Category Archives: Burger

Burger Bear

October 24, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

We first heard of Burger Bear’s fabulous burgers at the Burger Festival in the summer. We came so close to sampling his creations but much to our disappointment he couldn’t make it to the festival due to family emergency. Big love, bear!

Ever since we couldn’t get him out of our heads and were uber pleased when he announced that we could pick up our free burgers and chips at his permanent base in Old Street’s magic roundabout.

Now I have heard a lot about Magic Roundabout. It was popping up here and there in my weekly ‘what’s on’ London emails, yet I had no idea where it was exactly or what it was all about.

The clue was in the name all along. It’s located bang in the middle of Old Street roundabout. It’s an urban oasis of food, music and fun.

We came here on a Friday night, just after the sunset and watched the whole place light up with fairy lights, music was starting to pump harder and crowds were forming queues outside food stalls. With gravel under your feet and portable loos it has a strong festival vibe, but smart food stalls and bars bring you back to the city level.

It was not hard to locate Burger Bear – one with a massive queue. When our turn came, no questions were asked and we were given a menu to choose any burger we fancied… And so we ordered one grizzly bear and one angry bear.

This burger didn’t just taste amazing because it was free. It’s incredible flavours came from crispy bacon fried to perfection, smoky tomato sauce, golden onions and finely chopped chilis. I couldn’t quite believe how perfect it was.

These burger babies are not for the faint hearted. We were devouring them in a dimly lit seating area, I had sauce running down my arms, face deeply burried in the burger. It was not a pretty sight, but thankfully my partner seen me at my worst so we had a good chuckle about this messy situation.

I have a feeling our search for the best burger in town might be over. But before I call it winner, I really need to bring my partner in crime, Rubeka to taste the perfection.

Burger Bear
Magic Roundabout
Old Street Roundabout, London EC1Y 1BE

Burger

Burgers & Cocktails

October 12, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

We made an amazing discovery behind Selfridges the other day. Can not believe we have missed it all these years, a treasure of restaurants to fill our tummies to fuel us to shop. James St is heaving with marvellous places to eat and that’s where we found this beauty otherwise known as Burgers and Cocktails.

Contemporary interior full of colour, not rustic like a lot of burger joints these days which is a tad refreshing to see as exposed brick work has died a death since everyone is sporting it. With a cool mosaic floor and neon features here and there, I think a new burger joint interior is starting.

We decided to go for some nostalgic drinks which can only described as slushies that tasted like hubba bubba. Being called Burgers and Cocktails I know we should have had some cocktails but it was too early in the day and it also gives us an excuse to return. Saying that, the soft drinks menu is extensive so they cater for everyone’s needs.

To start with we had the Korean BBQ Wings which were meaty and sticky. Not overly sweet with a kick of chilli as an end note. The skin was slightly crisp which gave a nice crunch as you bit into it. You get four meaty pieces for just over five pounds and it’s well worth it.

For mains we had to go for burgers naturally. Amazing as they are to us they were all served with brioche buns. You know how much I love a burger with a soft brioche bun 🙂
Of course, Elena went for the burger which had the highest pork content, the matador. The pulled pork really made the burger juicy. The chorizo added a nice kick to the burger which complemented the smokey cheese.

I had the sloppy joe burger, it came hot and wet, just how I like my food. The burger was oozing ingredients. Chilli beef dripping from one part, fondue cheese from another, it was all very exciting. Great combination of savoury and spicy flavours, it was like having a party in the mouth as with every lash of the tongue you tasted something new.

For a side we ordered a large portion of sweet potato fries. They were perfect. Crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. Only so many places get it right.
Now oddly enough this place is the sister company of Giraffe. Now, you may remember our disapproval at the food Giraffe have to serve however, this place has made us eat our words. Burgers and Cocktails will be visited again soon.

Burgers & Cocktails
35 James St, London W1U 1EA

American, Burger

Ed’s Diner

August 25, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Ed‘s Diner reminds me of my college days. When I would bunk off and head down to Soho to grab one of the best milkshakes known to man. I was chuffed they opened one in Angel as it allows me to reminisce about the good old days of zero responsibilities and the government paying you to go to school. How I love England.

