As Seen On TV

Howdy y'all! Don't worry I've not turned into a American, not yet anyway. Although the way I've been eating the past week I'll soon feel right at home over here. So you must be wondering where my travels have taken me to now right?

Well..... Washington is full of landmarks like Capitol Hill, The White House and the Lincoln Memorial but before exploring these sites I visited a hidden landmark. Unfortunately for me it didn't involve a mysterious adventure like something out of National Treasure. A short journey on the yellow line took us to The Original Ben's Chili Bowl as seen on Man v. Food.

As you can see from the image, it clearly states that it's a landmark and even the likes of President Obama have eaten there so it can't be bad! There's a wall of fame displaying photos of celebrities that have visited the joint, something I've noticed that is quite common over here in eateries.

I went for the Chili half smoke as it's Ben's signature dish. This consists of a half pork, half beef sausage on a hot dog bun topped with mustard, onions and their home made chili. Surprisingly the chili isn't very spicy but did taste divine, I could easily have eaten another one but the long queues deterred me from doing so.

I must add that, I've been in the States for over a week now and it's still one of the best things I've eaten so far, especially if you take value for money into account too. Forget the other landmarks, you need to start your tour of the city with a stop at Ben's Chili Bowl.

Pound For Pound

It's been a good few days now in the United States for the Junk Food Connoisseur and his friends. We've been eating things such as bagels, Papa John's pizza to the more luxurious item of oysters in Boston. It's been a pleasant stay in Boston, walking the Freedom Trail and completing the 294 steps up Bunker Hill (to help stir up an appetite).

Yesterday we ventured on to Washington DC, the next stop on our tour of America. Having been in the country a couple of days it was probably considered a crime that we still hadn't consumed a burger yet. Well....clearly this needed addressing! Prior to watching the NHL game between the Washington Capitals vs Florida Panthers we stumbled into Fuddruckers. It was more a case of indecisiveness and there were hungry mouths to feed.

The first thing that comes to mind when scanning the menu is that the smallest sized burger is a 1/3 pounder with the largest weighing in at an entire pound. Had any doubts I was in America beforehand? No questions now surely! I've opted to start slow and chose a 1/3 pound Inferno burger consisting of jalapenos, caramelised onions and Pepper Jack cheese. You're even asked how you want the burger cooked! 

There's quite a considerable wait because the burger is cooked the way you want it and this time is also proportional to the size of the burger. The estimated cooking time of a pound burger is 15 minutes meaning a hungry man has to be a very patient one too.

There is a salad and sauce section upon receiving your burger that is entirely self-serve. I love my burgers fully loaded and put on plenty of lettuce, tomatoes and onions....oh and yet more jalapenos too! I do wonder how I would have managed to fit a whole pounder in my mouth with the salad.

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My burger was consumed within minutes and my only regret now is not opting for a larger burger. Next time I'll know better but as any good fighter knows, you start at a weight you're comfortable in and work your way up to heavyweight champion of the world!

Stateside

For those that don't know, the Junk Food Connoisseur is going Stateside on a mini adventure for a few weeks. The home of hamburgers, hotdogs and everything extra large super sized.

In preparation for my visit I've been watching a lot of Man vs Food episodes and researching on the web. As cliché as it may sound, the below McDonalds in Chicago is a must visit and there's no other way to satisfy your hunger out there than with a Super Size meal!

Just a few of the other places on the list include Gino's pizzeria in Chicago, The Cheesecake factory, Bellagio buffet and the challenge I'm planning on attempting at Orochon Ramen in Los Angeles.


Stay tuned, I'll be trying to post updates during my travels when I'm not busy scoffing my face! 

Sumo Sunday

Fear not readers, despite the fact I've probably gained a few pounds recently I have not taken up a new sport in Sumo wrestling. In fact the Sumo Sunday refers to the sushi buffet available at Yo Sushi on Sunday's. This was first made available around September last year (only on Sunday) but it wasn't until last month that I made a visit (or two) to sample the buffet.

Yo Sushi isn't new to me but I tend to only visit when there's an offer on. For someone that often eats plates into double digits this can become rather expensive! Oh how much more I must have cost my parents to raise compared to the average child?

The terms of the buffet state that it only includes plates on the belt. However, on my second visit I arrived with it approaching closing time. As a result of this I was able to order several items that I wasn't charged extra for so this is certainly worth bearing in mind.

Below are a few of my favourite items.

Gyozas

Chicken Katsu Curry

Beef Nigri

Let's be honest now, Yo Sushi isn't the most authentic Japanese restaurant around but I live in Manchester and there's a distinct lack of choice. At £18.50 for the buffet too, there are better options available if you're flexible with the type of food. Despite my harsh comments, I still made two visits last month!