With the former North restaurant going south, the prime location just outside Adelaide Casino is now occupied by Sean’s Kitchen. Named after Sydney based chef, Sean Connolly, this is one of many restaurants that he is involved in. Other restaurants include The Morrison in Sydney and The Grill by Sean Connolly at Skycity Auckland, New Zealand.

The restaurant takes advantage of Adelaide’s fresh local produce with a focus on simple and honest food. The most unique feature of this place is their ham museum with a collection of 7 types of ham from around the world on offer. There’s also a selection of small plates, entrees, salads, plated dishes, dishes cooked by charcoal and larger dishes to be shared.

Seafood features prominently on the menu with Spencer Gulf prawns, scampi, king crab, pacific oysters, tuna, salmon, kingfish, sea trout and lobster. Their most luxurious item is the Oscietra Caviar, which is the second most expensive caviar in the world. At $285 for 30g or $400 for 50g, this would be an extravagant way to spend your casino winnings.

The drinks menu is made up from a variety of local and imported products. The champagne is all French with the most expensive being the 03 Krug Vintage coming in at $500 a bottle. The wine is conveniently categorised into sparkling, easy drinking, crisp and bright, aromatic, textural, rich, rose, and light and vibrant. It’s important to note that a majority of the beverages on the drinks menu are only available by the bottle and not by the glass.

With a seating capacity of 180, customers have the option of dining alfresco, in private dining areas, or up close where the kitchen is, at the Chef’s Table. The main dining area is a large open space with magnificent high ceilings. The black and white glazed tiles and the use of timber furnishings are cohesive with the historical character of the building. The use of low level plants in the alfresco area creates a space that is more inviting and has been cleverly designed to draw customers in.

For dinner, I ordered the Dry-aged Burger which comes with lettuce, tomato, house pickles and a chipotle mayonnaise. All the meals came out within 15 minutes of ordering and were nicely presented.

Apparently, this is the only place in Adelaide that offers a burger that uses dry-aged beef. Dry-aged beef is raw meat that is usually hung or placed on a rack to dry for several weeks at near freezing temperatures. Only high grades of beef with an even distribution of fat content can be dry-aged. The effect of dry-aging is the concentration and saturation of the natural meat flavour, as well as a more tender meat texture.

The beef patty was about an inch thick and it’s diameter was larger than the smaller-than-normal sized bun. Some of the best burgers that I’ve had, have come with beef patties that have pinkish centres. The centre of the beef patty in this burger was indeed pink, but it was also very raw. The texture was slimy and I was getting bits of raw fat mince stuck between my teeth.

When I informed two different waiters, they both replied with an identical scripted dialogue (I’ll presume I’m not the first to question the burger). I was told the centre of the beef patty was supposed to be raw and that it was safe to be consumed because of the way the meat is prepared (dry-aged). Having had my fair share of burgers in Adelaide, the meat in this burger was disgusting.

The other components of this burger were fine. The lettuce was fresh and crisp, and the tomato was soft and ripe. The pickles were tangy and sour which complemented the smooth subtle smokey flavours of the chipotle mayonnaise. The bun was lightly toasted and was firm enough to hold all the ingredients together.

My side of Mac & Cheese arrived at my table fresh out of the oven and piping hot. The top surface was baked to a light golden brown. The macaroni was perfectly cooked and was smothered in a sea of rich creamy gooey white sauce. The cheese added a nice bite and the dish as a whole was very executed.

My friend ordered the Crab n Cheese Melt which contained king crab, bechamel and cheddar. The crab meat was fresh, juicy and delicate, while the creamy bechamel sauce complimented the sharp taste of the cheddar cheese. A very good dish with the only complaint being there wasn’t enough of it.

My friend ordered a side of Duck Fat Chips which also came with my burger. The chips are twice cooked and were crunchy like potato chips in a packet. The second lot of frying sees the high quality potatoes turn to a light golden brown. The exterior is firm and crisp, while the centres are soft and delicate. A light amount of sea salt is added to create something quite memorable.

The side came with Bloody Mary tomato sauce which contains a dash of vodka and a splash of Worcestershire sauce. The sauce was rich and full bodied but not exactly to everyone’s tastes.

With the sheer number of staff on the floor, the service was nothing but attentive. The waiters that I spoke to had an intimate knowledge of the menu and tried to do everything to create a memorable experience. The drinks and food arrived promptly and plates were cleared as we finished.

The pricing is higher than average but not over the top. My burger was $20 and the Mac n Cheese was $8. My friend’s Crab n Cheese Melt was also $20 and her chips were $10. A 30g serving of ham from the museum will start at $10 and go up to $28. The small plates start at $12, while the entrees, salads and plated dishes all start at $18.

It’s a pity a substandard burger ruined what would have been a pleasant dining experience.

WHERE: Adelaide Casino, Station Rd, Adelaide