Illi Hill

I don't normally blog on the same day of reuben consumption, tending to bide away a few days in between the two events. Today was different, and I am compelled to describe this latest endeavor before tomorrow rear's its head. Why is this? Maybe it is because I've had a full day of being productive and want to keep the theme going. Maybe it is because the reuben was so satisfying I wish to capture it in its essence while the memory hasn't been lost in the flavour of time.

Illi hill is a takeaway coffee cup's throw from the Henson (handy). Choosing to sit outside in the shade I was pleasantly surprised at the engagement of the staff who were genuinely friendly and up for a good old chat. Even before the reuben ($17) arrived I thought to myself that the service alone warranted a bonus on their reuben score. I was not disappointed. It may look like a monster, but it was gobbled up and did not leave me with even a crumb of reuben regret. The temptation to get my greasy little paws into the wedges was strong (which came as a standard side and also look delicious) but I resisted, not wanting to spoil my reuben appetite.

Upon inspection it appeared that fresh cucumber was deftly inserted under the pastrami, however my tastebuds identified this to be incorrect and my best guess was that it was a homemade pickled cucumber which probably hadn't been pickled that long and still looked fresh. If I had taken the time to look at the menu, rather than just asking for the reuben this may have given the mystery away. In any case, it was juicy and had the right amount of gherkin-y tang. The kraut was more of a coleslaw, keeping to the fresh theme I suppose, but the cheese meltage and pastrami were spot on. The dressing snuck up on my tastebuds like a ninja in the night and only once I'd may my way through the first half of the sandwich did I identify more spice than tang, which wonderfully complemented the juicy cucumber-gherkin hybrid.

Spend a lazy weekend afternoon here. Good servivce. Nice Coffee. Excellent reuben.

9/10 (inc half point bonus for awesome staff)

No website, Facebook link here: Illi Hill

2042

I recall coming to 2042 at a time not toobmuch prior to starting this blog and ordering the Reuben. Was its undeniable deliciousness the catalyst that start this quest to find the ultimate one? Who knows. What I do know is that the Reuben did indeed match up to the one that was preserved in my memory from a few years ago.

One thing that stood out with this Reuben ($17) was that the different layers of ingredients were clearly defined. In order: rye bread, cheese, smoked wagyu, sauerkraut, gherkins, cheese, dressing and bread. The idea of marrying a slice of cheese immediately to each slice of bread was genius! Double the meltage and a touch of symmetry in the layers begged the question of what a symmetrically stacked Reuben would be like...

The Barossa smoked wagyu was one of the higher quality meats I've come across in hunting Reubens and it must have been sent straight from flavourtown to 2042. In the shadow of the wagyu, the pickles (tangy American style) and sauerkraut were good but were not the stars of the show. The sauerkraut may have potentially been straight out of the jar, as it tasted awfully close to the jar I buy from Harris Farm - which is not necessarily a bad thing seeing as that one is from Poland. The dressing, albeit tasty, was lacking in the "Russian" department and didn't have a tomato component but still worked.

Meat lovers unite for a quality helping of smoked wagyu.

8.5/10

Website: 2042

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