An average burger that could have been improved if the patty wasn't completely cooked through. I did have a different beef burger on my next visit (The Roymeo) and the patty was much better, it was less dry and a little pink in the middle so there must be some inconsistencies to be sorted out. Overall, a no-fuss burger and I especially liked that there was bacon in it and that the cheese was melted.

The first time coming to Piccolo Me they didn't have the fried ice cream available so on the second visit (two weeks later) they did and my co-workers and I were super stoked to finally try it. It was larger than I had anticipated so after shovelling down a burger for lunch this was difficult to finish.

The batter was quite thick and crumbly in texture which I enjoyed as it was much like eating a hollow sphere of delicious cookie crumbs. There was even a side of Maltesers for added decadence.

The Nutella ice cream couldn't withstand the heat from being deep-fried so cutting it in half revealed a melted mess. The dessert could definitely be improved upon if they could combat that issue as eating half-melted ice cream wasn't particularly great but I did like the combination of the thick, semi-crunchy batter with the Nutella ice cream.

Piccolo Me is open from Monday to Friday and they have a decent selection of breakfast and lunch options. Overall I found the food average and I did like the dessert concepts available but they could be better.

Trust me when I say that the burger was not all just good looks. Definitely a burger worth coming back for and will make sure to throw in some bacon next time. So glad we got the double because the beef patty was so close to perfect, let down a tiny bit from not being more seasoned, but that's probably intentional so one can savour them beefy flavours. Make sure when you order their cheeseburger to specify you want the patty cooked medium otherwise it would be served burnt (well done) and why would you want a burnt one? 

The patties were soft with perfectly pink insides and draped with a layer of American cheese it was absolutely mouthwatering, especially so for DT because he loves his burgers. As for the milk buns, they were robust and did a good job holding those epic layers together and were soft and fluffy. The lettuce, tomato and McClure's pickles helped to balance out the heaviness of it all while the dirty sauce (a mixture of cheese sauce and spicy aioli) really gave the burger that necessary flavour and oomph to make the entire creation so amazingly good. 

I couldn't help but compare it to Mary's fried chicken burger which I rank very highly. Unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations but in saying that it was still a very good burger. I was most impressed by the buttermilk fried chicken because it was so succulent and tender and was similar to Mary's except for flavour. There was green Sriracha mayo in there somewhere but I couldn't taste it which was a shame. I also felt that the lettuce was too intrusive (probably because I got lettuce closer to the stalk which was too hard and crunchy) and would have enjoyed it more if the burger came without it. 

One cannot have burgers without their ultimate companion and these french fries were badass with that smothering of dirty sauce on top. The fries were nice and crisp on the outside while soft and potatoey inside. The cheese sauce and spicy aioli combination was right up DT's alley and I was afraid it would be too much for me to handle but I was wrong. Cheese sauce it was but there was enough spiciness to counteract the heaviness which made it super addictive and hence neither of us displayed any restraint when it came to eating them. 

Sadly, this burger pop-up will be finishing up soon and it's not one to be missed as PLK and Barrio Chino have collaborated to produce some pretty awesome burgers, particularly their cheeseburger and that dirty sauce is freakishly delicious too. If you get the fries, you need the dirty sauce to complete them.

Spacious and modern

Even if you were required to wait for a table there was a very generously furnished waiting area unlike its CBD location where a throng of people waiting outside on the street would be a common sight.

The busy and bustling kitchen can be observed through stylish cubic glass panels.

We spent a fair bit of time perusing the menu as there was an array of dishes to choose from, admittedly the prices were quite expensive which had an impact on our choices. One dish we were adamant to order from the get go was the Macanese style mini burgers which looked and sounded oh-so-delish.

Service was really prompt but it was important to note that the restaurant was pretty much empty at the time. Food was paced well with most of it brought out together. Dessert, if ordered, can be asked for after finishing mains.

Macanese style mini burgers with pork fillet, pork floss, lettuce and a sweet chilli mayo dressing $16.90

DT and I agreed that this was the best savoury dish out of the ones we ordered. It ticked the boxes for presentation and taste. Deep fried golden milk buns cleverly replaced your conventional burger buns and I would gladly have them any day as they made these sliders super crunchy and flavoursome one-handed affairs. On a side note, let's just forget that they were deep-fried calorific buns. Gotta indulge on the weekend am I right?

The ratio of each component was perfect, a slab of tasty pork fillet, a small handful of shredded lettuce, garnishing of salty and sweet pork floss and a dousing of sweet chilli mayo worked their magic to produce a seriously scrumptious (but mini) burger fusion.