So on an evening when I was taking Elena on a hot date to watch Magic Mike XXL (not my idea, she likes to openly watch seedy stuff), we decided to have a dirty meal before the show to wrap up our dirty evening.

We loved the interior of this places. So playful and fun. It really encapsulates a 60s American diner style with the extensive use of primary colours, photography of the stars of that time, space age shapes with the first moon travel happening around that time and crazy neon lighting. They have done wonders in converting that space from what used to be Tinder Box.

I was rather excited as I had not been to one of these for over a decade. Ed‘s have this amazing deal of either getting the burger or meat dish on its own or you have the option to get a plate for a couple of pounds more for which you also get fries, onion rings and coleslaw. Naturally we went for the plate. We also decided to go for bottomless cokes to really round of this American burger meal experience. All we needed now was a cow girl outfit and it would have been complete.

I ordered the Blue Cheese Burger and Elena ordered the Chicken Goujons, all with Ed‘s plates.

The restaurant was empty on this hot summers evening and the waiters had time to come and chill and chat with us. Being one of the only customers we thought we were in for a treat as the chef can pay extra attention to our food.

The food arrived and straight away everything looked crispy and over cooked. The onion rings and sweet potato fries we so deep fried that as soon as you put them in your mouth they shattered and I mean just broken into pieces. You could feel the oil on your lips and slipping down your arteries. The fried items all tasted the same even the Chicken Goujons so they had clearly been sitting in the same fryer for ages.

My burger was rock solid and I had a tough time cutting into it. It tasted of nothing and felt like it had been over cooked. This WILL not be making it onto our burger hall of fame.

So many high hopes and all a bit of a let down. However, I will return to try their shakes at the shake bar on the ground floor to give them an opportunity to redeem themselves to the glory days of my college years. I think this meal is what we can coin as ‘waste of space in the stomach’.

Ed’s Diner
Unit R7, Angel Central, London N1 0PS

American, Burger

Meat Liquor

August 6, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

We have been burger crazy lately, with one review after another! Sorry to our readers that don’t eat cow!

In our defense London is currently suffering from an American fever, with new burger joins opening almost every week. It’s hard to keep up especially as title of ‘best burger’ keeps moving from one restaurant to another.

So we thought with this review we will take you to back to where it all began: Meat Liquor.

Within a week of Meat Liquor opening it’s doors in London, we joined the queue, ready for our all American experience and ever since this has been our go-to place for some artery clogging but ultimate comfort food.

The place is no doubt popular and with an incomplete party we kept getting sent down the queue by a scary looking bouncer, whom earlier branded us with ink stamp ’MEAT’. Meat Liquor know how to keep customers happy and they also very familiar with work ‘Hangry’, so before we could get even a little bit aggravated, a waitress came outside with a tray of deep-fried goodies.

Once you are inside the restaurant you find yourself in dimly lit room which could be misinterpreted as film set for Dexter. Blood splattered plastic coverings and loud metal music, no one will hear the screams as you bite into your…burger.

Heavily tattoos staff deliver the best of Deep South cooking. Get ready to roll up your sleeves as it’s a very messy business.

We went absolutely crazy for their buffalo wings. Having never tasted such thing, i have become obsessed with the sauce. They still stand to this day as a very good rival to Sticky Wings.

When it came to burgers I wasn’t totally won over. If you like your burger buns firm and spongy you will be disappointed as these babies arrive soaked with juice. Which could be your thing, but it wasn’t mine, so i will stick to other things on their menu.

Meat Liquor is a fun place to bring friends that have never been before. As my American friend says ’ Meat Liquor is your standard American eatery’. The atmosphere, the music and of course the photo booth is all good fun. But for a repeat session I would recommend going there at lunch time where it’s just a bit more calm and you can have a good chat over the cocktails… Which reminds me – Meat Liquor make a mean Bloody Mary! uh oh!

