"I can't believe this used to be Mamma Carmela's"
We're at Norwood tonight, in the sort-of-new, revamped site that once upon a time was named Mamma Carmela's, Becco.
Tonight we introduce you to Son of Mac, who has joined Hungry Hungry Hippo and I with the burgering (Chicken, after a bout of illness post-burger last week once again opting for the chicken salad). The three of us order the Becco Burger - Wagyu beef, beetroot, fresh tomato, egg, caramelised onion, lettuce, mayo & tomato sauce dressing at the somewhat costly price of $16.90, but it should be said that it is served with wedges on the side, but I personally HATE wedges so I asked for fries instead, as did Hungry Hungry Hippo.
I feel like I need to tell you something. I was really not in the mood for a burger tonight after the terrib, so when it finally came to the table, served on a wooden board with a steak knife speared through the heart of the thing, it gave me a little jolt of excitement, realising that someone had already stabbed the burger I was dreading to eat.
I'm not at all melodramatic.
We all rejoiced at the presence of sesame seeds!! Yay seeds!! Although there weren't many, they were there and that made me feel a little less apprehensive. Mind you, although the wooden boards are cute for presentation (with a mini steel basket of chips on the side), had Chicken opted for a burger too, the table would have been too small to fit four boards. Hungry Hungry Hippo commented, "that board is the size of a half decent snapper! If I caught that I wouldn't throw it back!"
The bun is nice and dark, although the boys' burgers were pretty cool to touch (mine was warm, but not hot) and glossy. It looked nicely held together.
Tonight we introduce you to Son of Mac, who has joined Hungry Hungry Hippo and I with the burgering (Chicken, after a bout of illness post-burger last week once again opting for the chicken salad). The three of us order the Becco Burger - Wagyu beef, beetroot, fresh tomato, egg, caramelised onion, lettuce, mayo & tomato sauce dressing at the somewhat costly price of $16.90, but it should be said that it is served with wedges on the side, but I personally HATE wedges so I asked for fries instead, as did Hungry Hungry Hippo.
I feel like I need to tell you something. I was really not in the mood for a burger tonight after the terrib, so when it finally came to the table, served on a wooden board with a steak knife speared through the heart of the thing, it gave me a little jolt of excitement, realising that someone had already stabbed the burger I was dreading to eat.
I'm not at all melodramatic.
We all rejoiced at the presence of sesame seeds!! Yay seeds!! Although there weren't many, they were there and that made me feel a little less apprehensive. Mind you, although the wooden boards are cute for presentation (with a mini steel basket of chips on the side), had Chicken opted for a burger too, the table would have been too small to fit four boards. Hungry Hungry Hippo commented, "that board is the size of a half decent snapper! If I caught that I wouldn't throw it back!"
The bun is nice and dark, although the boys' burgers were pretty cool to touch (mine was warm, but not hot) and glossy. It looked nicely held together.
Bun 7/10
Son of Mac says it held everything together well.
Me: Yay, seeds!
Hungry Hungry Hippo said it was nice to have a brioche bun. It could've been warmer. Good seeds, good colour, it held everything together well but it became a little flaky at the end. I agreed, it didn't turn to mush and was sturdy but soft.
Patty 5/10
I thought it was bland and a bit boring, but inoffensive. I do think that they tell you it's Wagyu in an attempt to sound impressive, but it's not necessary and in this case, if I had kept in mind that it was Wagyu (which I forgot until I read the menu again after finishing) I probably would've been looking for more.
Son of Mac said it could've been tastier and was a bit dry. It was meh.
Hungry Hungry Hippo said it didn't hit any highs, nor did it sink to any lows. Plus one for the right size and thickness, minus one for being a bit dry.
Value 5/10
I think that it was a bit pricey. I didn't feel ripped off or mad, but it was a bit on the expensive side for what it was.
Son of Mac said there was nothing wow about it to make it worth 17 bucks.
Chicken interjected by saying that it looked like a substantial meal and it LOOKED fresh.
Hungry Hungry Hippo said that we were paying Norwood prices for a decent burger (fair call) but it was still a bit pricey.
Balance & Composition 7/10
Son of Mac said it was extremely well balanced and composed.
Hungry Hungry Hippo said he had to dip his chips in the drips that landed on the board, but despite that it was a bit dry. Overall it was a very well balanced burger though. The onion didn't fight the egg and the beetroot provided a subtle sweetness, rather than taking over the whole thing.
I thought it was quite lovely. No flavour dominated, but it was one teaspoon of mayo and one teaspoon of ketchup short of an 8.
Only when we were scoring did I realise mine didn't come with cheese. Although I would have usually added it, I didn't miss it, and Chicken said that if it wasn't missed, it wasn't needed.
Flavour 7/10
It was a decent flavour, but nothing sensational.
Son of Mac said "good overall flavour, nothing overtook from each other."
Hungry Hungry Hippo commented that while it wasn't flavourSOME, it wasn't flavourLESS either. It wasn't lacking in flavour. By comparison to what we've had lately especially, it was pretty tasty.
Overall 6.2/10
I wasn't mad after eating that burger. I'm glad we've come back to a good one after the run we've had lately and if I found myself back at Becco and in the mood for a burger, I would not hesitate to order one again.
Becco can be found at 89A The Parade, Norwood.
Son of Mac says it held everything together well.
Me: Yay, seeds!
Hungry Hungry Hippo said it was nice to have a brioche bun. It could've been warmer. Good seeds, good colour, it held everything together well but it became a little flaky at the end. I agreed, it didn't turn to mush and was sturdy but soft.
Patty 5/10
I thought it was bland and a bit boring, but inoffensive. I do think that they tell you it's Wagyu in an attempt to sound impressive, but it's not necessary and in this case, if I had kept in mind that it was Wagyu (which I forgot until I read the menu again after finishing) I probably would've been looking for more.
Son of Mac said it could've been tastier and was a bit dry. It was meh.
Hungry Hungry Hippo said it didn't hit any highs, nor did it sink to any lows. Plus one for the right size and thickness, minus one for being a bit dry.
Value 5/10
I think that it was a bit pricey. I didn't feel ripped off or mad, but it was a bit on the expensive side for what it was.
Son of Mac said there was nothing wow about it to make it worth 17 bucks.
Chicken interjected by saying that it looked like a substantial meal and it LOOKED fresh.
Hungry Hungry Hippo said that we were paying Norwood prices for a decent burger (fair call) but it was still a bit pricey.
Balance & Composition 7/10
Son of Mac said it was extremely well balanced and composed.
Hungry Hungry Hippo said he had to dip his chips in the drips that landed on the board, but despite that it was a bit dry. Overall it was a very well balanced burger though. The onion didn't fight the egg and the beetroot provided a subtle sweetness, rather than taking over the whole thing.
I thought it was quite lovely. No flavour dominated, but it was one teaspoon of mayo and one teaspoon of ketchup short of an 8.
Only when we were scoring did I realise mine didn't come with cheese. Although I would have usually added it, I didn't miss it, and Chicken said that if it wasn't missed, it wasn't needed.
Flavour 7/10
It was a decent flavour, but nothing sensational.
Son of Mac said "good overall flavour, nothing overtook from each other."
Hungry Hungry Hippo commented that while it wasn't flavourSOME, it wasn't flavourLESS either. It wasn't lacking in flavour. By comparison to what we've had lately especially, it was pretty tasty.
Overall 6.2/10
I wasn't mad after eating that burger. I'm glad we've come back to a good one after the run we've had lately and if I found myself back at Becco and in the mood for a burger, I would not hesitate to order one again.
Becco can be found at 89A The Parade, Norwood.