Chur Burger, Surry Hills
Sunday, March 29, 2015
I have fond memories
of many a finger-licking cheeseburger consumed on our annual family road trips
up the coast when I was little. I was always a cheeseburger-happy-meal child,
relishing the sweet tomato sauce, tasty mustard and flecks of onion which sandwiched
together my flat cheeseburger, in all it's greasy goodness.
Then as I grew older,
no more were those messy cheeseburgers, with their bright yellow cheese and
iconic soft brown buns, as our trips became less frequent and my tastebuds
searched for flavours of a different kind. Now the humble burger is back in
business. In fact, it has been for some time now, and it doesn't look like it's
going to be disappearing again.
Chur is a word you'd use to express an
appreciation of, or enthusiasm about, something. You feel like a burger? Chur. Want about some fries with that? Chur. Okay, maybe that's now exactly how it
might be used, but you get the idea. This hip and hot burger restaurant, on a
relatively quiet section of Albion Street in Surry Hills, encompasses all there
is to love about the humble burger, offered at humble prices, too.
It's a burger
lover's haven. There is a high chance that your eyes will be drawn to more than
just one burger on the menu, whether it be classic beef, leaner grilled
chicken, sweet pulled pork or spiced chickpea. Feeling more like fish and
chips? There's a burger for that, too, crumbed and served with classic lemon
mayo. And if you're not a burger lover, there are other menu items which are
begging to be ordered, whether it be a nostalgic Milo milkshake or the also
on-trend Korean fried chicken wings.
Burgers come out fast,
and turnover is quick, which helps when the restaurant gets busy on weekends.
Alluding to the casual ease of the burger as a fast, wallet-friendly foodstuff,
orders are placed at the bar counter, and you are able to sit back on stools or
facing out to the street as you watch the kitchen work the grills and place
impossibly mouth-watering, golden burgers on the kitchen counter top, ready to
be taken to ravenous patrons.
Grilled beef, cheese, tomato jam, mustard mayo,
pickle ($10)
The beef burger comes
on a golden, sparsely sesame-topped, toasted brioche bun boasting a thick
grilled beef patty, melted cheese, delicate pickle ribbons and an oozy mustard
mayonnaise. The cheese is melted just so that it reaches translucency, adding a
subtle but not overwhelming cheesy factor, complemented by the folds of pickle
and thick smears of creamy mayonnaise.
Cross-section of the beef burger
You can tell they care about their
burgers here. Upon ordering, we are asked whether we'd like the patty medium
rare or well done; opt for medium-rare for a juicy, pink interior. They also
kindly responded to our request for a beef burger with just the patty and
cheese for the picky eater in our group (although not so much picky as having a
lesser developed palette ;)). The mustard infused mayo is perfect for those who
enjoy the hot tang of mustard without it being too overwhelming.
Szechuan Calamari w/ garlic and lime, sour cream and
jalapeno ($12)
The special on the day
we visited was the Szechuan Calamari burger, sandwiched with garlic, lime, sour
cream and jalapeno. It's light and hot, reminiscent of that old favourite
Chinese go-to of salt and pepper squid, with large wedges of lightly battered
calamari peeping out among a forest of shredded iceberg lettuce and slices of
jalapeno. The calamari is golden and easy to bite into, although it doesn't quite
leave Dad with the same full-bellied satisfaction as the beef burger.
Crumbed fish fillet, pickled cucumber, lemon mayo,
chilli ($10)
The crumbed fish
burger features fingers of deep, golden white fish which take the fish finger
to a whole new status. Pickled cucumber, slaw, lemon mayo and dill provide the
perfect cushion for these flavour of the sea, although not as tasty as the beef
burger. This is a lighter option which would be the most likely result if the
humble burger and classic fish and chips were ever to have a child.
Cross-section of the fish burger
Chips with chilli salt ($6)
Thick, wedge-chips are
fluffy and moorish, the chilli salt dusting the outer to lend only a light
tingle to the lips, rather than a hot fire, adding flavour rather than heat.
Served casually on light, tin-like plates atop a sheet of playful spotty paper,
the burgers at Chur Burger are well worth the short wait and cheap price. Of all
the burgers, the beef burger was our favourite, with it's classic flavour combination
and extravagant aesthetics. It's a far cry from those old fast food burgers of
my youth, a modern Australian take on the all-American cheeseburger, without
the bright yellow cheese and old pickles.
Unlike other burger eateries in
Sydney, which offer somewhat denser, thinner, sweeter brown buns often served
wrapped in paper, Chur utilises fluffier, thicker brioche buns, which carry the
piling of fillings well and make for a more attractive burger. With the eatery's popularity and susceptibility to attract large crowds during peak time, make the effort to visit for an early lunch or dinner to avoid the wait and enjoy a more relaxed, quiet meal. It's all part of the
eye-pleasing spectacle which just makes you want to enjoy their burgers more than just once, given the affordable price. With their newest store just recently opened in the Wintergarden food court near Wynyard in Sydney's CBD, there's no reason not to get your hands on one of these delicious burgers.
Website:
http://www.churburger.com.au/
1 comments
Excellent for kids and elders too. Best Food Truck In LA
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