Burn City Smokers has been in the BBQ business since 2006. A common fixture at functions, festivals and pop-ups, mainly in the Mornington Peninsula, they’ve now secured a residency at the Grand Hyatt. Whilst initially only planned for Winter, the pop-up was so popular that they’re staying on for Spring.

The menu kicks off with some small bites. Some of the Winter menu items included a zingy number of curried egg, mustard on crispy chicken skin, cured salmon, and smokey, pickled mackerel and finger lime on rye. Now moving into Spring, some have remained, but the majority have changed into lighter, fresher dishes such as Spring radishes with whipped Saint David hand-churned butter, and lightly smoked asparagus, beetroot pickled egg and fried bread.

The Pine-needle Smoked Portobello is one of the dishes that has remained on the menu and it’s a goody. The large plump and juicy mushroom is covered by a thick and creamy peppercorn (now pink rather than the green variety) and pine mushroom sauce. A vegetarian dish that even meat eaters will enjoy. Another vegetarian dish that everyone can be happy with is the Stuffed Onion on charred beet puree. The smoked beetroot puree is tangy, and the onion is filled with a mixture of spices, lentils and chopped nuts. There’s enough texture there to trick the unsuspecting into thinking they’re eating something meaty.

In the mains section, there’s quite a variety of different proteins, including spicy chipotle glazed Tasmanian free range baby back pork ribs. The highlight for me is the 8-hr smoked Tasmanian short rib. The beef, seasoned with a salt, pepper and juniper rub, melts in the mouth, and the bright, herbal chimichurri is the perfect team player.

Burn City Smoker’s signature dish is the Smoked Brisket Burger with BBQ sauce, very tangy mustard and pickles. As with the short rib, the 14-hour O’Connor beef brisket is expertly cooked. Milawa smoked chicken is juicy, and even the white meat is tender. Just a smidge of the sharp mustard sauce is enough to elevate the flavours without overwhelming the meat itself.

A number of desserts are available on the menu too. The Smoked Whole Apple, walnut and cornflake crumble and frozen ricotta is the perfect dessert after a heavy order. Soft, translucent apple combines with the melting ricotta snow and chewy walnuts to make a sweet and salty end to the meal.

The Burn City Smokers pop-up is definitely more than just your typical barbecue joint, and is worth visiting while they’re conveniently located in the CBD.

Disclaimer: I was invited to Burn City Smokers as a guest, however, opinions expressed here are purely my own, and are based on my experience at the time

Burn City Smokers Pop-up
Grand Hyatt Melbourne
123 Collins St
Melbourne, VIC, 3000
(03) 9657 1234
http://burncitysmokers.com.au/