Gang Gang

Cardi B. Spice Girl. Tinie Tempah. It’s not a summer festival line-up but a rollcall of burgers available at Gang Gang.

The “all-day deli” from partners Nina Hadinata and Morgen Wynn began life as a Central Market pop-up before graduating to become one of Adelaide’s most popular food trucks (you’ll find the pair regularly parked at festivals and events in their bright yellow truck, Trailer Swift).

Now, the Gang Gang concept has a permanent space, in the former Mexican Shop digs on Unley Road. Hadinata and Wynn have stripped the space right back – the walls and floor have been painted white and the room is relatively sparse, with mostly neutral tones (save for the brand’s signature yellow) that keep your eyes focused on the main event: those burgers.

The menu taps into Gang Gang’s winning formula – Asian-leaning, fresh, plant-heavy ‘burgs – with some notable additions. There’s a brunch burger, pressed sandwiches (katsu chicken, Balinese chicken, and miso eggplant) and a chilli scramble, for a start.

Hadinata grew up in Bali and lived in Los Angeles for five years, where she embraced the city’s food-truck scene wholeheartedly. The food at Gang Gang synthesises those cuisines: there are tortillas filled with shredded Balinese chicken, sesame mayo and a bright-green, house-made coriander sauce; Indonesian-style corn fritters (with chilli, shallots and spring onions); a buttermilk chicken burger (the Cardi B) with Balinese salsa, slaw and sweet-chilli mayo; and an Indonesian-inspired vegan burger (the Tinie Tempah) with crispy tempeh, sliced beets, alfalfa, pickled onion and satay sauce.

Other influences show up in the Hot Kim chicken burger (with “chilli dust” and house-made kimchi); the Spice Girl cheeseburger with a touch of soy, pickled ginger and wasabi mayo; and an all-American cheeseburger with a smashed patty made from a secret house mince blend (“it’s all about the meat to fat ratio,” says Hadinata), American cheese and all the standard trimmings. Add a side of fries, mozzarella sticks and Hadinata’s house-made hot sauce for extra kick (it’ll soon be bottled and available for purchase).

There’s also coffee from Adelaide micro-roaster Two Fish, which pairs nicely with the pastries from Abbots and Kinney.