Cajun Chicken Licken

In the early days of 2018, we visited Gyros & Churros, a new eatery set up on the ashes of the legendary White Arrow, one of the most iconic students’ snack bars from yesteryear. The unique concept of merging Greek and Spanish street food proved to be a hit with both students and neighbourhood families. In the start of 2019 things got excitingly more interesting for burger lovers, as G&C introduced a lineup of four burgers. One of them is a chicken burger done the Cajun way. So we had to check out what the culinary team of Marco Lombardi, Matthew Bugeja and their kitchen brigade were up to.

Sometimes you’re just craving a burger, but want a beef-less version that doesn’t sacrifice the juicy, delicious taste and sort of take a break from your American-style beef burger. Poultry patties are often suggested as a healthy substitute and that’s why we believe that chicken burgers deserve more attention. It’s not surprising that poultry has proven healthier than red meat in scientific studies. Poultry even has better fats than red meats. If done right, chicken can be your secret weapon to flavorful, yet lean burgers. But if you overload the chicken with batter and breadcrumbs, and deep-fry the whole concoction, all this healthy preaching flies out of the window! And that’s something that G&C must have thought over when designing their version of the chicken burger, as theirs is as health-conscious as humanly possible for a poultry burger.

Mind you, this is not just any chicken burger, this is built around a juicy, chicken breast that is grilled and cajun spiced. It doesn’t stop there either. This burger is topped with a creamy mayo sauce, rucola and shredded parmesan cheese that compliments it perfectly. Get one of the loaded fries on the menu and you have yourself an epic combo, customised to your liking. The chicken is the main attention grabber in this burger. Indeed at the heart of the burger, we get 130gr of chicken fillet breast that’s marinated in cajun spice, English mustard and garlic. There is no fancy batter, so we get to enjoy the chicken meat au naturel. Cajun seasoning is a simple spice blend that typically contains a mix of paprika, garlic and onion powders, dried thyme, and a hint of cayenne. It has a warm, smoky aroma, with a mild heat that warms up your tongue, but doesn’t cross into deep-spicy territory. And that’s exactly what the doctor ordered in combination with chicken! Imagine juicy, moist chicken fillet meat grilled with perfect char on the skin, with the heat and flavours from the cajun seasonings… this would be it! The chicken truly has a succulent and tender core and an overall splendid flavour. This is also one fiesta of a chicken burger aimed for those who urge to experience flavours beyond what they’re already familiar with when it comes to burgers.

The brioche bun that holds all the ingredients is lightly coated with sesame seeds and has the perfect texture to melt into the patty, creating a unified bite with every taste. It’s filled with sliced tomatoes and onions that provide a good amount of crunch. The bowlful of leafy rucola also helps to enhance the flavours with its peppery and tangy taste. The Parmesan cheese has a hard, gritty texture and is left in its natural state rather than melted. It’s slightly fruity and nutty in taste and is a well-chosen addition to this burger.

For those who like to nibble on fries, G&C have you sorted out in a big way. They have a selection of loaded fries, anything from cheesy fries with paprika, to the superb, pulled pork ones with spring onions, parsley, bbq sauce and smothered in salty and nutty Edam cheese. This particular fries dish turns out to be a long-time favourite of ours. If their pulled pork burger is anything as good as the insanely tender and loaded-with-flavour shredded pork on these fries, we know which burger we’re going for next! These fries are meant to be shared between 2 or 3 people, but there will always be those hungry piggies who will eat it all on their own! After all that food goodness, you might also want to try one of the four coloured lemonades, which are served in a signature bulb-like bottle! The Coconut Blue Lagoon one has a very strong deep blue colour and a potent silver swirling effect that is a vision to behold! This is a very welcome and refreshing option in summertime, after a burger and fries and is something cool from the usual cola.

But wait, there’s even more! There’s no way we’re leaving G&C without the mandatory churros! Churros are South American doughnut sticks, that were primarily introduced in Malta to the masses by G&C. This sweet treat is deep fried in oil and rolled in cinnamon sugar. You can also go wild and heap a variety of crushed sweets on top! But classic churros were not enough and the mad inventors at G&C have come up with hot dog style, large-sized Churros stuffed with ooey gooey creams and topped with chocolate. These are similar to the South American churros which are typically filled with rich dulce de leche. There’s one with Kinder Bueno, a KitKat churro and another with white chocolate. There’s no alternative but to taste them all and make your mind, which one is your favourite sweet treat!

In a matter of months, since they have introduced their burgers, Gyros & Churros have won the big burger game in the crowded Junior College area, thanks to their churros, loaded fries and the current shift in local trends, as Millenials are growing up and making up their own mind on what they like, instead of relying on Instagram photos or on what Facebook marketers propose. The fact that there’s a lot of right things to like with this chicken burger helps too. For one, this culinary creation is packed with flavours, so there’s no wonder why patrons have been flocking to try it out since it was introduced earlier this year. It’s smoky, zesty and has a little bit of a spicy kick to it, just like good chicken burgers should be. It’s also a big & solid eat that will satisfy your craving for chicken for the whole day! If you want to keep your caloric count down, this is definitely the next burger to try out. And when it comes to us, there’s no doubt that this is set to become our Sunday favourite burger.

Burger Day 2019: Hit Burgers you need to try out

Today is International Burger Day, and there’s no better way to celebrate than by chomping down a big one! But which one?

To celebrate the righteous day of the burg, here’s some of the burgers which we adore… and you have more than enough for a whole week of burger eating. We always search for genuine eateries than mince their beef and create their own artisan patties rather than just buy a ready made one from the butcher, add a sauce and assemble everything in a bun. That’s how we roll… if your burger is not on MaltaBurgers, just try harder!

