Naughty Nuri's, Ubud, Bali.

Naughty Nuri's is something of a local legend here in Ubud, a small town in central Bali that claims its the cultural capital.  The venue is a roadside diner type wooden shack with around 4 largish tables inside and 3 out front. People are seated Wagamama-style at these shared tables enjoying the smell of cooking bbq sauce wafting through the air all the while. At Nuri's they stray from the traditional Balinese menu and offer up super tasty BBQ and burgers as well as some excellent cocktails. Celeb chef Anthony Bourdain claims the martini's at this little Balinese shack are the best outside of New York City.

Yes thats my patty she's poking on the far right of the grill. A monster of a patty made from locally sourced grass fed beef. It must be at least 12oz. I was asked how i'd like it and the recommendation was medium which i went for. It was great to see (and smell) my burger being cooked and assembled about 4 meters away on a bbq at the front of house. 

Shunning the famed cocktails was a shame, but it was 12 lunchtime and i just needed a softie in this heat. Sosro Tehbotol sweetened jasmine tea drink is exceptional, easily the best cold tea drink i've tasted. American soda manufacturers should take note. Shame its not available in the UK.

So the burger. For the equivolent of £4 you get this cheeky little number cooked right in front of your eyes. The bun is lightly toasted and fresh baked, the patty is probably too big, but the meat is corsely ground and very beefy tasting, perhaps fractionally underseasoned but still very decent. It sits on tomato and lettuce and is topped with a melted kraft slice, nice soft sauteed onions and a super crispy slice of salty back bacon which makes up for the underseasoned patty nicely. French's and ketchup sauces are already on the table and are pointed at by the waitress at the point of serving. I added both. The results are a delicious classic american cheeseburger. 

While not the most incredible burger i've eaten in my life, to find something of this quality in the middle of nowhere on a little Indonesian island is really quite something. I'm very pleased i stumbled into this place and enjoyed their cheeseburger. Definitely worth a try if you crave a change from the delicious traditional stuff on your travels. My tip would be to go in the evening for food and to get absolutely shitfaced enjoy the cocktails. This place does look like it gets pretty naughty when the sun goes down. 

8/10

Jl. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud, Indonesia
Phone:+62 361 977547
www.naughtynurisbali.com

The NEW AdCod cheeseburger, Chelsea

 

The Admiral Codrington has for some time been known for serving one of, if not the best burger in London, thanks mainly to the passionate ex-head chef, Fred. 

Since Fred has left and joined the Byron burger boys there's been much web rumour about the AdCod burger quality going downhill. After some twitter debate about this with @JamesBreakage we were both invited to see what we thought of the new AdCod burger, so in the fine name of burger research i ran straight there went along first, and James checked it out shortly after. 

Solita, Manchester

Dave BigMac reveals the burger secrets of the north

Solita, or South of Little Italy as I'm sure no one will ever call it, can be found in Manchester, England's Northern Quarter, on Turner St. The following is a recounting of the authors first and only visit so far, written from memory as the review while welcome, was also unplanned.

Bukowski Grill, Shoreditch

@yesiamben on the smallest burger spot in Shoreditch.
I went to Bukowski Grill in Boxpark towards the end of last year and promised CBB I'd write a review for the blog. I didn't. I figured I'd write one this week so decided it'd be as good an excuse as any to meet and a friend and head there for another burger. After all it's only just down the road. So here you go.

Burger & Lobster, Soho

@yesiamben experiences B&L...

Last week I headed down to Soho to finally try Burger & Lobster. I say finally because every time I talk to someone about burgers (who isn't a burger glutton) they say "so have you tried Burger & Lobster." Irritatingly I have to say 'no' every time, at which point the conversation ends. To be clear, I don't think it's because they've actually been to Burger & Lobster, but more that they've read something about it, heard something about it from a friend, or seen some celebrity Instagramming pictures from inside. 

Wenlock & Essex, Islington

Highly regarded by some yet has left others underwhelmed, is the Wenlock & Essex burger is a goodun or not? Read on burger fan, read on... 

Directly opposite the Islington branch of The Diner sits this grand old pub. Nicely decorated, well lit and with a huge bar, its a decent spot, and definitely a place i'd happily while away an evening with pals and beers. 

Giant Robot, Clerkenwell

Lookout! its @yesiamben again!

The attention to detail and actual science that's going into this review is, ahem, fairly awful I'm afraid. You see eating here was a total unexpected surprise, and I was somewhat, well, for lack of a better word - drunk. I'd been drinking in Clerkenwell at Craft Beer. If you're in the area (or planning a burger), I definitely recommend that bar. There is a *lot* of good beer on tap.