16 May 2008

The best burger in Canberra - an unlikely review

| Maelinar
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Questacon – yes thats right…

Taste (Flavour) = 10
Size = 10
Ingredients = 10
Decor/Cutlery = 10
Waiting Staff = 10
Cost = 10

Details:

Questacon in the Parliamentary Triangle does not immediately appear on peoples radars when thinking of a lunchtime burger, but I rate it as the best I’ve had in Canberra – understanding as the ingredients change, a range of complexities arise in burger review terms.

The burger is a handmade meat pattie, cooked to slightly crisp on the outside, and from what I gathered, mostly made out of meat. Accompanying the pattie, is the usual host of lettuce, cheese and tomato relish/sauces, sandwiched between two toasted buns. The service was accompanied with a side of chips – absolutely nothing to complain about.

Serving size is quite large for anything else I’ve seen in comparison, this could be due to the snazzy boxes they use to serve the takeaway meals in – complete with a locking mechanism for people who can’t immediately get to their food I presume. The benefit of using such a large box, is you have to fill it 🙂

The décor/cutlery I was tempted to give a 9 – plastic seats, but they are in line with the nature of the venue, and brightly coloured. Its hard to find something else to say, rather than simply point to the Questacon building and intone the location is in pretty decent scenery.

While eating my burger, and being quite surprised at the quality of it, I got to thinking just how many of these burgers they would be pumping out a day. I’d estimate at least 5 busloads of children go through per day per work week, which is a high turnover of hungry little grubs looking for a burger and chips at the end of their visit.

Thus it comes as no surprise that the catering staff at Questacon are pretty good with this in mind.

So, if in the area, go check it out. If you don’t like your meal, you can always have a play on all the cool stuff they have lying about outside.

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swamiOFswank6:34 pm 22 May 08

So does the yellow monstrosity in Haig Park actually produce anything purporting to be edible? I’ve never seen it open for biz – or at least with anyone buying anything.

Note at post #8. The food van at the back of PMC is called Gaby’s and has been trading continuously for the 22 years that I have worked in the Barton area.

Mama Ria’s used to be THE place for a great old fashioned take away. But, as noted, has changed hands more than once in the last few years and suffered.

Lastly: Food Vans in Civic. I am convinced that there is much skulduggery in their demise. Except the bus in Girrahween St near Haig Park. You try parking an unregistered heap of junk in a public carpark for ten years and tell me nothing will happen.

Meantime burgers rule. The Lachlan Cafe in Brisbane Ave does a great Monday to Friday burger and excellent coffee, too.

CanberraResident1:09 pm 18 May 08

Maelinar, call me thick (again), but you are speaking in riddles (again), dot dot dot (again)

I’m not watching anything or anyone. I’m often being attacked for being honest, oh, and for being myself. If others on this site DARED be who they really are, it would be a very different place … and don’t let the moron IQ I portray on this site fool you … not all is at it seems … it is more like imbecile … yes, imbecile.

Now shoosh, up, I’m trying to eat a burger with the lot, and we all know how difficult that can be when it’s not cut in half …

Might want to watch it CR – some people dont like being called names that particularly match their demeanours…

CanberraResident10:29 am 18 May 08

minime, you raised the same thing on another thread, at which point I called you the pied piper for obvious reasons. The nickname I gave you has just been cemented in tin. Thank you.

Now … burgers. Why don’t you go flip a couple for breakfast. Yeah?

Post #40 … canberra resident, you are still here. Do a backflip on leaving?

Felix the Cat6:53 pm 17 May 08

Deadmandrinking said :

Gunghalin Lakes sucks.

Way ahead of the Raiders Club at GTC.

kean van choc6:36 pm 17 May 08

The Yum Yum Tree in Bailey’s Arcade, Civic, does a very fine burger – and one hell of a roast pork roll with crackling… Sadly only open during the day though.

Best burgers in the region IMHO – the Country Kitchen at the servo in Bungendore. Close second, Theo’s in Ainslie.

