Ahh chickens. Natures punchlines. They cluck, they lay eggs, they run
around headless, they cross roads or something. And, if they knew how
good Ben Denner and his Lucky Fried Chicken team made them taste, they'd
leap gleefully into his fryers.
So listen up all ya'll chicken-eaters! As mentioned briefly in my previous post, burger giants Lucky Chip have popped-up for "a few weeks" (from 14th Feb) in The Grafton pub in Kentish Town, North London, under the guise of Lucky Fried Chicken (no beef patties in sight). It's around for a limited time (for now at least - I for one hope they'll open a permanent fry-fry chicky-chick joint) before the location turns into a Lucky Chip venue, so get over there before you chumps miss out on this tasty bird.
We popped to the pop-up last Friday for dinner, it's proper southern
soul chow, and it's face-lickin' goooood. Forget KFC (or PFC or CFP or
any of the other Crispy Fried Poultry-related acronyms), this is Lucky
baby, but this ain't luck (sheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeit).
Before we get into the eats, the first thing I noticed (I admit it, I got no class) was the prices. Ok, so it's a bit more than Lucky Chip, but this is top quality bird, cooked with skill and finesse, love and care, plus you get sides and stuff, so what do you want for your money? Pipe down!
At £12.50 the Jumbo Box is more than enough for a regular human, and just about enough for a giant like me (jokes, Penny and I were both absolutely stuffed like roast chickens - I found a lemon in my bum :( omg). You get 5 (BIG) pieces of chicken, a tub of potatoes with gravy, a tub of coleslaw, and 2 incredibly light dinner rolls (great for dipping). We ordered 2 of those bad boys, a couple beers, and some fries for good measure.
This is without a doubt the best fried chicken I've eaten, and so ok I'm not a connoisseur, but I have eaten KFC (regrettably), I've eaten chicken and waffles at Sylvia's in Harlem (and at other New York native chicken fryers I've since forgotten), and I've fried my own (you better believe that'll crop up in a future post), so I'm not an amateur either, my fried chicken credentials are about as good as the average person who isn't American.
The batter is exceptional - crispy, thin, light and perfectly seasoned, it gives you a bit of resistance to crunch on, but then just melts in your mouth beautifully. The chicken is incredibly succulent, it's obviously soaked in brine before being fried because it's juicy as hell with an intense but not overpowering flavour.
The chicken pieces are huge. What you notice after the first piece is just how much meat is on each one, and how little bone there is leftover. This is a long way from the stringy, dry meat and mostly-bone chicken of KFC. Here you get big chunks of delicious chicken flesh to sink your teeth into, no gristle no fat no bone, just unbridled carnivore carnage. It's spectacular cooking.
The sides maketh the bird here though. The mash is excellent, very creamy and smooth, and the gravy that accompanies it you won't believe, it's ridiculous. One taste and the world makes sense, well maybe not the world, but definitely this meal. It's rich, thick and chickeny, it really is the glue that binds this all together.
The coleslaw is also delicious, it's crispy and light, not drenched in gloopy mayo, which brings a nice freshness to cut through all the fried lumps of meat and carb. Penny's detective instincts told her that there was celery seed and chopped pickles in the slaw, whatever it is it's working. Overtime. We got fries too, which in hindsight was probably overkill, but in the interests of stuffing our faces we simply had to get them. They were good, personally I favour Lucky Chips skin-on numbers, but I can see that something plainer is probably needed here, and that said, they were just as good as any other fries out there, so y'know, whatever.
All in all, it's a 10. The service is friendly and fast, in fact our server was the man himself Ben Denner, creator of Lucky Chip (omgomgomgomg), and it's in a pub so you can totally get pissed up and stuff. The food arrived piping hot and very fresh, in fact it only reached a manageable temperature near the end of the meal, we were just too impatient to wait for it to cool down so we burnt ourselves instead.
So yeah, it's awesome, and you should all go there as soon as humanly possible. Lucky chip make fried chicken that's actually better than their burgers, and that's saying something. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got some pictures of chicken to stare at, later mothercluckers.
