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

Satellite Cafe

Loitering on a corner not too far from Newtown's iconic Clem's chicken shop, is the very colourful Satellite Cafe. Pink, purple and blue chairs litter the footpath outside of the main entrance and if it wasn't situated in eclectic Newtown where anything goes, it would have come with a slight feeling that you have wandered into a "Honey I shrunk the furniture" scenario. The Reuben was ordered on my behalf to coincidence with my slightly tardy arrival, by my brunching companions. My experience of the cafe itself was solely from the tiny purple chair I was perched on outside, as my Reuben hunting adventures were contained to the footpath on this occasion.

I was pleasantly surprised to find Reuben still on the menu, as the website's "New Menu" is dated November 2012: pastrami, gruyere, sauerkraut, house made Russian dressing, garnished with baby cornichons ($16). This is the first Reuben where baby cornichons make an appearance as a side garnish in their own equally baby sized jar. In the whispering wind, I could just hear them longing to nestle themselves alongside the pastrami. Who am I to defy such an instruction? In they went.

 It was one of the oiliest sandwich breads I've experienced, across all filling varieties. It did give the sandwich a nice crrrrrrunch but upon squeezing the now oversized interior (recently stacked with the baby cornichons) into a single mouthful, the distinct drip...drip...drip of oil escaping from the sourdough found itself on the plate below. The sourdough resembled something close to Sonoma's Miche Sourdough which was a good choice considering it was holding together the substantial layers inside.

Thick, but not too thick, slices of pastrami were generously stacked on top of sauerkraut, whole grain mustard, and cheese - whether or not it was indeed gruyere was questionable. Purple cabbage was used for the sauerkraut but had such a similar taste to the traditional eastern european style that I'll let it slide. Dotted with caraway seeds and juniper berries (yes, juniper berries!) this kraut was something quite unique.

Come hungry and grab a seat outside for some people watching. Watching the dog from the table next to me lick my plate after I was done with it was certainly entertaining. I'll be back for this Reuben.

8.5/10

Website: Satellite Cafe Newtown

Forest Lodge Hotel and The Bank Hotel

I arrived at the Forest Lodge Hotel expecting a delicious dinner....sometimes things don't go according to plan. N/A - stands for not acceptable. It looked like the N/A was there to stay, rather than bad luck on the night.

Disappointment levels were high for the second time this week: The Bank Hotel took its Reuben menu offering off the menu and replaced it with a "Cuban" (i.e. a fancy name for a ham and cheese sandwich). I contacted the Bank to express my disappointment and received the following reply: "Thanks for the feedback. Our menu changes seasonally but it's always good to hear our customers thoughts! Have you tried the Cuban Sandwich? We reckon that one gives the Reuben a run for its money! Thanks, The Bank team". I'm not sure in which universe a ham, cheese (not to forget the addition of mustard) sandwich would ever give a Reuben a run for its money, but I'm sure glad that it's not this one.




Update: I went back to the Forest Lodge Hotel a week later and again found the Reuben crossed out with chalk. Investigating further, the staff explained that it technically is on the menu every day but regularly sells out so you have to get in early. Third time lucky?