Ajisen Ramen, Regent Arcade

I'm told tori karaage ramen doesn't exist in Japan. This seems a little weird to me. They have numerous iterations of fried chicken on one hand - and various types of ramen on the other hand. It seems like the most natural thing in the world to mash them together into a SHINING DISH OF GLORY - but apparently not. Apparently tori karaage ramen was invented to appease the western palate.

You learn something new everyday, don't you?

Whether this is true or not, Ajisen Ramen's tori karaage ramen is probably the best in the Adelaide.



Notice how the plump balls of chicken beckon with juicy promise? If you've read my previous post about Ajisen Ramen (where I wasn't happy with my practically dessicated chicken balls) you'll have some inkling on how pleased I was. See the fatty sheen of flavour floating on top of the broth? See the lightly braised cabbage? See the... eggy... egg? Heaven.

Tori karaage ramen may be a dishonorable western bastardisation of traditional Japanese cuisine but it'll always have a place near my heart - in my stomach, in fact. Check out Ajisen Ramen for Adelaide's tastiest version.   

Cafe 146, Gawler Place

This is a slice of pizza from Cafe 146 along Gawler Place.



They promised BBQ chicken pizza and they more or less delivered. It was a triangle of cooked dough (albeit without much flavour), chicken of the sandwich meat variety (which I'm not convinced belongs on a pizza) and an overgenerous splash of BBQ sauce.

It wasn't an awful slice of pizza but wasn't that good either. To be fair, I only eat at Cafe 146 when I'm low on time because they're nearby and fairly fast with their specials. And I have had a number of pretty damn good chicken schnitzel sandwiches here.

But if you are going to have a cheeky piece of lunch time pizza then you are probably better off going to Romano's in Southern Cross Arcade.

The dough has more taste, the range of flavours is broader, the toppings are better quality and you get two pieces of pizza and a can of soft drink for the some price as one slice at Cafe 146.

Burger Theory, Adelaide

You know when the Burger Theory van is parked practically out the front of your building the wise Gods of Lunch have smiled upon your midday meal.



Today's burger feast was a number 2 (burger with pancetta, blue cheese and caramelised onions), fries with truck sauce and a coke zero.



First to the burger. Made with 100% Coorong Angus beef they grind themselves, seared to perfection with a nice crust but blushingly pink and juicy inside, and served on a Bread Top (which is pretty much a bun made of sugar spun by magic pixies) burgers here are unfailingly good.

Burger Theory has become an icon of the Activating Adelaide program. You can vote to extend the Splash Adelaide trial period here: https://www.facebook.com/SplashAdelaide.



When you add pancetta, blue cheese and caramelised onions (you can see the caramelised onions almost spilling out of the picture above) you end up with sweet, beefy, tangy, salty mouthful of heaven.



Crispy on outside and cloud-fluffy on the inside - Burger Theory's fries are among the finest in Adelaide. I feel like a blasphemer saying this but unfortunately today's batch of fries were a little underwhelming. I suspect they'd been hanging around for a little too long because they weren't as crispy as usual. Still, they're better than just about anywhere else.

The fries were helped along by the healthy dollop of Truck Sauce - which if I had to take a stab at guessing the ingredients I'd guess a combination of mayo, velveeta cheese and a little mustard. I love the stuff but wouldn't mind seeing the Truck Sauce in a little pot on the side because I imagine the hint of bitterness could be a bit of turn off for some people.

If you haven't had Burger Theory yet now is the time - you don't want to anger the Gods of Lunch! Check out their calendar here to see when the van is next near you: http://www.burgertheory.com/

Happy Bean, Southern Cross Arcade

I don't know how I missed the memo but today was apparently Tori Mayo Don Day.

I know this because when I ordered my Tori Mayo Don from Happy Bean so did the person in front of me... and the three people behind me.

Happy Bean is one of my regular Japanese lunching haunts (makimaki and ajisen ramen also regulars). The selection of donburi here is excellent and they're quick-ish getting their meals out (5 to 10min). If you go with one of their $5 specials (which I usually do) the price is most certainly right.



But today's cooler weather necessitated the purchase of a more warming and filling dish - Tori Mayo Don definitely fits the bill (plus it was Tori Mayo Don Day - or did I mention that already?)



