Saturday 19 December 2020

Ansh, Victoria Park, Cardiff burger review


There’s no room to stand still in the world of burgers.

With marginal gains to be had in cooking method, patty composition, topping technology, and bun science, Cardiff burgers which seemed game changing five or so years ago are now merely average in comparison to the top tier in the city.

Milkwood’s foray into sandwiches has yielded a burger reminiscent of a luxury Big Mac; Keralan Karavan’s chutney and bhaji laced Bolly Sholly burger is always a compelling proposition; and it’s hard to look past the quality of the patty used by Honest Burger (even if it is a chain).

The newest burger slinger on the block is Victoria Park’s Ansh. A collaboration between burger fanatic Aled Hill and Shaun Jones, owner of Oriel Jones butchers, it’s a team which promises great things. After all, the meat is the cornerstone of a good burger and Oriel Jones’s is sourced from their family farm in the foothills of the Cambrian mountains.

Currently only open for takeaway, Ansh’s burgers are each named after notable Welsh people - Ray Gravell, Jemima Niclas and Barti Ddu all feature in the visual menu designed by artist Pete Fowler. In terms of sides, it’s currently only sglods (chips) which are on offer. 


We preordered our Saturday night burgers a few days in advance having been stung on a previous occasion when we tried to order on the day and the earliest slot available was heading towards 9pm. 

An Oriel Jones (£12) was the headline burger on the menu and therefore always going to be an essential order. It was one hell of a burger; a luxury mess. A gloriously squishy and light cloched potato bun was stuffed with a pair of big-flavoured juicy smashed beef patties with a lovely caramelised crust and topped with a good ooze of tangy Welsh cheddar. 


But, the star of the show was intensely beefy and seriously tender Welsh black beef brisket shreds in thick ale gravy which sat beneath the two patties. 



A Jemima Niclas (£10) was an excellent showcase of Welsh mutton. A pair of hugely lamby and juicy mutton patties were accompanied by soft and sweet confit onions, melted herb-flecked cheese and burger sauce. 


Crisp-skinned sglods (£3) were enjoyably golden in colour and retained their heat surprisingly well on the journey back to Penylan. 


We were seriously impressed by our burgers from Ansh and there’s no doubt they belong in the city’s top tier. I’m looking forward to getting stuck in to a sit-in burger once they’ve completed their refurbishment.

The Details:

Address - Ansh,  589 Cowbridge Road East, Victoria Park, Cardiff CF5 1BE
Telephone - 07498 499787

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