I'm a huge fan of fast food, and was an even more active when I was in Sydney. The city center of Sydney is quite small in comparison to other major cities around the world, and the whole city could be covered on foot! So with this, I would like to share with you two Asian-inspired fast food places that are surely really fast and really delicious.
The first place and one of my personal favourite as it was really close to my place is something called Pork Roll. Once again I can't remember their name but I don't think I ever knew the name of this place. The thing is, this place makes the absolute best Vietnamese sandwich, also know as Banh Mi, ever. So this very place is located on George Street just opposite World Square. If you're on George Street at this location, you will have to walk down a little bit until you see a Church and a bus stop. The shop is right in front of the bus stop and you could always recognise it by the long lines during lunch periods.
It's definitely worth lining up for and I would highly recommend that you get their BBQ Pork Banh Mi because it's simply the best item on their menu. The BBQ pork actually looks somewhat pink in colour, and has that sticky texture from its marinate. I have no idea what sauces or combinations they use to make this heavenly treat, but it's something that you really need to try out for yourself. So the sandwich comes in a big sandwich bread, also like a French baquette, but not really. Inside the pork roll, you will get vegetables like pickled carrots and pickled cucumbers and some coriander. They would also add chilli, but I never got it with mine. It's a fantastic sandwich that could make a great meal, done in just 2 minutes.
The price is also really cheap, since it was no more than $5. 00 I think. Either way, it's a great buy for your dollars and taste amazing for is only a sandwich. If you're ever craving a sandwich for whatever reason, step away from Subway and try something new! They also have other variations like chicken and other ingredients. This is an absolute must-try if you're ever in Sydney.
The second place I would like to share with you is very related to the Vietnamese pork roll. Mr. Crackles, as the name may hint, is well-known for roasting their pork in house and making them into sandwiches. When I was there, I ordered what was their version of the pork roll on George Street, called Crackles Classic. The heart and soul of this particular item is the in-house roasted pork belly with its crispy skin. For what it's worth, the pork belly was super tender and the meat was melting in my mouth. The crispy skin was also really good, but there wasn't a lot of it. The sandwich comes with what they call a Vietnamese salad, which was pretty much the same lot with pickled carrots and cucumbers, and of course some coriander. The bread this time is the real deal baguette, and was of higher quality than its competition on George Street. It was an overall satisfying sandwich, but I mean, you really should be getting nothing less than a great sandwich when you're paying $13. 00.
Now I sound like a ridiculous person because I don't know anyone that would go searching for a $13 sandwich. It was surely the most expensive purchase for a sandwich I've ever made, but I must say that I got an experience out of it. It wasn't the best sandwich ever, but I was able to taste the details they put into their roasted pork belly. I adore pork belly and this was at a stage in my life whereby I was craving pork belly every single day. Alright now I just sound even more ridiculous.
Anyhow, they have other really awesome items on their menu. The pride of Mr. Crackles are its roasts and its pork crackling. For $5. 00, you can get a cup of cracklings, like I did! Do keep in mind that this whole cup of crackling is worth more than the sandwich on George Street. I mean, they have a massive display window with their pork belly resting from its trip in the oven and I was just admiring how crispy the skin looked. That was the main factor that drove me into buying this cup of crackling. Taste wise, it wasn't anything spectacular. I think it lacked seasoning and was just on the bland side. A little bit of salt would elevate the cracklings to the next level. Texture wise, it was between crunchy and hard. Crunchy is a good adjective for pork crackling because that's how it should be. But hard, is referring to it being their too long, maybe? I didn't throughly enjoy my cup of cracklings since I found them to be quite hard. It was not fun eating them and it simply didn't live up to my expectation of how some good cracklings should be.
All in all, Mr. Crackles is quite a pricey joint and its food items leave me sitting on the fence. I would hate to say that it was a bad experience, but since I am in the middle, let's just say that I would not return and get the same items. This mean I would like to try their other items, but the dilemma is that, as I'm sure it would be for you guys, the price will be in the way. They do have sandwiches with other components like lamb, chicken, sweet pork, vegetarian, and their roll of the month which changes based on current trends. At the moment, their monthly special is a Chinese New Year-inspired bun, so that should be quite interesting.
But what would I rather have? Well, it's a tough choice but I would go for the authentic and simple pork rolls on George Street. I actually love their pork rolls so much that I could easily have them everyday, for two weeks straight, for both lunch and dinner. You really get amazing flavours and value for your money here. The only thing in the way of you and your pork rolls is the occasional line really. Usually they will have two people working the sandwich stations so the orders go quite quickly. If you're interested in seeing the small details for Mr. Crackles and their menu, check out their website at the bottom of this paragraph. It's located just outside the city center past Hyde Park, so the location is not the most convenient. The exact address you could add to your phone is 155 Oxford Street, out in Darlinghurst. I hope that this post has been useful and has given you some ideas about good eats here in Sydney!
MR. Crackles Sydney - Ratings :
Accessibility - 7. 5/10
Price - 7/10
Selection - 7/10
Staff Friendliness - 8/10
Cleanliness - 8/10
Overall - 7. 5/10
Mr. Crackles Darlinghurst
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