Fancy Burger

Burger joints are sprouting in just about every corner of Adelaide but these are not your ordinary processed, factory burgers. I would like to refer them as gourmet burgers as they do cost slightly more than your average fast food burger, mainly because their innovators have added more love in the preparation process.

Fancy burger has been around for some time but it can be challenging to travel to Blackwood where their pioneer outlet is located, especially if you have limited transportation access. Realizing this had indeed left me wondering what their patties tastes like for some time. Alas, with the opening of a second shop on Rundle Street, I'm convinced that it must have been fate that had brought us together :)

The interior is moderately sized and appears to accommodate takeaways better. Nevertheless, we were able to grab a table for ourselves and I reckon it possibly meant that this place has a very fast customer turnover rate, which is ideal, of course.

It is situated on a less busy street that branches from Rundle Street, making it a perfect getaway from all the hustle and bustle stemming from the late night scene. I quickly glanced around whilst my companion placed our orders and I found the place to exert a very laidback feel. My thoughts immediately pinpointed this place as appropriate for grabbing a bite the next time I visit the nearby cinema. Or if I was still in university, after I have finished cramming my brains for assignments or upcoming tests/exams.

Now on to their menu. I find that most burger joints tend not to list too many burger variations on their menu and Fancy Burger is no exclusion to this theory. Rest assured, vegetarians are not forgotten here! This being my virgin excursion here, I placed my tummy on my companion's hands.

Tru Blu ~ South Australian steak, served with creamy blue cheese sauce, tomatoes, lettuce and relish. I was a little skeptical when this appeared on our table but after downing a couple of bites, I wanted to finish off the whole sandwich. The steak piece was still juicy as well as succulent and this went well with the stronger flavoured cheese sauce. The slices of tomatoes and lettuce were a refreshing addition to the sandwich.

The legend ~ Australian lamb, field mushroom, caramelized onions, goats cheese, herby mayonnaise, leaf salad and avocado. This is a tall burger and I have to admit that it was a bit messy trying to get everything to fit in my mouth. Definitely worth the effort in the end. The mushroom was not overcooked and soggy whilst the lamb piece was well cooked. I am a big fan of caramelized onions in sandwiches and burgers so bonus points for it!

Crispy bacon and cheese ~ beef, bacon, cheddar cheese, herby mayonnaise, salad and relish. This was a much lighter burger version for the night and as per photo, the proportion of vegetables to meat is quite evenly spaced. Not too much of either ingredient. Freshly toasted sesame burger buns and crispy bacon. Reminds me of breakfast in the morning, but at night this time. The salted bacon pieces was a lovely salty addition to it.

Chips ~ I shall never walk out of any burger parlours without sampling their fries. We had the smoked chilli mayonnaise which was a cooling contrast to the piping hot chips that probably just came out from the fryer. Chips had a nice crunch to them and definitely not too salty.

After this visit to Fancy Burger's branch on Rundle Street, I can only wonder what would the burgers taste like at their main outlet. I have compiled numerous opinions from various individuals but until I step into the Blackwood branch, I shall continue to ponder.

 

Chocolateria San Churros

A couple of weeks ago, I had a rare opportunity to pop by San Churros for one of those heart-to-heart talk with a couple of friends. It was an impromptu thought, one which I clearly did not expect or mind because I have been dying to visit this outlet since they opened up early this year. This chocolateria injected a major buzz to the dessert night scene and I have heard a few tales about how difficult it was to secure seats, regardless of what time you rock up!

Oh well, nothing I can do about it but to wait in line like a normal customer. Thankfully, we managed to squeeze ourselves in at 11pm, just before they shut their doors at midnight. Everything on the menu looks tempting and the front counter display did not ease my indecisive mind at all. I have to take my hat off to the visual manager on duty as the individually wrapped chocolate packages, hot chocolate canisters, nibble bags and coffee bean bags were strategically placed near the cashier/ front counter, making it easier for foodies like me to browse through their retail products.

San Churros cake ~ of lately, I have a strange affection for cakes. Not the light and fluffy types but rather, the thick, heavy and decadent version, please. This slice of indulgence ticked all the right boxes and I am ashamed to confess that I managed to finish 80% of it. The cake layer wasn't very heavy and if I am not wrong, the chocolate mousse filling had a lighter consistency. The thick chocolate ganache and caramel layer brought on a much needed contrast to the cake. Overall, I have enjoyed this immensely and highly recommend you get yourself a slice of it too!

