When a burger bar opens in Aberdeen claiming to put some of the cities whackiest concoctions together I get a little sceptical on how well these intriguing dishes will actually taste. Frosties on hotdogs and toasted marshmallows on sweet potato fries? Could this actually work?
Curious to see if the Filthy Gorgeous team could deliver, I headed along to their intimate bloggers brunch, boyfriend in tow, to see what all the fuss was about...
The restaurant, which is based in Netherkirkgate, is the brainchild of Darren Blackburn who has over 20 years experience in the hospitality industry, with career highlights working for BrewDog and opening Drygate Brewery. Leasing the restaurant space from food and drink empire, G1 Group, Filthy Gorgeous boasts a stripped back interior with quirky accessories like a chandelier, neon signs and a photo booth.
The ethos of the business is filthy food in gorgeous surroundings. The head chef, Barry, wants to offer up something completely different and wanted to have fun with the menu, pairing random foods with other foods you wouldn't think would compliment one another. With a point of difference in the menu and looking to attract attention with it's fun outlooks, Filthy Gorgeous has already proven a real success with revellers.
On visiting, I tried out a few cocktails as I browsed the food menu. First up, Trashy Margarita - an Aqua Riva Tequila, Triple Sec, citric acid cocktail with homemade syrup, and rimmed with homemade raspberry sherbet.
The menu boasted a wide variety of fun concoctions which made it rather difficult to come to the conclusion of which dishes to delve into.
A must-try for me was the sweet potato, toasted marshmallow and bacon shrapnel fries (£5) and my boyfriend's beer cheese sauce fries (£4.50)were also delicious.
I fancied tackling the beer belly burger, however instead of beef burger patties I opted for buttermilk fried chicken which a little lighter on my stomach. The beer belly burger was topped with beer cheese sauce, maple glazed pork belly, pickled onion Monster Munch (my fav), and gorgeous sauce (£9). Supposedly (according to the menu) it was meant to come with a sparkler which seemed to be absent from my burger. Nonetheless, it was delicious. The buttermilk fried chicken was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth.
A must-try for me was the sweet potato, toasted marshmallow and bacon shrapnel fries (£5) and my boyfriend's beer cheese sauce fries (£4.50)were also delicious.
I fancied tackling the beer belly burger, however instead of beef burger patties I opted for buttermilk fried chicken which a little lighter on my stomach. The beer belly burger was topped with beer cheese sauce, maple glazed pork belly, pickled onion Monster Munch (my fav), and gorgeous sauce (£9). Supposedly (according to the menu) it was meant to come with a sparkler which seemed to be absent from my burger. Nonetheless, it was delicious. The buttermilk fried chicken was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth.
My boyfriend decided to go for the cheat day - two filthy beef burger patties, filthy fried chicken, gorgeous sauce, bacon shrapnel, pretzels, and franks buffalo sauce (£12.50). It was a monster of a burger but he somehow managed to polish it off.
Back to the drinks menu, this time I chose a Courtesan - a Ketel vodka, Chambord black raspberry liqueur and homemade pineapple sugars cocktail. This one instantly reminded me of a French martini, but was much, much sweeter.
The Courtesan was shortly followed by a Coney Island Iced Tea - Ketel One vodka, Tanqueray, Bacardi, Aqua Riva, Triple Sec, citric acid and topped with Pepsi Max.
For dessert, there was no chance I was missing out on having a dead unicorn sundae - Jack and chocolate ice cream, a scoop of cherry sorbet topped with cotton candy, marshmallows, sprinkles some fresh banana pieces, and an ice cream cone (£6.50). I was really, really looking forward to this super on-trend dessert, but in all honesty I was a little disheartened when I saw it. Anticipating this spectacular showcase of magical food porn, there was nothing that enchanting about this dessert. The concept is fun, but the execution maybe needs to be addressed. I know unicorns are beautiful, but being honest, this was far from it.
Luckily for my boyfriend they nailed his moopocalypse milkshake. Featuring chocolate fudge, milk, chocolate ice cream, topped with crumbles brownies on top, it was utterly divine. I ditched my dead unicorn to get a piece of the gooey brownie goodness (£4).
So if you like a filthy burger with a side of surprising, yet funky fries and the odd cocktail or milkshake which will leave you screaming 'OOH' in the photo booth, then this is the place for you. Located just off of Union Street, Filthy Gorgeous is a stones throw away from one of the cities best gig venues, and a hop, a skip and a jump away from some of the best bars. This is one burger bar which is definitely worth checking out. The buttermilk fried chicken is to die for, so I can't recommend that any more. That, topped with some childhood favourite crisp flavours, you're in for a treat.
Go on, go get filthy.
For Now...
Just Julia
New kids on the block, the guys behind Mad Penguin are all about suporting local. With locally sourced ingredients at the heart of their offering, these artisan gelateria and makers of delicious coffee are a must visit for me. So much so, I'm actually going for a wee tour of the place this weekend - super stoked for that. They're fresh off the press and making a name for themselves in the area, already partnering with craft beer giants, 
Launching this Saturday (with Scottish DJ Yogi Haughton kicking off celerations at 9pm), these guys are brand new to Netherkirkgate and are already talk of the town with their toasted marshmallow fries - you read that correct, toasted marshmallows on fries. With burgers and hot dogs on the menu, with some buttermilk fried chicken chucked in there for good measure, this venue is shaping up to be the burger joint of the moment in Netherkirkgate.
