L'Burger, Hawthorn MELB

A few nights ago, I visited L'Burger in Hawthorn, a newly opened burger joint that has been in the establishment for a good 6 months. Owner Rodney was kind enough to offer me the opportunity to sample out their menu, one that had kept the condiments that comes with each burger simplified.

Chocolate kit kat malt - pretty addictive and had probably boosted up my calcium intake for the day.

Tasting plate - I do like a variety of fries, be it onion fries, sweet potatoes or even regular fries. Who needs to choose when there is an option for a plate with everything on it:) We had the garlic aioli and lemon caper mayonnaise to go with it, both tasted freshly prepared and still had strong aromas of garlic and capers wafting through it.

Hot Angus - chipotle mayonnaise, lettuce, tomatoes, jalapeno salsa, tomato onion jam, garlic aioli mayonnaise, gruyere cheese and grilled angus meat patty. Mildly spicy for me and went down pretty quickly once it arrived at our table.

The luxemburger - porcini mushroom mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, salsa, tomato onion jam, hickory BBQ sauce, gruyere cheese, smoked bacon and grilled angus meat patty. WL ordered an extra patty to go with it and I was secretly disappointed that I did not :(

Apple cinnamon waffle - house made Belgian waffles with stewed cinnamon apples, salted caramel sauce, served with warm creme anglaise and vanilla bean ice cream. I would personally have the waffles by itself, it was pretty good in my humble opinion :p

Cultural Commons, Springvale, MELB

As much as I love watching Youtube videos of people dining at new places or regions, I secretly do crave for these foods thereafter. So much for trying to behave on my diet.

After a long shift, I was tossing between having brunch and munching into a hearty sized burger. Needless to say, brunch these days can work out to be a tad costly and does put me off knowing about the added public holiday surcharges. So burgers it is.

Peanut butter milkshake - Often times, people do get confused between a milkshake and a thickshake which all differs by a dollop of ice cream in the concoction. This milkshake was light enough to easily consume although it would have tasted much better with more peanut butter added into it.

The maverick - beef patty, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onion, crispy bacon, BBQ sauce and mayo. Consume quick otherwise it may end up a soggy mess. A decent tasting burger it was.

Smoked brisket burger - 12 hour smoked black Angus beef brisket, red slaw, pickles with BBQ aioli. Would have liked for it to be warmer when it arrived at the table but I can understand that putting it back into the oven may further dry out the meat. Meat was bordering on the dry and chewy scale but overall, still a pleasant meal.

Chips with aioli - Cannot have a burger without chips :)

Ribs and Burgers, Hawthorn MELB

Despite stating that I hardly have burgers as a meal, this year saw me consuming them at an almost monthly basis. Partly due to the rise of burger joints around neighbouring areas, each boasting of its "signature" options and also due to the fact that burgers can be a favourable option when dining with friends.

Ordering is a must before being seated here and menu wise, I would describe it as traditional burgers with extra; nothing flamboyant or pretentious.

Bacon and cheese - a classic burger done right, utilizing fresh ingredients. Only downside was the bun was a little soggy which eventually got worse as the meal progresses because it broke down further.

Crispy onion rings - errrr what is this? We must have been pretty unlucky that day because we ended up with the leftover, broken bits of onion which were soaked in oil. Not sure if this is normal or not but it was unpleasant to finish.

Vanilla thickshakes - made up for the disappointing onion "rings".

Pork St. Louis - I am not a big fan of eating off the bone despite being told numerous times that the meat here is the tastiest. But, I have grown to appreciate this effort-requiring feat, especially if it's one worthy of the energy invested into it. Not a lot of meat on the ribs but what I had was well glazed in sauce and has a nice charred taste to it.

Kung Fu Burger, South Yarra MELB

I have been indulging in a few burgers this year, possibly on a monthly basis. Not a habit that I would actively promote (not one that I do honestly regret:p) but it did give me a chance to sample some unforgettable versions around Melbourne's eastern suburbs which saw me coming back for seconds.

Kung fu burgers are the new kids on the busy Chapel Street, having opened it's doors to the public for almost two months now. Almost every item on the menu has a distinct Asian charm infused into it be it in the form of the toppings added onto the chips or the sauce used to dress each burger.

 So how did the guys behind this burger joint performed?

Nutella & Oreo milkshake - I loved how this was not overly sweet nor was it overly thick in terms of consistency. Often times, the amount of sugar added can mask the overall flavour and one slurp is more than enough to put me off. Am a big fan of cookie crumbs on my food/drinks and this cup gets the thumbs up from me.

Oh Crab! - tempura soft shell crab, wasabi mayo, tomato and lettuce. Very rarely do I reach out for seafood and strangely enough, I tend to order seafood types of burgers when I crave for burgers. Soft shell crab was crisp, juicy and most importantly, not dripping in oil from the deep frying process. The wasabi mayo may sound intimidating but it was mild enough to not leave tears streaming down my face.

Bruce's chips - I have had quite a few different types of loaded chips before and this beats all of them hands down. Topped with a generous serve of pulled pork, jalapeno, sriracha mayo, spring onion and bonito flakes, I happily finished most of this myself. A good combination of savoury, sour and sweet flavours intertwined together. Again, plus points for not being soaked/ dripping in oil.

