Jus Burgers: Northbridge

Once upon a time, McDonalds would be the only place to go if you ever felt like a whopper. Hungry Jacks. Whatever.
Back in the olden days, we had limited choice. Fast forward a few sleeps, we are spoilt rotten with too much choice.
Burgers no longer have their long-standing reputation of being greasy, unhealthy, hungover food that goes straight to your thighs after consuming it. They stop at the stomach, all because of a fancy little word:
Gourmet.


A hip word that is gaining so much publicity in the food world. You'll get shunned if you deliver anything less than outstanding. Everybody is a food critic nowadays.
People's standards have changed. (For the better!) 
Move over fast food, until when I next need you.
...Tomorrow? :$


The birth of earlier successful burger joints quickly led to a whole mob of burger-serving offspring to populate little old Perth. We evidently have a healthy appetite for healthy fast food.

Pomegranate Frappe - $6.95

Although it was a wet, rainy, stormy, lightning-striking-everywhere Australia Day night, it was simultaneously sticky, humid and hot. The rain pelting down could make you sweat. I can't remember the last time Perthians witnessed a spectacular light show of firework and lightning together, with rain pissing down on them.


It was so unbelievably stuffy, but perfect weather for an ice cold frappe. This stunning velvet creation features a refreshing blend of "pomegranate juice, berries, splash of cloudy apple, fresh mint and ice" and was really quite too SOUR! But so very refreshing and bursting with fresh ingredients.


We managed half the cup at best and ended up with an attractive berry-stained smile, thanks to all the abundance of gritty berry chunks and seeds.

All of Jus Burgers burgers are lovingly created with a grilled sugar-free Turkish bun, homemade aioli, relish, fresh lettuce, tomato and spanish onion. Something Jus Burgers deserves recognition for is being the state's first restaurant to sign to the Buy West Eat Best initiative, sourcing all of its produce locally from a cast of WA suppliers all over the region. There's no fakeness or artificialness here, unless you consider the only seasonings of salt and pepper added when cooking to be artificial!

There is an emphasis on fresh and no compromise on quality with their "no freezer allowed" policy, a very impressive procedure to exist in a restaurant to be honest. Stuff goes bad, start to rot, start to smell ...which then makes you appreciate the efforts required when a place endeavors to deliver FRESH FRESH FRESH and AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE all time, every time.

Original Beef - $11

I opted for the basic but equally satisfying Original Beef burger, full of simplicity, originality and free of frills, spills and hormonal imbalances. You're eating nothing but bare, naked cows in its pure original glory.


A juicy, hand pressed, char grilled patty of Western Australian Amelia Park beef hanging out with other burger staples sandwiched between a sturdy, crispy Turkish roll - Burgers just might be better at Jus.

Wagyu Beef - $15

Also on the line for dinner is the Wagyu Beef, a mountainous stack of WA Vasse Valley Wagyu beef slathered with wasabi mayo. Listening to the sound of that conjures up a taste sensation with hints of hotness, creaminess and fatty portions distributed throughout the thick slab of wagyu.


The wasabi mayo has a subtle spiciness and could probably be toned up a fair bit to add that extra hit to the overall flavour of the burger. When wasabi is involved, I want WASABI and not just...wasabi.

Mango Smoothie - $6.50

When Perth's Food and Wine month promoted Eat Drink Perth, I never once parted with my Eat Drink Perth booklet and quickly became my essential necessity. Chock full of discounted, delicious offers and coupons from all around the CBD and close-by suburbs, it wasn't a surprise to see Jus Burgers featured in there with their burger and drink contribution.


Usually selling at $6.50, their sweet deal delivered up a $5 mango smoothie with the purchase of a discounted Wagyu burger. A creamy concoction of blended mango, ginger and a splash of lemon gave a slight hint of citrus in a tropical beverage, infused with notes of spicy ginger undertones.

Wagyu Beef - $10 (Eat Drink Perth special)

Here's a cross section of the same burger from above, sliced through and making it a tonne times easier to eat. Or if you look at it differently, it can be a tonne times harder to eat, ingredients falling out from every angle of the burger.


It's become a habit of mine to ask for sliced up burgers, so you can see every intricate detailed layer inside the burger :) Nothing to do with the ease of my own eating pleasure of course.

Mullet - $15

I generally frown upon mullets. Jus has revamped the look and it has never been so good looking. I could do with a mullet in 2012. But with some sauce.


Mullets scream AUSTRALIAN! so loud, with the whole load of fry-up ingredients compacted into the one burger. Building blocks of salad, char-grilled beef patty, free range fried egg, bacon and cheddar cheese (minus beetroot please!) towers high and rocks with instability, even with 2 skewers pierced through their hearts. We watched our burger sway dangerously on the countertop and tapped a waiter's shoulder just in time to save it from meeting with the floor.


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Rightfully earning and thus rightfully boasting a multitude of awards over the years since 2009, Jus Burgers has become a famed burger name and an Australian celebrity with a loyal fan base. Being a continuous and consecutive winner of I LOVE FOOD awards (doesn't that award capture everything so well :)) for Best Hamburger in Australia, they must be doing something right to please people's palates.


