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

Reuben Republic

The name says it all: Reuben Republic - Artisan Pastrami. The casual cafe which specialises in meat sandwiches is set up on busy Marrickville Road, which makes the location ideal for a quick bite. The most difficult decision is which reuben to order - do you opt  for the more traditional "East Coast" reuben, or instead, shake up the neighbourhood with a "West Coast" reuben. I challenge you to read through these two options without the Ali G east side/west side sketch popping into your head. The third option is the bagel, for those who are looking for that extra jaw workout on a tougher bread variety.

 My favourite part of Reuben Republic is that you can order a plate of pickles as a side dish and not wanting to chance pickle regret, the pickle plate was ordered. Not expecting the plate to be that large, albeit it does say on the menu that it is a "large" plate, it was a substantial mound of pickles. As an avid pickle enthusiast who enjoys dunking a hand into a giant pickle jar to fish myself a pickle at any time of the day, I am disappointed to say that the pickle plate defeated me (and I even had some help). The pickles were thick cut and so juicy, with many stuffed into an East Coast reuben and would need at least 3 people to polish off.

Reuben Republic takes the prize of the neatest aligned slices of pastrami and the orderly sandwich remained so until the first bite. The meat itself was hot and without doubt backed their claim of having "artisan pastrami". The quality of the meat should have seen this rated a 9/10 but it was let down by the other ingredients not being as generously packed as the serving of meat.. The sauerkraut was delicious, in the classic european style and the cheese was as expected. More of these two ingredients yes would have made it into a monster, but would have added so much more to the overall package. The pickles on the side were the same as the ones in the giant plate but should have been inside preferably, not that it stopped me stacking in more than probably necessary. The light rye, both in colour and density, was a welcoming change from the sourdough varieties on other reubens.

Artisan pastrami lives up to its name - I'll be back to try the "West Coast" variety.

8.5/10

Website: Reuben Republic

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