. They’ll have a ball.

Got 28 year old boys? Bring them to Truck Stop Deluxe in Werribee. They’ll have a ball too!

You know the guys for their work in helping make Melbourne into an absolutely burger crazed city, at Dandenong Pavillion and Grand Trailer Park Taverna. 

Now the guys bring their magic to Werribee…and they do it with a bang. With plenty of road-inspired signage, and actual truck cabs just kinda hanging about inside, that customers can actually climb into…for the real truckie experience. 

All your favourites from Grand Trailer Park Taverna can be found here; Kinder Surprise milkshakes, the KSA burger with premium Aussie beef patty, American cheddar cheese, tomato, butter lettuce, special burger sauce and American mustard on a lightly toasted brioche bun and the Francis Underwood burger, which throws in a mac and cheese croquette into the mix…just because you can. Right? 

I smash down two KSA sliders on launch night, and even in the mini versions, the burgers are cooked to pink perfection, with mayo squeezing through with each bite. Yum and yum. 

Apparently the menu is expanding here to also include bacon and egg brioche rolls on the weekend and a focus on coffee, so it actually is kind of the ultimate gourmet truckie stop. That or an awesome way to get over a hangover…coffee and a burger with croquette in the middle of it? Breakfast of champs obviously. 

Hunters Kitchen

481 Chapel Street

South Yarra

 

Lucky Penny by day, Hunters Kitchen by night. Same place, but different concepts, depending on the time of day you pop in. Hunters Kitchen has popped up as a little winter project for the guys on Friday and Saturday nights and as the name might suggest, consists of wholesome comfort foods with slow cooked meats with a Scandinavian twist and mulled wine.

I mean, who doesn’t love mulled wine? 

Entrees consist of cured salmon with celeriac puree, coronations, dill, celery leaves, salmon roe and rye and thinly sliced rare wagyu, cauliflower, mustard and freeze dried horseradish. There’s a lovely level of sweetness, but also touch of bitterness in both. 

Roast beetroot and rhubarb with buffalo mozzarella absolutely delights me, so lovely and sweet, and I’m all over the burnt broccoli with brown rice, currants and almonds. It’s so comforting, but feels so healthy as well, but with a touch of sweetness. 

Out of the two mains we have, the slow cooke venison with venison sausage, confit red cabbage and spiced pear chutney, and Bannockburn free range farmhouse chicken, bacon, roast celery and kale chips, the chicken is easily favoured by the table. Beautifully cooked and tender, and sitting in a thick and rich, creamy sauce…the only other thing you need is to be curled up in front of a fire. 

Don’t forget dessert! Blueberry and elderflower crumble with vanilla ice-cream is classic…but it’s really the warm saffron cake absolutely drenched in treacle and served with ice cream that really gets me. Isn’t treacle such a great thing? It’s totally underrepresented. The cake is warm, as promised, with a lovely little crusty exterior, but moist on the inside. 

Certainly something a little different for a Friday or Saturday night! 

Tuck Shop Take Away

Although I was a bit of a loser in high school (like seriously, super loser), my primary school days were rocking, especially when I still lived in Hong Kong and had my group of besties that I'd run around the school grounds with, crushing on all the boys (hey there Jonathon…and Joseph…and David…and Daniel…) 

Stepping in to Tuck Shop Take Away, I'm transported back to those primary school days, complete with a chalkboard menu, water fountain/bubbler (whatever you call it) with colourful plastic cups for water, old-school desks, a bunch of other cute and quirky school time memorabilia and some nostalgic American references (mostly in the desserts). It's so adorable.

And then it's manned by two men with serious beards, the juxtaposition is kind of hilarious, and pretty darned hipster. Ah Melbourne.

Despite the name Tuck Shop Take Away, there are actually seats in the joint, although it is somewhat limited. Despite it being a Friday, I was quite surprised that Brad and I could get a seat, although we did get there a bit later in the evening so probably missed the main dinner rush. 

The menu is pretty straight forward, with a couple of burgers on the menu, jaffles, chips and an awesome looking array of milkshakes, sodas and spiders. That and soft serve. Ooooh.

Although it's not written on the menu, they do offer up gluten free buns which I was pleased to hear about, along with the spiel that they bake their own gluten free bread, which intrigues me even more.

Gluten free buns never make burgers very sexy looking…but hell. This is the best burger I've had in recent memory. Maybe even this year. 

You all know how reluctant I am to relinquish the 'best' title on anything...

The Minor Burger, which both Brad and I got, is made from 100% beef pattie, lettuce, tomato, American cheese, onions, pickles and tuckshop sauce. Simply classic.

It's not often that Brad actually gets even mildly excited about food, but he was definitely 'mmm'-ing away from me and licking his fingers clean as we devoured the juicy and meaty burgers. For me, I just couldn't get over how well the gluten free bun was done. Soft, fluffy, brioche-like, with a subtle sweetness, that just lends itself to the rest of the flavour profile. I loved that with each bite, all the elements just melted into each other into this perfectly tender bite of just right.

I really wish I could breakdown all the elements that make this so good, but I can't, because it's just got to be all together. 

Another thing that Tuck Shop Take Away is doing just right? Those hand cut chips. Hoo boy. A must order in my books. Absolutely golden and fried to crispy perfection. Loved that the skin was left on, providing an extra crunch and a little more flavour.

Oh and Nutella milkshakes the size of my head. My hairdresser may have freaked out when she saw me post it on Instagram as she's planning for me to be in a leather catsuit for the next competition we're doing…but hey…a nutella milshake is not an everyday occurrence I guess...(but maybe it should be...)

Tuck Shop Take Away

273 Hawthorn Road

Caulfield North 3161

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