Burger #229: A Burger From Down Under
For a $22au hotel burger, I expected a lot more. For one, I expect competent service and that was something that I didn't have much of. I feel bad for my server, honestly he shouldn't have been hired to work with the public. He had such a hard time hearing my order of "the burger, medium-rare, and a coffee with cream and sugar." I swear I had to repeat each part three times and twice he left only to come back and ask again.
Any caring and compassionate person will order a burger medium-rare (or any cut of beef). It's a disservice to cows to eat their flesh cooked any higher. What's the point really? You lose fat, flavor, and have to chew for days. If you disagree with this, stop reading my reviews, defriend me, and go somewhere else to pretend you enjoy life. This all leads to what happened next; I was told that for safety reasons, they would have to cook my burger above medium. Since my server could barely tell me this, I gave up hope and didn't argue.
When the burger finally did come, it looked okay;
http://www.yelp.com.au/biz_photos/btM0lK-w0QT5D4mQSVURjQ?select=bkYI0pN8pyHaEYgm-N-ebg
But my camera does a good job at fooling you. The meat, or meatloaf rather, had such an off-putting texture that it instantly sucked any chance or enjoying the burger away. The meat was mealy and gritty and full of bits of not meat stuff, maybe a mirepoix. Beyond that, the meatloaf patty was sad and dry. Overcooked beyond hope of being slightly juicy, this overpriced hunk of food matter cried out for help.
The toppings did little to help; the fried egg's yolk was solid, devoid of any runny goodness, the "crisp bacon" lay flat and limp, and the onion jam was overly sweet.
As I travel the world more, I'm seeing a pattern of foreign countries lacking the ability to 1) grind beef, 2) form beef into loosely packed disc, 3) season that beef well, and 4) cook it to 133 degrees F (56C). Oh well, America needs to be best at a least a few things right? read more