MEATliquor
74 Welbeck Street
London | W1G 0BA
http://meatliquor.com/london

American, Burger, Event

Burger Festival

July 11, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

The excitement of going to burger fest last weekend has spiraled through to this week. Sampling those sliders has made we want to visit each vendor who participated at Burger Fest 2015 at The Paper Works in Elephant and Castle.

As you remember, we reviewed this fun venue only a few weeks ago and on this night it was all about the fun with lots of board games, drinks and well to top it all off the best burgers in town.

We started of our feast with Wild Game and Co. It was said to be the best burger by whoever voted for this thing and well it didn’t disappoint. Even though the burger was slightly over cooked the flavours coming from the meat were to die for.

We then moved onto a burger by Craft. Now we must say, the bacon was chargrilled to the max that it just snapped. The pattie was flavourless. You would think if you are at an event to showcase your best burger then some thought would go into ensuring that ever offering is top notch. Especially when each customer is spending £35 a ticket to get in and the cost of only receiving five sliders. Poor show Craft, thought you would do a lot better.

We then swiftly moved onto Dip and Flip and their Green Chili Burger in gravy.

Omg, I have wanted to try this place for ages and well I will be visiting this week to sample a whole burger as a slider just wasn’t enough. The pattie was meaty, the cheese was oozing and the chilies just added a nice little kick. I loved it being smothered in gravy. Nice.

Street Kitchen was our fourth offering and we were pleasantly surprised to find that they actually didn’t specialise in burgers at all. The pattie was perfect, medium rare and not a minute over cooked. They were a tad heavy on the condiments which did over power the meat. However, it’s definitely something I would try again with less of the condiments.

Hotbox. Now you know we love a bit of Hotbox!!! We have tried this burger before so it was more of a déjà vu burger of happy memories. Amazing pattie, perfect relish and that perfect balance of sweet and savoury. You can not fault this burger and its definitely one of our faves.

To be honest we loved our burgers. However, the event was awfully organised and many people were left hungry and frustrated. Many of our friends had to eat the the same burgers two – three times and some got there when there was nothing left even though they had purchased an evening ticket. The music ended early and there was silence for the last hour of the event. The vendors are not to blame but Twenty Something London really need to learn about organisation and customer satisfaction before they organise another event. This was not worth £35 and we won’t be going to anymore Twenty Something London events.

American, Burger, Grill

Hoxton Grill

July 5, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Shoreditch, such an eclectic mix of dining experiences with a wealth of different people and trends. Hoxton Grill is a chilled out bar and eatery with a lovely range of cosy seating options, fun activity suites and booths and a fusion restaurant to cater for all.

Saturday is heaving as with all locations here so: book, book and book, especially if you want to eat.

Being processco lovers it’s hard to understand when a place only offers one type of processco so please be prepared to not be able to ponder over the different types and put everything you learnt at wine swigging class into practice.

To start with we had the quinoa, courgette and feta salad and wait for it we had another salad with baby gem, crab and avocado salad. However, the healthy eats stopped here.

I loved the quinoa salad so much that I have made it at home since. The crab was a bit questionable and too fishy for my liking which is odd to say about something with crab I know.

For mains we got a bit dirty, well 3/4 of us did. One healthy bastard got grilled cod, oh la la. My bacon queen Elena naturally had the bacon and blue cheese burger along with our other friend and I sampled the cheese burger.

This had to be the longest wait for food ever. We made two round trips to the toilet, took selfies galour and had time to get up and go to the bar area and try and get our friend a date. An hour wait in totally but we didn’t mind as we were having fun and hoping the food would be worth the wait.

Elena started moaning from the moment the burger hit the table. She had two patties and both were burnt to a crisp. As they were burnt it left a chargrilled taste to everything which couldn’t even be hidden by her bacon love.

My cheeseburger was a simple meaty cheeseburger. The patties were meaty and medium rare which was rather annoying and I would have liked to have been asked how I would like my burger if they were going to do that. The meat wasn’t packed full of flavour which I would expect some sort of jazz hands if I’m expected to pay £12. I was starving and it filled a whole and thats how I should look at it at that time of night. I won’t even start on the bun. Chips were nice though 🙂

We tried to sweeten the end of the meal with a massive smore but that failed to satisfy either, nice idea though.

