After such hype and all the accolades that Miel Container had in the Central Business District, word had gotten out that there was a second one opening in Sunnybank's Market Square district. It only takes one venture into the city, to take a glimpse at Miel Container to see just how popular it is with people - and that is a little out of the way. So just imagine with the high amount of foot traffic around Sunnybank, just how much of a potential winner this place could become. Without any doubt, with hearing about how good it is and all the reception that is has been getting over the years it was only natural that my housemate/dining buddy and I were wanting to try this place out. This was the chance.
The original location is in a shipping container, while the aesthetic of this location is set to merely resemble a shipping container. This structure is large and spacious, with enough room to have many tables while also walking around them. It has a bit of an industrial look to it, with pipes occasionally sticking out of the wall, steel chairs, exposed brick walls and using oil barrels as tables and whatnot. I guess it adds well to that shipping container look, where shipping containers would often be used. It is also about all the quirks that you can find around the places, including Bible verses on the walls. Most of the seating is big and communal.
I won't give too many faults to the service. It has the usual counter service structure that is commonplace in this nape of the woods - go up to the counter, place your order and then they give you a number and you go and find a table. It is that simple. The girls here were quite lovely, and it is pretty proficient. Only the food is brought to you, the rest if up to you to get. They have the water filter with cups there to get drinks, and - at least where the two of us were sitting - a small hidey-hole of a shelf contained the cutlery and serviettes for the meal.
The menu at Miel Container is primarily burgers. They leave it up to the customer to design their burger, and at a base price they choose the bun followed by the kind of patty they want, then a choice of three salad items, a type of cheese and two types of sauce. A range of additional toppings is given as an option at an extra cost, and there is also a couple of more options for cheese that cost. If you are confused, and not too sure what to put with what there are a few burgers that have already been pre-planned. All burgers come with a side of beer battered fries unless an upgrade is requested. In addition to burgers, there are a few bar snacks - think fish and chip kind of stuff, chicken tenders and whatnot. You can also get a salad on the side if you like. This is a generally pretty simple place.
I opted for the build-your-own burger. Going for a brioche bun, I had a hot beef patty with cheddar cheese, gherkins, pineapple and jalapenos as salad items then a combination of dill mayonnaise and basil pesto as sauces. For the extras, I got onion rings and bacon. And what else can I say but this was one mighty tasty burger? With the onion rings, they were perched on top of the burger being held by the toothpicks. These were cooked well, hot in a thick batter and the onion was starting to become sweet while maintaining the form. Just how I like my onion rings. The beef patty was tender and cooked well, bacon crispy just how it should be, the cheese was readily melted into the patty and the basil managed to mix well with the mayonnaise to make a characteristic sauce. Choosing the three salad items was a good choice, as there was a mix of vinegary, sweet and spicy. They were particularly generous with the pickles. Plus, the bread was solid and robust. Everything that has been mentioned was top quality. It made all the difference to make that distinction of a great burger. On top of that, the fries were quite good as well. I am a sucker for beer-battered, and it had that familiar crunch that I love so much. A nice touch is the bit of aioli for dipping on the side.
My dining buddy has had a few experiences in the past with "build-your-own" where it hasn't been the best match. So he just went for one of the preselected burgers. His choice was the bulgolgi burger. This was on a brioche bun with mesculin lettuce, Spanish onion, tomato, and tasty cheese. The meat was marinated beef that was thinly sliced with soy sauce and garlic aioli. This one was also very good. The sliced meat was great quality and like tender butter. Whatever marinade they used was another top-notch aspect of the meal. It was strong, a bit spicy, and very distinct in flavour. The salad items were all fresh and crisp, the cheese was melting as well and the whole thing actually fit together well. These burgers do not look big at first, but these babies are substantial and filling.
Lastly, they also offered some shakes here and I thought to get one. There were a couple of flavours, and I went with the salted caramel one. It was okay, the standard variety that can be gotten from most places. On the more positive note, the drink was very cold and it was thick so that is a big winner for me.
There are some places where after so long hearing about them, finally getting there can only lead to disappointment. Well, on the good news in spite of hearing about this place for the past 3 or so years, managing to finally be able to try what the fuss was all about Miel Container definitely met up to expectations. Without a doubt, these are some of the best burgers that are available in town. I can now rest easy knowing that I have ticked one of Brisbane's most cherished places off my to-do list.
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