The chips are not down in West Cork Burger

It’s not easy to find a good burger these days. Plenty of diners have them, but they are often (not always) over-processed, rubbery and/or tasteless. What a relief, then, to eat at West Cork Burger Company and be satisfied with the burger that has amazing chips with it.

The offering at West Cork Burger provides choices of burger meat – Wagyu which, in top London restaurants, is often unaffordable, but here, bred in West Cork, a group of farmers sell their top cuts to restaurants, leaving the rest to be minced for burgers. It’s just a few euros more than the Angus option. The difference is in its tenderness, but the Angus was perfectly tender too and perhaps an even taster option. The Classic Bacon Cheese Burger was as described on the menu, with onion and gherkin as hoped, and a sauce on the side. My Japanese adventure paired Wagyu beef with a light bun, chilli slices (better cooked more, perhaps), interesting flavours, none overpowering, and all burgers can have sides of kimchi, cucumber and mint, a deliciously fresh simple coleslaw and a spicy carrot salad. Our third diner had the Build Your Own option and topped her Wagyu beef with smoked Gubbeen cheese and salad all in a delicious brioche (there are a few bread options and the option to have no bun).

But what of the chips? As good as I have ever tasted, they are thrice cooked at three temperatures – 130, 150 and 190 degrees in rapeseed oil. It’s not a fat I usually like for frying, but the herbed salt made the crisp, medium cut chips very moreish and there was no heavy, oily taste. The chips are peeled and cut upstairs in a prep kitchen and blanched ready for frying. The three part fryer downstairs in the open kitchen, is a smart piece of stainless steel kit. From Belgium, it has a further advantage in having small containers so the oil doesn’t get too dirty. Each serving is fried separately, the cooked bits drained to a container underneath and removed quickly. The result is perfectly clean, light, crisp, flavoursome chips.

This week, specials are coming on stream, with various offers with a craft beer – there are a few wines by the glass too.

Owned by Bantry born chef Henry Hegarty (pictured) who, amongst his other business interests, also runs the Wokabout stall seen at festivals and many business events. His partners, Macroom butcher Michael Twomey and Cian Bradley of Irish Bacon Slicers in Ballincollig, make a formidable, bright, energetic young team. They will tweak their offering to suit the seasons, changing tastes to keep the business fresh and interesting. Worth a try.

Decor is raw wood.

6, Washington Street, Cork (a few doors up from Singer’s Corner).

Open every day, 12.30- 9, but check their Facebook page for updates.