Hoxton Grill is great for a nice evening out for some drinks and meeting new people. However, it’s not the right place for a tasty, memorable meal that’s served in reasonable time.

Hoxton Grill
The Hoxton, 81 Great Eastern St, London EC2A 3HU
http://www.hoxtongrill.com

Asian, Burger, Chinese

Little Bao

May 28, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

‘Been around the world, ayayayayaya, I can’t find my burger….’, UNTIL WE CAME TO HONG KONG!!!!

Fans, as you know we have been on a life long mission to find the best burger in the world and well we think we have found the best one (so far). The unusual thing is that it can be found in Hong Kong of all places in a little place called Little Bao in the Soho expat district.

Begone the brioche bun and hello the steamed bun!

Begone the pattie and hello pork belly or Szechuan chicken fillings!

It’s time for us to leave the UK and USA and embrace Asia.

Little Bao is a tiny diner style restaurant in Soho. Not really a big gathering kind of place as you will either be facing the wall or the kitchen.

The tunes were banging out funk, as chefs were flipping burgers to the beat. We were quickly talked through the menu and decided on four starters and a burger each.

This is one of those places that puts all it’s passion into food and good service. There are no frills to your dining experience, it’s stripped back to a plate, chopstick and a napkin.

We started meal off with Brussels sprouts, which you would think is an odd thing to find in Hong Kong. But with a sprinkle of fresh chilli, peanuts and fish sauce this could-be-boring dish was re-styled as a great starter with an Asian twist. We are definitely stealing this recipe for our next Christmas dinner.

Next up were Truffle Fries topped with fried mushrooms. We could smell the truffle oil even before they landed on our table, it was a truly moorish sharing platter. Give them a quick toss and tuck in! I’d choose those over cheesy fries anytime!

Hot chicken was a real show piece. I kick myself for not taking a photo of these drum sticks next to a bottle of coke for scale, but they were practically the same size. Giant succulent spicy drum sticks. The batter crust was almost caramel like, you had to tap it with your chopstick and like a creme brûlée, it would crack open to revel a very tender chicken meat.

Short-rib pan fried dumplings were yummy! Rib meat was minced and so tender with pasty light and crunchy. You’d think we had finished our meal, but no no no, we haven’t even got to the mains yet!

Bao, typical Chinese steamed bun, was warmed up on a stove before it took in ridiculous amount of stuffing. We tried their famous pork belly Bao, Szechuan chicken and beef.

Now this was the perfect burger. Flavours were delicate and extremely delicious. No ingredient was overlooked. Bao bun made it really easy to stuff in your mouth and in true burger style it was a messy affair.

We can’t recommend Little Bao enough, whether you are in Hong Kong for a week or a day please make time for Little Bao, as we guarantee it will be a meal to remember!

Little Bao

6 Staunton St. Central, Hong Kong.

www.little-bao.com

Burger, English, Grill

Hotbox Brunch

May 23, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Elena and I came here a few months back and fell in love with the menu, staff and decor of this place.

Today we have returned to sample their brunch menu which is only offered at the weekend and is said to be rather heavenly so we thought we would put our forks to the test.

Upon entering the place for brunch the place has a more homely feel to it. The benches are set with tea cups and China sugar bowls which makes it feel like a totally different place to the evenings.

Being a Sunday morning I had to have a coffee of some sort to begin with before I could even look at the menu. I was intrigued to find out that Hotbox use Robusta beans and upon tasting it you can feel that these beans have a smoother, longer and richer flavour and I’m glad I found a place that does this blend rather than arabica which my taste buds have gotten so used to. The taste is not as full bodied as arabica but is sweeter on my taste buds. Not sure what my partner in crime would think of this as she is a strong tasting coffee kinda gal! The beans are purchased from a company called Black Sheep Coffee if coffee lovers are interested in getting their hands on some.

