Miss Kay Burger Bar @ Brisbane

 A recent visit to Brisbane had me researching for burgers and our first night (after a day of sipping cider in extreme heat) we landed at Miss Kays Burger Bar. 

 

Burgers are a great eat to help sop up some alcohol.

 

 

 

 

 

I went with something different and got the Poutine burger.  A juicy, med rare beef patty with bacon bits, haloumi, fries, gravy, pickle, lettuce and mayo.

 

The burger was good, just not as saucy as I usually go for.  the halmoui offered the squeakiness of the cheese curds needed for poutine and gravy to bring it all together as something different.  Overall a good feed.

 

The boy went with the Mac Daddy.  Filled with a  beef patty, mac n' cheese, American cheese, lettuce, pickle, mayo and loaded fries.  He seemed to enjoy it and said it was okay.  (He'll hold on further judgement as his memory may have been a little skewed after a day in the sun!)

 

A serve of onion rings with Miss Kay's seasoning were good (although very oily).  I really liked these, the boy not so much (again holding judgement).

Definitely a burger bar I would happily visit again next trip!  The Ludakrisp burger looks next level!

Rengaya @ North Sydney

 

Rengaya is not new to the restaurant scene having been in business for nearly 20 years. It’s reputation is clearly evident when all the tables are full by 6.30pm on a Monday night!

We are seated in one of the 3 main areas that are set in a ‘traditional’ style. There are 2 private dining areas that you can book if you want to have something more secluded.

 

 

 

 

 Shelves laden with old sake bottles make for great decor. 

 

 

 

 

In Japan BBQ is called Yakiniku and is a very social eating activity.  A grill/BBQ plate is placed in the centre of your table and you grill morsels of protein and vegies to your liking and dunk it into various sauces.  It's social and it go hand in hand with drinking. Beer, sake and cocktails are the norm. 

Chu Hai cocktails, rarely seen if at all in Sydney are a must! They are a refreshing mix of Chu Hai, fruit juice and soda served in a tall glass. Here it is served nama chūhai, meaning it is a DIY cocktail!
 

 

 

I have opted for orange and passionfruit one .After squeezing my own juice and mixing it myself and finding the right balance (ie all in!!).  It is light, fizzy and very refreshing!

 

 

I smile when our first dish arrives.   The premium wagyu beef sashimi is divine in it's simplicity. Six slices of well marbled raw wagyu is a beautiful site.  Atop crunchy shavings of daikon and served with fresh wasabi this is an awesome starter and the first time I have eaten raw wagyu. 

 

Check out that marbling!

 

 

To maximise the varieties of Wagyu we decide to try the Wagyu Amusement, comprising of a selection of (from left to right top row to bottom row) , Wagyu ribs, Wagyu loin, Wagyu oyster blade and Wagyu rib fingers and wagyu ox tongue.

 

 

and if you do not know your cuts of beef it comes with a handy list of which is what cut.

 

The loin and oyster blade are well marbled with a sprinkling of salt and pepper for a hint of flavour (not that this beef needs any assistance!)

 

 

ox Tongue (back pic) and rib fingers (front pic) look awesome. I cannot wait to try the ox tongue.

 

 

There is something fun and entertaining about BBQ’ing at your own table. Just do not forget about what you have on the grill and leave it to long.  You do not want to burn anything!

 

 

 

 

Placing pieces on that literally only take a minute or two to sear we wait......

 

 

 

 

 

Pork loin, slightly frozen and thinly cut are brought to the table along with milkfed lamb cutlets that look delicious.

 

 

 

 

We have ordered a bowl of Yukke bimiba, a Japanese dish similar to the Korean Bimibap served with raw Wagyu beef.

 

It is served in a piping hot stone bowl which you then stir all the ingredients together to make a lovely rice dish. 

 

The tender pieces of beef slightly cook through and the rice that has been on the base of the hot stone has gone crispy and crunchy.  This is comfort food and it is yummy!

 

 

 

 

 

We finish with a rich, hearty oxtail soup that is nourishing and warming.  A winner dish for next winter I reckon!

 

 

To finish off this fine meal a cold glass of sake is needed.  Otokoyama Junmai from Hokkaido is the choice tonight.  A huge sake bottle arrives table side and the cold crisp sake is poured into the small carafe with precision!

 

 

 

Visiting Rengaya was a delight.  I have never eaten Premium Wagyu beef before and I marvelled at the marbling of the meat.  If only I could could enjoy my steak as much as I enjoyed this meal!  Definitely recommend Rengaya.  I was surprised on how many people were there dining on a Monday night and clearly many regulars!

Thanks so much for the invitation!

 

 

*Roofood dined as a guest of Rengaya and Washoku Lovers

Papi Chulo @ Manly

 

 What was supposed to be our first date a year ago, a ferry ride to Manly, a lovely lunch and a few drinks ended up being cancelled due to horrendous whether and we went to the movies instead!. So we took the opportunity of our first anniversary celebrations to do it instead! Perfect date day though! A sunny day, with a little crisp wind and of course, awesome company!

 

Merivale's Papi Chulo is nestled right on Manly Wharf, literally a few steps from the ferry. Where an American smoke house/Latin inspired menu meets beach art deco décor which makes for a beautiful light and airy atmosphere with gorgeous views of the Harbour.

 

 

 

We start with drinks and I am drawn to the Bloody Ceaser Romero with Bacon-washed Olmeca Altos Tequila, papi's spice mix, olive and clamato juice (it’s a pimped up bloody mary, only better!)

 

 

We start with a bowl of Pea Guacamole with tortilla chips. Sprinkled with peas, pea shoot tendrils and sunflower seeds this guac is good. The warm crisp tortilla chips have the smallest hint of salt to the them.

