[REVIEW] Mercado X Belles Hot Chicken

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I can't say whether this years Good Food Month has lived up to its name but what I can confirm is that it had at least one great food night thanks to the Spanish Southern American fusion conjured up by chefs Nathan Sasi and Morgan McGlone. When the names Mercado and Belles Hot Chicken are spoken in the same sentence you know it's a night that will pack a punch.

Because no meal ever really happened unless it starts with bread. However, a lot of meals can end before they've begun with the wrong bread. What looks like your standard bread rolls are in fact hiding a multitude of sins. The fluffiest, pull apart buns you can imagine made even more magical with salami paste butter. I know, I don't really get it either but who cares how or why or what? It tastes amazing and that all that matters. 

Well it wasn't going to be a Southern style dinner without a couple of corn dogs. Firstly who doesn't love a hot dog? Then when it's deep fried in corn batter and stuck on a stick the average hot dog is a thing of the past. Smiling below, it was a combination of excitement at chowing down on this American classic but also at Georges remark as he bit into the corn dog and exclaimed, "oh there's a sausage inside?" What did he think it was? I'm glad I married him before hearing that disturbing comment. At least now he's educated on the wonder that is the corn dog. 

OK, I can feel the heart palpitations starting already. I'm feeling quite distressed for this next part. The dish above was by far the best dish of the night and quite possibly the best dish of my life. The biscuits were light and flakey and layered like pastry and made using buttermilk no less. Slathered in the red eye mayonnaise, called so because it was favoured with coffee as well as being named after the overnight flight from the USA to Australia. So clever. Then topped with Mercado's 18 month cured ham. I really can't express how much I loved this dish and it saddens me to think that it might be the last time I get to eat it. Unless Nathan is reading this....

NOTE TO CHEF SASI: If this dish is not made permanent on Mercado's menu I will start a petition. That's a promise. 

"North is a direction, the SOUTH is a lifestyle."

Crackling. That really is all that can be said about that. I think chefs can be judged on a few of the basics, including a good custard, roast potatoes, a margherita pizza, a sponge cake and the crackling on a roast pork. Clearly Sasi and McGlone have earned their stripes in the kitchen because this was the most incredible pork crackling. Served alongside the rather intriguing name of forgotten cabbage, called so because it is quite literally left and forgotten about as it cooks above the slow cooking meat, absorbing all the meaty flavours and soaking up the butter that it was only a moment ago drowned in.  

All washed down with a red velvet cake with cream cheese icing and cream cheese ice cream. The perfect American ending. Now normally I would urge you to go and try for yourself but on this occasion I can't. Sorry not sorry.  

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