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Street Fighter-themed Super Combo burger outlet opens in Brisbane

Callan Boys
Callan Boys

A selection of umami-heavy burgers at Super Combo.
A selection of umami-heavy burgers at Super Combo.Judit Losh

What's the lowdown?

A new burger joint in Brisbane! Because, you know, we didn't have enough before.

Super Combo is the fast-casual operation from childhood mates Hao Vu and Michael Nham. Vu grew up in Brisbane but moved to Melbourne at a young age, where he and Nahm would spend countless hours battling Chun-Li, Ken and Sagat on Street Fighter II at the local takeaway.

Ready, player one! Super Combo at the Showgrounds.
Ready, player one! Super Combo at the Showgrounds.Judit Losh
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Those salad-roll days never left them and the pair have opened a (loosely) Street Fighter-themed burger shop at the Brisbane Showgrounds redevelopment. A Street Fighter II Turbo edition* is hooked up to one wall via a Super Nintendo, and custom 3D-printed fighting figurines are bolted to the ceiling. Burgers have names like Round 1, Round 2, The Spinning Piledriver (a special attack of Street Fighter's Zangief, you know) and the Yoga Attack (character Dhalsim's signature move).

Why should I care?

Because I just wrote a best burgers in Brisbane story and totally would have included these guys had they been open.

Super Combo's super fries topped with cheese sauce, bacon bits, chimichurri and spring onion.
Super Combo's super fries topped with cheese sauce, bacon bits, chimichurri and spring onion.Judit Losh

Vu and Nahm are already known operators on the Melbourne burger front with their beachside cafe NSHRY. The chaps can flip a pattie and the Round 2 burger ($12.50) at Super Combo is a 1-2-3 umami punch of parmesan butter, roasted tomato and Kewpie mayo. There's also beef, onions, pickles, American cheese, cos lettuce, ketchup and American mustard, but it's really all about that umami trinity. The patty is tremendously juicy, too.

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There's more umami madness on the Hadoken burger ($13) featuring "umami-rubbed" beef, smoky mushroom sauce, gruyere cheese and a parmesan crisp, while the Sonic Boom ($14) fried chicken sandwich with maple bacon, cheddar cheese sauce and pineapple chutney is like a Hawaiian pizza that's let itself go.

What else is worth noting on the menu?

Super fries ($10) topped with cheese sauce, bacon bits, chimichurri and spring onion; corn gems ($4/$7), which are something like potato gems but with sweet corn, mashed potato, capsicum, zucchini and onion; a cookies-and-cream super shake ($8.50); a couple of salads and a handful of beers.

Anything else I need to know?

Super Combo's hospital-grade lighting means you'll be wanting to grab your burger to-go or take advantage of the limited outdoor seating. But, not before you take advantage of the hot sauce wall. $1.50 lets you fill a small plastic cup with your choice of about 50 sauces. including hard-to-find imports such as an Ancho & Morita smoky tamarind number (look for the tiny bottle).

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Open Mon-Sat 11.30am-9pm.

20 King Street Bowen Hills, supercombo.com.au

*Super Street Fighter II Turbo was the first game in the series to introduce super combos to the gameplay. If using a Turbo edition cartridge is a nerdy Easter egg from the Super Combo owners, then muchos kudos. But it's probably just because Street Fighter II Turbo is really good.

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Callan BoysCallan Boys is editor of SMH Good Food Guide, restaurant critic for Good Weekend and Good Food writer.

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