The Gold Standard of Cheeseburgers

 

For the first time in 6+ years of checking and testing burgers in Malta and all over Europe, we found one that scored 90+ points in our books. An old age myth says that the Gods of Olympus made men, and then waited for men to create the cheeseburger! The Gods can now come down from the clouds, as we have found a Gold Standard cheeseburger at Manouche! A 200gr patty made from a mix of fresh chuck, brisket & sirloin, topped with sliced onions, and slowly cooked in butter and thyme together with a combination of Gruyere and Comte cheese make an experience that will stay on your mind for days! Even the milk bun is exclusively baked in-house.

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The Gold Standard Surf n Turf Burger

 

Never like in 2019, there has been such a peak in superior burgers and a spike in chef creativeness. Coming up with a Gold Standard burger is no easy feat. The Gold is reserved for those burgers that are extraordinary beyond belief. Those meat & bread creations that are handcrafted from scratch and display gastronomic techniques that are not usually associated with burger grilling. And so, can you imagine our bewilderment, when we came across one such burger, in a Sliema Take-Away at Sea Salt?! The star burger in question is made from a 180gr beef patty made from a combination of chuck & brisket (imported from Ireland) and is topped with deep fried floured calamari and a whole Sicilian red prawn. All is covered in bisque sauce, and sandwiched between a brioche bun drizzled in lemon vinaigrette and layered with rucola. This is for sure a decadent burger that will undoubtedly satisfy all seafood lovers. Such a burger will be very hard to beat. It’s surf and turf at its finest.

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Best all-Pork Burger: Pork Trio

 

Many consider beef as the undisputed king in burger land. And why shouldn’t it be like that? After all, nothing beats a 100% beef burger. Except for the odd pork burger, when done right. And the Pavilion Gastro Pub have done just that. Here we found a Pork Trio burger as part of their current lineup of specials, with not one, not two, but three layers of holy pork! The main patty is made from 120gr of breaded pork cheeks which is uniquely lean and tender. The second level of porky punch comes in the form of a 120gr chunk of pulled pork, slow cooked in jager sauce. The third meat level surfaces as one of the most traditional and comfort use of pork… the bacon, which is crispy streaky bacon, 3 long slabs to be more precise. Just in case you thought that this burger is pork, pork, pork, there’s also a double dose of Leicester cheese! This Pork Trio burger excels on all counts, and despite all the pork inside, it’s very easy to bite into. Each layer of pork would make a good burger element on its own, but the 3 different textures put in one burger show an engrossing level of culinary thinking and execution, with a fruitful design and form, which unfortunately is something we don’t see every day. It’s akin the Lamborghini of Pork burgers as far as the local burger scene goes.

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Best Veggie Burger in Sliema

What’s great about veggie burgers is the opportunity to create something unique, with endless flavour combinations, from black bean to rice to exotic vegetables. We took our time and went around the Gzira & Sliema area to hunt for new burger offerings. This part of Malta is particularly dense with foreigners working for gaming companies and language students, consequently giving birth to an array of healthy & veggie-friendly eateries. Balance Bowl, a hip and trendy eatery was founded by three passionate foodies that met in London. The Squashed Tahini burger is made from a whole Butternut Squash round as a patty. This is marinated for hours in soy sauce, garlic, pepper and oil and left to cool down before it’s covered in a water & flour paste, breaded in panko and deep fried until it’s glistening and golden. There’s also Tahini and Hummus pastes which provide more than a kick of spice and flavour flair. This burger has managed to put a flavoured twist when we gave up all hopes on finding an original veggie burger and made us feel positive for all the right reasons.

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Hottest & Spiciest Burger

When you are hit with that undying crave for American food, there’s only a handful of local places that can satisfy that itch. And this year Henry J. Beans have come up with a Hot Spicy burger! Just like their other legendary burgers, this one 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. 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. 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! A 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. 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.

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Best Maltese Burger in Mdina

 

Our endless crusade for the most Maltese burger of them all leads us to the silent city, at Palazzo De Piro. Their Maltese burger encapsulates staple ingredients from our local cuisine. The 200gr beef patty, made from cuts of chuck, is layered with semi-dried tomatoes. This is covered with a second patty made from a mix of crumbled Maltese sausage, coriander and parsley. Two slices of local goat cheese are melted on top to seal all the meat. The burger is encased in a soft brioche bun and served with French fries and a bouquetiere of fresh leaves. This is one of those burgers that make heads turn and creates a thoughtful and luxury version of the classic burger, infused with key Maltese ingredients.

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The Ultimate Chicken Burger in Bugibba

How hard is it to find a crispy chicken burger that’s tasty & tender, and not dry? During our recent research for the Ultimate Chicken Burger, we ended up at Bistroteca in Bugibba square. This burger has 3 main elements inspired by the Spanish Paella: chicken, chorizo and prawn. At the very base, there is a layer of red chard and 3 slices of chorizo. At the heart of this burger, there’s the premier protein we’ve been looking for the whole time, the breaded chicken. This boneless thigh is tenderized with a mallet, rubbed in paprika and breaded in a mix of buttermilk, eggs, flour and panko breadcrumbs. The chef was very open-handed with the portions too, as we get a whole thigh chopped in half! It also has a good diameter and thickness to it, and makes the whole burger two storey tall! What’s a burger without sauce? This element has not been neglected as there’s a generous amount of prawn-based bisque sauce. A king prawn also stands vigilant at the top, and this one is fried in tempura. As a chicken burger, this one is racing triumphantly towards the top, and it seems that for the time being there’s very little in its way.