After speaking to the incredible waiter (curly haired, young with a mustache) I was encouraged to try the Chicken thighs and Waffles as apparently only that morning had the head chef perfected the waffle recipe to complement the chicken to perfection and well I had to be part of this famous moment. I must admit that I was scared of trying this dish as in my head the combination just doesn’t work. However, when the dish was served I was so glad that I had picked this beauty. Crispy fried chicken with the most buttery and fluffy waffle. You didn’t really get much sweetness from the waffle so it was almost like a bun for the juicy and spicy chicken thighs, in my mouth it felt like I was eating a chicken burger. I was not at all tempted to smothering my chicken with maple syrup as my brain couldn’t handle the idea but I tried it with just the waffle and it was heavenly. Dipping out of sweet and savoury just felt like a dream and a sin.

To accompany my dish I ordered that heavenly mac and cheese that we had gushed about last time. Last time we really emphasised the smokey flavour but during the brunch menu the recipe is changed so rather than smokey it had a spicy after taste. I think I prefer the one from the dinner menu even though this one is pretty good too.

One of our friends decided they would try the liquid lunch deal which is an all you can drink for £25. You have a choice of Bloody Mary’s and Prosecco. Sounds like an amazing offer but our wonderful waiter helped us work out that it was only really worth it if you were to drink four drinks or more. Unfortunately, I was feeling rather delicate this Sunday brunch so decided I would steer clear but I will be back to try this ‘challenge’ soon.

Huevous Ranchoros and Eggs Benedict were the other dishes our friends decided to try on this occasion. The Eggs Benedict is served with pork belly so there is a tad twist to it like most of the Hotbox dishes. I couldn’t help but try the black means from Huevous Ranchoros and OMG, so much flavour for a veggie dish. The guacamole was fresh and chunky and so tasty that they even sell it as a side.

Interesting Info: when I had first looked at the menu I had thought about getting the burger or the beef tacos but once I had spoken to the waiter it was like someone had shot me in the foot and told me Santa wasn’t real. He advised me that if I chose the meat dishes at the weekend I wouldn’t be getting the best of the flavours from them as the meat would be the end of the stock of meat that Hotbox had!!!! Basically according to the waiter the deliveries for meat come at the beginning of the week so all meat dishes are at its best during the week and especially at the beginning. Now, when we came here for the first time it was a Saturday as you remember and we were blown away at how amazing the meat was and that’s at its ‘not so fresh’ moment, so all I could think about was how much more amazing can it get at the beginning of the week. Well there is only one way to find out so I will have to tell you once I have done a Mon/Tue test soon. How I love my life. I better check Elena’s schedule 🙂

So there you have it folk. Hotbox is the place to go for the brunch at the weekends. Try the other dishes on the menu and let us know which menu you prefer, lunch or dinner?

Hotbox
46-48 Commersial Street, London E1 6LT
hotboxlondon.com

Burger

MEATmission

March 14, 2015 Fork & Talk 2 Comments

MEATmission isn’t just a burger joint in Shoreditch, it’s the word I and many of my friends use when the meat craving sets in at weekend. I know many of you may be able to relate to this. I happen to be a vegetarian during the week due to a hectic lifestyle and my minimal efforts to cook anything that takes longer than 5 mins (you would never know how much I love to cook when I’m at work). Come weekend time I turn into a savage meat loving beast and I love it.

My loving Elena and I are very active in our lives and are always out somewhere and doing something. However, when we choose to be lazy, well I think our photos would be used to communicate the word. So this weekend was one of those weekends. We watched Marigold Hotel part 2 and then decided we should chill indoors. But then hunger set in and we wanted a patty but couldn’t be asked to leave the house so started to search for a burger delivery place that was to our standards. YES, you heard that right, we wanted the burgers to come to us!

To our surprise MEATmission a place which has been on our list of places to try did deliveries!!! Whoop whoop!! Not only that, the burgers had brioche buns, wait for it, they even had Bingo Wings or for the common folk, buffalo wings.

