Flexitarianism is a popular name at the moment for those people who are semi vegetarian. In other words they occasionally eat meat and when they do indulge, they would really prefer that the meat they are eating has come from an animal that has been ethically farmed. It's also a philosophy that the owner of
Soul Burger in Randwick has adopted for the simple menu of his delicious burger joint which is located in the foodie haven of The Spot.
The smart young chap who is the brains trust behind Soul Burger, Amit, has an interesting story. Hailing from Western Sydney, he has completed a medical degree, he has a fascination for food chemistry and he loves business. Clearly not afraid of hard work, Amit has over the last few years studied and created his thriving burger business. And when he says that the meat (and even the milk) that he uses at Soul Burger is ethically sourced he means it, as this city boy has donned a pair of muddy gum boots and visited the farms where his raw product comes from.
The Lamb Burger
When you bite into a Soul Burger you know it's going to get messy, really messy. (It's like a love bite - a little bit of naughty and a lot of nice!). Unlike the burgers made in chain burger joints, a Soul Burger oozes with delicious lip smacking juice. The type of juice that dribbles down the side of your face and you couldn't care less. Take the Lamb Burger for instance. Grass fed lamb mince is mixed with mint and then cooked to perfection - medium rare (if you're not a fan of pink meat then by all means ask for it to be cooked a wee while longer). Add to this some grilled haloumi, lettuce, tomato, aioli and tomato relish. Then sandwich all of this between a toasted bun and you have burger perfection! As soon as I chomped into this bad boy, I knew I was consuming one of the best burgers I have ever eaten.
The Chicken Burger
Likewise the Chicken Burger is full of free range goodness. The chicken meat is marinated, then cooked and placed in a bun with lemon mayo, lettuce, tomato and finished off with tomato relish. If you prefer the mooing variety of meat, a Cow Burger is made up of grass fed beef, lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard aioli and tomato relish. If you are a fully fledged vegetarian, than you have two choices on the menu - the Chickpea Burger will definitely tickle your taste buds as the chickpeas are flavoured with curry and formed into the perfect patty and accompanied with roasted peppers, lettuce, tomato, aioli and of course tomato relish.The Mushroom Burger sounds equally delicious as a field mushroom is added to roasted peppers, haloumi, lettuce, tomato, lemo may and pesto (for something different!) in a crispy toasted bun.
Green Fries
Every good burger needs to have a side of fries! Flexitarian, vegetarians and carnivores will all adore the fries at Soul Burger. There are three varieties available and they come in a small ($4) or large serve ($6). Green Fries are thick cut, beer battered chips dusted in herb seasoning. Red Fries are exactly the same except dusted with a tangy spice - both of these fries are served with a little pot of aioli. Whilst both of these were excellent, the stand out fries for me were the deep fried Kumara delights. They were sprinkled with sea salt and accompanied by a sweet chilli mayo and I urge you all to try them when you visit Soul Burger!
Red Fries
Sweet Potato Fries
To wash down your burger and fries you can choose between an alcoholic or non alcoholic beverage. Soul Burger has a decent selection of craft beers (I love the sound of the Feral Hop Hog), imported beers as well as cider. If booze isn't your thing than one of their old fashioned milk shakes made from the creamiest milk you have ever tasted will hit the spot. Flavours such as choc mint, salted caramel, vanilla malt and of course chocolate come in a huge enamel milkshake cup and will set you back $7.00. Burgers and sodas also work well together and Soul Burger stocks a good variety of Bundaberg sodas to quench your thirst.
The interior of Soul Burger is very minimalist. Exposed bricks, simple wooden tables and benches along with industrial stools and chairs sit easily inside with naked light bulbs hanging overhead. It's a very pared back design as the burgers are the hero here. There are also a few tables outside which is the perfect spot to sit and watch the busy world of The Spot rush by. You order your burger up at the front counter with one of the friendly members of staff who will happily chat with you about the origins of all the ingredients of their fine burgers.
Amit has big plans for the future. He wants to see more Soul Burgers all over Sydney and he also wants to continue his career in medicine. As he is man full of passion and hard work I'm sure he will succeed. So dear readers if like your burgers to come with a good dose of soul than I suggest you hot foot it to Soul Burger in Randwick and let doctor feel good and his team create for you the best burger you will have eaten in ages.
