Burger Business - Footscray

I went to catch up with some high school mates over burgers at Burger Business recently. There was a meal deal that consisted of any burger, chips and a drink for only $15. V cheap. V Bargain. I like it.

I got the Classic Beef ($11.90) and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was basically just grilled premium beef, herbed mayo, cheese, lettuce, tomato and spanish onion. It was very pretty and didn't fall apart which is always a plus. 

Special Burger

 I cant remember what it's called but Krispy got the burger that was on the special menu. Pretty sure it was basically the Bacon feast but with extra beetroot relish and caramelised onions. She basically left half of it because the beetroot had a weird burnt taste that stuck to everything. She was naht happy.

Loaded Fries

Yeah this was disappointment central.  I've read pretty rave reviews about the chips here and made the grave mistake or ordering these due to pure glutton :( They were just lifeless and made me a bit sad eating them (all them wasted calories tho).

Classic Chicken

 J got the Classic Chicken and chips deal ($15). Pan cooked chicken schnitzel, swiss cheese, lettuce and herbed mayo was sandwiched between a fancy bun. He said it was yummy but since he basic AF idk I'll have to be the judge of that (soz J ahah). The chips were fantastic tho and each bite made me cry a little bit inside.

Veggie Delight

B got the Veggie Delight ($10.90) and Sweet Potato Fries ($4.50). Since he is a vegetarian he has had his fair share of veggie burgers and he claimed that this one was definitely one of his faves. It had grilled zucchini & roasted peppers, oven roasted pumpkin, halloumi, traditional pesto, rocket and aioli. Sounds pretty yum and I love my meat. B also loved the sweet potato chips. 

I like the plates.

Complimentary rum truffle balls YAS

Overall, the burgers were pretty good. While they weren't the tastiest I've had, they hit the spot. Bonus points for freshness > oiliness. I probably wouldn't be back any time soon as there's sooooooo many burger joints that have popped up. We ordered at the counter but everyone seemed friendly and YAY free desserts at the end. 




Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10
Service: 7/10



















 

The Bao Bros - Footscray

I finally got to try Bao Bros last week YASSSSSSS. It is a pop-up at the Littlefoot Bar in Footscray. I decided to grab all the baos (except the Veggie one) to share with Kevin.

FISH BAO

OHMYGASM. The Fish Bao ($6.50) was actually so amazing. The deep fried fish fillet was so satisfyingly crunchy and paired fantastically with the jalapeño tartare sauce. Kevin loved it and we both agreed it tasted like a Asian refined version of Macca's Fillet-O-Fish. YOM.  

CHICKEN BAO

 The Chicken Bao ($5.80) was also a winner as well. A great crunch on the deep fried chicken which complemented the sriracha mayo and slaw beautifully.

THE CRISPY BAOS

PORK BAO

 The Pork Bao ($5.80) was nice but didn't have the WOW factor as the fish and chicken bao. It had slow braised pork belly which was tender, pickled mustard and candy crackling. Bloody Kevin, dropped all the crackling when he picked it up but from the small amount I tasted, it was pleasant but I would've preferred actual chunky crackling pieces cos everything was so soft already.

BEEF BAO

 The Beef Bao ($5.80) was incredibly soft too. It had beef brisket with chimchong sauce and wonton crisps. It too, wasn't a standout. 

THE SLOW COOKED BAOS

CRISPY CHICKEN WINGS

 As a side, we opted for the Crispy Chicken Wings ($9). They were indeed very crispy and came with a Vietnamese ginger lime fish dipping sauce. Very yum, very good, I like it.
 

PRESENTATION/10

 

 

Overall, Bao Bros did not disappoint. The fish and chicken baos were absolutely delicious. We came during lunch and managed to grab the lunch deal which was any 2 baos and a can of soft drink for only $9.80. This place trumps Wonderbao in the city and so close to home which is fab for me. The baos were so pillowy and the perfect cushion for the scrumptious fillings. I would definitely come back when I crave baos to order my faves.

Cafe Cui - Footscray

I caught up with the boys at Cafe Cui the morning following FSOE. I was completely drained from my night out but it wasn't going to stop me from brunch. I ordered the Moroccan Spiced Chicken Egg Bake ($14). P and M ordered the Southern Fried Chicken w/ Herb Fries & Salad and B and I got the Porterhouse Steak w/ Herb Fries ($24).

My Moroccan Spiced Chicken Egg Bake

The Moroccan Chicken was what I needed on this chilly morning. The eggs were perfectly poached as it oozed yolk. The roti was light and great for mopping up the sauce and yolk. The flavour was pleasant and not unlike a chicken curry my mum makes at home. I would have preferred a couple more dollops of yoghurt and more spices to make this an ultimate dish.

Southern Fried Chicken

 P and M really enjoyed their chicken. It was coated in cornflakes which gave it a stupendous crunch without compromising the flavour of the chicken.

Porterhouse Steak w/ Herb Fries

Overall, we had a decent time. The boys ordered such lunch-y items when I was meant to take them for a brunch experience. Regardless, all our dishes were yummy and we left satisfied. I would probably come back with some girlfriends and split a few dishes including the famous lobster rolls or soft shell crabsliders. The location is great since it's just opposite Footscray Station. Service was very friendly and attentive.

Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 8.5/10 ($14 for my dish, bargain!)

Rudimentary - Footscray

Today was errand day and I managed to squeeze in some brunch with Q, K.K and T. We went to Rudimentary in Footscray at around 12:30pm. We grabbed the last available table in the corner and the cafe seemed to be alive and bustling. I had perused their menu on Instagram previously and was excited to try the trout scramble but unfortunately they had run out of the ingredients for it. Both T and I ordered The Burger which had buttermilk chicken, mayo, green apple celery slaw and jalapeños ($17) in it. K.K ordered the Organic Zeally Bay Bun served w/ smoked brisket, pickled cabbage and asiago ($11) and my sister got the Pork Belly braised w/ crispy pig's ear, chilli & tamarind, fried eggs and toast ($17).