Now, truly being at the borderline of eating our own body parts through hunger we went a tad overboard with ordering. We ordered: The dead hippie burger, red chilli burger, fries, bingo wings and fried mac and cheese. Naturally we shared everything to avoid disappointment.

Now, meat lovers out there, the pattie in both burgers was packed tight with meat. The patties in both burgers were soft and tender and just crumbled in the mouth and melted away. Elena really appreciated the fact that the burgers were medium rare. If she could have her way she would have all the meat in the world so rare that it’s still talking to you but even she was gushing at how perfectly cooked it was.

The dead hippie came with a double pattie and was reeling in mustard which made the meat taste amazing. It was subtle in flavours.

The red chilli burger is one juicy burger with a single pattie and beef chilli smothered on top. Yes, you heard that right beef chilli in a burger, soaking the brioche bun and giving a spicy yet tangy flavour. A tad messy so knife and fork this one.

The bingo wings had a lovely crispy skin and the meat just flaked off the bone. The buffalo sauce was finger licking good and packed with that sweet and sour combination. The portion of wings was very generous I must say. There must have been 10-12 wings, it’s hard to recall as we had that disease of wing amnesia when you just stop counting and hope it won’t finish.

Now, our wild card choice of deep fried Mac’n’Cheese ended up being our favourite item. These strange looking things were shaped like rectangles and were coated in golden bread crumbs. You would never think that what is inside was inside. As you bite into these golden bars you crunch through the bread crumbs and enter a gooey and chewy heaven of béchamel and pasta. My brain couldn’t handle what I was eating, it wouldn’t believe I was eating pasta so I had to look at it and there it was, big chunks of pasta in white sauce. So tasty and so bad for you but we loved it.

We can not believe the treat we had delivered to our door nor can we believe it was a burger! We can not wait to now actually visit MEATmission in the flesh and see what else we can eat from their burger list. They have an extensive drinks menu and we wished we could order a hard shake or two but all the more reason not to be lazy and to go in and visit.

We will be ordering from this bad boys again. Number saved!

MEATmission
15 Hoxton Market, London N1 6HG
http://www.meatmission.com/

American, Burger

Urban Diner

March 6, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

We love Richmond, it’s so relaxed and has a large platter to offer in terms of cuisine. One evening as we took a stroll along the high street we came across Urban Diner. With it’s black and red decor and halogen lighting, it definitely screams coooooool. We also fancied a milkshake so anything that wasn’t a McDonalds milkshake was a bonus.

We were pleasantly surprised with our find.

We chose to sit outside, a rarity I know. We were served popcorn to nibble on as we scrolled through the menu. Yes, complimentary popcorn, WE LOVE FREE STUFF.

We decided to go for a hardshake with bourbon called Caramel Corn. Absolutely delicious. The shake was so creamy and had enough kick of alcohol to take the edge off a long day. It was like drinking a dessert.

The shake was so filling that we decided to grab a few (million) dishes to nibble on.

We started off with Voodoo Wings or buffalo wings to you and I, I love it when they are saucy and I was content with these, crispy on the out side and tender on the inside with the meat just coming away from the bone without a fuss. The sauce had the sour and tangy buffalo taste but also had a hint of spice with this recipe. I couldn’t stop licking my fingers, the sauce was that good. I was literally wiping the sauce off the tray with anything I could find.

We then tucked into Diner mac and cheese which had a crisp top and the most creamiest béchamel we have tasted. Not overly seasoned but still good. It was a side portion but I could have eaten 5 as a main easily. Obviously, Elena would have then had to have 999 on stand by to unclog my arteries after but it would have been worth it.

We decided to continue with our strange combination of foods and order corn on the cob which I naturally smothered in butter and we also order BBQ Beans. The corn was lovely and sweet and the kernels popped off the cob with minimal effort, how do they do that?
The BBQ Beans were out of intrigue really, never have I seen Elena so excited about baked beans in my life. But I have to admit they were rich and soft in a creamy sauce, not being the biggest beans fan they were pretty nice.

