@ularsawwaa punya Mac n’ Cheese. Dipersilakan. #macncheese #brunch #pbg #cheese #easter #heisrisen #malaysia #foodporn #phwat (at Acme Bar & Coffee)
I know I’ve put this on my FB already but it just looked so cute that I couldn’t resist posting it here as well. Besides you guys get to see what I do with my spare time whenever I’m not outside stuffing my face for my reviews.
I first saw this on Frankie magazine’s blog a couple months ago. It also happened that I was compiling material for my Battle of the Burgers series and I thought what a perfect compliment this little project would be. And so for months I obsessed about it, researching recipes for the best combination and scouring Melbourne for the best ingredients.
For the buns I used a basic sponge cake recipe, covered it with butter cream icing mixed with a little cocoa powder to give it that beige breadish look, and sprinkled some grated white chocolate on top as sesame seeds.
The melted cheese/mustard and lettuce is just plain colored butter cream icing and arguably the most fun to do. It’s also the most important components of the whole recipe as the icing serves to bind the layers together in addition to creating the illusion of ‘real’ burgers.
The patty and tomatoes I made from rum ball recipes, I just mixed the batter and flattened them out like pastry and cut them out with any round shaped utensil I could find. The tomatoes were a bit of a bitch to make as I wanted to coat them in white chocolate, and because melted chocolate hardens when in contact with water I had to buy a special oil-based food dye for the job. Turns out there’s a little cake supply store in the city just opposite Flinders station and which is now my favorite haunt when I’m bored or in search of inspiration!
I added the toothpick flags just for the novelty of it and also coz I love Andrew’s Hamburgers so much!
Battle of the Burgers: Part 1 - Beatbox Kitchen
‘Battle of the Burgers’ is a five-part blog review which takes me on a cholesterol-fueled journey in search of the biggest, baddest and juiciest burgers in Melbourne.
The series will be posted according to ranking starting from #5. Now I understand that there are plenty of burger joints in Melbourne but I simply do not have the time or the resources to cover each and every one of them. I honestly would have loved to do at least a Top 10 list but hey, there’s an idea I can revisit again in the future.
As a disclaimer please note that the rankings are based on MY personal criteria and preference. I encourage you to try out these places before making any comparisons. And of course suggestions on other burger joints will be much appreciated.
#5 Beatbox Kitchen
Various locations
Carlton North, VIC 3054
03 8060 6664
Beatbox Kitchen should get special mention for being the only non-restaurant in the list. They’re operate out of a food truck which is modeled to look like a jukebox. The mobile nature of this operation allows Beatbox Kitchen to make random appearances around town, engaging customers in a ‘Where’s Wally’ kinda game. You never know where they’ll turn up next, but that’s what Facebook pages are for.
I caught news of Beatbox Kitchen one Saturday morning through a breakfast buddy. We had initially planned to visit Breizoz but detoured to Carlton Gardens instead where they were making an appearance. It was a sunny Saturday morning and there was already sizable hungry crowd loitering around. It was an exciting moment when they opened the flaps, kinda like watching a Transformer morph right in front of you. Rock music blared from within signalling that their grills were open and the crowd swarmed in like flesh-hungry zombies.
Their menu is not very extensive, actually if memory serves me correct (forgive me but it has been months since I tried it) they only had three or so items: Raph burger which is basically a beef patty with the lot, veggie burger and chilli fries. We ordered one of each and tried to use the truck as a shade against the murderous sun. By this time the smell of charred meat had attracted more zombies who were perusing the arts and craft market.
We were lucky to have gotten a headstart in the line and promptly left in search of a perfect picnic spot, burgers and fries in tow. It was only when I sat down did I realize how tiny the burgers were…
Don’t let this picture fool you, the camera added 10 pounds! For a moment there I thought I made the wrong order and got the kiddie meal instead. The taste certainly left a lot to be desired. The patty although well cooked was bland and the burger mostly tasted salty from the cheese. The veggie burger was not any better and was similarly minuscule. To quote my friend: “It came with just a piece of leaf.”
Their only saving grace: chilli fries, which were a nice change from chips and made for a nice snack.
The final word:
Is it worth the hype?
No. Over 15,000 Likes on FB and you would expect something a lot more mouthwatering than that under-proportioned patty they call a burger. Maybe I’m too used to having my senses assaulted but the Beatbox Kitchen experience didn’t do anything for me.
Is it worth the price?
Hell to the NO! With a price tag that almost surpasses $15 I could easily get something bigger and tastier. The jukebox concept is a novel idea and is guaranteed to bring in the crowds but they gotta amp up the volumes to stay competitive. And I wasn’t talking bout the music.
Will I come back again?
No. If you’re an avid foodie try it once just for the experience but in all seriousness there are waaaaay better options for burgers in these areas. Maybe if I were on a diet and didn’t wanna feel full, like that’s ever gonna happen.
Other reviews in the Battle of the Burgers series:
Breizoz - Enjoying crêpes the way the French do
Breizoz French Crêperie
Cnr. Gertrude &
Brunswick St.
Fitzroy VIC 3065
(03) 9415 7588
Never really been a fan of crepes, to be honest I’ve always looked at them as French thin pancakes wrapped up kebabs. This is probably thanks to the those commercial crepe franchise stalls that I often see in malls and the CBD.
So I was really amazed when I was recommended this place by a fellow foodie. Breizoz is not just any French cafe, it’s a French cafe that specializes in crepes. ALL kinds of crepes.
Just have a peek at their menu and you’ll see what I mean:
Their crepes are basically grouped into 3 categories: Les Galattes (savory with choices of meat), Les Crepes (sweet and dessert-like) and Les Crepes Flambees (crepes cooked with a touch of alchohol).
Each dish was so unique that I had to pay them 3 separate visits before I felt I could write a proper review. I won’t bore you with the details of how they tasted, just take my word for it that they are all damn fracking good and everybody should at least try it at least once in their lifetime!
Basic crepes with butter and sugar. The ice-cream is optional and highly recommended!
Apple & Calvados Crepes. The only one that didn’t hit the spot for me but later I realized that it’s a flambee and meant to be eaten with some cider as recommended by the chef.
Orange and Lemon dessert crepes. Went down really well with a nice cup of hot chocolate!
Provençale (Egg, cheese & ratatouille), can’t get anymore French than ratatouille and a decent choice for vegetarians.
Saucisse d’Agneau (lamb sausage with ratatouille). Didn’t try it but my friend seemed to enjoy it.
Blue cheese and Walnut salade. Wasn’t sure I would like this as much when I ordered it but must say was pleasantly surprised. Cheese wasn’t too overwhelming went really well with the fresh salad. Also really appreciated that the chef made my crepes with extra salty butter. Savored it slowly despite the fact that I was sitting in the middle of cold June drizzle in Melbourne.
Final verdict:
Is it worth the hype?
Definitely. Breizoz takes pride in making one of the tastiest crepes you can find on this side of the hemisphere. Be sure to make a booking or get up really early to get there if you plan on having crepes on a Sunday.
Is it worth the price?
Yes. Everything on the menu is under $20 and the savory dishes make for a very filling lunch meal.
Will I come back again?
Hell yea! I heard that the smoked salmon with sour creme is pretty awesome and I still wanna have a second go at the flambees with cider.
P.S. Save yourself the embarrassment and don’t try to order in French. The waiters don’t speak French and genuinely aren’t bothered at your bad pronunciations. If you wanna practice your French, go flirt with the chefs.
