Sharing a Culture of Food
Ben and Nick Chiu, the brothers behind Ben’s Burgers in the Valley, Brisbane have no real background in food – aside from loving it!
Working in the retail industry with his high-end streetwear store, Apartment, but having a real knack for home cooking, Ben Chiu decided to make the transition into food.
“The concept was heavily influenced from our backgrounds and roots in our retail endeavours,” explains Chiu.
“Travelling the world on our buying trips allowed us to see how food is really another extension of the street wear niche that we are a part of. It’s just another interest that brings a group of people together”.
“The idea for Ben’s was very much about creating another way for us to share the culture we love with an even wider audience while making sure we carried over our ethos of stripping back the unnecessary and providing the finest quality.”
Chiu says they had a pretty good idea when they first launched of what they wanted on their menu, so it was just a matter of tweaking it slightly to get the right ingredients.
They are firm believers in the philosophy: ‘do one thing and do it very well’.
Ben’s Burgers have a simple menu of three burgers, which includes a classic burger, a special burger and a vegetarian option. There are chilli fries, a daily salad and a small selection of extras that can be added to your burger to jazz it up.
“All of our meat and veg are sourced from local suppliers, pretty much everything coming from within Queensland. Our bread comes from a small suburban bakery that makes them especially for us.”
Chiu says that for him, the ultimate burger sin is eating a burger with cutlery.
“Burgers need to be eaten whole and by hand. There are always napkins for people who make a mess and if you have trouble with big burgers then you’re just going to have to take a lot of small bites rather than trying to fit your mouth around the whole thing.”
Aside from simplicity, the main aim of the game for Chiu is getting the right balance within a burger. He says the sauce shouldn’t overpower the flavours of the meat and salad and the bun should be super soft and hold up till the very end (even with the juiciest of patties).
“It’s never great if the bun disintegrates and you’re left with just meat or if there is not enough meat for the size of the bun,” laments Chiu.
“Down to the last bite you should still be getting a taste of all the ingredients.”
Winn St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006
‘Amy treks around Melbourne checking out all the latest culinary trends. To read more interviews with industry experts and find out the latest foodie news, visit: http://tradingplates.com.au/
This article first appeared in the Australia Times Gourmet Magazine.
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