The Urban Diner is a great place to get your fix of American cuisine and upon reflection it is the best American joint Surrey/Richmond has to offer. We will definitely be returning during the warmer months to try more hardshakes and more of that finger licking buffalo sauce. I might just ask for the bottle.

Urban Diner
20 Hill St, Richmond, London TW9 1TN
www.urbandiner.co.uk

Burger, Grill

Hotbox

February 24, 2015 Fork & Talk 1 Comment

Hotbox, meat lovers heaven. We are in love with this place.

The interior is what I will now coin as the Shoreditch look; bare brick, dimmed lighting, reclaimed timber furniture and lots of candles. The seating is similar to a school canteen, Wagamama style so you get to meet lots of people or if you are Elena pretend they don’t exist and focus on who is in front of you which luckily for her was me. The restaurant is so hot right now that it’s packed to the brim. We were also dining next to some famous models on our visit but we won’t name drop.

Hotbox has a very stream lined menu and we have come to the conclusion the restaurants that cut it back in terms of content usually have every dish spot on or as the kids say ‘on point’.

We started off our visit with a trip downstairs to their bar called 46 and Mercy. Very small and cosy with a combination of the bench seating and some sofas. Now, my favourite bars are the ones that have table service and well 46 had table service, whoop whoop. The bar staff are tentative and very friendly and clearly people that love their job. They really help to create that fun atmosphere that the bar has, added with upbeat music, it is a great place to just chill and hang out with your friends. We had some interesting cocktails which were high in alcohol content so it didn’t take me long to get tipsy. The complimentary pretzels kept us entertained as we attempted to resemble phallic objects. They also tasted great, well you know how we love our free stuff.

Once we got to the restaurant we decided straight away we could cover more ground if we shared stuff and boy was that a good decision. We ordered beef rib tacos and a pattie with rib, all the dishes are served with house pickles. When we saw smokey mac and cheese on the menu we had to order them as a side and well we added a portion of sweet potato fries just incase we didn’t have enough to eat 😀

All the food is presented on a chopping board which I love the rustic look of. The first thing we devoured was the soft shell tacos. We had to get in there with our hands and there was juice dripping everywhere. However, I got so lost in the flavours I couldn’t careless that I looked like a wild animal. The tacos were filled with juicy rib beef, rocket, chipotle mayo and crispy fried shallots. Each bite was like a party in the mouth with one flavour break dancing after another. The meat was just that, MEAT! Tender with a few crispy bits here and there, with seasoning all over.

The 4oz pattie was topped off with cheese, onions and more rib beef. The pattie was cooked medium rare and all that goodness was encased in a brioche bun. Now we didn’t come here in search of the best burger in town but we have to put it in our top 10. What a burger! The meat just melts in the mouth. The burger had a spicy kick to it which was much appreciated and just enhanced all the other flavours in it.

The smokey Mac and cheese is the best we have tasted and I mean ever. Creamy béchamel sauce with perfectly cooked pasta and a crispy breadcrumb top. So moorish. I could have eaten two portions of those as a main! It had a smokey taste throughout and I really need to find out how they do it so that I can copy. The sweet potato fries were on another level. I often fear how these will be at different restaurants as often enough they end up being soggy. However, Hotbox received another tick with the fries which were seasoned and triple coated so uber crispy on the outside and smooshy soft on the inside.

I am the one that has to tell sweet Elena that there is no room for dessert but after having amazing drinks, followed by an amazing meal I just had to see what dessert would be like which of course made my partner in crimes day. We had to go for the strangest sounding thing on the menu and order deep fried Oreo cookies. Omg. Each Oreo had been coating in doughnut batter and fried, looked hideous but boy did it taste good. It was served with vanilla ice cream and a pot of chocolate sauce. When you bite into these treats you expect a crunch however, it’s so soft all the way through. You get the taste of a sugar doughnut but you also get the cakey version of an Oreo cookies. It was seriously delicious and so worth the sick feeling of being stuffed. We were in food coma. Result.

