Brick Lane, Double Bay

[invite] Bianca: I admit, my main interest in Brick Lane stemmed from the intense burger ogling I was doing through Instagram. The location is somewhat of a blessing and a curse. Seek them out and you’ll be rewarded with a gorgeously sunlit open space with a large verandah, perfect for the warmer months. But don’t be deterred, we visited on the first day they cracked open the fireplace.

The main emphasis is geared towards burgers and steaks, with a fairly ‘user-friendly’ menu, with the most expensive item – a scotch fillet, coming in at $36. Reasonable considering the locale.

Chips and dips are synonymous with having a yarn and mindlessly munching on something whilst you wait for mains but that doesn’t mean it has to be tasteless. The Guacamole $10 is a good portion for two people, the guac was well seasoned with a nice kick of heat from what I’m going to assume was smoked cayenne. I liked the addition of tomatoes and diced red onion ( because that’s how mumma makes it).

And a surprise MUST order, the Veggie Taco – Tempura eggplant, avocado, radish & miso mayonnaise $8. I easily could have had a few of these to myself and been well satiated. Crispy, velvety and with the creaminess from the avo & the mayo, it was a great combination.

A moment of weakness saw me agreeing with Alex and I aquised him by forgoing the Classic Beef Burger for the Chicken -with Southern fried hot chicken, blue cheese & coleslaw, served with fries $22. There was a lot going for this burger. The chicken tasty, juicy and seasoned well. The outer coating wasn’t crispy, I’ll put this down to the proximity to the slaw, which was particularly wet. I added American cheese, in addition to the blue cheese but I think wires were crossed because the blue cheese was left off completely. The flavours were pleasant, with a kick from the spices in the breading and the aioli. The bun was soft and pliable, I’d definitely be keen to come back and try the beef burger. For the FBAS crowd, 3.2/5 pickles.

Alex wasn’t feeling the burgers, so instead went with the Scotch fillet 300g $36. Served solely on its own, it’s a pricey main, especially as you have to add sides. But the steak was cooked to a beautiful medium-rare, seasoned well and there was a gorgeous caramelised outer char.

Truffle fries $10 are a must order, don’t feel guilty for eating the whole bowl, we weren’t!

And for ‘research’, dessert. Alex vouched for the Banoffee Pie $12 and he wasn’t wrong. Thick unctuous condensed milk, flaky pastry, banana slices and cream made for a rich ending to the meal. The shards of honeycomb adding some texture and bursts of caramel. We weren’t a fan of the vanilla ice-cream as it was on the icy side.

I’d be keen to return for more of the burgers and the space is great for a leisurely long lunch!

Bianca

Photos by Alex

*For Food’s Sake dined as guests of Brick Lane, all opinions are our own and independent.