We all know a stomach full of good and tasty food is the best way to spend your lunchtime, but where are the best options for a quick lunchtime bite without straying too far from the office?
Lets ask David Juniper and Loke Page what they think…
LONDON: David – Yen Burger, Southwark Street
As a massive burger fan, I’m always on the lookout for new and unique takes on a burger, so I headed to Yen Burger on Southwark street opposite Borough Market to check out their pan-Asian-inspired burger.
Yen’s burger twist is the use of a Bao Bun and their homemade Yen sauce. I opted for the Classic Yen Burger. As a side note, when trying a new burger place, I recommend trying their original on the first trip; if they cannot get that right, the rest of the menu is worthless.
The Classic Yen is Aberdeen Angus beef 6oz pattie, lettuce shiso, tomato, red onion, yen sauce and cooked medium. The homemade pattie was full of flavour, very juicy and cooked very well, the Bao Bun helped with keeping the burger together, which is a plus, but you will still need a couple of napkins. The Yen source was great, just the right level of spice and heat. The Bao Bun was ok but not a game changer for me.
One highlight is the Lychee drink, something I’ve not had before and was crackin.
If you are looking for something a little different at lunchtime, I would head to Yen’s and check out the Bao Bun burger and definitely get the Lychee juice drink.
The score? 6.5/10
Not challenging my current top spots.
As you asked:
Restaurant Burger – Au Cheval, Chicago, Illinois
Fast Food Burger – Super Duper Burger, California
BRISTOL: Luke – Alp Mac,
There’s so much choice when it comes to street food in Bristol, but if there’s one street food van you need to head to above all others, It’s Alp Mac! Probably not for the health conscious among us, and best kept for those Friday treat days, Alp Mac serves the best gourmet mac ‘n’ cheese in the Southwest (in my opinion).
After spending years in the Alps serving people their delicious mac ‘n’ cheese and perfecting their menu, they decided to move to Bristol armed with the motto – “There’s no such thing as too much cheese”.
They have 8 variations on the menu, with each dish containing four different types of cheese. Today I opted for the Carbonara Mac, which came with Alpine Mac & Cheese . Smoked Bacon Lardons . Garlic Sour Cream . Fresh Parmesan . Garlic Crumb . Dill Pickle.
While I would have ideally wanted more lardons, the portion size was great, and the bacon and garlic combo went incredibly well with the mac & cheese. The bacon was well cooked (which I saw as a bonus), and they’d fried the mac & cheese before serving to give it a crisp edge around a very gooey centre. The dill pickle didn’t add a lot but was a nice touch and did make it a bit more pleasing on the eye.
Overall, I’d give the Carbonara Mac an 8 out of 10.
Definitely not a light-hearted lunch, but perfect if you have an appetite and you’re looking for a treat!
Thanks to David and Luke for your fantastic reviews! If you would like to send a review for the next newsletter, please contact the newsletter team.