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Cinco de Mayo Burger

Cinco de Mayo weekend, the fifth of May, is here, so let’s indulge on tacos, burritos and margaritas! That’s the proper way to celebrate, right? Or do we have another case of St. Patrick’s day here? This holiday was originally meant to celebrate the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France during the historical Franco-Mexican War. While this is a relatively minor holiday in Mexico, it was the Americans who evolved it into a commemoration of Mexican culture and heritage, particularly in areas with large Mexican-American populations. Many people outside Mexico even mistakenly believe that Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of Mexican independence, which was declared more than 50 years before the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Indeed for many native Mexicans, May 5 is a day like any other. It is not a federal holiday, but there are military parades and other festive events. Native Mexicans don’t overdose on tacos, guacamole, tostadas, enchiladas and tamales on this day. That doesn’t mean we can’t though! Add to that Paloma with tequila, mariachi music and sombreros and we have a jubilant Sunday.

In the past years, we’ve seen a drastic increase in local eateries that propose taco-based menus, more than often including sky-high piles of nachos drowned in cheese and colossal fishbowl margaritas. These couldn’t be more different than true Mexican cuisine. From food trucks turned restaurants with the obligatory hefty price tag, to holes in the wall combining canned ingredients, and the likes of Lovely Malta advertising them as freshly made! And there are even those Texan & Mexican mish mash menus that have little in common with traditional Mexican recipes. We’ve seen and tasted them all. At the end of the day, we always end up at La Vida in Sliema for our Latin American fix. The fact that they have a peppery Mexican burger on the menu, might have something to do with that too!

We’ve already visited La Vida last January where we witnessed a sensational Spanish Fiesta brimming with food and wine. Cinco de Mayo is a very good justification to clear our schedule and commute to the busiest part of Sliema, to experience typical Mexican cooking, packed with flavour, colour and spice… La Vida is the brainchild of David and Elaine, a sweet couple from Australia and Ireland. They visited Malta on many occasions until three years ago they bought the corner place in Sliema and realised their project of passion. They named it La Vida, which literally translated from Spanish means life. This corner restaurant is just off the seafront at Ghar id-Dud and looks akin a humble yet homely affair. It’s unostentatious and promises modestly-priced food and friendly vibes. The place has proved to be such a popular haunt, that they are shortly opening another one at Carob Tree in Spinola. And above all, every visit to La Vida is not just a burger affair, it’s a 360° food experience. This time we will be indulging our taste buds with delicacies from Mexico & Latin America.

Mexican flavours run the gamut, from the highly complicated to the purely simple. Mexican cooking truly covers two ends of the spectrum. Something as a tuna tostadita, which is not complex at all is the perfect way to start our culinary journey. We tried two types of tostaditas, one with a hot chipotle sauce, and one sprinkled with sesame seeds and marinated in lime, which turned out to be our favourite. Both are made from fresh cuts of sashimi-style local tuna, which is exquisitely salted. These have a crunchy and toasted flat base made from bite-sized, blue corn tortillas, and are smouldered in tasty guacamole. The taste of blue corn tortillas tends to be superior to wheat ones and they have no gluten to worry about! They also provide a colour base that is different, verging on the eye-catching. In Mexico and other parts of Latin America, toasted flat tortillas are customarily served as a companion to seafood, so this tuna version is more than fitting and appealing.

Many affirm that it’s the traditionaliest of all traditional Mexican food, the tacos, that have opened countless minds and palates to experience real Mexican cuisine. A taco is a corn or wheat tortilla folded around a filling. There are no basic rules when it comes to the variety of fillings that can be used, and this allows great versatility and variety. Maybe this, combined with the fact that tacos must be eaten without utensils, are what makes this food so customary Mexican. La Vida have quite a few tacos to choose from but our favourites are the pulled pork one, made from local pork that has been marinated and slow cooked for 24 hours, served on blue corn taco shells, with guacamole, pickled onions and garnished with pea shoots; and the Western Mexico inspired fish one with guacamole, onions, coriander and dressed with smoked mayonnaise, and wrapped in a soft white corn tortilla. These fish tacos are made from local white fish marinated in achiote oil and garlic and cooked on the plancha. Both taco shells are gluten free.

Some think that Mexican food is heavy and is all about yellow cheese. Others associate it with fast food. But it’s definitely not. Mexican cuisine offers something for just about every palate. So if you’re feeling more exotic you will definitely like the tempura prawn taco, with chipotle mayo and bean paste. This one is precisely spicy, fragrantly fresh, colourful and full of bright flavours. Vegetarians will find a plethora of options in authentic Mexican cooking. It doesn’t have to be all rice and beans. Imagine a taco filled with either cauliflower nuggets with seaweed, or with roasted carrots, peppers and onions in a tomato base. These are strikingly crunchy despite being vegan. La Vida has a whole vegetarian and vegan menu which we’re sure we will have the possibility to elaborate on in the near future.

Moving a bit further away from Mexico, but still cruising around the Latin American region, we spot Patacons on the menu. The patacon is one of the most popular Colombian dishes made from fried plantain, which is a fruit from the banana family with a very unique flavour profile. Ripe plantains have a firm texture and they are fashioned into a basket and frozen to form a very hard pastry shell with a particular starchy flavour. These authentic Latin Caribbean fried plantains are topped with a juicy prawn cocktail, drenched in a lush sauce made from Courvoisier, a brand of cognac from France. They are crispy, full of sea flavour and beautifully seasoned. The sauce, in particular, elevates the prawn’s fresh flavour by a tenfold. These patacons heaped high with prawn delights are a hearty meal in itself. No utensils please, just use your hands, as they are meant to be consumed!

Often dubbed as one of the best breakfasts in the world, the Arepas are deep fried pockets made from a cornmeal and salt dough. These are Venezuelan style arepas which are a bit thick and are handmade one by one in the La Vida kitchen. We loved the chicken with avocado and the squid with prawn arepas, which are filled to the brim with these tasty ingredients. The fleshy octopus filling tastes charred and salty and is done to just the right level of tenderness. These crispy flavour bombs are definitely one of the highlights of the whole menu. No visit to La Vida should go by without consuming an Arepa or three!