It’s a travesty that there are no food vans left in the city area, an absolute shambles.

Damn you Maelinar, you ratbag, I’m now STARVING and why didn’t you mention this when I was working practically next door?! I often stamped past Questacon and never thought of investigating it for food. I love hamburgers.

This G-Spot place sounds nice but I’m still not going to be lured into Gunghalin to try it. I’d get lost anyway as my map doesn’t have it on.

Dollys, wasn’t that in the carpark between the Workies and Toad Hall? There was definitely a van there, I practically kept it solvent.

green_frogs_go_pop11:14 pm 16 May 08

dolly’s is in the car park next to the woolies servo in mawson.

they do an ..ok burger there, i guess. i really should check them out more..basically because they’re like the only fast food place open after like 8pm in mawson!

Holden Caulfield – Dolly’s still exists, my friend. It’s across the carpark from Southlands shopping centre in Mawson.

2nd-ed on teh deep fried mars bars

G Spot when you are drunk… Awesome… G Spot when you are sober… just as good. Finishing off the crazy bastard then some chips… and then wash it down with a deep fried mars bar… Oh dear god it is good 😀

Nicholls Takeaway & Pizza deserves a mention – makes a wonderful burger with the lot.

CanberraResident4:41 pm 16 May 08

I always get them to cut my burger in half, sometimes, even quarters.

Easier to get your mouth around the edges, and gives you a nice cross-section view of the ingredients, just incase there’s any disgusting bits. Nice to look at when it’s layer upon layer upon layer …

No, I’m not a pansy.

mama Ria’s is no longer run by the original chaps – they did have awesome burgers and a Auzzie Pizza that was hard to top as well. Sadly, like the bakery down the road from Mama Rias, they are under new management and thus their quality has slipped quite considerably.

RE G-Spot – I go there often for a late night feed after a long session in my darkroom or after cming home from a nigth of low ligth photography….Though I have not been known to weave the 4 or so km there on my pedal powered iron horse to get some foodilie treats for drunken folks back at “Pub Mawalan” so its yet proven to be irresistable to DaNmAn just yet !

Sounds great !

My recipe is similar, except instead of cider and port I’ve been using honey – at a quick glance.

The honey/brown sugar glaze is like looking into a mirror – and appeals vigourously to my sweet tooth.

Woody Mann-Caruso3:48 pm 16 May 08

@Maelinar: I’d love to do a ham with all the trimmings

We did this recipe last year for Christmas in July with a ham from Bundawarrah – blew everybody away. It was from Gourmet Traveller in 2004 – they seem to have taken the recipe off their website. We served it with a simple warm salad – pears poached in verjuice and butter, mixed leaves and walnuts (I think we may have used pecans instead).

Cider-mustard glazed ham (serves 15-20 as part of a buffet)

560ml dry apple cider
100g firmly packed dark brown sugar
1/2 cup dijon mustard
2tbsp cider vinegar
40ml port
finely grated rind of 1 orange
1/4 tsp each ground allspice, ground mace, ground cloves
5kg leg of cooked ham rind removed and fat scored in a criss-cross pattern
cloves to decorate

1. Combine 1 cup cider, sugar, mustard, vinegar, port, rindand spcies in a small saucepan and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves, then simmer for 2 minutes.

2. Stud ham with cloves, then place on a rack in a roasting pan, brush with cider mixture, then pour remaining cider and cider mixture into base of pan and bake at 180oC for 1 hour or until glazed and golden, brushing frequently with pan juices. Remove from oven and stand for 10 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

Woody Mann-Caruso3:33 pm 16 May 08

NotBurgers rock. NotBacon – not so much. NotDogs are OK if you turn them into corndogs / pluto pups / dagwood dogs (tick your particular regionalism).