I believe it was Gandhi who famously said 'He who is tired of burgers is probably a massive loser or something lol :p'. Other famous burger advocates include Orson Welles, Marlon Brando, Ronald Mcdonald, and Americans. Obama probably.
In all seriousness, who doesn't love a good burger? I certainly do because I'm not a Commie or a vegetarian or whatever. Which is why I and my better half Penelope have been on a mini quest (between snacking and napping) of sorts for the past year or so, to find the best burgers this side of the Atlantic and shove them whole into the lowest hole in our heads. I'm-a-coming Brando sir!
In the past few years London has been going burger crazy, to an insane degree. Probably since I started this post a bunch of new burger places have opened and when I publish it I'll be branded a pariah, chastised for being woefully behind the times. But probably no one will even read this 'cus let's face it, the WWW is a bit of a mess, it's like Kevin Spacey's apartment in Seven, but instead of endless crucifixes and pictures of fat guys it's just full of Cats That Look Like Hitler. And weird symbols that make no sense like (y):pLOL WTFFFFFFF IKR ROFLMAO GTFO YOLO
GET ON WITH IT TOOL-FACE.
Burgers are arguably the one true remaining democratiser in the world of food, a good old-fashioned sloppy messy stack that tastes of pure awesome, and sometimes nowadays is considered 'gourmet' but I'm not sure, that might just be an ironic practical joke that the internet is playing on everyone. Anyway, here at Root Beer Float we love an old-fashioned sloppy messy stack that tastes of pure awesome, and if I learned anything from finishing school, anytime you can get away with eating with your hands it's totally cool to do so, so like, enjoy it.
If you're a regular reader of any of the London-oriented burger blogs out there, then I apologise, this post probably won't be covering any new ground for you, it will consist of a brief bit of context you already know by heart, and a review probably pretty similar to those you've already read, and you'll probably be left feeling hollow and irritated, filled with urges to shout at me about how amateur I am and about all the places I should have included that I'm too stupid to know about.
I welcome your feedback, but maybe you should just do us both a favour right now and stop reading, go outside and count to ten. If you have no idea what I'm talking about (whut's a burgur??) I'm totally the first one to blog about burgers and I know everything.
Of course there's countless pubs and restaurants that have upped their game to meet the demand, and more and more are coming all the time; later this year American chains Shake Shack and Five Guys will be opening restaurants in London. And back in October the favourite West Coast chain In-N-Out opened a pop-up burger joint for a few hours in, err, Hendon (see a few write ups here and here).
Here however, we're focussing on just two of the bunch, Lucky Chip and MEATwhatever - I want to make clear that this isn't a competition, it isn't even much of a comparison, it's just a roundup/review of the two separate places. So stop trying to make me choose!
Lucky Chip at Netil Market. Photo from The Londoner
First, Lucky Chip. LC started as a (you guessed it) food truck in Kensal Rise, before moving to a more permanent pitch in Netil Market in Hackney (just round the corner from yuppie hipster Mecca Broadway Market), a short walk away from our flat (check out the outdated video below for some background and an interview with the owner Ben Denner).
I had heard of Lucky Chip, but by the time I got around to visiting, what once was a permanent presence in Netil Market serving up juicy burgs well into the evening, was now a Saturdays-only affair. LC was now ensconced in a real building, having commandeered the kitchen of The Sebright Arms, a nice relaxed little pub between Broadway Market and Hackney Road. Here they paper-plate up their magnificent creations 7 days a week (6-10pm mon-sat, 1-6pm sun).
More recently they've opened a slider bar at The Player in Soho to a frenzied response, but I live in Hackney Dammit so why would I bother going to central London unless it's to go to Ed's Diner or the Apple store? EVEN MORE recently they've popped up as Lucky Fried Chicken above The Grafton pub in NW5, until March 12th, so get it while it's hot.
Lucky Chip make fantastic food. It looks great, it tastes great, the service is friendly, and the atmosphere is relaxed. And it's affordable (£10ish for burger and fries, depending on what takes your fancy). What more could you possibly want you ungrateful bastards!
