BURGER & LOBSTER
Have you noticed that the price of a burger has simply gone crazy, you’re unlikely to find one in any restaurant or pub these days for under sixteen pounds. While once it was seen as an inexpensive and satisfying alternative, these days, dollied up as they so often are, they have gone from being a fast food to a fast buck… but oh I do enjoy a good burger, one made with decent beef, cooked properly and presented with class.
Which is no doubt why I was drawn to trying out Burger and Lobster in Market Street, Brighton.
In town already for a delightful lunchtime concert at the Unitarian Church in New Road, where pianist John Bruzon treated us to delicious programme, I thought it would be nice to meet the ubiquitous Mr L for a spot of lunch.
It was a screamingly hot day but once inside the restaurant I was able to relax and cool down in the smart air-conditioned interior. The place is designed to look smart, that deep brown look reminiscent of a gentleman’s club but for for modern times. Fortunately that is just the look and does not carry with it the outdated elitism and sexism of a bygone age. What you do get though is impeccable service, kind and helpful but without being cloying. I immediately felt relaxed.
It was as I said a hot day, very hot and although there were some very tempting dishes Mr L and I agreed to have the lunchtime menu, with the addition of some rather good olives. We also agreed to share everything which turned out to be a very sensible idea.
So to start we chose the calamari and the wagu carpaccio. Calamari is so often a disappointment, too much lifted from a freezer and shocked back to life in hot oil. A good test of this is to check for tentacles, no tentacles and the chances are it is frozen.
We got tentacles, a light and crispy batter and a feisty lime and spring onion Singapore mayo, faith in squid restored. The wagu carpaccio was served with a lobster mayo and shoestring fries and was delivered in a generous portion, tasty and meltingly tender.
Half our surf and turf burger as we were sharing!
For our main courses we chose the surf and turf burger, a good bun, a tasty patty of wagu, not huge but packed with flavour and a good amount of crispy prawns. The kitchen kindly cut this into two for us. It came with a portion of excellent French fries which miraculously stayed piping hot. On the side a lemongrass hot sauce and kewpie mayo, and no, I had no idea what kewpie is but turns out to be Japan’s favourite condiment.
Our second dish was a prawn Caesar salad. Now purists out their will baulk at the idea but it simply works, far better than those chicken Caesars that simply defeat the idea of a light dish. This one had crisp lettuce, decent garlic butter croutons, lots a grated gran padano and crisp bacon bits, and lurking plentifully, crisp battered prawns. And perched atop two very juicy king prawns! It was a perfect summer dish that I would happily wolf down all year round. I also seemed to get my own portion of those great French fries.
Already sated Mr L opted to round his meal off with affogato but as usual, eyes bigger that belly, I went for the ice cream sandwich, toasted brioche filled with Boho Gelato vanilla ice-cream and doused in syrup and sundry other bits and bobs. Delicious!
To drink a fine chilled Vinho Verde and plenty water.
The lunch set menu is £20 for two courses, £25 for three although we did stray off menu for dessert. Will I return, for sure and maybe next time try the croquettes and a lobster, who knows, this set menu is certainly worth revisiting. Set lunch available 12-6 except Saturdays.
Burger and Lobster
15 Market Street, Brighton
01273 254063
burgerandlobster.com