Tori Mayo Don is my favourite meal on the menu - and I presume it's widely popular judging from the  people ordering it. A big bowl of japanese rice topped with grilled (probably teriyaki) chicken that's been smothered in kewpie mayonnaise and garlic chives and then either blow torched or grilled again (I can't see into the kitchen). The dish is stick-to-your-ribs warming, rich and flabby (but flabby is a sexy Ruebenseque way rather than flabby in a Shane Warne before he met Liz way). You also get some wilted spinach and some lightly boiled carrot and beansprouts. I wouldn't mind something pickled to cut through all the fat but with a cup of miso soup it's a darn good lunch.

The one thing that irks me about Happy Bean is their crockery and cutlery. Sometimes you get proper bowls and chopsticks - sometimes the throw away stuff - it's pretty hit and miss. But you'll see me here almost weekly for donburi. .

Coromandel Snack Bar

After a two year blogging hiatus (which included the arrival of my first born and a new job) I have returned!

Today was haircut day.

I was hesitant to cut my hair fearing that the loss of insulation would result in catching a cold. Nonetheless, it was necessary to trim my hirsute mane as I was starting to look like the wild man of Borneo.

What I love most about haircut day is that my walk to the barber takes me past the Coromandel Snack Bar. I was a regular here when I worked on Grenfell St but seldom get the opportunity eat here these days (other than haircut day, obviously).



I have a colleague who swears by their daily specials (teriyaki chicken or black bean beef with fried rice today) but I think Coromandel Snack Bar (or the Coro as I affectionately call it) does one of the best club sandwiches in Adelaide - and at a very competitive price ($5.50)



Some of the elements of this club sandwich fall into the so bad it's good category. Buttery toasted fake white bread provides a crunch that disintegrates when it hits your tongue. The chicken is some sort of savory white mystery meat from a plastic bag. But the lettuce is always crunchy, the tomatoes are always ripe and juicy and the bacon fried on a hotplate that must have accumulated years of flavour.



So, if you find yourself looking for lunch on haircut day check out the Coro. Don't be fooled by it's hole-the-wall facade or its dated decor. The food here good, there's lots of it and it's reasonably priced. You might find there's a bit of wait during peak lunching time and don't worry if when you place your order it doesn't get written down or that the lady behind the counter has just taken another 5 orders. They never forget and your food always arrives.

MYO, Flinders St

MYO stands for Make Your Own. And you do exactly that. You make your own sandwich, roll, wrap or pizza. This might sound tedious to some people, but I quite enjoy it. Especially because the range of fillings MYO offers is vast. The below photo shows about a third of the filling selections.

Once you've assembled your sandwich (or focaccia or wrap or pizza) you move over to the heat station. Completed with toasters, pizza machines and ovens, MYO provides the equipment to make a hot and melty lunch.

In case you're wondering, I made a focaccia with goan green chilli chutney, chicken, cheese, roast capsicum, tomato, beans and mayo (see what I mean? The range of fillings is huge!).

It's worth bearing in mind that this is not a fast lunch, nor a cheap sandwich (just over $9). But it's fun and you get exactly the sandwich you want.

Oporto, City Cross Arcade

Another day, another burger! A burger I just cannot make my mind up about. To my mind, Oporto is the poor man's Nando's. Though Oporto say that they serve only cage free, hormone free and grain fed chicken, I'm pretty sure they use formed chicken. And they're not that cheap. $10 will nab you a burger meal, which is a similar price to my preferred Citi X Grille.

Despite all that, I keep coming back. They're just about the fastest fast food I know. And they're pretty tasty. Today I ordered an Oprego Burger meal. The Oprego burger is a grilled chicken breast fillet (I still stand by my comment that it's a formed breast) topped with lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayo and their "legendary" prego sauce (whatever that is).

The burger to bun ratio is pretty good but the prego sauce too sweet for my taste. Though it helps keeps it juicy (the probably formed chicken fillets would be a bit bland and dry by themselves) I'd stick with their chilli sauce. The chips are very similar to the type you get at KFC - but a little crispier.

I prefer Nando's, but if you're time poor and craving some (probably formed) Portuguese influenced chicken, Oporto is a pretty good option.