Papi Chulo, Manly

When I think of Manly, I think of eating fish and chips by the beach, and soaking up the sun with an ice-cream in hand, trying to eat it all before it melts. I certainly didn't think of American BBQ, but that's all changed now that Papi Chulo is in town.

Part American grill and smokehouse, part South American cantina, Papi Chulo is definitely a people pleaser with its vast array of dishes ranging from BBQ meat platters to empanadas to even some Asian-inspired dishes like green mango salad. It's location on Manly Wharf makes it perfect for idling the weekend away with some cocktails and a long lunch, while watching the boats drift by on the water.

Pea guacamole with tortilla chips - $14

We start off with a few snacks. The pea guacamole doesn't sound particularly interesting on the menu but this is a damn good dish. The guacamole is smooth and creamy and the addition of peas adds a bit of sweetness. Crunchy tortilla chips are provided to scoop up the dip and it pretty much disappears in a flash.

Ceviche of kingfish - $17

The kingfish ceviche has tangy cubes of raw kingfish that has been lightly 'cooked' in lime juice, making each piece tangy but still retaining the texture of raw fish. There's also some jalapeno in there for a spicy kick and pineapple pieces for a bit of sweetness. My favourite bits are the crispy corn kernels which have been deep fried and seasoned which add a nice crunch and textural interest.

Smoked hot wings with comeback sauce - $17

The Burger Shed, Mosman

There's something about a burger that makes it so satisfying. It might be the soft fluffy bun, the juicy meat patty, or the melty, oozy cheese (cheese is a must!) - whatever it is, it always hits the spot. I'm always on the look out for a good burger, so when The Cheerleader (who also loves a good burger) told me about a burger place in Mosman, we headed there quick smart to check it out.

Upon looking at The Burger Shed's menu, I thought it looked strangely familiar... and when I saw the truffle parmesan fries, it hit me that this was one of Justin North's burger joints, and that the menu was similar to the one at Charlie and Co.

Watermelon and ginger crush - $6

Not to worry though, as I do love Charlie and Co's burgers, and there were enough differences between the menus to keep us interested. Like this watermelon and ginger crush, which had a lovely pink blush colour to it and was super refreshing.

BBQ corn, chilli salt butter - $5

Despite being called the Burger Shed, the menu also had some non-burger items like salads, tortilla wraps, desserts and corn! Queen Chu and I both love our corn so this BBQ corn with chilli salt butter was a must.

Vintage Cheeseburger - $9.90

Black Betty BBQ at The Oxford Tavern, Petersham

You'd be forgiven for thinking that the Oxford Tavern is a seedy pub, seeing as up until last year, the main drawcards were the topless waitresses, jelly wrestling and the "live hot girls". But since the Drink 'n' Dine group's revamp of the inner west pub, the pokies area has been changed to a beer garden, "jelly wrestling" now refers to a dessert on the menu, and instead of girls, you can now get "live hot BBQ"!

Beer garden at The Oxford Tavern

Live hot BBQ sounds like something right up my alley, so we went to check out The Oxford Tavern's new Black Betty BBQ. It's an impressive beast of an outdoor smoker that has been operating for the past couple of months, churning out smoked meats cooked low and slow on the weekends until sold out.

Black Betty menu

There's a range of smoked goodies on the menu, generally sold by weight. You can also see the prepared meats in the glass cabinet at the counter, and they all look amazing. Executive Chef of the Drink 'n' Dine group, Jamie Thomas, is there to serve up the meat himself, and he slices up a little bit of everything for us to try.

Platter full of meat!

We end up with a huge platter of meaty goodness featuring all the menu items on the standard Black Betty BBQ menu, as well as the specials for the day.

Smoked chicken - $8 per 1/4 chicken

The smoked chicken is the only poultry item on the Black Betty menu, and it has an amazingly smoky flavour and is succulent and juicy.

Beef brisket - $8 per 100g

Chur Burger, Sydney

Pulled pork burger - $10

Lately I've had some major burger cravings - probably because I don't think a day goes by without a burger appearing on my instagram feed! I'd heard about the awesome burgers at Chur and I can't believe it's taken me this long to check it out. I mean look at that beauty of a pulled pork burger! The pork is tender and juicy from the house made BBQ sauce and the generous slathering of mayo and there's some cabbage slaw there for crunch.

Crumbed fish burger - $10

Buns & Balls, Potts Point

Yes you heard right... Buns AND Balls. Get your minds out of the gutter people - we're talking burger buns and meatballs here! And that's exactly what the new Buns & Balls in Potts Point offers - a selection of tasty meatballs and juicy burgers.

Fresh juice cocktails: Pineapple, ginger beer, vodka and bitters (left) and Watermelon, lime and vodka (right) - $12

Of course before we get into the buns and balls, we have a couple of drinks. At Buns & Balls, they have freshly made juice cocktails and we choose to sample the pineapple, ginger beer, vodka and bitters one first. I'm not a huge fan of ginger but thankfully this isn't too gingery, and it's also not tooth-achingly sweet because of the acidity from the pineapple juice. The watermelon, lime and vodka cocktail is equally as refreshing and is perfect for the upcoming warm summer nights.

