I was lucky to be invited by 'Simons says' and 'The Darlin Group' to check out and dine at a newly opened restaurant/ bar in Kings Cross named 'Buns & Balls'. Interesting name hey? :P but this little gem tucked among apartments and shops along Bayswater Road is packed full of life and potential! This is my first time being invited to a restaurant to experience their food in a different way.
There is a large courtyard and open sheltered area right at the front of the restaurant. We arrived at approximately 7pm and the place was slowly filling with other bloggers and other people enjoying a chilled night out. For the online influencers dinner they set up the front open sheltered area for us, there was the option of the communal stooled chair tables or the couch area. My friend and I (we were allowed a plus one) chose a random couch seat to the left, which had a view of the front of the restaurant. On the table we were given a set menu and throughout the night we were able to sample a majority of the food on that menu. There was burgers, meatballs, salads, dessert and drinks complimentary of Buns & Balls! :)
Now to the food.... :)
There is a large courtyard and open sheltered area right at the front of the restaurant. We arrived at approximately 7pm and the place was slowly filling with other bloggers and other people enjoying a chilled night out. For the online influencers dinner they set up the front open sheltered area for us, there was the option of the communal stooled chair tables or the couch area. My friend and I (we were allowed a plus one) chose a random couch seat to the left, which had a view of the front of the restaurant. On the table we were given a set menu and throughout the night we were able to sample a majority of the food on that menu. There was burgers, meatballs, salads, dessert and drinks complimentary of Buns & Balls! :)
Now to the food.... :)
Special menu for the night
As you can see Buns & Balls organised a lot of food for us to try that night! I was super excited to start eating :)
Watermelon and lime (without alcohol)
Pineapple, ginger beer and bitters (without alcohol)
Both drinks we got was non- alcoholic, since my friend and I were both driving home after (P platers) :P
I ordered the watermelon and lime- it was very bland and tasteless, however it was very refreshing and it did go very nicely with the food.
The pineapple and ginger beer- this was quite sour and strong in flavour, like the watermelon and lime drink it was very refreshing but these two drinks were not outstanding. I think if it had alcohol in it, it would of given the drink an extra kick.
I ordered the watermelon and lime- it was very bland and tasteless, however it was very refreshing and it did go very nicely with the food.
The pineapple and ginger beer- this was quite sour and strong in flavour, like the watermelon and lime drink it was very refreshing but these two drinks were not outstanding. I think if it had alcohol in it, it would of given the drink an extra kick.
Crispy tofu with chilli sauce
The crispy tofu was the first dish we tried and I found it very interesting and unique- I highly commend Buns & Balls for being so innovative. The outside layer of the "meatball" was thin and crispy and as you pass the crispy layer, you sink your teeth into a soft and moist batter which contained tofu and I think some diced vegetables. The flavours were very interesting- I've never tasted anything like this. The crispy tofu meatball went really well with the chilli sauce (I'm usually not a fan of chilli sauce but the combination of these two complimented each other in a very light and subtle way). The chilli sauce did give the crispy tofu extra flavouring because the crispy tofu by itself was a bit bland but nonetheless it was a very good entree dish.
Beef & Pork meatballs
The beef and pork meatballs was extremely soft, moist and packed with loads and loads of flavour! The meat was tender and melted in your mouth instantly. I personally like a lot of sauce on my dishes (if it is a saucey dish) :P and this dish definitely had a generous amount of tomato/ bolognese sauce. It tasted a lot like a lasagne minus the pastry layer :P I really enjoyed this dish and I would definitely be happy to demolish a whole plate of this :)
Char- grilled beef burger | Wagyu beef, cheese, grilled onions, tomato, lettuce, mayo & BB's burger sauce
The char- grilled beef burger tasted like a premium/ boss McDonald's Big Mac. I think it might have been the sauce that gave that similar taste to a Big Mac. However, the wagyu beef in the Buns & Balls burger is ten times better than the beef patty you get in a Big Mac :P
I usually have a bad habit of comparing dishes to other dishes from other restaurants I have previously eaten at. I am the biggest fan of Chur Burgers (I have a post on this from a few months ago), so it was given I would compare these two burgers together. To be honest, Buns & Balls burgers are not as good as Chur Burgers but it does have its own unique qualities. The char- grilled beef burger was definitely very filling and hearty.
I usually have a bad habit of comparing dishes to other dishes from other restaurants I have previously eaten at. I am the biggest fan of Chur Burgers (I have a post on this from a few months ago), so it was given I would compare these two burgers together. To be honest, Buns & Balls burgers are not as good as Chur Burgers but it does have its own unique qualities. The char- grilled beef burger was definitely very filling and hearty.
Above is a picture of a bone that was in my char- grilled beef burger, this was quite disappointing to find. When I chewing I suddenly bit onto something hard, luckily I didn't chip my tooth :P I was contemplating whether to put this on but over the past few weeks the places I have been to either myself or a friend would find a bone in our dishes. This is just a warning to everyone to be careful when eating and also a warning restaurants to be careful with these things.
Char- grilled chicken salad
It was nice to have a salad in between all the meat we were eating! :P The chicken in the salad was extremely moist- a big thumbs up to Buns & Balls for cooking their meat to perfection! Overall this salad was pretty decent except the sauce was extremely tangy/ sour and I just couldn't eat anymore of it. My friend demolished it pretty quickly, so it must be a unique taste only some people will like.
Ice cream cookie sandwich | Left: Macadamia cookie and vanilla ice cream | Right: Chocolate chip cookie and vanilla ice cream
On the special menu under dessert it said "A sweet surprise, just wait and see ;)". I am definitely a sweet tooth, so I had a very high expectation on dessert... did it disappoint? It sure didn't! :P What could be a better combination than cookies and ice cream- in sandwich form!? NOTHING! :P
This was a very quirky and simple dessert which I enjoyed a lot. The cookie gave a nice crunch before the creamy and soft ice cream. It did get quite sweet towards the end, so I was only able to stomach one piece :P
This was a very quirky and simple dessert which I enjoyed a lot. The cookie gave a nice crunch before the creamy and soft ice cream. It did get quite sweet towards the end, so I was only able to stomach one piece :P
Icing coated doughnut with melted chocolate
The doughnut tasted a lot like a Krispy Kreme doughnut, I'm not sure if it was actually a KK doughnut or not. The combination of melted chocolate and doughnut was heavenly (I'm definitely on the road to diabetes!).
The bar
Interior
Exterior
A big THANK YOU and shout out to Simon from 'Simon Says' and Sian from 'The Darlin Group' for organising this lovely and enjoyable event! Thank you so much for inviting me :D It was definitely a great experience!
Overall, Buns & Balls is a very chilled restaurant/ bar that is perfect to hang out with friends and family. You'll definitely get quality, hearty food which will fill that hungry stomach!
(Sorry about the different qualities of the photos- half was taken using my trusty Canon camera and the other half was taken using my phone) :)
Happy eating x
Overall, Buns & Balls is a very chilled restaurant/ bar that is perfect to hang out with friends and family. You'll definitely get quality, hearty food which will fill that hungry stomach!
(Sorry about the different qualities of the photos- half was taken using my trusty Canon camera and the other half was taken using my phone) :)
Happy eating x
Disclaimer: This review is only my personal opinion and experience of/at the restaurant, this review is not intended to damage the reputation of the restaurant.)