Yass - Northside TakeAway

There was a time in Australia when the takeaway we ate almost never came from a franchise.  It was almost always a small family-owned shop where you called in your order before walking down to collect it.  Somehow, despite not being a franchise, all these little burger joints managed to have the same look and feel.  Kids of today probably have no idea what I'm talking about but children of the 80s will feel an overwhelming wave of nostalgia for the smell of those places.  Hamburger.  The lot.  Minimum chips. Scallops and fish cakes.  Chiko roll.

If that makes you long for the past, I have the place for you in the small New South Wales town of Yass, about forty minutes outside Canberra.  The Northside TakeAway is small and unassuming but there are clues to the experience before you step inside with the gentle, wafting smell of heated grease reaching you before you open the door.

See this?  This is the sign of a traditional Australian takeaway - not just Cokes and Pepsis in the fridge, but Pasito, Portello and Cherry Cheer for goodness' sake and still in a glass bottle, just like the days of yore.  Heaven.

For the purposes of evaluating the Northside, we ordered a hamburger with the lot and what I would consider to be their particular specialty - the sweet potato scallop (yes scallop, not cake). At only $2 a throw, these bad boys are incredible value. 

Local takeaway aficionados will tell you the key to a good scallop is in the batter and the Northside doesn't disappoint.  These scallops are made by staff on site and they are everything a scallop should be - the only downside is the amount of oil the batter soaks up - a necessary evil to achieve the crispy, fluffy batter.  My point is, you probably don't need more than one.

At $10 a throw, the hamburger with the lot is probably priced at about where you'd want it to be.  The bun is soft and doesn't have sesame seeds (I know this is insane, and don't ask me why I feel this way, but I am a firm believer that hamburger buns should have sesame seeds).  The contents are balanced - the burger is not so big it won't fit in your mouth and it doesn't come apart while you're eating it.  Bonus points for the fact that the egg is not too runny and the pineapple not too juicy.  It takes effort to get so many ingredients to balance well without devolving into a delicious pile of sludge.

Sadly I couldn't detect any onions or cheese and I feel like a burger with the lot should have those two ingredients in an identifiable quantity.  But that does not distract from the overall satisfaction this burger was able to impart.  It left us both satisfied without feeling ill.

Ratings

Cost: $

Value for money: 5 stars  The only way to eat cheaper is to go to Maccas.

Kid factor:  4 stars - it's not a happy meal but what kid doesn't love Pasito? Our suggestion - bracket the food with your memories of visiting the local takeaway in the 80s and playing a table arcade game while you sat on one of these bad boys:

The positives:  Nostalgia plus.  Everything about this place reminds me of my childhood and the food is delicious.

The negatives: It's takeaway not dine-in - not even one of those rocky little aluminium tables.  Be prepared to eat it in your car or a short drive down the road at the local park.  Is this a downside?  Probably not, now that I think about it.  It was a freezing cold day so we opted to eat it in the care albeit across the road at the showground.

Machete rating:  Just a good ol' Australian takeaway burger.  Scallops are tasty but greasy.