When you are hit with that undying crave for American food, there’s only a handful of local places that can satisfy that itch. Henry J. Beans, who have been operating in Malta since 1995, are the original Americana. Curiously enough, the franchise has no American heritage as it was born in the UK. Yet their burgers have been nicknamed as Malta’s Legendary for the past 23 years, making Hank’s (as this place is known amongst regulars) a surefire spot for consuming all sort of comfort food and a pint of beer with friends. December seems to be prone to such gatherings more than any other month of the year, with Xmas and all, so rather than be disappointed by those Hard Rock guys for the umpteen time, we decided to check out what Hank’s been up to since our last visit.
This restaurant rarely changes shape and form, which is not a bad thing since the theme is very timeless. So imagine our surprise when we spotted a new burger on the menu! Good old Hank has sneakily added a new burger, without too much fanfare and parading! Looking closer, we can notice that a good part of their menu has been overhauled or fine-tuned, but that’s a story for another day. Today we give you Hank’s Hot Spicy burger!
We’ve seen a good share of spicy burgers in 2018. And even though the end of the year is trickling by, we still haven’t seen them all! Do we live in the age of Spicy? This age is bristling with good and evil. Good hot & spicy is the lip-tingling burn of well-balanced pepperish food. Good spicy is meant to add an element to the dish and not become the dish itself. Bad spicy grabs each of your taste buds and issues the pain of ten thousand needles. Or one thousand, if we don’t want to exaggerate. Bad spicy makes burgers angry in our books.
Just like its other legendary burgers, the new Hot Spicy is made from a 230gr patty of minced and blended cuts of ribeye, chuck roll and tenderloin. Unlike other franchises, the patties are not imported but are prepared at the Corinthia St. George’s kitchens, which is a very welcome approach. This same beef blend goes into all the burgers on the menu, and what we love most is the lavish and earthy tones that create that urging craveability from the first bite until the last. The fat from the ribeye adds some of that distinctive and rich flavour that this finer grain meat is more known for. This patty is indeed chockfull of beef aroma, maybe also thanks to the buttery and sublime texture of the tenderloin and is enveloped in pockets of juices. Seasoning is on point, and the char is not only a visual consideration but a palatable bonus too. Furthermore, the patty is spread with garlic butter, for an extra layer of gusto, and totally covered in jalapenos, which we presume make up the Hot part of the burger’s name. Chef Eric, who’s preparing this burger today, wants to make sure that you get 1 or 2 jalapenos with every bite. There is a thickness of a slightly nutty Emmental cheese on top, which melts beautifully and seals the jalapenos in place instead of having them cascade from the sides as soon as you take a good hold of the burger with two hands, squeeze and bite. That’s a sign of devilish construction!
The burger is served in an expertly toasted sesame seed bun which is made locally for Hank’s and layered with the obligatory mix of lettuce, tomato slices and onions. These add a slight vegetable snap to go along with the cheese’s creaminess. This bun has a good density and is a good candidate for a burger-bun, but the most noteworthy element here is the very spicy sauce, devised in-house by Chef Eric, and made from sriracha, Tabasco, black pepper and mayonnaise. This is spread bountiful on both halves of the bun, making sure you can’t get away from it! Names don’t come any bigger in the world of hot sauce than Tabasco and Sriracha, and here you get them both! This sauce lives up to its name, as it definitely brings your focus on the spiciest element of the whole burger. The heat is there, together with that powerful vinegar tang from the Tabasco, and the chilli and garlic flavours from the sriracha. This is the kind of heat that can be enjoyed by the novice spice eater, or overdosed on by those seeking the thrill to test their taste buds’ endurance. The plating is completed with coleslaw (a good spice cooler) and steakhouse fries served on the side. Pair your burger with a Blue Label ale, to make sure to extinguish any overbearing spices!
The burger is as large as we remember from past Hank’s offerings. Even so, it’s priced at around €12, which takes us back to a time before Badass started jacking up prices, making many of today’s burger offerings more within the €15 to €20 price range. When you can make a beef burger this good for such a decent price, you can’t but get two thumbs up from us. When done well, a spicy burger like this is the best example of good spicy. The heat brings out the bold taste of the beef patty, the creaminess of the Emmental, and the refreshing properties of the lettuce and tomatoes. It will have you reaching out for a cold beer instead of the fire extinguisher! This burger left us happy beyond any doubt, instead of angry with a burnt tongue.
