MELBOURNE | How do you solve a problem like a burger? This has long been a challenge of burger giant Grill’d, and something the company has often claimed they have succeeded in. With this in mind, their new low carb nourish and flourish burger, created in collaboration with nutritionist Lola Berry, is designed to take this challenge even further.
But first, a little about the launch venue. Situated on the rooftop of shopping centre Melbourne Central is St Jerome’s: The Hotel, a ‘glamping’ paradise with tents filled with some of the most advanced camping equipment (each one has an air-conditioner and a double bed) you might ever see. These intricately designed experiences look out onto Melbourne from 3 floors up, and are designed to provide the ultimate urban camping experience. There are even porta-bathrooms (including shower) for when nature calls so far away from nature.
We weren’t lucky enough to be given a room for the night in the ‘hotel’ but we get the impression that with their combination of a modern living experience and an almost Wes Anderson-like decor (see below), that this would be a place worth experiencing.
But now, on to the burgers.
The first burger we tasted was the ‘Simon Says’, a chicken burger (see above) filled with bacon, avocado, and relish, and obviously lettuce, and all on the low carb ‘superbun’ (more on that later). But the main attraction was the ‘Nourish and Flourish’ Beef Burger. We had noticed them being cooked and so we had a good idea of what it would look like on the inside. Containing many of the usual faces you would expect from a Grill’d burger such as lean beef, avocado, and shredded tomato, the real star. The last burger was the ‘Garden Goodness’, a veggie pattie combination with ingredients such as beetroot, salad, and herbed mayo. Like the others for the evening, this burger also contained the aforementioned ‘superbun’ and was a real highlight for us.
And now, back to the superbun. It’s dairy-free, grain-free, and according to Grill’d, contains less than 9 grams of carbs per bun. If we’re honest, we really didn’t know what to make of this when it first arrived in our hands, other than to perhaps describe it as something akin to a burger wearing a graduation hat. But like everything, ‘health food’ comes with interesting quirks and twists, many of which can be evolutionary while others lean more on the side of revolution, and it can be difficult to know what to expect from the next big thing. For us, it was a change that took a few cursory bites to get our head (or teeth) around, but once the surprise had passed, there was very little to be critical about.
But back to our original question, how do you solve a problem like a burger? Well we think it really depends on how you define ‘problem’. Because as burger lovers ourselves, we’re not entirely sure there is one. Like Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster, who has in recent years chosen to see cookies as a ‘sometimes food’, maybe the problem isn’t with the burger but with the self control required in choosing to eat the burger.
However, if burgers are a problem for you, then you probably won’t go far wrong with the work of Lola Berry and Grill’d. They look and taste healthy, and it seems pretty likely that this is something that would translate to benefits for your body too.
We’ll leave that decision up to you.
St Jerome’s: The Hotel
Melbourne Central
Level 3, 271 Little Lonsdale Street
Melbourne
Victoria 3000
Australia
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: +61 406 118 561
Website: http://www.stjeromesthehotel.com.au/
Grill’d Nourish and Flourish burgers are available at all Grill’d outlets Australia wide.