Burger Cartel (Japanese Wagyu) – Sydney, Australia

Burger Cartel is a burger joint that opened up 10 months ago and sits only a few metres away from Rockdale station.

The theme of the establishment has been inspired by the Mexican cartel (yup!), and this resonates not just throughout the decor, but also the menu items themselves, with names such as the El Chapo burger, as well as one named after the notorious Pablo Escobar!

While there are chairs and tables available outdoors, as well as a car park, inside there’s high stools and cartel-themed artwork in the form of brightly coloured walls.

Despite the store having a relatively small interior, they’ve maximised the availability of space with seating capacity for around 40.

Burger Cartel is 100% Halal-certified, with the meat being supplied by the owners’ own Halal butchery, ensuring complete freshness and quality of produce.

Onion Rings (M $4, L $6) – loaded em up: “El Mayo”, Cheese, Gravy or Chilli + $2 each

The Onion were a healthy portion, with a perfectly crispy exterior and the soft, tender onions therein being cooked well.

French Fries (M $4, L $6) – loaded em up: “El Mayo”, Cheese, Gravy or Chilli + $2 each

Next up was the cheese and gravy loaded Fries (total $10), which were presented in a very interesting manner. The chips themselves were crispy, and seasoned generously with chicken salt.

However, the cheese and gravy, rather than covering the fries, was served in syringes for us to add ourselves. This made the dish more entertaining, and allowed us, without needing to worry over how little or how much, control over the quantity we wanted.

The cheese itself had ample flavour and the texture was creamy, whereas the delicious gravy had a homemade feel to it.

Garden Salad (R $7, L $10)

The ingredients used for the Garden Salad were relatively standard, consisting of lettuce, tomato, onion, radish, pomegranate, and all dressed in balsamic vinegar.

The produce was very fresh, however, and the pomegranates added a flavourful dimension that elevated the dish beyond what an average garden salad might be.

Scarface – Grilled chicken, cheese, lettuce, tomato & mayo, $10

Given the name of the store, we made sure to try their burgers. We started off with their classic chicken burger Scarface – a healthy combination of grilled chicken, lettuce, tomato and onion, all contained within a milk bun.

The chicken was grilled well, with an almost crispy exterior, and well complemented by the salads.

Overall, this was simple, had a classic taste to it, and thus difficult to get right .

Bonez Rib Burger – Angus beef rib, basting, coleslaw & pickles, $20

Their signature is the “Bonez rib burger” consisting of a huge beef short rib, including the bone, with coleslaw, pickles and homemade barbeque-basting sauce.

Now when we took our first few bites of this beaut, as the Aussies tend to say, we all had to take a good second just to comprehend its flavour profile. Simply put, every layer to this burger was stellar.

The short rib, which was incredibly tender and flavourful in its own right, when combined with the smoky barbeque sauce, reached a new height that was almost indescribable!

The coleslaw and pickles seemed a bit foreign at first; and yet, brought in a unique layer of freshness to what could otherwise be described as just a rib-in-a-bun.

In our opinion, this is arguably the best burger we’ve ever had! While one Lion thought this was cheating, reasoning that this wasn’t so much a burger as it was a rib dish, who cares when it’s this good.

Wagyu Kobe Steak (500g) – with Sweet Potato Fries & House Salad, $75

Wagyu Kobe Steak (500g) – with Sweet Potato Fries & House Salad, $75

Wagyu Kobe Steak (500g) – with Sweet Potato Fries & House Salad, $75

Finally, we had the beautifully marbled Wagyu Kobe steak imported in from Japan. The owner put on quite a show when serving this steak to us, first grilling it in the kitchen, before achieving a charred exterior by torching the sliced cuts of meat in situ.

The cross section revealed a perfect medium rare, that was confirmed upon tasting. The meat itself, was absolutely delicious, and the marbling observed before, glistened when cooked.

Upon taking our first bite, the meat just dissolved in our mouths as the interplay between the fat and rge lean meat danced upon our taste buds. The meat was seasoned well, with its consistency only being likened to that of butter!

Flake Thickshake, $8

The Flake Thickshake was made in front of us artistically, before being topped with a whole flake. And it was superb too, encapsulating the flavour of a real Cadbury Flake.

There was no cheaping-out on the amount of actual chocolate used either, as pieces could be tasted with every single sip rather than sitting at the bottom of the cup. The only complaint we could muster, though hardly one at all, was that it was too thick, which may not be a thing for some.