Each of their meaty bohemoths is named after a celebrity/actor, and they have a rotating special burger such as the Mexican themed Danny Trejo burger (which may now be a regular, I lose track), and the Kelly LeBrock burger (I forget what's in it but you don't really care anyway).
Penny and I are creatures of habit, so after the ceremonial weighing up of menu items ("maybe I'll have a chilli dog this time, they sound amazing!" or "The fish one looks sooooo tasty oooo I wannit") we usually go for the Kevin Bacon (a cheeseburger with... drumroll for the idiots... bacon!) or the Royale With Cheese (the same but with a handful of salad and a few squirts of mustard - I can do mustard myself thanks mate, I'll take it from here).
Two Royal With Cheese burgers, two fries, two Brooklyn lagers, and a pot of ridiculously tasty wasabi mayo ("where's YOUR food darling?"). These little buggers are seriously good burgers, the meat is crisp on the outside, juicy on the inside, and as soon as you bite it your paper plate will be overflowing with meaty juices. Somehow the bun holds together. I don't know how but it does. Which is good because there's nothing worse than being the only one in the whole place with a mushy, falling-apart bun, and everyone looking at you like you're the only kid in class who couldn't finish the jigsaw puzzle and you're somehow stopping them from going out to play.
The bun here is a classy number, second to none. It's a light but
substantial, slightly brioche but not full-blown sweet. Its squashable but not flimsy, and it wraps nicely around all the pieces just as it should (you know what I mean, you've seen bread before), and it seems
like they alternate between sesame-seeded and plain. Personally I'm
indifferent towards sesame seeds in general, they're kind of pointless
but whatever, it's pretty hard to be upset about something so useless
(I'm reminded of Mitch Hedberg "what the fuck is a sesame?". Oh Mitch
you were a real card).
The 'skinny fries' (with the SKIN ON GEDDIT?!) are great, better or as good as any other fries out there in the world. They're triple-cooked so that might explain a thing or two, but they're crispy and fluffy and moreish nontheless. Hellooooo massive coronary, I've been expecting you.
The cheese is also great, nicely sharp and tangy, whilst also being that uniquely shit American stuff that a most good burgers kinda need. The whole setup is magnificent to be perfectly honest, ok so the fries are incredibly salty (seemingly only in the Sebright - I reckon to make you drink more. Nice move), but after the first time I just pretended to be one of those lame people who shouldn't eat too much salt (what do you call them... humans) and ask for them less salty. Problemo solvedo.
My only criticism is of the bacon. It's inconsistent in my experience, and it's about the only thing that is, and for me it lets the side down. I'm one of those people you hate who can't stomach bacon unless it's burnt to a crisp on a good day. If it's particularly good bacon, and tastes really intense, meaty and smoky, then I don't mind it a little less than well done. But when it's floppy and/or not at all browned and/or is wet with grease and/or has seemingly uncooked fat flopping around on deck and/or doesn't break when you bite into it but sort of just stretches and you have to sever it with your fingers and/or looks like it has barely been shown a picture of a grill let alone an actual flame, then I'm like '... naaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa'.
The bacon at LC hasn't ever been too nightmarish, and on several of my visits it's been excellent, so I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, as I know they know that I know that they know what they're doing. But there has been those few occasions when I've had to examine the bacon to check I can eat it, and even then it's been one of those lie back and think of England type affairs. So just watch out you guys. But yeah pretty fucking great really. And maybe there's some culinary reason that bacon isn't as well-done as I like it, maybe it's somehow better than my unenlightened method of "burning the fuck out of it", but I dunno what to tell you, I likes what I likes.
The burgers at LC are cooked flat-top grill style, avec bacon et fromage, before being ever so briefly steamed under a cloche, as is the current fashion. There is a reason this method is being used so frequently by a number of the big players, and that's because it works so damn well. All of the main ingredients fuse and melt together to create this harmonious beast, the cheese gets in all the crannies and nooks (what that's allowed), and it really is more than the sum of it's parts. Not literally of course, it's still just some meat some cheese and more meat, but it seems like more than that. Is kinda what I meant. With that last bit. Cool? Cool. Tosser.
