Showing posts with label beetroot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beetroot. Show all posts

Saturday, 30 November 2013

GBK - Kiwiburger



Kiwiburger - Beetroot, egg, pineapple, aged Cheddar, salad, mayo & relish £9.25

Burger type: Pub/Gourmet/Inbetween/Dirty

It doesn't sound particularly appetising - egg, beetroot and pineapple in a burger. But take it from me - it works. It's not going to blow you away but it's a far cry from the stomach-churning mouthfuls you might expect it to be. As I've said before, beetroot is a top burger filling adding a nice sweetness to the patty. I think few people will argue with an egg, especially with a pleasingly runny yolk as served here. The major sticking point is probably going to be the pineapple for most people; if this is an insurmountable obstacle between plate and mouth then it can always be removed or ordered without. If you can get over this you'll find that it is a fairly subtle taste in the burger and works well with everything else. My major issue with the burger is that there is so much sloppiness that it doesn't stand a chance of holding together. Sure it turned up presented and stacked well (with the help of a stick), but once you get your knife/mouth into it things turn decidedly messier. The egg yolk breaks and runs everywhere which is to be expected, but with the relish and cheese sliming over the already slimy beetroot and pineapple, the burger ends up looking like it's just endured a giant earthquake. It tastes good, but it doesn't feel enough like a burger as half ends up on your plate. I would cook the cheese into the patty, put the egg on top so that the bun can soak up some of the yolk, and use grated beetroot in an effort to straighten this Pisa - just a suggestion GBK! Oh, and my patty was overcooked again - that lack of consistency an inherent problem with chain restaurants.

Rating: 
Meat 1.5/3
Bun 1/2
Fillings 2/2
Package 0/2
Extra point? Yes - we might not see one in this country, but well done GBK for trying to prevent the extinction of the Kiwi with donations from these burgers
Overall 5.5/10

Thursday, 14 November 2013

The Advisory - Cheeseburger Special



Cheeseburger w/ chorizo, jalapenos & beetroot  - plus tomato, lettuce and gherkin £7

Burger type: Pub/Gourmet/Inbetween/Dirty

Don't be alarmed, the meat isn't still mooing - it's beetroot, not blood! Burger joints are a bit thin on the ground over on the East side of town. Clearly the burger trend isn't trendy enough. But The Advisory is keeping burger cravings in check in Hackney with a range of burgers, sides and several specials on the board to choose from. This burger is one of the specials and it was pretty damn good. The patty is a nice big slab, cooked to perfection and good and tasty. Beetroot is a win in a burger, and the jalapenos give the burger a decent kick. Everything works well together in the brioche bun, but the meat is still the main event as it should be. I'm keen to try some other offerings next time I'm in the area. On the menu they instruct you to wash your burger down with a beer; not hard to adhere to when the likes of Kernal Brewery's IPA is amongst the offerings. There's cocktails as well if that's your thing. And the name? Well, the premises used to be an Asian Womens Advisory Service of course.

Rating: 
Meat 3/3
Bun 2/2
Fillings 2/2
Package 1/2
Extra point? No
Overall 8/10