Byron Burger Lovin'

You can't beat a big, fat, juicy burger. It's my ultimate naughty indulgence, and when I have one I need it to be mouth-wateringly incredible. I've been meaning to get my chops around a Byron burger for god knows how long now, so when I was down in London last week I made sure to fit in a trip. If you read my post on The real Burger King you'll know exactly how I like them. I can be quite the critic, but this burger joint undoubtedly takes the prize for producing the best burger I have ever eaten in my life! Not too shabby. 

 

Byron Burger is a chain with around 50 restaurants all over England. I normally try to avoid chains as I find them too standard and usually a bit safe with their menus, but this is a chain that I have fallen in love with. There concept is simple; to serve up the best burger in town, and boy do they do that. Every burger is cooked medium unless stated otherwise, locking juiciness, flavour and wow factor into every single beast they churn out. 

 

 

Now I have a sneaky little confession... One trip to Byron wasn't enough for me... It wasn't my fault I swear, but 2 different groups of friends meant that I ended up making 2 separate trips in the same week....So naughty but at the end of the day, all it means is that I can offer you a much better review...

As a Byron virgin, I copied my friends order the first time round and went for the Byron burger, a handsome chap covered in cheese, bacon and Byron sauce. This can only describe as a much superior version of Big Mac sauce. Yum with a capital Y.

With just one bite I was in burger heaven. It just melted in my mouth. It was soft, juicy, and packed with flavour not to mention surprisingly light! It didn't feel like a big stodgy burger at all, and it didn't seem to sit in my stomach like an unwelcome guest either.

 

I left a fully fledged Byron fan. The tiniest thought of it sent my cravings into overdrive, so when I met up with a group of university friends later in the week, I couldn't hide my happiness when Byron was suggested as our dining spot. 

I was keen to not be a boring little order repeater so I decided to mix things up and branch out. This time I went for the Big B burger. Just take a minute to take a good look at him in all his glory.

Two burger patties towered high with cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, Byron Sauce and extra bacon; what more could a girl ask for? After ordering it I got a little bit worried I'd gone overboard on the meat front and made the wrong choice. The Byron burger had been so good the other day, and 2 other people at the table had ordered it... There's nothing worse than sitting there with food envy!

 

 

However, the little guy arrived and my god I was happy. A double burger can so often be too meaty and not too mention impossible to eat! What a different story it was with this one. It was the Byron burger but better! Juicy, packed with flavour, amazing, incredible, out of this world... Need I say more? I could get my chops around it without having to go in with a knife and fork, and every bite just seemed to be better than the last.

 

 

We also ordered a bunch of sides to share.  

 

Skinny fries

 

Skin on chips

 

Mac n cheese

 

Courgette Fries

 

Courgette fries are something that I have never tried before let alone seen on another menu so they were a great surprise to me. They were absolutely scrumptious! Also I guess you could try and convince yourself that there a healthier option to chips...

I managed to squeeze the last bite of my burger in but we weren't so successful with the sides. There was a fair amount leftover, but at the end of the day it's always nice to have a bit of variety.

I don't know how I'm going to be able to order a burger in a restaurant again after experiencing these bad boys, so if you get the chance to pay Byron a visit then my goodness take it! You won't be disappointed and you'll be left yearning for more for years to come.

Byron Burgers can be found all over England but the majority of their restaurants are in London. Check out their website to find your nearest slice of heaven at www.byronhamburgers.com.

 

 

A Mayfair Affair: Burger and Lobster

This week I found myself down in London for a few days, and obviously I felt that it was absolutely imperative to make the most of it. Two of my bestest friends from university have settled down in the big smoke since graduating, so having a good old girly catch up with them was absolutely top of my agenda. When you leave university, you find that you and your friends are blasted back to a whole load of different parts of the UK, and as much as you try to arrange those all important meet ups, there are always 101 things going on. The three of us hadn’t been together in far too long, but as always, it was exactly how we had left off. To me, this is exactly what true friendship is about, and this meeting really made me realise how much I miss both of these beautiful girls!

After a whole load of hugging and screeching we headed off for a couple of drinks, before retreating to Mayfair for dinner at Burger and Lobster. Nestled down a little side street among the hustle, bustle and money splashing fair that is Mayfair, lies this little gem. I had heard nothing but good things about this restaurant, and it certainly did not disappoint.