Jumbo Aussie rule - WL is a fan of beef burgers and he was quick to note that the aroma from frying the beef patties were different compared to other establishments, a sign of different marinades used in the beef mince. Juicy, moorish and picturesque, it ticked all the boxes on what makes a good classic, no frills burger.

Because I liked the Bruce's chips a lot, here is a bonus picture of it if the previous one was not enough to tempt you;)

Many thanks to the team at Kung Fu Burger for having me and for those interested, these guys do UberEats, Foodora and if you are nearby the area on a late Friday or Saturday night, be sure to popped by to get your fix here.

Chiquito & Co, Fitzroy MELB

New kids on the block, Chiquito & Co, were kind enough to host a sinful night for us hungry foodies and gave us a sneaky peek at what finger licking goodies they had to offer. Revolving around an American inspired burger joint, owner Jenny and Robby definitely have big shoes to fill in order to set them apart from the crowd.

First up, we were served with refreshingly good lemonade and raspberry and mint soda, perfect for cleansing one's palate, especially after a few rounds of oily goodness. Mind you, one does not come to a burger place expecting to still remain a diet purist so drop the celery and carrot sticks and stop teasing yourself.

Cheesy popcorn chicken and haloumi fries - side dishes at burger joints are the best post-gym/ reward treats in the world. Generous amounts of cheesy sauce drizzled all over the chicken and the haloumi fries were definitely crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Doubt I would be able to finish more than a piece of haloumi but perhaps, if I was really hungry.

Southern fried chicken wings - be warned, this came extremely hot at our table so be cautious not to bite into it too soon. Crispy and succulent they were, best consumed as soon as they cooled down a little, nothing more.

Burgers burgers burgers. Look at how amazingly vibrant the colours are and were they craving out for attention or what.

I have ordered the Crab Shack for myself whilst D had the Tribute to Bacon Bacon Bacon. Crab Shack consisted of crispy soft shell crab, lettuce, tomato, garlic aioli and sriracha all in a charcoal bun. Bacon burger was a traditional beef burger but with a double dose of bacon, cheddar, lettuce and pickles, given a good dose of baconaise and smoked ketchup.

I prefer lighter burgers in general and found the crab burger relatively easy to eat. D, being a male, would not settle for anything less than meaty perfection. All in, both burgers were made with utmost attention to detail in flavour and were finished in no time by us two hungry monsters:)

Chips, sour cream and sweet chilli fries and cheesy mac and bacon. At this point, all of us were almost filled to the brim and decided to pace ourselves slower.

ChiqShakes ferrero rocher and pavlova - when you think fatty goodness could not have gotten any better, this would be what sweet lovers dream about. Only managed a small bit at this stage but if you do rock up here hungry or in need of some comfort food, look no further.

Smores dessert sundae - again, a delicious little number that I could only manage a small bite, being too full from the burgers and sides served earlier. I would imagine this to be quite a popular item, especially in summer.

Their frozen custard is pretty solid and also available on the menu are mix in options for diners to choose from be it something along the lines of fruit, biscuits, chocolates or gooey marshmallow softness. I actually preferred the vanilla flavour, being that it was actually quite refreshing and mutual tasting so it paired easily with other types of mix ins.

Overall, the bunch of us had an extremely satisfying night, all thanks to Jenny And Robby for their kind hospitality despite having to accommodate other customers. May not be my last visit here and who knows what these guys might have in store for the future;)

p.s: checkout their Instagram or Facebook page for weekly specials :p

The Fish & Burger Co, Doncaster East MELB

I like having burgers, chips and milkshakes every now and then as a break from the usual routine. When WL suggested heading here after receiving positive feedback from his friends, I was more than happy to give it a try. And secretly fatten myself up with chips and sauce, such is the sinful life I lead.

Packed full of hungry customers but also plenty of seating to accommodate every individual, customers are basically seated first and when ready, head to the counter to order their meals. It was difficult to pick a favourite because all of the options sounded delicious. Thankfully, WL and I have been sharing food lately..both good or not so great :p

Gaytime milkshake - told WL to surprise me with whatever he wanted to have. I am not a proactive milkshake drinker but am game to try anything. This one was loaded with caramel, dusted with chopped peanuts and topped with generous bits of honeycomb and cubes of marbled cake. A meal on it's own and one that I am currently drooling over again as I channel my thoughts here.

Onion rings - always a big fan of onion rings and found these ones to be spot on yummy. Crisp batter? Tick. Softened onion pieces? Tick.

Double chilli cheese - Two beef patties, American cheddar, lettuce, pickles, jalapenos, Spanish onion, ketchup, mayo and chilli cheese sauce. One of the better cheese burgers I have tried. Meat was juicy and prepared medium to well done. Generous amounts of cheese utilized here.

American waffle fries - I love waffles and fries but have never had this combination before. Worth every calorie, especially when drizzled with oozing, melted cheese.

Lady Boy - such a dodgy name (no ideal what's the train of thought behind it) but again, another delicious number delivered by the Fish and Burger co. Grenadier had a lovely, even panko crust around it and it was lavishly coated in Sriracha hot sauce and kewpie mayo. Loved the addition of coriander and mint for added freshness.

A cross section of both burgers that we had. Highly recommended and worth a second visit even if I have to spend hours in the gym burning it off over the next few days.