Good food is never too much food and after this whole conglomeration of Latin American delicacies have been consumed and dealt with, we’re big game for the atracción principal, which is the Mexican inspired burger we originally came for. The 150gr patty is made from ground beef, flavoured with Mexican seasonings including chilli, garlic and paprika. Nothing gets us excited like a hearty, spicy and brawny burger patty that has a touch of heat and stays tender as you bite through. The patty is seared on the grid and finished in the oven.

Unsurprisingly enough the first Mexican element comes in the form of jalapeno peppers, which are carefully layered on top of the patty. The pepper is ubiquitous in Mexican cuisine. Jalapenos, serranos, habaneros and chipotles, to name just a few, all get their moment to shine in different dishes, with heat levels ranging from mild to mouth-on-fire. The green jalapeno used here is picked early in the ripening process, before turning red, and it has a fresh, crispier taste. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chillies their heat, is concentrated around the seeds, and that’s why some like to “cheat” and remove these! The overall chilliness of this burger ensemble is rated at a very mild level so it can be consumed by all, even those with the most sensible of taste buds.

The bun is layered with Pico de gallo made from chopped tomato, onion, cilantro and lime juice and is the perfect alternative for the more classic tomato slice we see in many burgers. Everything is covered with a load of creamy guacamole and salsa which produce an extra saucy kick to the overall burger flavour. Quite surprisingly there’s no cheese inside this burger, but the combination of flavours is tasty enough that we didn’t miss it that much. The burger is encased in a bun, which is perfectly toasted so it holds all the condiments comfortably inside the bread. The Mexican burger is accompanied by a side of vegetarian nachos, covered with melted cheese, salsa and more guacamole.

La Vida have created a straight forward yet creative burger full of hot personality, that’s a joy to experience, even on a hot sunny day. Even though it does not sport a sombrero, it looks the Mexican part all the way, tastes mucho spicy and smells divine. It definitely ticks all the boxes we were looking for in a jalapeno-themed burger. David and Elaine have convinced us once again of their eatery, thanks to the authenticity of their food and jubilant vibes. Even though burgers are not part of the traditional food experience in Mexico, we believe that every country should have its own national gourmet burger in 2019, and we think that La Vida has succeeded brilliantly in laying the first steps in creating one.

Sea salted Octopus

Sea Salt in Sliema is definitely one of the most remarkable local eatery concepts of 2018. Despite the overall so-so level of takeaways in Malta, our appetite for such food is thriving. Malta is Malta and the Maltese love TakeAway. Don’t you love those corner shops with ready-made burgers on display? Enter Darren Zammit who wanted to set up a TakeAway approach to star-studded Gourmet food, elevating anything that comes out of the sea, and put it in a box for you to consume on the go. And if you take TripAdvisor’s word, he has well managed to achieve just that in less than 6 months, as his Sea Salt eatery is currently ranked at the top of all restaurants in the Sliema area. If you don’t follow TripAdvisor, you will have to take our word: Sea Salt has exponentially shot to the top position in Sliema Burgerland, dwindling even all-time favourites like Tex Mex who have been very sporadic on new burgers in the last 10 months. The social analysis of the hows and whys of Sea Salt’s ascent will be covered in another feature because today we’re here to check out Sea Salt’s piece de resistance burger.

Last November we awarded Sea Salt with The Gold Standard for their Surf n Turf burger. Coming up with a Gold Standard burger is no easy feat and in six years, only two burger makers managed to sweep us off our feet and snatch that award from us. What followed bewildered us even further. Tonnes of Sea Salt patrons let us know in the most animated of ways, that we managed to skip their favourite Sea Salt burger, which is notoriously known as The Octopus Burger.

This patty-less octopus in a bun is made from a whole braised octopus covered in a dressing, topped with grilled chorizo, a relish made from cherry tomatoes, chilli sauce and vinegar and a mixed leaf salad. So why Octopus? The octopus is a big-time staple of our Mediterranean cuisine, and we’ve already covered the long and eccentric history of the octopus burger in a past feature. We’ve noticed that throughout the years, the brainy cephalopod has paddled its way into the culinary spotlight and more modern restaurants are now making it part of their permanent menu. So why didn’t the same happen in burgerland? The octopus trend has never really overpowered the fish and beef burger one. There’s a very comprehensible reason for that. Even though octopus is a delicacy enjoyed the world over, it’s a tough meat. Cooking this lean cephalopod can be devilish and requires converting the brawny connective tissue into tender, silken gelatin. It’s above the skillset of your average McD or BurgerKing kitchen dude. Obviously, we only expect the best from Sea Salt and Darren, who’s a true burger fanatic himself.

As soon as you step into Sea Salt, the first thing you experience is a display of fish, crustaceans and anything sea. The octopus in question is a 120gr T8 cephalopod from Marocco. The octopus of the fishing zones of Morocco normally lives near the coast and feeds mainly on clams and crustaceans. This particular diet provides the unique flavour of its meat. Octopuses are graded by size (T1 to T8) where T1 is generally the oldest octopus. The cooking process involves braising the octopus as the initial sear seals moisture into the meat and then the octopus tenderizes and soaks up the flavour as it simmers in a mix of vegetables. This has a similar effect as pressure cooking. The longer it’s cooked, the better this dish gets, so in this case, waiting longer for your food will yield better results! As it cooks, the octopus releases all of its natural, tasty water, infusing all the other veggie elements in the pot with a simple and predictable palette of flavours. The end result is an octopus with a tender texture and a very crispy skin. The flavour is also accentuated by 4 slices of grilled chorizo, which brings along drifts of the Spanish summer, and makes a canny & smokey contrast to the octopus, the flavour of which is not masked. The dressing is cunningly extracted by reducing the octopus simmer mix into a sauce. It’s a wise addition here, as it brings forth an extra explosion of oceanic zest and adds a level of deeply rich and velvety-smooth flavour of the sea. The more you taste it, the more you wish there was. This dreamy sauce, slightly dripping down the sides of your burger is well justified. All is sandwiched in a pillowy yet sturdy toasted bun which is much wider than the standard variety we all know of. And when you will experience this burger yourself, you will understand why.