You will obviously need a delicious drink to wash everything down and I may have the solution that you are after.

Iced chocolate ~ I am not a big fan of iced chocolate drinks but I find the ones here are decent and perfect to have, especially during those hot, summery days.

Peanut butter besos ~ Milk chocolate, peanut butter and vanilla ice cream. I am nuts over anything that has a drop of peanut butter in it and this particular drink was pretty addictive. Once you have a slurp of it, you will forget those countless of hours straining yourself in the gym! It is not excessively thick and sweet. A must have in my books!

Churros for two ~ these sticks of churros were fried not too long after we placed our orders and I am happy to say that the oil used for frying appears to be changed quite regularly as there is no fried residues sticking to the churros. I would have liked a bit more colour on them but aside from that, the churros were pretty crisp on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Each platter of churros comes with a few pots of melted couverture chocolate/caramel, which provides a nice selection of choices.

Pho Minh

This is my second installment regarding my pho-nomenal week on a budget. If you have been following my blog, you may notice that I have posted about this place quite a few times. Service here is quick and efficient and if that has already grabbed your attention, how about affordable? At about $10 for a small bowl of pho (which is more than enough to keep me filled, taking into account that I have a huge appetite!), this is definitely the place for the budget-conscious consumer!

As usual, the waiting staff will ask what type of noodles you prefer (go with fresh!) and if you want your beansprouts cooked or fresh (also go with fresh!) and this is pretty standard regardless of what pho variation you have in mind. I have also realized that some of the staff speak very basic English and have a thick Vietnamese accent so do make sure you speak clearly to them. You may have to repeat yourself but I find that pointing out what you want on the menu helps.

On every table lies a basket of sauces for customers to mix and match according to their preference. I like having an extra kick of chilli in my pho and hence, always make sure I have at least 2 teaspoons of dry chilli, 1/2 tsp of fresh chilli and a good splash of fish sauce to unite all the individual components together.

Three bean sweet - I am a huge fan of red beans and this is my must have at every Vietnamese restaurant. The bottom layer consists of a chunky red bean paste, the middle layer is made of slices of green jelly and the top layer is shaved ice. You do need to mix everything in the drink together before slurping it up. Trust me, you will not be disappointed with the end result. A very cooling drink to have during summer!

There are a decent selection of fruit smoothies available and although I have not tried all the flavours, I find that the ones I had sampled did not taste too bad at all.

I like ordering a bowl of pho with beef balls and fresh beef meat in it but if you are an adventurous foodie, you can try out the other types of pho toppings available such as ox tail, intestines, tongue etc etc. From memory, the same soup base is utilized for every bowl that hits the table.

No bowl of pho is complete without additional garnishes such as Thai basil leaves, sprigs of mint, a handful of beansprouts and a good tbsp of sweet onions. I find that these extra garnishes gives the soup extra flavour and aroma. Best part is that you can personalize the pho by adding your own preferred quantities of each garnish. There is no limit to this at all!

A steaming bowl of beef stock, infused with a traditional Vietnamese blend of aromatics served with fresh flat rice noodles that absorbs every molecule of flavour, topped with fresh vegetables. What more can you get for a $10 meal?

Zen Kitchen

Over the past few weeks, I have been heading to Vietnamese restaurants for lunch and dinner as my wallet decided to go on a diet. I am saving up for a few items, of which, shall remain a secret until I can actually get them! I find it near impossible to stumble upon a really horrible Vietnamese shop in Adelaide as most of them are pretty good and probably have similar price ranges. Hence, a safe option for the budget foodie. I am aware that some outlets fare better than others but I'm not too fuss as long as I get my tummy filled without any unwanted hassle.

Zen Kitchen has been opened since I started my uni life back in 2008 and it is still as busy despite a few new restaurants mushrooming around it. I was fortunate enough to head here for lunch one day and was advised to order a chef's special dish that is not on the menu because it is a limited edition item! Yes, this is no longer a secret!

Have I got your attention yet?

The interior can accommodate a medium sized lunch crowd and thankfully, they do have a fast turnover of customers, mainly due to their fast service. Always good to know that you can grab a quick bite before heading back to classes/ work.

