Burger Wars Episode XXIX: The Admiral Ackbar, It’s a Trap! Codrington

The other day I continued my search in London for the best burger, this time the target was The Admiral Codrington. I went to South Kensington really excited to visit this gastro pub, five years running, Michelin eating out in pubs guide 2011 green man recognition for excellence, beer garden, traditional English pub, and even a retractable roof in the dining room for sunny summer days.

The Admiral in Pop Culture Style

The Place

The retractable roof in a not so sunny day

The dining room

I got to the place saw the menu for a couple minutes, and hesitating between their two burgers I decided to ask the beautiful waitress, which one she reckons was the better one, probably a bad idea, right?. The options were a 8oz cheeseburger with pickles and chips, and a special Iberico pork burger. My attentive waitress immediately said the pork burger is without doubts the one you want, and that works as any Jedi mind trick, just like when Obi Wan said to the Stormtrooper “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for”, I went for the pork one.

The Cod Menu

Got first as starters Padron peppers with Maldon sea salt and then the Iberico pork burger.

Padron Peppers 

The Cod Special Iberico Pork Burger

The verdict, amazing! The burger is excellent, is better than the other Iberico pork burger in town and bigger. I couldn’t believe it. The chips were ok, a little bit hard inside.

The damage, 19 quids for the pork burger and a beer.

The conclusion, one of the best in town, the cod iberico burger is superb, I had dreams with that burger for a week, I hope the admiral decides to leave it on the regular menu. I will give the Admiral Cod’ Iberico Pork Burger a 9 their room for improvement is in the chips as the burger is just mouth watering.

This has been the image of my last dreams

The Admiral reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Puffy Shirt”.

Kramer: You know that, uh, Leslie is in the clothing business? She's a designer.

Elaine: Oh?

Kramer:  In fact, she's come up with a new one that is going to be the big new look in men fashion. It's a, a puffy shirt. It's all puffy. Like the pirates used to wear.

Elaine: Oh, a puffy shirt.

Jerry: Puffy.

Kramer: Yeah, see, I think people want to look like pirates. You know, it's the right time for it, to be all puffy, and devil-may-care.

Burger Wars Episode XXIII: Tapas Burger

The new kid on the block is Opera Tavern, a Spanish tapas restaurant in Covent Garden. With an excellent selection of Iberico charcuterie, cheese from Italy, Spain, and France, fish and crispy squid, short rib, lamb leg, and pork belly. But I went only for one reason they have a mini Iberico pork and foei gras burger. And when they say mini they mean it, is a tapa burger.

The Place

Inside

The bar

Arrived to the place, sat in the bar, ordered Padron peppers, and the burger. The peppers were quite good, I love Padron peppers and is quite difficult to mess with that. The burger came just a bit after, looked almost like an amouse bouche, the taste, excellent, Iberico pork, foie gras, melted manchego, and an aioli, a combination of heaven, no fries, just two jalapeno peppers as a side.

Padron Peppers

Mini Iberico Pork Burger

The verdict, excellent burger, good flavour, and amazing creativity, be prepared to eat more than one.

The damage, 5.50 pounds for just the burger, no fries.

The conclusion, definitely one of my favourites in London, my only complaint is that the burger is too small, I would love to have a full size version. If you’re around the area is worth to try. I will give them 9 in my scale.

Pork reminds me the Seinfeld episode “The Bris” where Kramer is obsessed with a pig man.

Kramer: Excuse me. What happened to the man, that was in this room before?

Resident: I don't know what you're talking about.

Kramer: You know.

Resident: No.

Kramer: This doesn't look familiar to you?

Resident: Sir?

Kramer Look, I know what's going on. Oink, oink.

Resident: I really have some patients I have to attend to.

Kramer:  Look, you little quack, I know you had a half man half pig holed up in that room, there. Now where is he?! Where is he?

Resident: Half-what?

Kramer: You know what - bacon, sausage, deek-a-deek-a-deek tha-tha-tha-that's all folks.

Resident: Oh, the pig-man. They moved him down the hall.