Last week I attended a media tasting event for the opening of Moo Gourmet Burgers at Manly. I love eating and I love hamburgers so I was very excited to receive this invitation.
I rocked up to Moo Gourmet Burgers in the pouring rain; however the views from the restaurant’s verandas are impressive regardless of the weather conditions.
Moo can be found on level 2 and 3 of a three-story building on the South Steyne overlooking the picturesque Manly beach.
Moo Gourmet Burgers overlooking Manly beach
What they say:
MOO Gourmet Burgers! Family friendly atmosphere with great food and 4 fantastic locations!
Come and enjoy a Burger overlooking famous Bondi Beach! Relax in the spacious courtyard in Coogee and BYO wine for a fun night out. Enjoy the individuality of our Newtown restaurant and contribute to the extensive collection of customer artwork on the walls. Or bask in the sun on one of two of our spacious balconies at Manly taking in uninterrupted views of the beach.
There is something for everyone with a selection of 20 delicious gourmet burgers. All beef burgers are made with 100% Australian Angus Pure Natural Beef. There are 3 vegetarian options as well as a selection of premium burgers including our double Wagyu beef “Deluxe Moo®“, Duck & Bacon, Greek Lamb, and Grilled Salmon. Or try one of our signature burgers the “Black & White®” or “Big Moo”.
One of the first things I noticed and liked about Moo’s is that it’s not an impersonal chain restaurant. Adam Gerondis, founder and owner of Moo Gourmet Burgers (first opened in July 2009) has put a lot of thought and detail into every aspect of the business. One such aspect is the great pride he takes in his family values and history. Adam’s maternal grandfather opened Australia’s first milk bar, The Black and White 4d Milk Bar back in 1932 and his paternal grandfather who was one of the early pioneers of restaurants in New Zealand, opened “The Deluxe” back in 1926. With his family in mind Adam re-introduced the traditional milkshake onto the Moo menu.
Everything from the recycled furniture, the artworks on the wall, the label design on the Pale Ale bottle and the food on the menu has been thought through and decided upon by the staff of Moo who take great pride in their company. It reminds me a lot of a family business.
Take a look
Inside Moo
Once we were all seated the first burger came out; The Wagyu Beef Burger, 100% Northern Tablelands Wagyu beef, Tasmanian brie, caramelised onions, tomato, mixed-leaf lettuce and home-made mayonnaise $16.50.
The meat was tender, the bun was light, the mayonnaise was creamy and the brie really brought all the ingredients together.
The Wagyu Beef Burger
I might have to work on my tasting-event etiquette because I looked around at my polite, petite blogging neighbours and they were barely half way through their burgers AND using knives and forks. I’m an animal!
Accompanying the burgers was a cone of very crunchy, chunky, golden chips $6.00. The chips are perfect; crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside and I suspect they might be cooked twice, they are that good.
Crunchy chips with dipping sauces
There is a selection of dipping sauces that you can choose to come with the fries and my favourite sauce (by a mile) was the aioli. This was possibly some of the best aioli I have ever tasted. Dipping sauces $1.50 each.
Next on the tasting menu were the drinks!
Moo Brew Pale Ale is brewed in Tasmania by Moorilla Estate, one of Hobart’s oldest wineries.
Moo's Moo Brew Pale Ale
The first thing I noticed about the Ale is the smell – it was a pleasant florally/citrus smell almost like a hand cream or candle. The Ale was light, smooth and pretty easy to drink… very refreshing and would be a great chaser to the hearty burgers.
I could easily drink one (or 5) of these on a hot summers day on the veranda of Moo overlooking the water. $8.50/bottle
Try this Beach Blonde
Next came one of Moo’s signature milkshakes – the Beach Blonde ($6.50) which featured crunchie bar, caramel and chocolate syrup. DELICIOUS! Luckily we were drinking smaller versions of the milkshakes because I wouldn’t have been able to stop myself from drinking a full glass and would have surely gone into a coma from being so full.
This place could really give neighbour Cold Rock Ice Creamery a run for its money, I can’t wait to try to recreate this at home.
Fancy a Cow in Mud?
Luckily I wasn’t on my diet last Wednesday because the team at Moo really looked after me and I couldn’t refuse. No sooner had I finished my Beach Blond they brought out one of their cocktails, the Cow in Mud – Frangelico, Baileys, vanilla ice cream, Tim Tam biscuit, chocolate sauce and milk. This has to be one of the most delicious cocktails I’ve had in a long time and I fear that on a night out I’d knock them back like water. I think reasonable at $9.50 a pop.
As mentioned before Adam has re-introduced the traditional milkshake to the menu as a dedication for his grandfather, we got to try Moo’s Vanilla Malt Milkshake, another great drink, $5.00.
Milkbar style - Vanilla Malt Milkshake
You could stick a fork in me, I was so full but we weren’t finished yet (damn you Wagyu beef burger for being so bloody tasty).
Our 2nd (and last) burger for the night was the Kangaroo Burger – 100% kangaroo pattie with fresh sage and garlic, caramelised onions, tomato, rocket, home-made mayonnaise and beetroot relish. I’m not going to lie I was a little nervous about this burger, I’d never had kangaroo before and that was by choice.
I’m a gagger (gag very easily at anything that disgusts me including seeing snakes on TV) and was worried I wouldn’t be able to control my reflexes when they served me Skippy, but if I want to be a good food blogger then I need to be brave and experiment.
I was pleasantly surprised when the kangaroo burger was placed in front of me. It looked like a normal burger! Trying to redeem myself with the other girls, I practised some etiquette and used a knife and fork to attack my meal.
Moo's famous Kangaroo Burger
The Kangaroo meat was really tasty (phew!) and if I wasn’t so full I would have happily finished it.
Just when I thought I couldn’t eat another thing they brought out the very last dish – a platter of their brand new Mookies, made-from-scratch “Black and White chocolate cookies” – soooooooo good! I got to take this home to enjoy but unfortunately that meant sharing with Beau. Soft biscuit and melted chocolate…Scrumptious.
Mookies... DELICIOUS
The wonderful tasting night finally came to an end and I was so full that I had to sit in the car for ten minutes with my top button undone on my jeans before I could start the drive home.
I think Moo Gourmet Burgers is fantastic and I highly recommend you check it out this summer.
What I loved about Moo Gourmet Burgers
- Food is fantastic – might be a little pricey compared to a fast-food burger joint but the quality is miles ahead
- You won’t be rushed – come for a long lunch or spend the afternoon overlooking Manly beach while slowly working your way through the menu
- They are open every day from 11am until late.
- It’s all fresh produce
- 17 of the burgers are coeliac friendly
- Great locations
- The menu is changed slightly to suit each location
- Friendly staff
- They donate 50c from every Little Cow meal sold to the Starlight Children’s Foundation
To find out more about Moo Gourmet Burgers, check out their website here or visit them on Facebook and Twitter.
{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Those milkshakes look divine! I’m going to check it out next time I’m in Manly.
The best way to eat a burger is definitely with your hands, preferably with juices running running down your fingers but, alas, I’ve been blessed with a narrow jaw – unbeknownst to me until told to me repeatedly by various dentists – so cutlery is often the easiest way to go. Etiquette? Nah, it’s all a charade!
Yes definitely check out Moo – try to go on a sunny day and get a spot on the veranda’s! x
Haha glad you agree hands is the best way to go.
Was so nice meeeting you the other day, I’m sure it won’t be too long before we bump into each other again. I will try and not over-eat next time