There was a six-part cooking show in the US on the Food Network called Ultimate Recipe Showdown. They had a whole episode on burgers – one round for beef, one for poultry and one for seafood for a total of nine recipes. Recipes here, (scroll way down past the contestants) but grab the series online if you can (cough rapidshare / torrent cough) to see how the Yanks do it. Would’ve loved to be there and slap egg, pineapple and beetroot on one, then watched the judges’ faces ;).

Holden Caulfield3:33 pm 16 May 08

If you can get the damn things to stay in one piece, a burger with the lot from Flatheads in O’Connor is bloody hard to beat.

Surprised at Questacon’s feat! Good on them!

Mmm… I have to agree, the G-spot does rock. The chicken chips with gravy, the dimmies, the deep fried Mars bars and Kit-kats – all perfect fare after a few too many ciders at the George Harcourt! I’m heading out to the G-spot tonight actually; it’s a treat for my bestie as I’m dragging her along to see the Paper Scissors at the Transit.

But as for the best burgers on the southside, Theos at Kambah beats Wanniassa any day! Their pizzas are always amazing, as are the chips. And while I’m expounding the culinary delights of Kambah, the Spring Garden does some mean Chinese! I was pleasantly surprised when I popped in there the other day – the Peking Chilli Shredded beef was to die for… (mouth waters)

2902 pride!

“…a sizzling half-a-cow in a bun….BBQ pork ribs, glazed with plum-bourboun sauce….1,000 gram steaks again, medium with a creamy mushroom sauce…surf and turf recipe…oysters kilpatrick, and oysters irish to the crab, prawn, calamari and scallops….a ham with all the trimmings…pot roasted lamb shanks…rib roast….medieval style with mulled wine one evening…..”

Damn you Mælinar! I am starving now.

The burgers at Livingstone Pizza Cafe at Wanniassa shops rock. Havn’t found better on the Southside since the Griffith takeaway eventually succumbed to the latte-sipping, chardonnay-swilling set like the rest of the centre.

Oh, and Thumper – my BBQ is not rated for that vego stuff, so your just going to have to put up with a sizzling half-a-cow in a bun burger next time you guys are over.

Or I might do Mælinar’s BBQ pork ribs, glazed with plum-bourboun sauce.

Or I could just do those 1,000 gram steaks again, medium with a creamy mushroom sauce at one end, and a fiery peppercorn sauce at the other.

I’m still thinking about my surf and turf recipe – I might add oysters kilpatrick, and oysters irish to the crab, prawn, calamari and scallops mix.

Then again, I’d love to do a ham with all the trimmings again, done up christmas style and nearly falling off the bone.

And I still haven’t had you round for pot roasted lamb shanks either, where the problem is getting the meat out of the pot intact – the darned stuff just keeps falling apart at the slightest spoon movement.

Have you seen that rib roast the butcher in Belconnen mall has on display – that MASSIVE one ? Mrs Mælinar’s intending on cooking that one up medieval style with mulled wine one evening.

Pity about the veggie thing though… 😛

Deadmandrinking1:36 pm 16 May 08

Macquarie Vietnamese – the best restaurant ever. Page is only good for the Turkish, I reckon.

Kramer and Tylers – you’ll usually get a decent deal at Page Vietnamese as well. Mrs Mælinar and I usually opt for them over the turkish place, but next time we’re up for a quick meal I might suggest the hun.

Deadmandrinking1:19 pm 16 May 08

Damn you all, you’re making me hungry for burgers during ‘broke week’.

Kramer: I havn’t been there recently (i have heard it went to crap though) but i do remember the golden days of the massive burgers there back when i was in high school. mmmmm.

aww man, those ‘not’ burgers made by the same folks who do the ‘dogs are the best for making home made burgers, crumbed vege burger adding egg, lettuce, mayo and tom sauce, tomatos, pickle relish, melty cheese ohhh gawd..ok. making those this weekend too!

and Tap – meet ya there tonight!

Mama Ria’s used to be my favourite many years ago, with hamburgers the size of a large dinner plate. Anyone been there recently?

