Frankenfood munchies at the Soda Factory

At The Soda Factory on Wentworth Avenue, Surry Hills, the cool crowd snack on ''cheeseburger'' spring rolls. That's right, spring rolls filled with ground beef, onions and cheddar served with tomato sauce and mustard. Last week Pizza Hut made headlines with a new pizza crust embedded with eight cheeseburger patties. The nutritionists railed, the curious queued and Sydney's obsession with Frankenfood continued.

But what is it with this city's need to dress mutton up as sow? ''I think people are curious. It's a weird mix of familiarity and 'I can't believe they've done that','' says Andrew Levins, the man behind the cheeseburger-flavoured hot dog at CBD venue The Dip.

It is one of the The Dip's big sellers, Levins says. Oddly, the craze for crossover hybrid fast food is taking its lead from Sydney's up-and-coming chefs ahead of the traditional fast-food heavyweights. You won't find Krispy Kreme splitting a glazed doughnut in two and slotting a meat pattie in the centre, a culinary crime carried out by young Sydney chefs a couple of years ago. Nothing is sacred in this new food world, where deep fried fish is evidently passé.

Levins is about to start serving frickles on the mixed barbecue plates at The Dip. Don't know what a frickle is? It is a battered, deep-fried pickle.