 

 

The Tropical Taro Salad (which came with hidden slices of smoked Kingfish) was a surprise. Refreshingly light and tangy the crispy strips of taro added a perfect crunch to this salad.

 

The highlight dish of the day turned out to the be the Roasted Cauliflower with romesco, parmesan and burnt butter crumbs. We both LOVED this dish. The cauli was soft and tender but still held firm and the cheesy romesco sauce and crunch butter crumbs were just superb.

 

 

 

The Smoked Hot Wings with comeback sauce were another pleasure. The wings are fried to perfect crunchy crispness and tender and juicy meat. However I wasn’t really taken with the comeback sauce, but that is my personal taste).

Service is fantastic and dishes are served quickly. Staff are super friendly and there is no one person waiting on tables it’s a variety of servers.

Next up is the Jumbo King Prawns in lemongrass and coconut dressing. Two huge prawns adore a small plate and take a good 2-3 big bites to eat. They are really delicious.

 

 

 

 

I’m hitting my limit by now and lucky to have a few minutes break before the Lebanese Chicken Platter arrives with sides of curly fries and Vietnamese Coleslaw. BBQ chicken with peri peri spice is served on a platter with tabbouli, pickled veg, lettuce and pita bread.

The curly fries are super curly and cooked perfectly. The Vietnamese coleslaw adds a tangy freshness to the meal. We are so full now and end up taking a doggy bag home with us.

We do manage to share a dessert of the Chocolate chip cookie, marshmallow, butterscotch and vanilla ice cream.  Warm gooey choc chip cookie with a disc of fluffy marshmallow topped with ice cream and butterscotch is a perfect date dessert.

  

Although this was a year in the making, we finally got to visit and I know I will be recommending this to friends and definitely would like to come back and sample more of this delicious the menu.  

 

 

 

Bare Grill and Cafe @ La Perouse

 

The burger craze has been sweeping Sydney for some time now and there are some awesome burger joints that are taking the "meat between a bun basic burger" to new levels.　 One of the most notable burger joints is Bare Grill.　 In a little over 12 months Bare Grill have climbed that ladder to new heights and offering up some great tasting concoctions!

I have had the pleasure of smashing a Bare Grill burger or two over the past few months and it has fast become my go to burg place when a craving hits.

The last couple of visits I have chosen The Hangover (not the Bradley Cooper variety).　 A soft bun  with beer battered fish, American cheddar, hash brown, sunny side egg, fries and pickled mayo.　 I love me some pickled mayo!

The Boy has indulged in the Wild West burger.  Thanks to Ompty's great discount deals.  You can grab either of these with fries and a soft drink for $10!

 

 

Now, although Bare Grill has become famous for it’s burgers, the rest of the menu is also great which includes T-bone steaks, BBQ Pork ribs, souvlakia and the assortment of grilled fried seafood.　 I cannot forget to mention buffalo wings and EPIC fries (which are just that, EPIC!)

Thanks to ompty.com for inviting me along recently to sample some more delights, it gave me a chance to try some of the other delicious offerings (I usually smash a burg and hit my peak!).

We start with the buffalo wings, BBQ wings and a serve of the EPIC Fries (definitely sharing dishes by the way).　

The buffalo wings are crispy and crunchy covered in a not to spicy buffalo sauce.  I love buffalo wings and blue cheese dip!!!

buffalo wings

BBQ wings

The BBQ wings are good too but my real focus was on those EPIC fries.　 I was lusting over them. Definitely one of those ‘I need a moment to myself’ moments (haven’t had one of them in awhile!)

EPIC fries

Epic fries.　 Crispy waffle fries topped with pulled pork, gooey liquid cheese (that stuff is addictive), spicy aioli, shallots, bacon and Carolina sticky BBQ Sauce.　

I move onto the burgers.　 I have opted for The Fatties.　 Appropriately named after the Facebook Group (which I am of course a member of).　 It has double beef patties, American cheddar, bacon and the delicious Bare sauce (addiction right there peeps)!

The Fatties really hit the spot for that ‘cheeseburger’ craving.　 The beef patties are juicy and perfectly cooked.　There is just the right amount of grease to soak into the burger too.

Don't you just love the branding on the bun?

The Boy has been eyeing off The Bare Cockfighter the last couple of visits and goes with it today. It has two Southern fried chicken, bacon, American cheddar, guacamole, coleslaw, iceberg lettuce and big bare sauce.  Instant love!!

Everything is made in house (except for the pulled pork, which is ordered in).

I didn't taste these two burgers but they looked mouth watering. The Trip and The Cure.

The Trip has a beef patty, bacon, onion rings, American cheddar, hash brown and truffle mayo (front pic) and The Cure consisting of double beef patties, American cheddar, jalapenos, bacon, gherkins, hash brown, fried egg and that delicious Bare sauce (back pic)!!! Oh my.....

 

There are other offerings too.  The Greek Salad and Souvalaki is fresh and zesty.

 

For beverages, there is the usual selection of soft drinks and milkshakes…then there is the Freak Shakes! 

The Nutella Bomb is an eye popping chocolate milk shake/dessert delight.  Topped with a nutella filled donut and whipped cream, it truly is the BOMB!
Perfect to share over a romantic lunch?

Bare Grill is the perfect lunch or dinner spot (and a walk along the beach to walk off the food coma).  Get there early (particularly on a sunny day and coming into the Summer months).  The lines get long and crazy.

If you are in need of an ice cream they offer Pat and Stick's cookie icecreams!!!

In 3 days time Bare Grill is coming to Surry Hills.  Friday they open their doors to a second venue.  the menu will offer some new burgers and my tastebuds can't wait.


*Roofood dined as a guest of Ompty and Bare Grill. Thanks for a fab lunch!