In search of the Golden Cheeseburger

Our ongoing search for the greatest Cheeseburger on the island leads us to the Luqa Airport… we’re not off to NYC, but to Talbot & Bons, home to wholesome cooking since 2012.

What #MaltaBurgers is always looking for is a classic beef burger topped with good quality cheese, not a slice of processed ingredients with a yellow colour tinge and with less than 1% cheese inside.

At T&B we find the mighty-named Blue Moon burger waiting for us. This is one burger with a history. It was conceived as a four cheese burger, but the overload of cheese flavour and the size of all cheeses was way too much for one burger. Alan, one of the owners of T&B, then came up with a Gorgonzola cheese version. Alan is always interested in the feedback from his customers, and customers started to ask for a stronger cheese. Always aiming to improve the food and service, Alan has finally come up with the Blue Cheese version of the burger, aptly named as the Blue Moon burger.

The patty is made from Angus beef, which is mixed to specification by a local supplier. The patty mix is delivered early every single day, where it is worked on further in the kitchen. Spices and herbs are added at this stage.

On top of the beef patty goes a good sized portion of caramelized onions, tomatoes, lettuce and the distinctive gorgonzola cheese. All is served with steak house fries and onion rings. This burger does not only look good but is as juicy and appetizing. The salty gorgonzola flavour takes a marching lead, and that’s the main concept of the Blue Moon. This is definitely a burger for cheese connoisseurs! Bite after bite, and the blue moon is history!

To quench our thirst, we get a Lemon bio drink. This is the first time we see this brand locally, and indeed one can only find the Galvanina drinks at T&B. This refreshing citrus drink is made from Sicilian lemons, which are organic and mineral-rich. We loved that sour taste that goes so well with any burger.

Did we find a great Cheeseburger at T&B? Hands down we did, and we’re over the moon!

The 3 Floors: KFC Tower Stacker

Houston, we have a problem! We’re just done with a beast workout at the gym, and we urgently need to replenish our levels of protein & carbs. We’re in the Msida area. What do we do?

Solution: drive to KFC, and stock up on chicken!

#MALTAburgers is in front of KFC in no time at all, and the first image that impresses is the window-sized poster advertising the humongous Tower Stacker Burger! We’re game.

The place was recently redecorated in a modern metropolitan style with an appealing red-black-gray colour scheme. Just perfect for a laid-back lunch in the summertime afternoon. The Tower Stacker is offered in two varieties, with Original Recipe fillets or Zinger taste. We start thinking and considering options, but ultimately opt for the only viable solution: get both!

The Tower Burger is made up of 3 main floors: 2 pieces of chicken fillets and a golden hash brown. The usual lettuce, cheese, mayo, and ketchup are there too. This is the main blueprint for the Maltese version of the Tower Stacker as it seems that every country sports a slightly different configuration. The chicken fillets are moist and tasty and have an appetizing texture. KFC prepare these daily, so they have to be good. The Original Recipe fillets are covered with Colonel Sanders’ secret recipe of herbs, while the Zinger ones are even crisper with a stronger herb mix that adds heat and some more! If you like spicy chicken, then definitely ask for the Zinger Tower Stacker. The hash-brown adds a mushy layer to the stack. We noticed that the chicken patties are much wider than the promotional photos, which is a superb thing (remember we are hungry).

And here comes a challenge. How do you eat the Tower Stacker? This will depend entirely on every individual’s personality.

There will be the hungry dude that will apply all his level of brute force, squeeze the burger like an industrial iron press, roll it in half, and bite off!

We did not do that and started to bite pieces at random angles, from all around until we reached the core.

We know there will be those who will use knife & fork and cut it into tiny bits and eat it like a Princess during Fashion Week… but who are we to judge?!

After all plates were cleared, we think that the Tower Stacker is definitely a hunger quencher as it’s the largest burger in the current KFC family lineup. If you’re famished and in the Gzira area, you know what to do!

HANGing OUT with the Pulled Pork Burger in Msida

Upon request from a number of readers, today we are off to check out HANGOUT. This is a pretty new place in the University area (Msida). Indeed it opened its doors a few months back, in late 2016.

The place is modern and stylish and offers an excellent selection of burgers with a twist. One can select his favorite bread from 8 different varieties, choose a patty & fill from a long list, and add a preferred sauce. The possibilities are practically endless, which makes our visit even more exciting.

We are greeted by Jeff, a young & very enthusiastic man, who is one of the owners. Jeff is a very hands-on person, and he’s always around checking that everything is running smoothly and efficiently and that the customers are having the best experience possible. As a youth, Jeff had a lucrative business that had nothing to do with catering. He left that behind for his growing love for food. Jeff wanted to do things the right way up, so he found the best chefs on the island and started to train with them. Slicing onions and potatoes by day, and researching new recipes by night, Jeff began to lay out his biggest master plan to date. Fast forward a few years, and we now find him opening the doors of HANGOUT.

Apart from the customized burgers, HANGOUT has a few house specialties. We opted for the Pulled Pork burger. The patty is made from 170g of beef. The meat is sourced locally on a daily basis, so it’s fresh as it can be. It’s an 80/20 mix of protein/fat, which yields delicious results. Cheese and a substantial portion of pulled pork (also roasted in-house) go on top, with a dollop of BBQ sauce. If you like your burger well-sauced, you’re in for a real treat here! The burger is finalized with crispy onions, tomatoes, and lettuce. Everything goes into an olive-spiced Ciabatta (our choice of bread), which we get to know is specially made for HANGOUT by a local bakery.

It shows that the beef is daily fresh, as it’s very juicy and succulent. The overall BBQ flavor is to die for. As the burger is devoured, we move onto the fries. We have an excellent selection that ranges from sweet potatoes to fries with cheese, flavors, and spices. The fries are crispy and tasty as they can be. Perfect!

We asked Jeff how he’s managing the daily fresh part of the business because we know that it has its challenges. Indeed, it’s expected that the kitchen will run out of prime materials if a big group of customers suddenly turns up altogether… here we see Jeff run off to his suppliers and come back in record time, with bags full of meat and bread!

We bid farewell to HANGOUT… but not for long. Whenever #MALTAburgers smells good food, be sure that we will be back soon!

Hard Rock Cafe World Burger Tour

Hard Rock Cafe is proposing 4 new burgers for a limited time period (May & June), as part of their World Burger Tour. These Burgers are specialties offered by Hard Rock Cafes from different parts of the world, inspired by their local flavours.

#MaltaBurgers decided to visit on one hungry afternoon. We checked out the TANGO SALSA BURGER from the hot & steamy Buenos Aires in Argentina. The presentation of this Burger really lives up to the promotional photos… the chock-full plate looks like a real-life version of the ad photos, especially in portion size. This is a big, tasty burger. That’s the way all burgers should be! The Angus beef patty is thick and well cooked through. The Argentinian flavor comes from the Andouille sausage topping and the salsa criolla. On top of that we got even more…. some Monterey jack cheese (a semi-hard cheese with mild flavour and slight sweetness), arugula and a fried egg. Meal also includes crispy fries and an exquisite garlic aioli dip, which we really loved.

Looking forward to the next Burger World Tour….