See that bacon's fine mate I can handle that like
Inconsistencies and personal taste aside, the patty is the real star of the show (I hate that word, all I can think of when I say it is Patty and Selma from The Simpsons, and that makes me remember that bit where they eat tongue sandwiches, which makes me not want to talk or think about food ever again, because a cartoon version of a tongue sandwich is grosser than the shitter in Hitler's bunker after month 4).
The patty (shudder) is coursely ground, excellent quality Walter Rose 32-day-aged beef (from Tesco! Psyche!), it's hand-crafted and seasoned while cooking so the meat doesn't have time to fall apart, and it's served medium-rare, exactly where you want it. It's rich and juicy and tender as all get out. Seriously ALL OF YOU GET OUT. My burger. Mine.
So that about does it for Lucky Chip. Moving on. Keep up now
MEATliquor
Perhaps the most blogged/talked-about burger joints are those of the MEAT franchise. Started by Yianni Papoutsis and Scott Collins, they first ran a renowned foot truck, MEATwagon, before settling into a non-portable establishment. They opened the dark, graffiti-gothic MEATliquor in 2011, followed in 2012 by the cleverly tucked away faster-food MEATmarket in Covent Garden, and most recently MEATmission, converted from an old Christian mission in Hoxton Market (which opened in December last year - Penny and I have been twice so far).
MEATmarket's amazing decoy sign deters those not in the know
Even if you don't know about MEATliquor, you probably heard of it during it's mach 5 rise to fame, and they are usually the name on the tip of the tongue of anyone talking about the current wave of food trends in the capital. All three restaurants are the bomb quite frankly, however it was during our first visit to the minty-fresh MEATmission, at the start of January, that I found my favourite burger, and although others come close, this will forever edge them out. No picture or combination of words does this food justice, but here we go anyway.
With MEATmission the MEATvarious menu has been retooled, now boasting a selection of 'dinners' such as the Roast Beef Sundae - garlic mash topped with roast beef, gravy, crispy onions and horseradish cream, as well as more exotic fare such as the Peckham Dip, a version of a French-dip sandwich. It's roast beef and fried onions in a roll, served with bone marrow gravy and horseradish cream for dipping. Frankly it's making my mouth water just yammering about it. But alas, I have not supped that sweet nectar. I'm here for boyga.
This is my favourite burger in the world right now. The Pastrami & Swiss. It's a delicious course, salty beef patty (every bit as wonderful as Lucky Chip's offering if not more so), topped with crispy (and I do mean KRISPY) pastrami, cheese (natch), sauerkraut, and Russian dressing, on a beautifully soft brioche-type bun that doesn't collapse when you look at it.
It's not quite as sturdy as the Lucky Chip bun, but messiness feels at home in a place like MEATmission, like if you don't have MEATjuice running down your forearms and cheese on your cheeks you're not doing it right. This is that special kind of exception, the one that proves the rule (inception-style BAAAAAAAM). Anyway, while the integrity of the bun may not last the whole meal, it will see you through most of it if you're careful, and it's hella squidgy with a nice sweet zing that compliments the indulgence nicely.
Disclaimer: my giant hands make this burger seem child-size. Which it is
if child-size means the size of a child. Zzzzzing! No seriously it's
not small.
The whole thing is gorgeous. The intense smokiness of that rich juicy beef, coupled with the salty crunch of pastrami, nostril-flaring sauerkraut and the sweet Russian dressing? MEATheaven. The melted swiss cheese is the perfect topping, not so salty, sharp and processed as the American, it's smooth yet also piquant. It melts under the cloche when cooked and fills the places the burger will allow.
Here's another outdated video, this time it's MEATchain founder Yianni Papoutsis doing a little demo for Jamie Oliver (oooooo, aaaaaaaa).
The actual patties at Yianni's places are, for my money, second to none (a source of contention between Penny and I, who favours LC's patties). Some call them over-seasoned, but for what I look for in a burger they're spot on, a powerful shot of junk food done well. They're crispy and salty on the outside, juicy rich and tender on the inside, it's like diving into a swimming pool of the thickest beefiest chunkiest gravy you can imagine and having to drink your way out. Sounds great right?