Balls! Clockwise from top right: Spicy chicken, Barramundi croquette, Beef & pork, Crispy tofu (all $9 per serve), and Spicy Louisiana wings ($1 per wing)

We tried a selection of the meatballs on offer, as well as some of the spicy Louisiana wings. I enjoyed the barramundi croquettes with tartare sauce which reminded me a little bit of fish fingers. The crispy tofu balls were bathed in the deep fryer for a nice crispy outside and firm tofu on the inside. Both the chicken meatballs and wings used the same hot sauce and blue cheese dipping sauce, so they tasted very similar, though I preferred the wings to the chicken meatballs. The beef and pork meatballs with napoletana sauce and grated cheese on top were by far my favourite, reminding me of a classic meatball made by an Italian nonna!

Char-grilled cheese burger - $10

House of Crabs, Redfern

After seeing pictures of crab boil in plastic bags and watching Adam Richman on Man vs. Food hammering the crap out of crawfish to get the meat (and making a giant mess in the process), I was super excited about the prospect of crab boil coming to Sydney.

Clams, crab boil and fries!

Last week, the Drink n Dine group opened their newest venture, the House of Crabs, on the 1st floor of The Norfolk in Redfern. As expected from a place called "House of Crabs", there's plenty of crustaceans to be had in a variety of sauces, but for the non-seafood lovers out there, rest assured there's also steak and some damn good fried chicken ($18) as well.

Cocktails and popcorn

The Soda Factory, Surry Hills

Looks like an old-skool Coca Cola vending machine right? But looks can be deceiving - this is actually the door to The Soda Factory, a bar in Surry Hills which serves an array of cocktails, floats and hot dogs. Pull on the Coca Cola bottle on the right hand side and you'll be able to enter the dimly lit bar which is pretty packed on a Tuesday night.

The reason for it being packed is most likely because it's Dollar Dogs day! Every Tuesday, the Soda Factory puts on 4 different hot dogs from their menu for you to purchase for a gold coin. The other hot dogs and menu items are also available to order, but we dive straight into the dollar dogs by ordering one of each.

The Mob Dog

The Mob Dog is probably most classic of the four, with a pork and fennel sausage, oven roasted capsicum, and jalapenos (though the menu says 'hot fresh chili'). The roasted capsicum gives this hot dog quite a sweet flavour, and the jalapenos some heat. I think a saucy element would not go astray on this hotdog as it's a little dry compared to some of the others.

The Texas Redneck

The Merrywell, Southbank

Late last year, I travelled to Melbourne for a week. It's only a one and a half hour plane trip from Sydney, but I love going there and exploring the city, since there's always new things to see and places to visit. One of these new finds (for me, anyway) was The Merrywell, located in the Crown Casino complex in Southbank.

Some tough decisions had to be made once we got there. First of all, upstairs or downstairs? Downstairs offered a casual burger and sandwich bar (hello duck burgers, fried chicken sandwiches and floats!), while upstairs had enticing snacks, mains and desserts in jars on the menu. We decide to head up to the restaurant, mainly because the snacks/share plates were too hard to resist.

Lollipop buffalo wings - $19

The lollipop buffalo wings were the first to arrive, and I have to say I was a little disappointed that these were little drumettes rather than the wing itself. These were pretty spicy and hot enough so that my mouth was burning after eating one (yes, pathetic, I know). A blue cheese sauce and celery sticks accompanied the bowl of buffalo wings, which provided some much needed cooling action for the fire.

New England lobster rolls - $22

American Diner Degustation at Mad Cow (March into Merivale)

Yes boys and girls, it's that time of year again! March into Merivale kicked off a couple of weeks ago, offering a variety of food and booze events (including the $33 meal deals) in the ever-expanding Merivale empire. With so many to choose from, it was hard to decide and these events were selling out like hotcakes! I was lucky enough to snag a spot at the American Diner Degustation with some other awesome peeps and we eagerly awaited a meal full of American diner classics in a room decked our with US flags and ketchup and mustard squeeze bottles.

Corn and cheese quesadillas

We start things off in southern USA with the Amuse Bouche of corn and cheese quesadillas. It's not just corn and cheese in there though - there's also some red peppers and guacamole - and with only one piece each it's gone before we know it. Bring on the next course!

Mad Cow chopped salad with Spencer Gulf prawns

Ribs and Burgers, Neutral Bay

Ribs and Burgers. A simple name for a restaurant that describes exactly what they do best - ribs and burgers. It hasn't been open for long but already people are flocking there so that it is packed out on a Saturday night.

We're greeted by a large blackboard displaying the menu at the front of the restaurant, while warm wooden tones, hanging cast iron pots and pans and dangling lights made from jam jars decorate the dining space. Order your meal at the counter before taking a numbered metal bucket and finding a seat, where your meal will be brought out to you.

Pork ribs - $28

The Norfolk, Surry Hills

Endless English Summer - $30

Happy Friday everyone! Fridays are the perfect excuse for some post-work boozing, and even though we're actually here at the Norfolk on a Tuesday, for some people every day is a Friday!