The surprising part was the bill as we managed to spend under £25 each which was a bargain for the quality of food we had eaten. As we paid our bill we sat and planned when we could come back and taste their breakfast menu so keep tuned for that review.

Hotbox
46-48 Commersial Street, London E1 6LT
hotboxlondon.com

Burger

Burger & Shake

February 9, 2015 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

Me and Rubeka have a thing about burgers. Years before we started Fork & Talk food blog, we have been on a mission to find best burger joint. I am scared to call burger the perfect meal, but on paper it ticks all of the boxes:

Meat ✔️
Cheese ✔️
Bread ✔️
Pickle ✔️
Veg ✔️
Sauce ✔️
Crunch ✔️

We never shy away from ordering specials and most scrumptious portions, and for a dish that seems simple enough, you’d be surprised how hard it is to find THE PERFECT BURGER. This year burgers have become rather popular and now London has more burger joints than ever. So we shall continue to update you guys with our finds.

I first tried Burger and Shake more than a year ago, this week I have come back with a few friends. Having been very good with our January diets we have gone all out with our order.

Buffalo Wings – these are definitely some of the best Buffalo wings I have tried, not be to missed! The sauce is on the spicy side but so deliciously tangy you keep reaching for wing after wing. A bowl of eight wings was gone in a matter of minutes between three of us.

For mains we have ordered chill beef burger, buffalo chicken burger and a house burger served with chili fries. All of the were really great. Beef patties to my delight were cooked medium rare which added extra juice to the burgers. Chill beef could have been a little spicier but sitting on top of a patty added some lovely texture.

To finish the lovely meal off we ordered vanilla, strawberry and chocolate milkshakes which were pure and simple. That lovely classic taste of childhood you can’t beat! although if you do feel like being an adult you can always add a little bourbon to yours.

Overall we have had a great meal with equally great service. It’s a very small space so make sure to make a booking!

Burger & Shake
47 Marchmont Street, London WC1N 1AP
burgerandshake.co.uk

American, Burger

Honest Burgers

December 29, 2014 Fork & Talk Leave a comment

For the past year we have quietly watched Honest Burgers branches popping up wherever we go in London. As you are aware, Elena and I are on a lifetimes quest to find the best burger in the world so as we walked around kings cross one late Friday winters evening looking for a place to dine we couldn’t give up the opportunity to find out why this place was taking over London.

Honest Burgers in Kings Cross is very modest looking on the outside but as soon as you walk in you get the raw and rustic Shoreditch vibe from the decor to the staff, very similar to Byron in fact.

Now, I do like to focus straight on the food and decor but the manager who greeted us was the Christmas Grinch of 2014 so I won’t comment much further on the staff as I am hoping it’s just the service at this busy branch that stinks even though it was pretty empty for the Friday before Christmas.

Back to the food. The menu is no frills and simple offering about 10 different burgers and a choice of half a dozen sides.

I ordered a pattie with Stilton and Elena went for a vegetable fritter patty. The burgers cost between £8-£11 and are served with a generous portion of rosemary salt chips. I must say I really enjoyed my burger, it was tasty and even though I had asked for it to be well done it was still juicy. I do appreciate a good brioche bun and it was soft and melted in your mouth. Saying that for £10 it was on the small side so I am not sure exactly what I had paid for and it definitely wasn’t the service. Upon closer inspection the chips were a combination of triple fried which I love to double fried and single and some half cooked so it does suggest that the chips have sat there and been re-fried a number of times. I’m not sure how Honest Burger would explain or justify that.

Veggie burger — FRITTER – cauliflower, tomato, sweetcorn, shallots with coriander and cucumber yogurt

Elena’s fritter burger was lightly spiced with a number of root vegetables and as strange as it sounds was pretty good. It reminded me of Indian vegetable pakoras which gives me ideas of what I’m going to do with them the next time my mum makes them for me.

Honest Burger offers a good burger but it hasn’t made it on our list of the best places for a burger. So our search continues.

Star Rating: **

Honest Burger
251-255 Pentonville Road, London N1 9NG

www.honestburgers.co.uk