MEATmission may not have MEATliquor's famed Philly Cheesesteak ('shaved rump steak, onions, peppers, cheese, inna bun'), or MEATmarket's joyous little jalapeno and cheese Poppaz, but they got you covered. Every one of their burgers is a winner, the classic Dead Hippie, a double-dose of mustard fried beef patties, with lettuce, cheese, minced onion and pickles, topped with the mustardy Dead Hippie sauce will not disappoint. Neither will their interpretation of the classic bacon cheeseburger (also pictured). It's that same delicious beef patty topped with molten American cheese and a thin slab of smushed together bacon - incredibly crispy and salty-sweet (no floppy bacon nightmares here). O glorious gluttony!
The fries here are traditional crispy/fluffy diner fare. Not too salty, just the right amount of everything. Like crack. To be honest the sides make this little haunt of Americana spring to life, and something I personally miss when confronted with Lucky Chip's simpler (some say purer SHATTAP) approach. And of course if sides are on offer, we at RBF will be partaking. So
along with the burgers what we went there for, here we have monkey
fingers, deep fried pickles with a blue cheese dip, and of course,
fries. Why are you still here?! Go get some for yourself!
The monkey fingers are gorgeous. Incredibly tender chicken in a thick but light batter, absolutely drenched in MEATmission's house hot sauce, a must have for any true indulger. That said, the deep fried pickles hit me where it hurts. I had these in NYC once and they changed my life, their existence is the reason I came across MEATliquor (or rather the reason Penny came across it and told me about it), and I am incredibly gratfeul to the pickle god for that. Crispy sharp and sweet all at once, they're genius, and dunked in the blue cheese dip it's little bit of heaven in your mouth.
Again, it looks tiny under my sausage fingers. It's not.
They also serve up some great cocktails that perfectly round off the experience. Favourites include the Lagerita, a frozen Margarita topped with a smooth drizzle of Brooklyn Lager, and the charmingly titled Time Of The Month, a fruity icy red wine/strawberry combo (pictured).
Sure whatever
MEATmission is fast becoming my favourite place to eat out, it's a great place to spend a few hours, especially if you're with a group and you want some decently priced tasty grub, a few drinks, and other cliches. Although I'm a big fan of the relaxed pub vibe of Lucky Chip, the tongue-in-cheek what-if-a-crack-addict-designed-a-restaurant theatricality of the MEATchain is intoxicating. And although LC serve up a fantastic burger, I feel the composition and the background players in the ensemble at MEATmission are stronger, and more consistent. And it's around the same price at £10ish for a burger and fries. Buhwadooeyeno.
Some uninitiated people get shirty about the trendiness of burgers nowadays, and assume that MEATliquor must be a pretentious, style-over-substance waste of time, but you know the old saying, when you assume, you're being a massive twat.
It's a clever disguise, because beneath the I-don't-give-a-fuck veneer of red lights, loud music, jagged metal, and under-lit interiors, there's a really fantastic product. And although I've never met any of the founders or people involved (I have spied on them through my burger as they shot a promo at MEATmission recently), I can say with confidence that the menu has been meticulously researched and constructed with the passion that burgers inspire in people that love them. You simply don't get to play at this level without having great tasting food and being a bit of a food geek.
MEATmission
Personally MEATmission is my favourite of the three permanent MEAThalls. It seems more mature, more laid back, and easier to explain to your parents; a modern day David Bowie versus MEATliquor's Sid Vicious. Yes Vicious has bags of charisma and magnetism, but you don't really want to chill in his basement on a regular basis.
Whatever you think about this most burgery of trends, whether you prefer LC or favour MEATfuckoff, one thing is certain; no one talks about Ed's anymore. Fucking Ed's. Great malts though. Butterscotch, that's a good one. Ok I'm done.
-- Josh --
NB: Both Lucky Chip and MEATtakeyourpick both have veggie options for those more enlightened folks who don't eat the flesh of creatures, but I just don't go in for that sort of hocus pocus when I'm eating a burger, sozzo.
