I have a growing desire to work closer to home. I currently live approximately an hour away from Sydney CBD and use to happily travel the distance everyday for many years. I no longer have the patience to be going back and forth for such long periods of time so frequently. Unfortunately, one of the pitfalls of not working in the city is missing out on establishments like Plan B.
Plan B is the off-shoot, miniature cafe of Becasse, the main posh restaurant is just next door. It’s only open Monday to Friday, 9to5. Grrrr. This is an absolute bummer for a wagyu-obsessed foodie like myself. Plan B serve a much applauded 600-day grass-fed Wagyu Beef Burger. Ever since I read about it in the Sydney Morning Heralds Good Food Guide 2010, I have been daydreaming about when I make pilgrimage to the teeny-tiny cafe.
I took a planned day-off work for my birthday and made the trip into the city. Pizzaboy and I are late risers and we only managed to get to the cafe a little before 2pm. It seems we arrive just after the lunch rush and we manage to score a table on the sidewalk without waiting. There are only 4 items on the menu, some ready-made sandwiches in the fridge, and a very few drinks on offer.
Pizzaboy and I usually try not to order the same thing for the purpose of variety for the blog, however, we cannot imagine ordering anything else but the famous burger. It was not until we were ready to order that the lovely shop assistant informs us that everything but the beef burger and sausage roll is sold out. Phew.
The burgers are ordered from the mini-cafe and cooked in the main kitchen of Becasse. It is brought out to us in 12 minutes and the scent of beef rises from the plate like fire from a dragon’s mouth. Wow!
Deconstructing the burger, it appears that the cheese is the typical store-bought tasty cheese, the beetroot is fresh, the caramelised onions are sweet and the lettuce crisp. The buns have been lightly toasted and are slightly stiff, but not stale. The burger is not huge, but instead tall and very filling.
I cut the burger in half and inspect its inner workings. The pattie is fat, juicy, pink and cooked through. There is no obvious signs of fillers such as bread crumbs or semolina. If they are in use, it has either been mixed well or used at appropriate quantites.
Pizzaboy has already chowed through half his burger before I even get the first bite of mine.
My verdict… It’s just okay. Despite the euphoric scent, the burger was just like any other really good burger. Pizzaboy ate every bit of his and also agrees that although it was enjoyable, it was not the best.
Plan B by Becasse
204 Clarence Street Sydney
(02) 9283 3450
becasse.com.au/planb
Comments
Mark @ Cafe Campana
March 22, 2010 at 7:03 pmThis burger does look good. The mini ones were really popular at Taste of Sydney but they cost $12, more than the normal ones. I wish I worked in the city too.
Marlo Perry
March 22, 2010 at 8:57 pmI’m lucky I’ve never been. Straight away if I went I’d have one burger, one steak sandwich and one sausage roll! How did you contain yourself?
I’m obsessed with Etch, though.
Lisa @ bakebikeblog
March 22, 2010 at 9:10 pmThis is too funny…I was only talking about wagyu burgers tonight with my friends!! Shame that your was not brililant…there are some great ones out there 🙂
Yen@foodforfour
March 22, 2010 at 9:16 pmThe burger looks really good. I know how you feel about the long commute to and from work – it’s really is a waste of time.
Belle@OohLook
March 22, 2010 at 9:45 pmThe Plan B sandwiches are good, too. They’re pre-made but fresh and tasty. By the way, my solution to reducing the travel time to work was to move closer to the city 😉
Rosa
March 22, 2010 at 9:54 pmWow, those burgers look terrific! A lovely place!
joey@FoodiePop
March 23, 2010 at 9:22 amTheir burgers are ace but I love their sausage roll more!
Angie
March 23, 2010 at 6:42 pmI had the one they served at taste, definately very juicey meat pattie… not the greatest… but definately good.
Karen
March 23, 2010 at 7:17 pmGreat pics! I was full from the burger all day because it was so filling, even though it’s small!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella
March 23, 2010 at 9:39 pmAren’t the burgers great? They gave out the recipe for this burger and I made it (misu te extra wagyu fat) and it was amazingly good and very much like the cafe one (in case you have a weekend hankering for it 😛 )
panda
March 23, 2010 at 10:23 pmi work on the other end of the city and have been wanting to try out this burger for ages! but it’s just too far to get to in a lunch break…sigh
Von
March 24, 2010 at 3:35 pmI’ve always wanted to try this! I spent ages trying to convince my parents to take me there but then realised that it was only open Monday to Friday =(
mashi
March 26, 2010 at 9:03 amHave always wanted to try their burgers there. The limited opening hours really don’t help since I work no where near the city.
Definitely try to move closer to the city to reduce commuting time there and back, or else try to find something productive to do whilst on the train i.e. reading notes, preparing to-do lists, etc