Once in a while, I don’t carry food home but it is carried home for me. A bad lower back had been troubling me for a while. So I decided that I wasn’t going to venture out and encourage the shooting pain that had turned from a few episodes here and there into a full-fledged attack. I stayed back at home and read my books, and dinner came in the shape of a juicy tenderloin burger.
Actually, there’s a bit of background to this. A couple of weeks ago, the better half had gone to Amici Café in Khan Market for coffee with her friends. That day, our chief cook and I had thought we’d have burgers for dinner. So the BH said she’d bring some from Amici. But she changed her mind while she was there and decided that she’d get us pizzas instead. And, then, she changed her mind some more, and came back empty handed, after sending me a text message, urging me to order some pizzas from Slice of Italy.
To be honest, I quite like the pizzas that you get at Slice of Italy, for it serves some interesting pork ones. I particularly like their Oink Oink which has various kinds of pork products as toppings. So we had a fairly good dinner of pizzas that evening.
Then, earlier this week, when the BH was on her way to Amici again, and I was laid up with the bad back, we decided that this time we’d have the Amici pizzas for dinner. I was keen on the pizza piccante (smoked spicy chorizo, Italian sausages, jalapenos, fire roasted chillies, fresh mozzarella, chopped parsley and garlic butter crust –– Rs. 520), But this time, again, she changed her mind and decided to get us burgers instead. And, once again, we didn’t mind, for the chief cook and I love burgers.
For CC, there was a barbecued chicken burger. The choice for me was between the El guapo pulled pork burger and a braised tenderloin burger. I finally got the latter.
The chicken burger came with candied jalapenos and smoked paprika onion rings and the BH’s juicy tenderloin had a ground tenderloin patty and pieces of bacon in between two soft burger buns. Both were for Rs. 490. My burger (Rs.510) was described as a six-hour braised tenderloin sandwich served with pot-roasted onions, mature cheddar, homemade pickle and butter brioche. I liked the meat patty (though it could have done with a little less salt), and the pickled flavour of the burger.
I am told that Amici is adding new summery dishes, such as a grilled vegetable and crunchy peanut salad. I am sure light eaters will be happy with that, but I like Amici’s fare mainly because this is one place where you get both pork and tenderloin. And there’s a vast menu to choose from. The last time I was there, I remember eating some moist and tender tenderloin. It was a pleasant evening and we sat out under an open sky.
The day I had my burger, too, was a lovely evening. After days of scorching heat and energy-draining humidity, a sudden storm and showers had brought the temperature down. I munched my burger with my book in hand, and felt at peace. For the moment, even the back pain was forgotten.
(The writer is a seasoned street food connoisseur)
