The Tuckshop + Jack's Newtown - Glenhaven & Newtown, NSW

Compared to my Saturday, my Sunday was far busier than I could have ever anticipated. As with our annual tradition, the Mrs and I headed to Glenhaven to attend the yearly Christmas get together with her girls. This year though, rather than cook ourselves, we simply decided to head to The Tuckshop for a quick breakfast/brunch. It just seems so much more logical since within the last year, four members of our little group became parents (yes, we're old now).

Since our last visit it's been awhile since we last visited Tuckshop and the menu's changed a bit...not complaining since most of the menu items were right up our alley in terms of flavor profiles. I ordered the cold drip for myself and a large skim latte for the Mrs (it was particularly early) while we waiting for everyone to arrive. It was a little scary at first since we got an outside table and I was rather worried the weather wouldn't hold up since I felt a couple of sprinkles but luckily, it didn't rain at all!...it just maintained a steady, sticky humidity.

Our friends slowly started arriving and as everyone got settled, we went up and ordered our food. The Mrs and I decided to share a beef brisket burrito and a southern fried chicken burger.

To be honest, after tasting the burrito, I was somewhat disappointed with the beef brisket. The last time we came to Tuckshop, we had a beef brisket roll that was not only fatty but tender and moist. The brisket in this burrito was bland tasting and didn't even compare to the last brisket dish we had here. There wasn't any defining or outstanding features as the salsa was just rather mediocre...the flavours just didn't meld very well. 

In comparison, The Mrs' burger was much better. A well spiced and crunchy southern fried chicken fillet wedged between a pillowy burger bun served with the usual salad options. The fries were also quite delicious as they had a nice crunch to it and were seasoned well. 

Although we didn't get to try anyone else's food (we don't get to share food...sad face), our generous friends still allowed us to take many happy snaps of their various items!

Breakfast Smoothie

Tuckshop Breaky Box

Group shot!

Croque Madame?? I expected it to be more indulgent.

Breakfast Taco

Soft Shell Crab burger

I always look forward to any opportunity we get to see the Mrs' friends. Times change and everyone gets busier and more stressed but year on year, we've continued to form a bond more akin to family than friends. That is something that will never change or fade and with each new addition (whether they be newborns or boyfriends) I'm thankful that we have the opportunity to grow closer and closer.

But that's not the end of my day...For the last week and a half, the Mrs and I have been racking our heads over a particular matter. You see, we recently purchased a rather oversized television...and I drive a Corolla hatchback. Immediately, you can see that equation doesn't really work out. So for fear of my safety and wellbeing, the TV has been sitting in the garage at the Mrs parents place for a while now. Just when we were out of ideas on what to do, the B.R.A.D crew (minus the D this time) offered to help ferry the TV back to the apartment! Happy days! Conveniently, I'd also been task with going to Annandale to pick up our pre-wedding canvas from our photographers...and what's next to Annandale? Newtown! And what's at Newtown? Jack's!...perfectly sensible logic right?

The Mrs needed to stay at home to do work so I extended the invitation to the B.R.A as thanks for driving the TV to the apartment (not gonna lie...I had a vested interest in this trip). Being located right on the corner of Missenden road and Princes Hwy/Kings St, Parking can be little hard to find but I am notoriously lucky when it comes to finding street parking so I got parking right outside the restaurant with no issue.

Fitted out like any hip and trendy diner, they definitely do take a less-is-more approach. The tables are walls aren't overcrowded with random graffiti and everything is clean and crisp looking. This really makes the massive neon burger standout as the defining feature of the room. Word of advice: if you don't like being in a hot, enclosed environment, I'd suggest visiting at nighttime when the temperature cools down. I don't think they have air-conditioning yet and the open kitchen really makes it feel warmer than it needs to be.

The burgers tend to come in waves but when they do arrive, they arrive one after another in quick succession. The boys and I got our food within 7-10 minutes of ordering which in my opinion, is actually really quick. We did go mid afternoon on a Sunday so that might have contributed to the quicker service times but as you can see above, still packed with hungry burger lovers.

At Jack's, they only have two burgers to select from: the cheeseburger (bacon optional) and the vegetarian burger. You can then go on to make small adjustments to your meal like doubling the meat or ordering some (super crunchy and potatoey) crinkle cut fries and/or a soda. We're actually really lucky in that right now, the Sydney burger scene is full of great burger contenders. What this means is that if you've eaten enough burgers (and I have) you can really see the strong and weak points of this burger. For me, Jack's definitely ranks as one of the top burgers in Sydney (4th...1st being Mistergees, 2nd: Mary's 3rd: Five Points)..what's noticeable with this burger is how chewy and doughy the bun is. Soft and pliable yet texturally magnificent, the bread is definitely a highpoint of the burger.

