National Burger Day 2017

Thursday 24 August is like Christmas for fans of all things meaty. Mr Hyde’s National Burger Day hosted at Street Feast’s Hawker House in Canada Water was back for another year, celebrating the finest the burger world has to offer. Launched by Jamie Klingler 5 years ago it’s become a bit of a staple in the foodie calendar.

Working our way through the 17 traders wasn’t going to be easy, but thankfully the stalls were broken down into areas so it wasn’t quite so daunting! Starting in the aptly named “The Big Room”, I went for Lagom and their “Bjorn Burger” (60-day aged patty, tomahawk rib bacon, smoked american cheese, scandi slaw and dill mustard mayo) before getting some advice from the people next to us on the communal dining-benches. It was time to divide and conquer.

Splitting burgers with a friend meant we could cover more ground (beef) so we grabbed Black Bear Burger‘s perfectly cooked “The 74” with its pancetta-y goodness, and a “Double Double” from Beer + Burger. The latter was unfortunately the only misstep on a incredible night of food. It wasn’t bad by any means, just fairly standard flavours and a thin patty that wasn’t up to the high level of the other traders – that said their Beer + Burger Running Club sounds like a brilliant approach to exercise.

I also got my hands on this stunning piece of meat from Hot Box, covered in smoked pulled pork collar, dripping in rich BBQ sauce, and with a surprise kick in the form of a pickled jalapeño tucked under the bun. It’s making my mouth water again just writing about it. The bun was so soft too, perfect with the melt-in-the-mouth pork.

My Brother had been raving about how great the “Fools Gold” burger from The Beef Chief over from Amsterdam was so I couldn’t leave without seeing if he was right. It definitely didn’t disappoint! The beef patty was so incredibly juicy and when combined with the peanut butter sauce and chilli jam made for one of the most succulent offerings of the night.

I went with my Brother last year too, but this year I also brought along my wife and a friend. One of the perks of going with others is that occasionally, you’ll get a sneaky bite of their burgers (with their permission, don’t steal burgers kids). This meant I got to taste the gravy soaked “The Sloppy Tom” from Chuck Burger – even just a bite was enough to show they were onto a winner with that one.

(Check out my 360 photo of Hawker House filled with burger fans)

I was really impressed by the thought taken for anyone who was gluten intolerant at the event too. There was a station were you could pick up a bag of decent gluten free buns which you could then provide to each of the burger stands to use instead of their standard offering. They all seemed to be knowledgable about it and even knew whether there was gluten in their sauces, unprompted, which can be so useful but easily forgotten. Some even offered their own, preferred gluten free buns (nice one Barrels).

As always the guys from Honest Burger were so on the ball with separate gloves and preparation area for the gluten free burger my wife was having. Taking lots of care and attention to get it right, just as they do in their restaurants.

While on the subject of Honest, their special in collaboration with Chop House was on another level. The meat was so incredibly juicy which then was perfect alongside the crisp and decadent confit potato. Like the ultimate roast dinner in a bun. There’s a reason they’re kings of the burger game in London right now.

Just when you think you couldn’t possibly eat any more, SE Cakery are on hand with a millionaire shortbread milkshake to polish things off and round off the night (and my belly). We’d got these to take with us on the walk back to the tube but unfortunately security was tight and they wouldn’t let us take the plastic-cupped milkshakes out of the venue. Bit of a shame but certainly didn’t spoil the night.

Roll on National Burger Day 2018!

What were your favourite burgers? Did you celebrate elsewhere, what did you eat? 

Plot

Plot is new to Tooting’s booming scene. Sandwiched in the Broadway Market it spreads out into the usually bustling walkway to serve some of the finest small plates of seasonal British produce. At just 15 seats it’s about as intimate as they come, so make sure to book.

We opted to perch at the sleek marble counter and watch the small, but perfectly formed, kitchen and the chefs in action.

Starting with smoked mackerel salad topped with pickled cabbage on a bed of crushed potatoes, we moved our way through most of the menu – unfortunately as it changes often these items might not be available if/when you visit. Think of it as a bonus though because it means you can keep going back and have something different each time.

Head Chef Giles Elstob has taken his experience from previous roles in Michelin starred kitchens to create a menu that really sings the praises of local suppliers and British produce.

Last time we were in the market, for an event called Tootmas, we picked up some local cider called Pilango which is made from languished apples across Surrey. It’s beautiful, crisp and each one is different due to the batches. It was so nice to see they served that and supported their local businesses here – we also spotted fellow Tooting’er Graveney Gin available who we sampled at Junipalooza recently.

Then we were on to simply cooked Wye Valley asparagus with romanesco, before tucking into chicken with the most beautiful crispy skin with gem lettuce and minted peas. It was all so perfectly cooked and thoughtfully presented.