There’s one more thing. The fries! These are freshly cut potatoes that go through a 1½ day process of preparation. They are boiled in water & doused in vinegar and left to rest before they are blanched in an ice bath. They are ultimately deep fried until they end up in your mouth. We’re sure that Darren was inspired from his many years in the UK as this is a common pub snack all over the British Isles. We even think that Darren’s fries are even better than the real English thing! These chunky and scrumptious potatoes have a very addictive salty-sourness, which we adore. That salty, acidic crunch is totally addictive and unforgettable.

Darren has managed to redefine our conception of express burger-making and created TakeAway version 2.0! He’s a jolly, enthusiastic and hard working individual with a big heart, who likes to juggle 5 pans at once, building all the components of your burger from scratch. We truly wish that other TakeAways will follow suit in the future. In the meantime, Sea Salt are now open every day until midnight! Tourists are in for one heck of a treat this summer, as they can delight themselves to Sea Salt on a daily basis! So off we go to Sliema…

The Eccentric History of the Octopus Burger in Malta

Is there even such a thing as an Octopus burger? Octopuses have been swimming in the seas for half a billion years. Cows, not very long at all in comparison. So why did it take all this long for someone to sandwich an octopus in a bun and make a burger out of it? To calm the spirits of half a billion years’ worth of octopuses who never became burgers, let us explore why, how and what really went down.

Meaty fish like salmon, tuna and shellfish make good burgers. In 1962 McDonald’s came up with a burger made from fish to capture the business of Catholic customers who couldn’t consume meat in observance of Lent. Since then, the fish burger became a year-long staple all over the world. But what about the other popular sea creature, the octopus? Fast forward another 50 years, to Berlin where in 2012 the Burger joint, bar and Rock club known as the Whitetrash Fast Food was the first one in Europe, ballsy enough to put an octopus in a bun. Since then, we’ve seen the odd octopus in a bun here and there, but the octopus trend never seemed to overpower the fish and beef burger one. And there’s a very comprehensible reason for that. Even though octopus is a delicacy enjoyed the world over, it’s a tough meat. Cooking this lean cephalopod can be devilish and requires converting the brawny connective tissue into tender, silken gelatin. It’s above the skillset of your average McD or BurgerKing kitchen dude.

Which brings us to the year 2015, somewhere near the outskirts between Hamrun & St. Venera. Situated on the grounds of the historic 7up factory, a stylish restaurant known as Bean & Loaf came up with a whole burger menu. It was a time when dedicated burger joints in the area where a rarity. Indeed Bean & Loaf was run by Ortobello, a Milan-based diner that specialises in wholesome and homely food. And you will never guess what their Chef Ciccio came up with: a burger made from a whole deep-fried octopus, leafy broccoli rabe and covered in tzatziki sauce. It was aptly named the Octavius! The creation caused a lot of commotion and outbursts from the local burger community because even though this was practically meat in a bun, it was not in traditional patty form.

But times change. It wasn’t until July of 2018 that we would start covering burgers in their more stranger forms and thus went for a week-long island-wide burger tour, trying out and reporting on the most extravagant forms of burgers you’ve never heard of! As long as it had meat, condiments, sauce and was enveloped in some sort of sandwich, we were game! We found burgers made from Pizzas, Noodles, Gyros, Nachos and even Baguettes! Unfortunately, Ortobello had closed down their Malta franchise in 2017 and the octopus burger did not make it in our top hit list. We were heartbroken!

Luckily Sea Salt, a concept take away eatery in Sliema came to the rescue in late 2018 and has reinvented the octopus burger game!

Holy Trinity

In recent years we’ve been bombarded with healthy eating messages left, right and centre. The doctor, the media, the government and even the school teachers have instructed us to eat fit food. We totally love that. Yet, one burger joint in Hamrun dares to defy the rest by inviting us to eat irresponsibly. Get your knives and forks ready. Then put them aside, as today we’re off to Hamrun to eat the Bandit way!

After much teasing in 2018, Bandit opened its doors to unsuspecting Hamrun people in the first days of January 2019. With age-old and iconic eateries like Tivoli and the town square Gabbana to measure up to, the people behind Bandit seem to have no fear. But who are these people? Clint Tabone, Gareth Bartolo and Matthew Piccinino where all raised in Hamrun, and this project seems to have been a long time coming. They went for the name Bandit because bandits don’t live by rules and love to challenge conventions, especially those of culinary nature! Last year has seen a resurgence in things burger in Hamrun, with places like Chick ‘n Bites and Journey trying to come up with something different than the standard Gabbana cheeseburger. But how will the new challenger Bandit fare? We defied thunderstorms, wind and rain to find out.

Situated right next to the majestic San Gaetano church, one of Bandit’s signature burgers is aptly called the Holy Trinity! This curious creation is a combination of three different types of meat in one bun: a 180gr beef patty, a piece of buttermilk chicken thigh and crispy bacon for that extra crunch. That seems to be what a bandit would want to eat these days. Chef Martin Debattista, an ex-teacher who spent the past 15 years working in kitchens all over UK and Malta, raises the grill temperature and gets ready to prepare this Spartan special. The patty is made from cuts of brisket & short rib to produce a pleasingly granulated burger. This is a flavourful grind with an optimal ratio of fat to lean. The Spartan beef blend tastes rich and has a good texture. As soon as you bite into it, it just melts, gifting you with an intense beefy flavour. Short rib might be short, but it’s about as marbled a cut as you can get. The muscle’s constant action makes this cut packed with flavour. The distinct flavour profile of the Brisket and percentage of fat content yields a rich patty with a humble meat-and-potatoes attitude. This robust patty blend has a ton of personality with some slight sweet undertones, which we truly loved.