My The Burger 

I was in love with my burger. The chicken was tender and crispy at the same time and the slaw complemented it perfectly. I am not a fan of celery and tbh didn't read that it was in the burger so it was a bonus I couldn't taste it but still get all the crunch I wanted.

Q's Pork Belly

My sister was a big fan of her pork belly as well. The sauce had a punchy but balanced flavour to it and the pork belly was well cooked with a satisfying crackling. It would have been perfect with some yolk porn but that was very minor.

K.K's Brisket Bun

K.K liked her brisket bun but said it was a tad dry. Bitch didn't offer me any so I can't comment on the flavours.

YUMMMMM

Overall, we had a great time and agreed it was one of the best brunch places we've had in a while. I would even go as far to say that it is now my favourite spot in the westside. Q said her chai latte was not creamy enough and too cinammon-y and T also mentioned her latte was not as strong as she preferred. Apart from that, the food was spot on. Goddamn, there was nothing rudimentary about this place. Loved it, loved it, loved it!


Taste: 9/10
Presentation: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Plough Hotel - Footscray

On a whim, Q and I decided to go to the Plough Hotel in Footscray. We ordered the Buffalo Mozzarella, Cherry Tomato & Fresh Basil Focaccia ($8) to start and a side of fries with aioli ($9) to share. Q ordered the Western Plains Roast Porchetta & Sticky Hock ($35) and I got the Braised Ox Cheek with mash & bourguignon garnish ($27).

Buffalo Mozzarella, Cherry Tomato & Fresh Basil Focaccia

This was actually amazing. We both agreed it was the best focaccia that we have ever tasted before.

Fries w/ Aioli

The fries were your standard frozen fries and we barely made a dent. In hindsight, we shouldn't have ordered this at all since we didn't even finish our own mains.

Braised Ox Cheek

I've never had bourguignon before and I was surprised that it was not unlike a beef stew my mum makes. The flavour of red wine was really strong though and at times it was too salty for my liking. The mash was great and there were massive chunks of meat that were super tender.

Western Plains Roast Porchetta

Q thought her dish was nice but not amazing. Her crackling was hard and chewy which was disappointing. The apples were a nice touch though.

Our setup!

Overall, we had a decent time. It started off really well which set our expectations high. The mains could have been better but they were still enjoyable and we completely stuffed ourselves. The portions were a good size for the price as well. The interior was more spacious than I imagined and the service was great.


Taste: 7/10
Presentation: 8.5/10
Service: 8/10
Value for Money: 7.5/10 (~$40 pp)

8bit - Footscray

I caught up with some high school friends for burgers at 8bit in Footscray. We got there around 3pm and there were no available tables for 4 people. J and K.V ordered the Altered Beast which had beef, bacon, cheese, grilled onions, lettuce, 8bit sauce and BBQ sauce ($9.50). W ordered the Golden Axe which had crispy fried chicken, cheese, Sriracha mayo and slaw ($9.50). I got the After Burner which had beef, tomato, red onion, lettuce, cheese, chilli sauce, jalapeños and chipotle mayo ($9.50). We ordered the Loaded Potato Gems with chilli beef, cheese sauce, bacon, pickle relish, grilled onions and jalapeños to share ($8.50).

Altered Beast and Golden Axe

My After Burner

After Burner was definitely a well rounded burger so kudos to 8bit. It had a nice spicy kick and the flavour combinations I expected from the B.East Burger I had earlier in the week. The salad was fresh, the brioche bun was soft but not too sweet and the meat was nice and pink in the middle.

Loaded Potato Gems

The Loaded Potato Gems were delish. The toppings were fresh and crunchy and I always came back for more.

4/10 Aerial Shot

Overall, I was a very happy customer in terms of taste. My friends were generally satisfied but K did mention her Altered Beast was too dry. Our servers were friendly and their smiles were infectious. The one thing that did dampen my experience was the lack of seating indoors. We sat at a bench in the corner, so half the time my back was to K.V and J. It made talking a little awkward and definitely sharing the gems tricky too. The last time I went here was its opening week and service was all over the place and the food seemed lacklustre. I'm glad I gave 8bit another shot.

Service: 8/10
Taste: 8/10
Presentation: 8/10
Value for Money: 8/10

Footscray Best Kebab House - Footscray

On our day off uni, we went to Footscray's Best Kebab House for lunch. Mingang and I got there around 3pm and ordered the Small Mixed Kebab Meal ($14) to share. 

Small Mixed Kebab Meal

There was so much turkish bread! Yummy goodness! At first we were worried that the small platter was not enough but it was plenty for the both us. They gave us three types of dips: carrot, Cacık (similar to tzatziki) and a hot chilli one. They were all divine! The lamb and chicken were soft and flavoursome which contrasted well with the salad. The salad was crispy with an abundance of lettuce, spring onion, carrot, cabbage and cucumber. The spring onion could have been sliced a little finer because at times it felt overpowering. Mingang could not handle the spice so I gladly ate the chilli. We were delighted to see that the middle section with the dips also had more food underneath, score! 

Overall, we loved our dish! We went when it was relatively quiet so we did not experience the abrupt service many reviewers have mentioned. Our server was really great as well, since we forgot to say 'Meal' when ordering and she happily changed our order even after making the kebab. I have shown this photo to many friends saying "LOOK AT HOW GOOD THIS LOOKS" and promising to take them here the next time I have a craving for kebab meat. 

Service: 9/10

Taste: 9/10

Presentation: 9.5/10

Value for Money: 9.5/10 ($7pp, bargain!)