It completely blows your stereotype of the designer clad girl sipping champagne and munching on lobster out of the window. Instead, Burger and Lobster have created a unique concept that really puts any other Lobster eatery to shame. There is no menu, and instead there are two options. Burger or Lobster, both of which are served with fries and a side salad. All three of us went for the lobster as we felt that this was a complete bargain for such a dish, but a tad expensive for the likes of a burger. When ordering the lobster you have two options, grilled or steamed. All of us went for the grilled as recommended by our waiter, and it was certainly the right choice! It was juicy, flavoursome and a complete and utter treat that should not be missed!

I know what you may be thinking, for £20 you must get a measly little portion, but this is certainly not the case. You get a stonking platter full of lobster, and my goodness does it taste good. What’s more, you get to wear the signature burger and lobster bib to stop your clothes getting all mucky! What more could you ask for!?

We spent the entire evening laughing, gossiping and remembering old times, and it was so good to finally get together with my two fabby little friends again. 

There are a number of these restaurants all over London, but if you’re after the Mayfair experience you will find this one at 29 Clarges street.

 

The real Burger King

Summer means one thing: BBQ season. When the sun shines back home the shops sell out of sausages, the shorts get dug out of the attic, and that fantastic BBQ smell fills the air. A BBQ back in Scotland is pretty rare, and I guess that’s why I feel as if I’m in constant BBQ mode when on holiday. This week has been no different, and though we’ve obviously barbecued a few times already, we all felt that there was no better way to end our week than with another good old Barbie! 

Up until now we have tried to be a bit more adventurous and let our BBQ taste buds run free, steering clear of your standard BBQ cuisine. Lime and Coriander Prawns, honey and mustard chicken kebabs and matured steak had all been chucked on the BBQ instead of sausages and burgers, but tonight we gave in. Everyone felt like a wholesome, mouth-watering, juicy burger, and that was exactly what we had! More to point, they were absolutely delicious if I don't say so myself! Just take a look at that photo...Need I say more!?

To spice things up a bit they obviously had to be homemade, and i took on the role of burger chef. Every girls dream.. Homemade burgers are always ten times better than your standard shop bought burgers. You know whats going in them, and you can be sure to be able to cook them however you want! I hope its common knowledge that a frozen burger can never be cooked anything other than well done, but if your at all like me, you'll love your burger medium, juicy and packed with flavor! I am always overly cautious when it comes to shop bought burgers. You can just never be sure whether they've served time in the freezer or not, so i would always go for nothing short of well done just to be on the safe side. But when you've made them yourself, your in the driving seat, and the only thing i have to say is Think Pink. 

This recipe is so simple that a monkey could make them blindfolded, so next time you fire up your BBQ on a warm summers day, hustle them up yourself. Trust me, you wont regret it. I promise they will only take you 10 minutes tops!

To make 6 burgers you will need....

600g Beef Mince

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp Dijon Mustard

A good handful of coriander.

1/4-1/2 Onion (depending on preference)

1.5 tbsp Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

Start off by chopping your coriander up nice and small, followed by your onion. I personally hate big chunky pieces of onion in my burger, and that is why i choose to go for only a 1/4 of an onion when i make these. More to point, i always make sure that i chop it up as small as possible. 

After you've done your chopping, throw all of your ingredients into a bowl and prepare to get messy...

Im afraid the only way is to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in. Use your hands to combine all of the ingredients until you've formed one big ‘lump’, or the worlds biggest burger...

Then break apart the mixture to make roughly six burger patties. You can make more or less as you please. Some people prefer a thin burger whereas others would rather get there chops around a big chunky number. Just go with whatever your heart desires.

And there you have it. Its time to get that BBQ smoking hot and cook up a storm! For me a great burger is all about the extras so I always make sure you to add plenty of salad, pickles, mayo, and Ketchup. However, tonight we pledged to make burgers that broke the standard  burger rules. We threw in a fried egg, a good helping of cheese, fried onions and some homemade Perinaise. If you haven't had the pleasure of trying Perinaise, it is a combination of a spicy Portuguese sauce (Peri-Peri Sauce) and mayonnaise which is served  in the fast food restaurant of all fast food restaurants, Nandos. I’ll save that post for another time...

My brother tried to be civilised and go in with a knife and fork.

He soon realised there was only one way to tackle this one...

Admittedly there was a photo of me chowing down on my creation, but the general consensus was that its in the best interests of everyone that it isn't released for public viewing. Trust me.

We washed the burgers down with ice cold Coronas as the sun set over Kamares. Nothing short of the perfect end to a fabulous holiday.