So this is the chef's special roast pork with broken rice dish. The roast pork here has a crunchier consistency compared to the other versions that I have sampled and if you think the meat would be dry after a prolonged time in the oven, you may have to make an exception for this time. I have theorized that the meat remained moist and succulent throughout the cooking process, because the fat layer underneath the skin provided the much needed insulation from the scorching oven heat.

As usual, a broken rice dish would not be complete with a side of sunny egg, pickled vegetables and a bowl of good ol'fashioned dressing which I like to drown my rice in.

Dorayaki recipe

Dorayaki refers to a Japanese pancake with red bean filling and it is one of the ever-popular cartoon character, Doraemon's favourite snack. I often ponder on why was Doraemon so addicted to it and last weekend, I discovered the answer.

The pancake mixture is not too runny and once it sits on a hot pan, the added honey begins to brown, of which, gives the overall pancake a nice, browned appearance. It was a bit difficult to control how much tanning the pancake received but I got the hang of it towards the end (when I was running out of batter!).

I've got this easy recipe from Just one cookbook and I find that this is quite a reliable website for Japanese recipes.

Ingredients:
4 eggs
140g sugar
2 tbsp honey
160g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp water
A packet of red bean paste for spreading

Mix the eggs, sugar and honey together in a bowl until it is well-combined. Sift in the flour and baking powder before placing the bowl in the fridge for 15 minutes. Incorporate 2 tbsps of water to the mixture, to loosen it, do not add this if it is already runny.

Heat a pan with oil and scoop a ladle of batter into the pan. Flip the pancake once it is beginning to brown and when it is done, spread some red bean paste and sandwich it together!

My red bean paste wasn't as intense flavoured as I would like it to be...will experiment with other brands the next time I am in Chinatown. I can't seem to find a good recipe to make this myself, unfortunately :/

Bon appetit!

Chimichurri Grill Mobile Food Truck

Over the past few months, Adelaide city appears to be beaming with weekly/monthly events, of which, is a lovely initiative from both the Adelaide council and event organizers. Aside from the popular "Fork On The Road" (a gathering for local food trucks to showcase their unique delicacies) , we Adelaide folks are lucky to have a fortnightly night market, hosted by Splash Adelaide. This is not a large scale project, but rather, a moderate sized happening that features handcrafts, music and most importantly, food.

I have seen this event pop up at North Terrace a few times and if you are a first-timer, you should definitely head over to have a look. We slowly browsed the stalls and the photographer in me was excited with this rare opportunity to practice some street photography. I still think my food photography ranks superior though, unfortunately.

Pedestrians, shoppers, passer-bys...you name it...just about everyone was curious and could not resist stopping by to order some food. The wafting scent of cooked food was too irresistible and if there's a queue, you know you are in for a treat!

Admittedly, there was one stall that I was dying to visit since I first read about it. Toasted ciabatta, grilled chorizo, piping hot and crunchy chips, chimichurri sauce...Yes, you guessed it. It is the notoriously delicious Chimichurri Grill Mobile Food Truck!

Pricing wise, it was not too bad for a well-prepared sandwich that is about the size of a foot long Subway. We were still a little filled from lunch and opted to try just one sandwich variation along with a cup of freshly fried chips and Chimi mayo dipping sauce.

The menu is not extensive but yet, all the options available sounded so finger licking good and that made the decision process a tough one!

There is also a very hip looking car that has a television screen on play and sells alcoholic beverages. Pretty neat, ey?:)

Chimi chorizo~ spicy chorizo sausage served on a long roll with roasted capsicum, rocket, provolone cheese and chimichurri sauce. For an extra $3, we added a side of their beer-battered chips which were simply delicious. It was a bit messy to tackle this big fella and I enjoyed every minute of it. The chimichurri sauce was very flavourful and when mixed with the already robust tasting chorizo sausage, it was heavenly. Highly recommended, especially on perfect weathers!

Another interesting food truck that I would love to try would be this Hungarian chimney cake station. The lady behind the counter would immediately work her fingers on the dough and cook them in what appears to be an open oven before proceeding to dust the cooked cake with cinnamon infused sugar. From memory, the a loaf of chimney cake costs about $6.80 each but it was a popular item among visitors. Have to try it out next time!