The Henson

Recommended by a friend, I was uncertain that The Henson had a Reuben on the menu until I finally came across the "Knuckle Sandwich": wagyu brisket, fennel slaw, swiss cheese, smokey mayo on rye (& chips) for $17. Sounded to me a like lot like "The NOT Reuben" at Reuben Hills (reviewed September 2014) which was sorely disappointing compared to the hype. Now entering a realm sans hype, I found myself somewhat less disappointed even though the reuben appeared to be a mirror of the Reuben Hills one.

Fennel slaw, well that's just coleslaw  isn't it (since when has fennel been that fancy?) and the wagyu brisket probably was stretching the bow a bit. It felt like a glorified steak sandwich. A chewy steak sandwich at that - I was battling with gristle many times in the low lit beer garden (hence the flash for the photo). The rye was the less than authentic soft and fluffy square variety (I somehow attribute real european rye to anything except a neat square shape), but the chips were nice. Hmmm, I think that's saying something. Given that it's not actually called a reuben on the menu, I don't think I can be too judgmental but going by the ingredients it almost should be.

The Henson has a great outside area, which was most enjoyable once it got a bit later and the toddlers running around with upside down buckets on their head and rolling balls under my stool had subsided. Family friendly is a bonus... if you have a family. Otherwise, leave your intolerance hat at home and come full acceptance that children will be there (as if the outdoor playground area didn't give that away).

Go for the beer garden and the casual atmosphere, but maybe give a burger a go instead.

7/10 - aligning it with the Reuben Hills rating

Website: The Henson

Sourdough Panini Bakery & Cafe

My hopes were high, standing outside the Sourdough Panini Bakery & Cafe with a crowd of other city workers at lunchtime. You order at the hole in the wall, receive a number and then wait to collect at the same hole when your number is called out. The Reuben came under the "Sourdough" category rather than the "Panini" category but really just felt like a baguette with a fancy title.

The ingredients were true to the menu list: shaved corned beef, provolone cheese, sauerkraut and russian dressing. The sauerkraut was far from the Eastern European style and was leaning more towards the inner west pickled fermented food movement. As fresh as the bread was, a baguette has no place holding a Reuben filling in my mind. The best part of the Reuben was the view, I settled in at Darling Harbour in the sunshine and was glad I didn't spend more than $10.






















The photo speaks for itself and captures the one word that best describes it: underwhelming. 

5/10

No website, facebook page here: Sourdough Panini Bakery & Cafe