Buttermilk fried chicken is the ultimate comfort food, and this burger comes with a hefty dose. The chicken thigh is marinated for 2 days in a buttermilk mix, covered in seasoned flour and then deep fried until golden and crispy. The buttermilk definitely creates a tangy tenderization here. There is a fair amount of time and labour involved here, but the Buttermilk fried chicken is one of those finger licking foods that we miss from times gone by when KFC was still top at the chicken game. Hamrun is chockful of chicken takeaways but the extra crispy breading in this thigh is definitely going to cause a town-wide craze.

We love super crispy bacon, the kind you get in English breakfasts, cooked on the stovetop and drained properly. It seems that there is some sort of secret to crispy bacon that eludes many Maltese burger joints. We pity the Millenials that only know the limp, squishy and greasy bacon from Burger King and McD. We really do. When Chef Martin promised us crispy bacon, we stood open-eyed. Indeed the bacon here is beautifully crusted, the kind that’s a joy to crunch between your teeth. These kitchen Bandits have nailed the bacon dead on!

A burger needs accompaniments, and the pickles are a God sent here as they bring the yin to the burger’s yang. The juicy snap of the pickles, salty and vinegary, mingles well with the textured meats, providing a much needed acidic boost. The pickle is a sort of palate cleanser here, allowing you to experience the sharp contrast in flavours and more fully appreciate the taste of the beef, chicken, bacon and cheese sauce. There’s also a maple mayonnaise made in-house that will make you smack your lips, as it goes especially well with the chicken.

Anyone can grill a burger, but it’s the condiments that separate the mundane from the memorable. And that one memorable condiment of the Holy Trinity is the cream cheese. Warm, oozing cheese is never a bad idea. Here Bandit have taken this concept to the unexpected limits. Their cheese sauce is so spectacularly and stupendously rich and gooey, that they slather it onto every ingredient inside the burger! No one is spared! Say goodbye to cheeseburgers as you know them, as this one is laden with spoonfuls of cream cheese sauce made from besciamella, cheddar, Edam and some sharp mature cheese for good measure. The sheer amount of luscious cheese sauce is artery-clogging, but that’s the whole concept of the Bandit. Needless to say, this purposely creates an irresponsible and messy burger, where taste takes over visuals.

In the end, we ate it all! That’s because, all the burger elements do work together in harmony, never taking away from the symphony of the beef and fried chicken. The pure, unadulterated goodness profile of this beast burger has definitely catapulted it into the top position, as far as Hamrun burgers go. In due time it will gain cult status amongst Hamrun people and beyond, like the never-forgotten Bhima burger.

Wasabi & Churros

In the early days of 2018, we visited Gyros & Churros, a new eatery set up on the ashes of the legendary White Arrow, one of the most iconic students’ snack bars from yesteryear. DJ Cyprian & tattooist Matthew had taken over the place, stripped it inside out and renovated it into a modern eating place, with a unique concept: merging Greek and Spanish street food. It proved to be a hit with both students and neighbourhood families. Back then, they had what they coined as The Gyros Burger, a pita bread wrap that had all the classic flavours of the Gyro, yet ticked all the boxes of the crucial elements that made a burger: meat, condiments and sauce, encased in some form of bread. It got top marks from us and ended up being one of our favourites during our #StrangerBurgers (burgers with a difference) week. But things change…

It’s now 2019, and things have indeed changed… but for the better! Gyros & Churros has been taken over by new management, and the whole menu has been fine-tuned and improved by the culinary team of Marco Lombardi, Matthew Bugeja and their kitchen brigade. And indeed they have started 2019 with a welcome blast-forward for their brand, as they have now introduced four burgers. These are traditional burgers with a beef patty and a bun and not gyro flatbread. And hence, it’s time for the #MaltaBurgers team to go check what Gyros & Churros are up to this time around.

The Wasabi Burger is the most inventive burger on the new burger menu. Wasabi is that green paste you get served on the side with your sushi. It’s a herb native to Japan, similar to horseradish and mustard, with a somewhat matching sharp and spicy taste. Here it’s used as part of a slaw, with equal quantities of shredded celeriac and sweet potato, and is spiced up with fresh ginger, turmeric, parsley and mayo. Replacing the more traditional coleslaw is quite an intriguing and unconventional move from G&C, but that’s how you shake things up in burgerland. The Wasabi-feel is well dosed and provides a mellow kick that is mostly felt through your nostrils rather than your tongue’s taste buds. It’s not overly spicy and the burn is short and sweet, travelling through your sinuses and igniting your hotter senses, thus creating a mouth-watering, enticing, and inviting sensation. Its aroma is pleasing and works well with the combination of ginger and turmeric. It does take over the whole flavour of the burger, and that’s something you want if you love Wasabi or are a burger adventurer, always chasing the latest trend.

The patty is made from 200gr of chuck roll beef and incorporates other seasonings to highlight the quality of the meat. It’s grilled and finished in the oven, depending on the requested temperature. The beef has been coarsely minced and has a loose and crumbly texture. Even though the meat has a substantial texture it melts in your mouth. The char marks, browning and holding consistency of the patty is gold standard level, with a size and thickness that are perfectly proportional to the rest of the burger.

The brioche bun that holds all the ingredients is lightly coated with sesame seeds and has the perfect texture to melt into the patty, creating a unified bite with every taste. It’s filled with sliced tomatoes and crispy fried onions that provide a good amount of crunch. A very generous portion of the wasabi flavoured slaw goes on top of the beef, and all is finished with a drizzle of honey, parsley and crushed walnuts, for another layer of extra nutty crispiness. All these condiments subtly support and enhance the overall flavour of the burger, as is the slight sweetness from the honey, which is a true touch of elegance. This burger is truly its own Eureka!