Tylersmayhem – thanks for the tip about the Turkish place at Page shops, I have had their standard turkish fare previously, but not the burger. Will have to drop by this weekend as I live close by. BTW – I think its name is Baker Turko (according to a quick internet search, but how could that be wrong 🙂

Deadmandrinking12:44 pm 16 May 08

You can get those vegie burgers down at most supermarkets. The Vegie dogs are good, so I think (hope) the burgers would be good too.

Deadmandrinking12:34 pm 16 May 08

I knew, Holden, god I knew.

Johnno’s at Mawson on Mawson Dr, couple doors up from Bruno’s. Good meat, good size, bit greasy but hey. Scallops are good too, not those pre-formed frozen ones.

tylersmayhem, yeah ive been there once before. I had the pizza, was definately good. Ill try the burger next time though.

Holden Caulfield12:26 pm 16 May 08

Deadmandrinking said :

Gunghalin Lakes sucks.

You say that like you’re surprised, haha.

Deadmandrinking12:16 pm 16 May 08

Gunghalin Lakes sucks.

tylersmayhem12:16 pm 16 May 08

I’ve got to recommend the Turku Burger With The Lot from the Turku Turkish restaurant/bakery at Page shops. We discovered the Turku a couple of months ago, and we’ve been back about 10 times. It’s a little place ran by a big jolly moustached Turk (usually out the back whipping up the awesome food) and often you’ll be offered a complimentary Turkish tea (or two) while you wait. We first always ordered the enclosed pizzas from there. At less than $12 for a Turkish Lamb pizza that will easily feed 2-3 hungary people, it’s awesome value, and man does it taste good! And the Turku Burger made out of a spiced meat pattie, good salads and a dash of Hummus or Tatziki in between traditional Turkish bread is hard to beat. Even the egg was cooked perfectly!

I’m just hoping this little neighbourhood gem doesn’t go the way of every other great discovery and get greedy, up their prices, lower their standards and expect customers to still come by. Luckily no sign of this yet 😉

Enjoy!

Deadmandrinking12:13 pm 16 May 08

It’s a long way from civic…

I remember Dolly’s, those salmonella burgers (taco burgers) really hit the spot. 🙂

Thats it im going to the G-Spot at some point this weekend!

Deadmandrinking12:10 pm 16 May 08

The only problem is getting drunk in Gunghalin…that’s kind of boring really, J.C.

Holden Caulfield12:05 pm 16 May 08

Won’t somebody please remember Dolly’s.

Julius Constantius12:05 pm 16 May 08

Mountains of egg! Mamma…The G-Sport is good. Oh crap now I have a craving for a hot bastard or maybe even a cheesy bastard!

Checkers is a thing of the past, it was good in its day but now it is time for it to step back and let the egg burger revolution fulfil its destiny.

Deadmandrinking10:45 am 16 May 08

Voting on the G-spot too. Jesus christ, there must have been 3 patties and and god knows how much eggs and bacon (I was very, very, very drunk at the time, so my memory may be a little hazy).

There’s a food van behind PM&C feeding all the construction workers in the Parli Triangle. Amazing burger with the lot – but they also do another burger that includes mashed potato, peas and gravy no joke.

If I’m in either of those locations, I’ll do a review – using the Questacon as the 10/10/10 basis (like the laksas).

Thanks Danman and Jenny G

Yeah thats right! The ‘Crazy Bastard’ is he best!

Tap, its galled the “G Spot” and yes the “G Spot” is open and trading in its greasy wares..especially good after a hard night on the sauce

Im not sure if its still open, but that food van out in Gunghalin was awesome. The biggest, unhealthiest burgers were there.

Jumbo burger from Lyneham take-away…

aww isi it too early for burgers?

Woody Mann-Caruso9:35 am 16 May 08

Bugger – I’ve got a work lunch today, and next week is start of my latest attempt to “eat healthy”. How can this have been right under my nose for so long?

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