LE BUN AT THREE COMPASSES, DALSTON

Le Bun is a French American street food company who've recently taken up residency in the Three Compasses pub in Dalston, where they're serving some of the best burgers I've tasted this year. Sadly I missed their launch party a couple of weeks ago, but went along last Friday to see what all the fuss was about and to eat as much of their amazing food as I possibly could!

The Three Compasses is at the end of Ridley Road market, a five minute walk from Dalston Kingsland station. It's a lovely, cosy pub that serves really good beer - I was drinking a wheat beer called Wu Gang Chops The Tree that's made but local brewers Pressure Drop less than a mile away from the pub. It's made with foraged herbs (and wheat I guess) and tastes absolutely delicious. It had a real tang to it, and cut through the burgers, chips and mac n cheese so well.

 
And onto that food, which I'm still daydreaming of now. I took Georgie along with me to sample their delights, and she obliged me by suggesting we share 2 burgers (perfect blogger buddy!) so we went for the Le Bourguinon Bun - 8 hour beef short rib, bourguinon glaze, truffle mayo, bacon salt and champagne slaw all in a brioche bun; and the Le Duck Frites Bun - pulled confit duck, straw frites, béarnaise spread, duck sauce and champagne slaw in a brioche bun. They were so good I can barely do them justice with words. The buns held firm meaning we dropped very little of the incredible tasting fillings. The beef bun was salty and meaty and earthy with truffle mayo that was applied so liberally I thought it was melted cheese when I first saw it. Georgie summed it up with her tweet: "What a fabulously juicy meaty truffley mouthful of joy". The duck bun was pulled duck perfection, with crispy little fries poking out and the tangy champagne slaw that went perfectly with the rich meat.

Le Duck Frites Bun:

 

Le Bourguinon Bun:

Beef on the left, duck on the right:

To go with out mammoth burgers we ordered the 2 sides - Truffled Mac and Spiced Poutine. The truffled mac was just awesome - it wasn't too cheesy rich, but had a beautiful truffle flavour, and the mac was cooked to perfection, just the right amount of softness without being too mushy. I was so full by that point but couldn't stop my fork going in for more!

And the poutine were great - crunchy, crispy chips topped with chipotle chicken gravy and homemade chilli cheese curds - though less photogenic than the others so you'll have to go and try these for yourself to see them. The curds were creamy and delicious and the chicken gravy so full of flavour.

Le Bun serve food at Three Compasses every weekday evening from 5-10pm and all day Saturday and Sunday. They've got a different menu on Tuesdays when they serve  hickory short rib tacos, red wine chipotle sauce, devilled crème fraiche and salsa verde as well as fried fish tacos, bisque butter and chipotle dust alongside tequila slushies - drool!! On Wednesdays they do 'steak frites' night, serving hanger steak, red wine jus, frites and béarnaise sauce when you can play red wine roulette, where you pay £20 and spin the wheel to win one of the three choices of red wine, that vary in price, to drink with your meal. 

If I wasn't off on holiday next week and having to wear a bikini I think you'd have to physically remove me from the Three Compasses this week as I can.not.stop thinking about the food!!