Bucket Scene: Hudsons Burger Joint - Umhlanga

So my favourite burger joint opened in Durban last week, for me Hudsons was my first taste of a "gourmet burger" if you can call it that. My first experience was at their original store on Kloofnek Street in Cape Town, back then they still had lamb burgers on the menu, I was hooked thereafter, and clearly I wasn't the only one as they then started to expand, opening up more stores around the city and then tried their hands in foreign territory, opening up a branch in Parkhhurst, Johannesburg. When on my travels to either city I would try to go have a meal there at least once during my stay and more often that not I would stick to my favourite burger on the menu, seeing that I only had Hudsons once in a while

Now you can only imagine my joy when I found out that Hudsons were opening in Durban, situated on the corner of Lighthouse Rd and Chartwell Drive, in the building that formerly housed the Dutch, is where you will find them. They've redone most of the interior, making it more of a diner/ dive sort of setting, which is chilled and relaxed. The menu has been slightly tweaked to suit the Durban market and they have a host of burgers to suit any palate and now since they in Durban I can try other burgers on the menu! But being the first time in their new Durban branch I went along and ordered my usual, the Bacon Jam. Some say it is their best burger on the menu but for me it ticks all the right boxes, succulent patty topped with cheddar cheese, lettuce, bacon jam and crispy dusted onion rings, I swop out the beef patty for ostrich since I don't eat beef.

Apart from delicious burgers, they have a host of other items on the menu, like appetisers of which include Chilli Poppers, Chicken Strips and Sliders, if you're looking for something healthy on the menu, there's always the salads if which I've heard the "The Empire" is quite good and they also offer grills and tacos if you looking for something else. All that eating will require something equally good to wash it down with, thankfully they have a great selection of cold brews, with a variety of local craft beers, some of which are served on tap , a full on cocktail menu and extensive wine list for you to choose from. 

For those who are after the sweeter things in life, their dessert menu will have you drooling, the Deep Fried Oreos are certainly one to try. They have a great range of milkshakes as well, with The Cookie Monster being the ultimate, it has Bar One, Cookie Crumb rim topped with whipped cream and chocolate chip cookies. I've yet to try this one out but it's on the list of things I need to try. Overall, my first Hudsons Durban experience was nothing short of great, with the store fairly new,  there were minor hiccups but nothing to be concerned over, the food is great, the beers are cold and everyone has a smile on their face, is there anything else you need? 

For more information you can visit their website: theburgerjoint.co.za

Double Crunch is back!

After an absence of more than 3 years, KFC South Africa have heeded the call of thousands of their supporters by bringing back the much loved Double Crunch. When you combine 2 juicy fillets, 2 slices of cheese, lettuce, tomato, smothered in a new special mayo and served in a fresh sesame seed bun, whats not to love about it? They celebrated the relaunch of this burger by treating some real fans of the burger on an action packed Sunday, those select few were the lucky ones to get their hands on it before anyone in SA. Not to worry though, you can find the #DoubleCrunch as of today, 16th September 2014 at all branches. Well go on then, what are you still doing reading this??? Go buy one before the Colonel changes his mind and pulls it from the menu!

Recipe: Grilled tomatoes

Seeing that I've been fasting for what seems like a decade but actually was a month, I was getting tired of the usual veggie food. I mean there's only so much pizza, pasta and cheese toast you can eat. So I decided to get creative in the kitchen, I wanted something simple yet filling but doesn't take a lot of time to make. I know the title reads "grilled" but it actually is pan fried.Its sort of a bruschetta but can be eaten as a light meal too. Here's how to make it.

Ingredients.

• 2 large, red, firm tomatoes
• bread of your choice
• 2 table spoons olive oil
• cream/ cottage cheese
• dried Italian herbs
• garlic flakes
• crushed black pepper
• spring onion

Recipe

Begin by slicing your tomato, you'd want a nice thick slice so that it still maintains its shape when frying. In a frying pan, add your olive oil. Wait for the oil to heat up before placing your tomatoes in, once in sprinkle your dry spices and herbs. For a bit of kick, you can sprinkle a chilli power. Cook the tomato for about 2/3 minutes on either side. While this is being done, slice your bread also keep it a little thicker than usual. You can either pop it in the toaster or the oven, just for a short while to crispen it, we don't want it hard in texture. Spread a generous amount of you cream/ cottage cheese on the bread then place your fried slices of tomatoes on top. Garnish with the chopped spring onion and you're ready to eat!