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Monday, October 24, 2011

The Abercrombie, Broadway, Chippendale (CLOSED)



EDIT: The Abercombie has closed

Is there such a thing as too much fried? Nay, I say. If it can be dipped in batter, then go ahead and deep-fry that baby.

And that's just the way the folk behind the Abercrombie Hotel feel, too. First they gave us the deep-fried Gaytime. Now they've unleashed the joys of deep-fried pizza and Twinkies to the Sydney masses.


Fries with mayo and gravy $7

We make the mistake of presuming there'll be a post-work 6pm rush at The Abercrombie, but uni students finish lectures way earlier than that, and the place is already heaving by 5.30pm on a Friday afternoon.

Minh manages to score the last booth and settle in with a round of beers, ciders and G&Ts. It doesn't take long for our first order of food to be delivered from the kitchen and we make short work of the terracotta bowl filled with crinkle cut fries and pickle slices. It comes with pots of mayonnaise and gravy, but the gravy is too thin and watery for adequate dipping.


Deep-fried pizza $9

It's the deep-fried pizza that gets our attention though. Encrusted with a gnarled and nobbly golden batter, every bite comes with a satisfying crunch. It's a simple cheese and salami pizza inside, but the base is surprisingly thin and not half as bready as you'd expect. Instead this is more like a celebration of batter, wait, make that an orgy of batter, and yes, you're likely to feel just as awkward throughout the entire experience.


Rave juice $10 during Friday happy hour 6pm-8pm (normally $13)

The Abercrombie isn't afraid to have fun with their cocktails, and rave juice is probably the quirkiest -  a mix of agwa and Red Bull served in a ziplock bag complete with glow stick at the bottom. Agwa is a herbal liquer made with Bolivian coca leaves, guarana and other herbs. It's fun but messy, especially if your ziplock bag springs a leak.

Cocktail happy hour happens every Friday night, which is also spruiked as Totally Barry, or a 'good time' in local Edinburgh slang.


Philly cheese steak sandwich and fries $17

Philly cheese steak arrives in a soft bun and smothered with melted cheese. The only inconsistency is that the beef comes as seared steak cubes, and not the tender beef slices I enjoyed on my last visit (a crucial component of a Philly cheese steak sandwich).


Double cheeseburger and fries $17

The double cheeseburger hits the spot, two beef patties slathered with mayonnaise and tomato sauce and slapped between two halves of a toasted sesame seed bun. The cheese is stringy but it's the zing of pickled gherkins that tips it from average to awesome.


Pie stack $15

The pie stack is a Scottish version of the Aussie pie floater. The pie itself is particularly impressive, with superb flaky pastry holding a huddle of tender braised beef. The rosti potato pancake on top is a little greasy, and the clapshot, a traditional Scottish dish of mashed potato and turnip, tastes more like mashed potato with shreds of carrot. I dig the mushy peas though, and the lake of gravy.


Deep-fried Twinkie $8

Only happiness can come from rainbows! You can't help but smile at the sight of the deep-fried Twinkie, draped with an archway of marshmallow fluff and covered in sprinkles. The batter is unexpectedly thin but even the rainbow can't disguise the taste of artificial cream in the middle of the sponge cake finger.


On a Friday night, however, it's mostly about the beer, and as if to prove it, all the beer taps run dry by 9.30pm. At 10.30pm the back area is cleared for a dance floor and a roving balloon man handing out poodles and swords. Totally Barry.


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The Abercrombie on Urbanspoon

The Abercrombie (CLOSED)
100 Broadway, Chippendale, Sydney
(corner of Broadway and Abercrombie Street)
Tel: +61 (02) 9280 2178


Related Grab Your Fork posts:
Lansdowne Hotel, Chippendale
Stitch Bar, Sydney
The Dip at Goodgod, Sydney
21 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 10/24/2011 01:23:00 am


21 Comments:

  • At 10/24/2011 8:57 am, Anonymous Anonymous said…

    I was at the Abercrombie on the weekend. Sadly we arrived after they'd stopped serving food. I was so keen to try the deep-fried Gaytime after I read about it on your blog. Luckily the bar staff were kind enough to rustle up some complimentary chips because we mentioned how starving we were. I tried the rave juice and while it looked pretty cool in the dark, when we took a photo of it with the flash on, well...