For those who like to nibble on fries, G&C have you sorted out in a big way. They have a selection of loaded fries, anything from cheesy fries with paprika, to the superb pulled pork ones with spring onions. Do you fancy pizza loaded fries with slices of pepperoni, salsa and loads of heavenly cheese? No problem, G&C have them too! These Fries are the real deal for those hungry Junior College students who will not shy away from a hanzirata! This fries dish is meant to be shared between 2 or 3 people, but there will always be those hungry piggies who will eat it all on their own! Our new favourites are the Sweet Potato ones, which are well-balanced with cheese, paprika and parsley. After all that food goodness, you might also want to try one of the four lemonades, which are served in a signature bulb-like bottle! The watermelon one has a very strong red colour and a potent swirling effect that is a vision to behold! This is a very welcome and refreshing option after a burger and fries and is something cool from the usual cola.

But wait, there’s even more! There’s no way we’re leaving G&C without the mandatory churros! Churros are South and Central American doughnut sticks, that were primarily introduced in Malta to the masses by G&C. This sweet treat is fried in oil and rolled in cinnamon sugar. And this time the mad inventors at G&C have come up with what they call a Churro Dog! It’s a hot dog style, large-sized Churro stuffed with ooey gooey creams and topped with chocolate. These are similar to the South American churros which are typically filled with rich dulce de leche. There’s one with Kinder Bueno, an Oreo dog, a KitKat churro and another with White chocolate Kinder Bueno. The Bueno churro dog has a Kinder Bueno filling, a chocolate drizzle and kinder Bueno pieces on top. The other three are all different, so there’s no other option but to taste them all and make your mind, which one is your favourite sweet treat.

The burger game at the Junior College area has been single-handedly dominated by NYB for many years. But these days things are changing, and if Gyros & Churros keep on churning out burgers and an array of other comfort food at this rate, there’s no doubt that what started with a Wasabi burger and a cinnamon stick might well turn into a nation wide phenomenon.

Traditionally Maltese

(Just Burger was taken over in March 2019 by new Peruvian owners. This feature only reflects the good burger-ship Just Burger did until February 2019.)

A good burger is a thing of beauty. A burger made with traditional Maltese ingredients is even better. We all know that Just Burger have already created numerous burgers with typical Maltese ingredients. So why do we need yet another iteration? This month they took it upon themselves to create the King of all Maltese burgers. So can you blame us for being so hyped up and excited?

Just Burger are promising a satisfying manifestation of all things umami: fine chuck beef, goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, minted aubergines and half a dozen other hidden flavours. There are few culinary things that can do such a job so persuasively at such a price point. The first hint of Maltese-ism comes in the form of a bean salad with black olives and sundried tomatoes. This is definitely on the other end of the spectrum from your usual lettuce and tomatoes. It’s a light, refreshing and brightly-coloured salad which is very reminiscent of the Maltese ftira. Dried tomatoes usually have an intense sweet-tartiness and are much more potent than fresh ones, and these have a good punch of tomato piquancy that adds both texture and acidity, thus accentuating the meat with a nice and exquisite flair. Indeed, there’s a level of flavour harmonizing that screams Maltese from the first bite, as the fruity and oily saturation of the veggie mix pushes the overall burger juiciness into sky-high levels.

On top, there’s the renown Just Burger patty made from 140gr of Black Angus chuck. There’s nothing Maltese about this though as the beef is not local, but the patty has been massaged and hand formed by a Maltese chef! It’s a fairly lean cut of beef, and even though it has a low-fat content it’s tasty and juicy and does not feel dry, even when it’s requested at higher temperatures. It brings an instant hit of beefiness that screams of quality as it has an intense and stomach-pleasing flavour. The patty is loosely packed, but not too much so as to spoil the texture. It’s that sort of steak-quality flavour that truly transcends the whole eating experience. The grill flavour was spot-on throughout, leaving you with an extremely enjoyable aftertaste.

The patty is covered with 2 thick slices of peppered goat cheese. This very Gozitan cheese has a sharp & spicy flavour also due to the peppered cresting. It adds a nuance of tang that is most welcome and different, and its creaminess seems to work much better in an all-Maltese theme than other varieties of cheese. When melted, it cascades over the meat, in a gooey form and has an own aged-flavour presence without taking anything away from the meat. This one is definitely punchy goat cheese at its best!

There’s also a good amount of Maltese sausage present. It’s been sliced thickly and then grilled, bringing in that salty and spicy tinge every Maltese loves. The pork mix is very well-balanced, as it’s neither too fatty nor greasy, and you can instantly taste the typical flavours of sea salt, garlic, coriander seeds and parsley. The amount of sea salt used also makes for a slightly salty sausage that has a bit of crunch and texture thanks to the coriander. And let’s not forget that the Maltese sausage is influenced by the English one but is made in accordance with Portuguese traditions… but to us Maltese, it tastes 100 times better than both! The final element is an aubergine puree, with mint and garlic. This creamy and refreshing puree has important moisture-making duties here, and it’s dosed well. The whole burger is encapsulated in a shiny bun that seems to defy all the combined juices. It’s the right side of dense and an excellent vehicle for the meat.

Just Burger have come up with yet another creation that works in a great way. Every ingredient is layered beautifully on top of each other, and even though it has nothing to do with the actual taste itself, it creates a very appealing visual synergy that sets you off to a ceremonial start. The goat cheese might make this burger look somewhat delicate but it explodes in your mouth like a grenade of burger tastiness, from the moment you take the first few bites! This one is definitely a two-hander so you can laugh in the face of cutlery like a giant toddler. It’s a properly big burger done absolutely right and anchored by an array of wisely chosen local ingredients. It was hardly surprising that our stomachs were well satisfied and roundly full by the very last bite.