Clockwise from top: pork, beef and chicken tacos - $3 each (normally $5.50 each)

The real reason we're here on a Tuesday night though is for their $3 Taco Tuesdays. Normally $5.50 per taco or $20 for 4, we decide to order one of each of the beef, pork, chicken and fish tacos, minus the vegetable one. They're messy to eat and quite difficult to share, so we end up ordering another round of everyone's favourites. Everyone prefers a different taco, but my favourite is the chicken taco with the spiced chipotle mayo and creamy guacamole.

Chip Roll - $7.50

It's not all about tacos though. The menu also has mains including ribs, burgers and steaks, but we're more interested in the bar snacks. The chip roll offers some carb-on-carb action, with fries, cheese, chipotle mayo and bacon nubbins sandwiches between mini hamburger buns. I do love my carbs but this was a little disappointing, with the chips having gone soggy and the burger a little flavourless overall.

Spiced Norfolk Fries - $7.50

The chips on their own were fantastic though, crinkle cut with a crisp exterior and a nice spiced seasoning sprinkled over the top.

BBQ'd sweet corn - $5.50

MOO Gourmet Burgers, Bondi Beach

I'm not usually one to exercise but one crazy day, Sir D and I were planning on doing the coastal walk from Bondi to Bronte and we had just walked from Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach. Along the way we came across MOO Gourmet Burgers and decided to feed ourselves before tackling the next section of the walk.

MOO Gourmet Burgers in Bondi is a small shop on Campbell Parade just at the start of Bondi Beach. It's painted in white and has bovine paraphernalia plastered on some of the walls, kids drawings on another wall and a chalkboard on the side that has been drawn on by diners. The place has a slight American diner feel to it, with several milkshake makers along the back and counter seating. Orders are placed at the counter, and you're given a number which you take to your table.

MOOteaser - $6.50

When I see the flavours of the MOO shakes, I can't help but order the MOOteaser shake since Malteasers are one of my favourite chocolates! The shake arrives in a tall glass (though I was hoping to get one of those silver milkshake cups) with chocolate sauce around the side of the glass. You can definitely taste the malty, chocolatey flavour of the Malteasers but I'm left wishing that there were a few more chunks and a stronger malt flavour overall - more Malteasers I say, more!

Black and White Burger - $14.50

Stitch Bar, Sydney

Even though I knew the address, I nearly walked right past Stitch Bar and had to do a double-take to make sure it was the right place. Nestled amongst office buildings, Stitch Bar is an unassuming doorway with the only clues to its existence being an assortment of sewing materials in the window and a doorman checking IDs.

A flight of stairs leads down towards the bar which is dark and packed with people. We're here for drinks tonight, but after a few cocktails (which were very well-balanced and expertly made I might add), we decide to stay for dinner. It's then that we realise that all the tables are taken up and there is no waitlist, it's just a free for all (though you can book beforehand). We stand in amongst the tables waiting for a group to leave so we can pounce onto the vacant table, food court style.

Hand cut chunks: Hand cut cripsy potatoes with roasted garlic and roasemary sea salt - $10

As soon as we score a table we get straight onto ordering food and the first thing to arrive is a bowl of crispy potatoes. It's terribly dark but out comes Suze's trusty iPhone and soon there is light shining down like it's coming from heaven itself. The potatoes are piping hot with crispy edges but my favourite is the sweet and creamy roasted garlic cloves. Two squeezy bottles of tomato sauce and mustard are handed to us along with the potatoes, and I squeeze a bit of tomato sauce on each potato chunk before popping it into my mouth.

Wild Pig Dog: Wild boar sausage with spiced apple, rum-soaked currants and creamy slaw - $17

Benbry Burgers, Manly

I had fully intended on bringing you guys a post about the Merival Winter Feast we had at Lotus last night, but sadly my photos turned out SHOCKINGLY bad due to the dim lighting - even with Photoshop I can't fix them up! But I will say that it was a great 3 course meal we had for $39 - all the dishes were balanced with the ingredients pairing so well together it was like they were destined to be eaten like that. Dan Hong (if you ever read this): you are a genius! For more about the Merivale Winter Feast offer at Lotus and some photos of the dishes, visit eatshow&tell, one bite more, and raspberri cupcakes (essentially we ate the same dishes except the mains were slightly different).


Anyway, onto the real post: BenBry burgers is a little hole in the wall in Manly just off the main strip of shops. The first time I went there was no one there but today it was packed with crowds of people waiting outside for their burgers, even at 2.30pm. It seems word has got out about this place! We ordered our burgers and joined the crowds for the long haul. And boy were we starving when we finally got our order after about 30 minutes wait.

Tropical Feast - $9.50

Sir D ordered the Tropical Feast burger in a meal deal that comes with chips and a drink for an extra $2.95. It comes with a beef patty, crispy bacon rashers, cheese, pineapple, lettuc, tomato onion, avocado, Benbry aioli and tomato sauce. The beef patty was a bit dry but the burger as a whole was a pretty good combination. The burgers were so big that they we weren't even hungry by dinner time.