By St
Have you gone shopping for Christmas pressies at the new Westfields yet? After all that tiring walking trying to find a gift for that difficult relative (and trying to navigate the new retail landscape), you just want to sit down and grab a bite and feel accomplished as you tick "end-rumbling-tummy" off your list.
One of my good girlfriends, Jo, has been raving about the parmesan and truffle fries, "the best" she claims so Timmy and I had to test it out.
We stopped and admired the new eateries in the small food court (the level is not fully complete) and came to an end and there was Charlie & Co. It's not easy to miss when it is the only place with a queue system in place. Are you for real? It's just fast food after all... right? So at 7pm on a Thursday night we joined the queue which slowly moved up and I stalked out the burgers which we will try another time (this was Mission: Parmesan and Truffles Fries after all).
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| Like lining up at the bank ... |
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| ... but with better views! |
The moment I've been waiting for, drum roll *brum*brum*brum*brum*. Ok the truth. Yes they were good, fat and crispy. The parmesan was a nice touch but I wouldn't have known there were truffles unless you told me. It was very oily and ultimately I found it too salty due to the abundance of sea salt (this comes from a girl who sometimes dips her strawberries in salt- it's a Vietnamese thing).
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| Parmesan and truffle fries $8 |
So the fries were a bit disappointing and it didn't help that we had to queue for them, that just added to my great expectations. The Mission was over but Timmy had already put it in jeopardy when he ordered The Charlie Chilli Dog. And, we were having proper dinner afterwards. Containing pork sausage, green chilli, fried onions, mustard and sweet tomato relish on a baguette, the hotdog was something Uncle Charlie would be proud of, plus extra spicy from the chilli and mustard.
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| The Charlie Chilli Dog $12 |
I bet you're wondering, who is Charlie? I surely was. According to the pamphlet staff were handing out, "In 1885, 15 yo Charlie was selling meatballs at the annual Seymour Fair in Wisconsin... sales were slow, so Charlie decided to smash a meatball and some onions between two slices of bread so folks could eat and walk around the fair at the same time. Charlie called his sandwich a "hamburger"- and the rest, as they say, is history!". It might just be folklore but an creative concept, if not a bit Americanised, from Justin North.
Did someone just say "Justin North"? You might recall that I called him the Johnny Depp of cooking (http://wokyoutalkingabout.blogspot.com/2010/10/siff-becasse-sydney-cbd.html) so no wonder people were queuing up to eat at his new venture which has only been opened for 3 weeks. Eating burgers and fries from a 2 chefs hat chef is like watching a special screening of Pirates of the Caribbean in an empty cinema with only Captain Jack Sparrow besides you :p
In summary, the chips are good but not the best. I would love to come back and try the burgers. Here are some tempting choices:
- The hand-crafted chilli crab burger: infused crab cake with Asian salad, lime mayonniase and sweet chilli jam. ($15 takeaway/ $17 in)
- The maiden Marrakesh burger: premium lamb flavoured with parsley, mint and cumin served with harissa, tzatziki and preserved lemon. ($13 takeaway/ $15 in)
- The rustic chorizo classic: pork burger with smoked paprika, chorizo, fennel, with soft peppers and fried egg.
Charlie & Co. is trying to separate itself from fast food with its premium meats and fresh produce. You can also dine in (the decor is quite classy) instead of having take-away but sadly, there was a queue for this too.
Like Arnie said, "I will be back".
Wokking rating /5: 
Charlie & Co.
Westfield Sydney, Pitt Street
Sydney
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