This burger bar has several stores in the primest of prime locations (think: Northbridge, Leederville, Subiaco, Fremantle), all areas saturated with food and foodies. Along with happy and quirky staff, all the burger bars share quite small and slightly cramped spaces that are compensated with recycled, fun and functional decor (Ikea lamps and synthetic grass...on the CEILING?!). Constraints in seating does mean you have to scramble for a seat, making you feel much like a watchdog and barking at those who steal the next available table.


I admit I didn't take an immediate liking to Jus Burgers burgers. But seeing it out-rivaled WA's and even the entire country's burgers, maybe I was viewing it with coloured spectacles after falling in love with Grill'd burgers. And indeed after a 2nd, 3rd try, I now wear clear coloured glasses when perving at food. Their menu includes so much choice and caters considerably for those dining with dietary and ethical requirements with the expected gourmet prices for burgers.


Reading up on the man himself, Justin Bell - the bawssse of all this, it's easy to gauge the commitment put into chaperoning all the stores, AND our environment they are in. And as if this nationally successful and recognisable name isn't enough, Jus also receives commendation for environmental sustainability. Jus Burgers sells just burgers, which really lets them focus on delivering a quality and fancy elevated sandwich.


What can't this guy do?
Probably fail.


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(08) 9227 0668


Monday & Sunday: 11.30am to 9pm
Tuesday to Saturday: 11.30am to 10pm


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Big Bowl Noodle House

Yep, these guys sure do have big bowls.

And big spoons to match.

I think they have shrunk in size though, to more accurately reflect the amount of noodles you get inside that oversized porcelain bowl. It's not an under serving by any means, but things just look so much smaller when you place them next to bigger things...or into bigger things.

In the same way, Big Bowl becomes quite a small one among the big eating strip along Albany Highway. It doesn't really stand out as a place you'd really crave to visit all the time. Admittedly I end up in here only when other restaurants are closed, closing or closing down.

However, it is always a very trusty fallback option, albeit not being first choice. Noodles never disappoint, especially when they are the fresh homemade kind.

And even if they aren't - Noodles. Still. Never. Disappoint. How many lives has 2 minute noodles saved?

Pork Meat Balls Noodle - $9.80

On this occasion I felt like something simple, which is what this place caters for perfectly. Something light, soupy and not too big of a serving is just what anyone needs for breakfast. But then again, a huge delicious filling buffet of eggs, mushrooms, toast, muffins, sausages, etc etc etc would probably be a more tempting invitation to WAAAAKEEE UPPPPP!


A selection of noodles gives you the choice to select from thin, thick or wholemeal noodles. Above is a freshly cooked, steaming hot bowl of wholemeal noodles, bok choy and pork balls (the G rated kind) floating in clear soup.


Wholemeal noodles from here are reminiscent of pasta. They have a bit of a grainy texture and provide a satisfying mastication :)

Prawn & Pork Wanton Noodle - $9.80

Wantons are something we always make and eat at home but don't really make it into our food choice when we venture out to eat. Wantons at Big Bowl are worth a try though, with plump crinkly centres full of minced pork but limited prawn content.


Thin noodles have a lighter texture than their thick counterparts. A cloudier soup, but in terms of taste I don't think it's any different to the other soups used in most of their noodle dishes. A richer taste is always desirable but then again, you're just desiring more seasoning and good food doesn't rely on that. After all, they do pride themselves on Natural ingredients, Natural flavour, No preservatives & Healthy gourmet food. It's pretty good that you don't feel like you haven't drank for a whole week afterwards.


Usually people follow Eat First, Remorse Later.


Pffftt. I follow Eat First. Who Cares!


...


Big Bowl comes with big bowls, big spoons, big dining space and a big menu. It's got its menu creatively made into wallpaper on some of their walls as well as on their tables, shielded under a clear glass panel. Makes things easier as everywhere you look you are bombarded with WORDS. MUCH LIKE THIS BLOG. WORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDS


On the menu, you get something close to 60 choices revolving around noodles and the like. Different variations of noodles (ho fun, rice noodles, RICE...) within multiple methods of cooking (soup, stir fry, baked, braised) and you're spoilt with choice. Serving sizes are quite alright and is really good for a quick stop fast food noodle shop, minus the excessive calories. Fast food, meaning your food comes out in about 5 minutes flat. Seriously. That s#!^ is crazy.


Efficiency is top here: walk in, find a table, perve on the menu, order at counter, pay at counter, get table number, sit down, wait 5 minutes, food served, eat food, go. Quick and easy, but as expected with such a system to dining, table service is minimal. Staff are there, but you only sort of notice them at the beginning when you walk through the door. First impressions count... but then the second, third, etc don't, it seems!


Having said that, the place has made a niche into the noodle market and does not really serve up Chinese food as such. There's none of your typical Sweet n Sour porks or Chilli Pepper squids or any other of those dishes Chinese food is predictably associated with (probably thanks to Billy Lees!). These noodle nutters are big on noodles, made from scratch in house. Dumplings are the other stars here, so if you want wantons or want tons of noodley goodness, Big Bowl should be your first choice. Not your 2nd...or 3rd...or "just as a fall back option".


The interior of Big Bowl, like I said, is big. It's spacious, clean and rather...big. The large space extends to the back, as does the open kitchen. It will really remind you of food court style dining no doubt, with the table numbers, limited service and a capacious area featuring rows of ample seating.
This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but I'm here for noodles, not a cup of tea.
So I'm cool with that.