I wasn't originally supposed to get bacon with my burger but having accidentally taken someone else's burger, we decided to stick with it anyway. The bacon really adds some depth to the flavor of the burger as it gives it a really nice smoky, porcine richness that you'd miss out on with the standard offering. Now, where Jack's can improve....I have a preference of having my patty pink in the middle...which mine wasn't but that wasn't too major an issue. You still get a grisly, beefy mouthful when you bite into it so no harm done. The outside of the patty though could benefit from a little bit more maillard reaction. I found myself looking for more little pockets of crispy exterior only to be left mildly unsatisfied. Finally, the sauce was delicious but at times, reminded me of big mac sauce...no idea if that was intentional or not but, if it could exceed the level of deliciousness and decadence that is big mac sauce...that'd make a heavenly burger.

A's burger...drowned in sauce...with extra sauce.

Although a spectacularly busy day, I don't regret any part of it since I got to hang out with group after group of lovely, fun people doing the thing I love most....eating. Things will steadily become busier and busier over the next month so please stay tuned! I'll try and blog as much as I can!

Me enjoying my Matcha Softcream from Zuzuzu while the B.R.A walk ahead.

Samgugji - Campsie

I do love Tuesdays, mainly because that's the day that my dad gets a day off from toiling away in the kitchen. Despite that, most Tuesdays, you can still find him in the kitchen cooking a feast for us and our family friends. And that's why on the rare occasions we decide to go out for dinner, I'm especially happy because I get to see him sit down and relax for once. Our family only ever goes to a few regular places and this Tuesday, we decided to visit our Korean BBQ favorite.

Upon arriving, we were shocked to discover that the Korean restaurant we've been frequenting had been replaced! Samgugji (formerly Se Jong...the non-buffet one) still looked rather promising so we decided to go in anyway. Luckily, our uncertainty was put to rest as despite the name change, we could still identify the same familiar faces we've seen for years. The staff sure did remember us as without a hitch, we got to ordering all our usual dishes.

Not that the food was bad before (quite the contrary, it's always been really good) but I have to say, it's really gotten better since the change, The Ban Chan (side dishes) were the usual dishes but were of a discernibly higher standard. First to come was our BBQ platter and the first thing on the hot plate was my personal favoured cut, Chaedol Baegi (sliced beef brisket). Only needing a slight singe on the hot plate, the stuff is amazing when had with a steaming bowl of korean rice and bountiful Ssam Jang (Soybean paste).

Next came the seafood pancake which offered a nice, carby side to our meat. The Mrs absolutely loved this place as much as my family does and there's a reason why: they do really good pancakes and dumplings. Unfortunately, I was so absorbed in eating that I didn't take a photo of the dumplings but I did get a good snap of the pancake! Notice that despite it's thickness, the pancake still had the nice and crispy bumps that gave each bite a satisfying crunch.

We also ordered the beef soup (yukke jang) and I got my own bowl of Jya Jyang Myung (black bean noodles). The beef soup is perfect for this cold weather, the spice giving it a good kick to flavour the beef, spring onions and chewy potato noodles.

 I was apprehensive when ordering my noodles as the signs clearly said 'Lunch Only' but decided to give it a shot anyway. The boss lady (who was taking our order) had gave me a look when I asked but then smiled and let me have it anyway! I felt so special that I demolished it all (almost) without sharing.

We then finished our meal with more and more meat (as you do). We ordered the pork belly as an additional order and honestly, no regrets there. The thinly sliced bits of porcine goodness go really well with the sesame oil/salt mix they provide. If you don't have enough, you can always make more with the condiments available to you on the table.

The steak was amazingly tender but nothing compared to the beef ribs we had. They were cooked to a perfect medium and coated with a charred and sweet marinade. The fatty bits nearest to the bone were the best...especially when you don't have to share cause no one else would want it but you. As we always do, we finish with Bulgogi which I have to say has improved a lot. I think it may be my personal preference talking but it was spectacularly juicy and tender.

I'm so happy to see the restaurant still serving amazing food after all these years and although they might be experiencing a bit of a transitional period from the name change, I'm confident they'll come back to and exceed their former popularity if they keep serving food as good as I had this Tuesday night.