We couldn’t stop eating, so went for the Scottish hake next before taking on their special Tunworth cheese on toast. The nice thing about being at the counter is that the chefs can hand you the food directly. It’s amazing what a nice environment that makes for, being able to chat and joke with them makes everything so much more relaxed and you completely forget you’re sat in a walkway.

Last but not least was the dessert. Molten chocolate pot with ice cream. Yum. The perfect send off for an incredible meal. Plot is a real hidden gem, you’ve got to know where to find it, but if you do you’ll get to eat some of the finest food South London has to offer.

 

Junipalooza 2017

On Sunday we visited the Tobacco Dock in East London for this year’s Junipalooza event. Unfortunately we missed celebrating World Gin Day itself there on the Saturday but we were able to benefit from the Sunday’s slightly longer session which meant we could fit more gin in! Every cloud.

The annual event played host to more than 50 gin distilleries, as well as tonic producers too. Between them there were over 100 gins available to try ranging from smooth and sweet through to punchy navy strength ones that knock you for six.

Having got our bearings we dived headfirst into the incredible smorgasboard available. Gins from all over the world with completely different tastes all in one place. Not that it’s a competition and I don’t encourage this sort of behaviour, but we were able to try 28 different gins – finding some incredible new favourites along the way!

Highlights included Esker from Aberdeenshire,  Tarquin’s summery Elderflower and grapefruit gin from Cornwall, Curio also from Cornwall with its salty samphire notes, Persie’s nutty Old Tom (with ginger beer), inventive Four Pillars gins from Australia, and our local Graveney Gin from Tooting. What was a particularly lovely touch was that many of these stands were run by the makers themselves. They could give you really personal stories about how, when and why they decided to make their own gins and what gave each its own personality.

All this focus on amazing gin did mean the food offering left a little to be desired, restricted to 3 dishes from 3 street food-style vendors. When you’re spending the day drinking high quality spirits it’d be good to have food that matched, especially given that in London’s incredible Street food scene there isn’t exactly a shortage of amazing traders.

We walked away with a few lovely additions to our gin cabinet, including a bottle of Esker, Tarquin’s, Franklin & Sons Sicilian Lemon tonic and some alcohol-free pre-mixed G&Ts (shock horror) from South African brand Duchess which were so refreshing we couldn’t resist!

Find out more about Junipalooza on their website.

Kerb presents Alchemy

I couldn’t say it better than this man’s apron. Indian food is the most incredible combination of flavours and textures.

London street food kings KERB brought together the finest traders to coincide with the Southbank Centre’s (where this is based) festival on South Asian culture and arts.

We visited our favourites, Horn OK Please, whose dosas are so simple, but so delicious with an amazing combination of textures and flavours, and then went on to The Cheeky Indian for  shredded crispy lamb with plum and mince lamb with peas. Not forgetting fragrant chai, smooth and creamy mango lassis and crispy bhajis that we also somehow found room for!

The market does tend to be a little short on seating but if you don’t mind exploring South Bank you can usually find a spot to make your own. It’s worth going down even when this particular festival isn’t on, as for the rest of the season it’s the turn of the Southbank Centre Food Market which has some equally stunning food from all around the world.

 

I already can’t wait until next year’s festival!

The Jolly Gardeners

Time Out recently did a feature on Garratt Lane, a road close to where we live in south west London. As part of this, they listed all the trendy places you must go along this road, in order to stay cool.

The Jolly Gardeners is a local pub with a restaurant headed up by Masterchef 2010 winner Dhruv Baker. It’s a real hidden gem with a compact menu, allowing the chefs to focus on delivering some truly stunning plates of food.

We opted to go straight into mains and, having been salivating since reading about it in Time Out, had to go for the pork belly. The pork was beautiful, proper melt in your mouth. It had incredible flavour from fresh chimichurri over the crispy crackling skin. Sitting on a bed of buttery, silky spring greens, roasted beetroot and carrot and cardamon puree it was as much a treat for the eyes as the tastebuds.

My wife had the daily special, perfectly pink roast lamb with dauphinoise potatoes that were the ultimate decadent complement to the meat.

I’m kicking myself knowing this has been on our doorstep since we moved to the area years ago, but now we’ll most definitely be back for more!

Want to read the full Time Out feature?

Boom Burger

Meetings in West London aren’t all bad. Having borrowed the Brand Museum for a team meeting we decided we needed some kind of reward. Time for a little slice of the Caribbean in West London: Boom Burger.

As it was my first time there I opted for their classic – the Boom Burger, a cheese burger with bacon jam. While unfortunately overcooked, the meat itself was flavoursome and the and bacon jam really brought out the best of it.

I’m not normally a fan of tomato in burgers as they can tend to make the bun soggy but the beautifully toasted brioche held together well with the salad and the sweetness and texture really complemented the burger.

The atmosphere was great and plantain fries are always a good addition to transport you to more tropical climes.

While it didn’t blow me away I’m definitely going to be back to try the Jerk Boom (their chicken burger) and Fish Boom, which looked incredible.

 

(3/5)