Chinese roti with cheese and mushrooms $12.90

Cheese and roti, not a bad combination at all. Fluffy pastry it was but lacked the delicate and flakey layers characteristic of my all-time favourite Malaysian snack, roti canai. The melted cheese made it more dense and slightly chewy in texture but it enhanced the pastry with its aromatic cheesiness which I enjoyed along with the thin slivers of juicy button mushrooms hidden away in the warm golden pockets of pastry. 

Battered king prawns with wasabi mayonnaise and flying fish roe $24.90

The king prawns had a good bite to them, firm and plump and didn't have that off-putting prawn odour I was expecting so that was a relief. The batter itself was light and crisp with minimal oiliness and had a subdued saltiness which complemented the wasabi mayonnaise. The mayo in itself was quite rich and had a strong wasabi kick where the sting of its vapours would come about most unexpectedly and be strangely satisfying at the same time once the sensation subsided.

Coffee and caramelised pork chops served with a selection of green tea biscuits $22.90

The pork chops were larger than expected, well-seasoned and pan-seared to achieve a flavoursome and caramelised surface. If you're not watching carb intake then get a bowl of steamed rice to go with it. I didn't particularly fancy the thick coffee gravy on the side as it was more bitter than savoury, it wasn't a bad pairing with the pork chops but neither was it necessary. 

I was perplexed by the green tea biscuits but instead of questioning their co-existence with the pork chops I munched on them carefully, alternating with bites of pork. I would still prefer to have my biscuits with say a warm cup of tea or coffee and not so much a piece of meat but they didn't go terribly together. The biscuits alone were actually really decent, they were of a crumbly shortbread consistency with an obvious hint of green tea flavour and not excessively sweet and that was the reason why the odd combination worked because there wasn't a huge contrast in flavour. I suppose the intended way of eating the dish would be eating the pork chops first and then polishing it off with the green tea biscuits. I did leave the green tea egg roll until last and it was indeed pleasant to finish the dish off on a sweeter note. 

I didn't notice it at the time of dining but there should have been another biscuit included which was absent. That's pretty disappointing on their part especially when taking into account the relatively exorbitant prices.

Egg yolk custard bun $4.90 each (minimum order of 2)

Couldn't go past a duo of these vibrantly eccentric character buns after scrolling past @asianfoodninja's video of them. I'm positively certain it is based off of the Japanese Sanrio character Gudetama. It was more peculiar than cute in appearance and very amusing given that these custard buns were deliberately designed to be played with.

Spewing its yolky contents

The novelty of squishing the little bun was too tempting to resist especially since you'll be entertained by it sticking out its tongue in the form of a delectable egg yolk custard. Fun and playfulness factor aside, the steamed bun itself was soft and fluffy, slightly sweetened and contained a sweet, smooth salted egg yolk custard that was still warm and gooey which made it all the more yummy. The buns were prepared to order so we did end up waiting roughly 15 minutes for them to come out but would rather them freshly made than pre-made and re-heated so it was not a big deal.

Wouldn't mind having another bun and squeezing out the molten lava-like custard, absolutely a crowd-pleaser and should be tried at least once. DT and I actually enjoyed it more than their cuter endearing piggy bun sibling; the oozy gooey custard just worked better over the black sesame filling.

Chefs Gallery new location in Bankstown means this popular restaurant chain is now more accessible to me and I would visit again to try more dishes from their comprehensive range. So far, their food has been average overall, with some standouts such as the mini burgers and their charming custard bun. You would be spending extra dough on quintessentially Chinese dishes with a creative twist and in terms of value for money, it wasn't really there. That doesn't prevent it from being a "sometimes" place though because when you're feeling like something a little different and relatively classier than typical Chinese cuisine then Chefs Gallery fits the bill.

It seemed all the locals have heard of this place as it was brimming with people and we had to wait roughly 15 minutes for a table. The cafe could have done with more waitstaff so people could have been seated more efficiently.

I really liked the ambience created with the green pot plants against the brick walls which brought about a rustic and hipster feel. The green hues were also relaxing to the eyes and those hanging light bulbs really spruced up and brightened up the cafe.

As DT and I had just come out from a morning of swimming, I was quite famished, so I ordered the 'Big XS Breakfast'. I have seen photos on Instagram of the 'Acai Bowl' and it certainly looks very pretty however, I am not quite at the stage where I will order healthier dishes, although perhaps I should give them a try and end up feeling less guilty about overindulging on the weekends.

Lunch menu

DT went with the 'XS Chicken Burger'.

Drinks menu

Dessert menu

Left: Tim Tam & Natural Peanut Butter $7 Right: The Volcano $14

XS Chicken Burger $15.00