    Looking forward to returning at a more food-friendly hour.

    "Between Holidays"

     
  • At 10/24/2011 9:10 am, Anonymous Hannah said…

    chipsandpickleschipsandpickleschipsandpicklesohmylovingheart!

    And the Golden Gaytime! I finally had [a bite of] one on the weekend for the first time in years. It made me happy.

     
  • At 10/24/2011 9:36 am, Blogger joey@forkingaroundsydney said…

    Love the deep-fried Twinkie, but the deep-fried pizza was too stodgy after two slices.

    As for being awkward at an orgy, speak for yourself! LOL

     
  • At 10/24/2011 9:44 am, Anonymous chocolatesuze said…

    bwahahaha damn straight happiness comes from rainbows!!!

     
  • At 10/24/2011 10:36 am, Anonymous Vivian - vxdollface said…

    Totes awesome! Still haven't made my way to The Abercrombie yet but I'm really digging the deepfried Twinkie!!

     
  • At 10/24/2011 10:55 am, Anonymous Dumpling Girl said…

    Besides wanting that Twinkie so badly, I'm relieved that the the double cheeseburger and pie stack are actually not deep fried as well, so that I can ease my way in when I make it here eventually.

     
  • At 10/24/2011 11:00 am, Anonymous FFichiban said…

    Mmmmm batter orgy. I so think we should had got the deep fried chicken burger too!

     
  • At 10/24/2011 11:17 am, Blogger Amy said…

    I think I need a salad for lunch just after reading this post! Love the vinegary cornichons in the chip bowl though :)

     
  • At 10/24/2011 11:24 am, Blogger Mel said…

    I think I just gained 10kgs reading this post...deep fried pizza? Really? Oh Em Geeee!

     
  • At 10/24/2011 11:29 am, Blogger Unknown said…

    Christ on a deep-fried crumpet! Deep-fried Twinkie. I'd go there - at least once.

     
  • At 10/24/2011 11:36 am, Anonymous Jacq said…

    the marshmallow fluff and sprinkles on the deep fried twinkie were so awesome!

     
  • At 10/24/2011 1:43 pm, Anonymous Ernest said…

    How would you feel about a fried Peanutbutter & Jelly sandwich?

     
  • At 10/24/2011 3:34 pm, Blogger Unknown said…

    You could die just walking past this place! (Though I suppose you'd die happy.) Please tell me that on other nights they compensate by serving salads and steamed tofu.

     
  • At 10/24/2011 8:45 pm, Blogger A cupcake or two said…

    I have been waiting for this post. I saw all the tweets and thought WOAHHH Man vs Food. Deep fried Gaytimes. Hellooo. What a coronary. I love it. The gherkins and chips look amazing. I'm a pickle lover and this would be my top pick...

     
  • At 10/24/2011 9:29 pm, Blogger Von said…

    I love love love deep fried anything! The batter on the pizza looks so good! I was actually thinking of eating here today (after reading you post last time), but it was much too hot to walk here from uni....haha

     
  • At 10/24/2011 10:15 pm, Anonymous Sara - Belly Rumbles said…

    OMG deep fried pizza!! LOLs!

     
  • At 10/24/2011 11:45 pm, Anonymous pigflyin said…

    All I wanted after reading this post is battered polish gherkins. I do not know why. Must be subliminal message in the post.....

    LOL for the rave juice! Glow stick rulez!

     
  • At 10/25/2011 1:23 am, Anonymous JasmyneTea said…

    I still have yet to try this place out, but you sure make it tempting! That pie stack looks fantastic :)

     
  • At 10/25/2011 6:07 pm, Blogger jack said…

    Crinkle cut chips are the best. Any chips and mayo are a match made in heaven - as always, you've got me drooling with your gorgeous photos. The double cheese burger looks really good and the deep fried pizza looks interesting!

     
  • At 10/26/2011 4:06 pm, Anonymous Food Wine Sleep said…

    You have now given me a way to find the strength to face shopping in Coles Broadway - a pie stack and a beer beforehand!!!

     
  • At 10/27/2011 12:37 am, Blogger Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

    Hi Joey - lol. Enough said!

    Hi Ernest - I'm getting hungry already!

    Hi Detective Chow - Fat chance. lol

    Hi pigflyin - Mmmm me too!

     

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