WORLDWIDE CHICKEN BURGER APPRECIATION SOCIETY
Posts By Eran Thomson
THE STABLES
Purveyor: The Stables, Surry Hills, NSW, Australia
Menu Item: Chicken Sandwich
Price: $10 AUD
Squawk: This cool little cafe is at the back of a cool little clothing store, and even though we’ve heard the owners are jerks, we kinda like the place. Up front they’ve got some nice (overpriced) threads and in the back they’ve got some friendly hipsters serving up pre-made sandwiches & salads and coffee. Now, normally “pre-made” is a problem, but this sandwich was, from the looks of things, recently made, so we’ll let it slide. Nice rye bread, good combo of veggies and freshly toasted upon ordering give this simple sammie some points. We also love the jumbo bottle of Sriracha sauce that got plunked down when we asked for some heat.
Buaawk: As a general rule, when it comes to chicken burgers and sandwiches, we think that what’s in-between the bread or bun, should be at least as thick as one of the slices. In other words, in a worst case sammie scenario, looking from the side, you have 1/3 bread, 1/3 filling and 1/3 bread. Anything less is unacceptable. And really, all purveyors should be reaching for 1/4, 1/2, 1/4 at a minimum. Stables was worse than our worst case scenario, and for this they lose major points. Don’t be stingy!
Rating: 5/10
CHICKEN TALK!
We now take a break from our regularly scheduled reviewing to bring you the following important message:
SYDNEY DANCE LOUNGE
Purveyor: Sydney Dance Lounge, Walsh Bay, NSW, Australia
Menu Item: Grilled Chicken on Sourdough
Price: $16 AUD / $17.50 with chips
Squawk: OK first of all the venue is fantastic. Right on the water, great views of the harbour and all the super fit dancers coming and going. But hey, we’re here to talk about chicken, not chicks. So here we go. This sandwich came nicely presented – clean and simple. They say on they menu it’s served with “oregano lemon rubbed chicken, avocado, tomato, rocket and Parmesan” and this potentially makes for a nice sandwich. The chicken was pressed and grilled flat – almost Cuban style and had nice crisp edges. We also love the “all you can drink Sriracha.”
Buaawk: Sadly SDL ruins what could have been a contender by putting too much mayo on the bottom slice. All that mayo combined with the heat/condensation from a warm sandwich sitting on a cold plate, creates an unfortunate situation where the bottom slice of bread gets soggy and, to quote my lunch buddy, loses all “structural integrity.”
Rating: 5/10
THE LORD NELSON
Purveyor: The Lord Nelson Brewery & Hotel, The Rocks, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Menu Item: Chicken & Avocado Burger
Price: $23 AUD (with a “middie” of handcrafted Pale Ale)
Squawk: Chicken was superb. Nicely prepared in what appeared to almost be a Tandoori style, individual strips with plenty of juiciness, and crisp around the edges – without being burned. Nice fresh vegetables – cucumber was a surprising and welcome addition.
Buaawk: Roll was too dry – slightly stale, not enough sauce. And on the subject of sauce why do so many places get this wrong? Either too much, not enough, no flavour or too much flavour… (sigh). Lord Nelson tries with their Chilli Jam, but its neither jam nor chilli, and in then end, adds very little value – other than to keep the too dry roll from turning your mouth into the Sahara. Chips were average. Limp, damp potato nothingness.
Rating: 7/10
Bonus: It’s a brewery. Literally.
Minus: Smells like a brewery. Literally.
THE NORFOLK
Purveyor: Norfolk Hotel, Redfern NSW, Australia
Menu Item: Fried Chicken Burger
Price: $12 AUD
Squawk: Nice brioche, bonus points for the Yucataca hot sauce.
Buaawk: Minus points for inconsistency – some burgers have much less chicken than others, and french fry portions vary greatly. Also the minuscule serving of tomato sauce for the fries/chips is just plain inconsiderate.
Rating: 8/10
Minus: Price went up $2 since we were here last.