Caesar loved Burgers

Have you recently noticed the big uprise of burger places in Naxxar? We have! There seems to be no end to the unending appetite for burgers from the Naxxar people if we have to count all the XL size burgers that are popping up every week or so. Some restaurants have taken the bigger-is-better philosophy to heart, crafting heavyweight lunch options that make you wonder if you’re tough enough to eat it all. One such place is Caesar’s House. Renown DJ Steve Caesar opened this Naxxar lounge bar some 6 odd years ago with the aim of creating a pre-clubbing venue with good music and food. Years later, his dream is still very much alive, and Caesar’s House is becoming a necessary pit stop for many burger lovers. The 37-year-old Stephen Cesare (real birth name) began DJing when he was 17, but what many might not know, is that he also likes to dabble in the kitchen. Indeed he created many of the comfort food, platters and burgers that his patrons consume.

The Caesar’s Palace is the biggest burger on the menu. It’s made from two patties, each one made from 250gr of cube roll cuts. There’s actually 2 sizes of this burger, the normal and xl with half a kilo of meat… but we don’t even need to reveal which one we went for! The brioche bun is also filled with mozzarella slices, lettuce and tomatoes and an inhouse sauce. It’s then topped with five onions rings and two mozzarella sticks! Eat it all in one go and you get to see Steve Caesar perform live on the deck that adorns the entrance of the lounge. The 125gr costs less than a tenner, whilst the XL one will lighten your pockets with around €12, so there’s no excuse to go to McD rather than here.

We all know that there is such a thing as too much beef, but sometimes more of a good thing is a stupendous idea! There’s some good percentage of cube roll cuts in the patty mix, which makes this one a seriously delicious burger. Cube roll comes from the innermost part of the rib. It is a tasty and tender cut of the animal, partly thanks to the marbling. The patty is grilled, creating a noticeable crust, and is finished in the oven. The intensity of the beef flavour shines through thanks in large part to this beautiful crust that blankets the exterior. The crispness from the crust finds textural balance with the soft toasted brioche bun. This beef also browns up beautifully, with a flavour lacing all the way around the edges.

What happens when cheeseburgers take a trip to Italy? They come back with mozzarella instead of American cheese. Mozzarella melts beautifully on pizzas and lasagnas, so why don’t we see it used more often in today’s burgers? This cheese has a soft, moist texture and is full of milky flavour. These slices of mozzarella melt so well, it looks like they were painted on with great attention and finesse.

We all know that the french fry is a burger’s most inseparable friend. Second best are the onion rings! There are many in the culinary world who believe that the onion ring was invented in Dallas in the 1920s. There are 5 onion rings and 2 mozzarella sticks atop this burger. They provide a good crunch and are of the lighter, airier variety. However, we missed those thick onion rings with chunky breading. Maybe even the beer flavoured ones would have been a good fit here, to up the ante some more. The burger is seriously missing pickles too, as they would have added a nice bit of tang and made this one a hands-down 5★ offering.

So how do you eat such a tower burger? You don’t want any of the sauce to start spilling onto your plate or clothes. Savouring this burger without making a mess can be tricky, but there are several strategies from gripping the burger with all fingers from the sides to manage the condiments, to cutting the burger into sections like a pie or using utensils and take it down one small morsel at a time. We put all the deep fried stuff inside the burger itself making it more impossible to fit even into Franc Debono‘s mouth! Then we had a good go at it… you know a burger does not always have to be a clean experience!

Steve Caesar has come up with a beefcake of a burger that no one should be ashamed to admit that they ate it all, whether they’re a pig or a T-Rex! Tripple Whopper and Big Tasty move away, there’s now a new big favourite in Naxxar!

Cheeseburger²

When it comes to burger classics, cheeseburgers occupy a momentous and prestigious position, especially to Millenials who grew up eating fast food offerings that included a toy! But in terms of ingredient quality and flavour, can any of the worldwide burger joints really stand up to what is being offered today by the more local burger makers? To us, the answer is no, and that’s why we went to Sliema to check out Just Burger‘s new monthly special.

The quality of a cheeseburger often tends to be a good indicator of the level of the rest of the menu. Just Burger are no strangers to cheeseburgers as they have produced quite a few monthly specials based on beef & cheese in the past. This time their monthly special is made up from an Angus beef patty, applewood cheese, crispy onions and a smoked paprika mustard sauce.

Throughout the past 6 years, we found out that many burger makers lie through their teeth. Many claim that they get their beef delivered fresh every morning, whilst in reality, they just use frozen patties from the butcher. Some even want us to believe that they have a secret underground factory that exclusively churns our their patties! We’ve never been believers of mere words. Unless we see a patty being minced and handcrafted, we’re not going to praise any burger maker. Just Burger grind cuts of Black Angus chuck to create their 140gr patty in their own kitchen. There is no magic formula here, it’s just quality Swedish beef, that yields an extra punch of unique flavour. Beef is beef, but it’s all about what you do with it, and the quality and care taken makes a whole world of difference.

The seasoning is as simple as it gets, yet nothing short of flawless. Just Burger don’t add any spices to the meat, just salt & pepper. The patty is crisp on the outside and hot and well cooked through on the inside. Each bite is mouthwateringly juicy and loaded with beefy flavour. The meat is always very tender and almost falls apart, and we really like the consistency that Just Burger always keeps up. From the very first bite, this delicious patty is as juicy as it ought to be, and is grilled with so much love and patience that it’s very hard for us to pinpoint any shortcomings! The patty has a dense texture and is not too fatty. The kitchen guys have erased the word “dry meat” from their vocabulary, and we love that!

With so many varieties of cheeses out there, how do you figure out which is the best one to enhance a juicy patty? That’s an old age dilemma, that until recently had one common answer: American cheese! While this processed option might not be the most real deal, it melts easily and is mild enough to be a sure-fire pairing with any blend of beef. Just Burger are not known for taking shortcuts with their burger specials, so it’s no wonder that this one has no American cheese inside. Indeed, one by one, many fast food outlets are abandoning the century-old American staple and replacing it with fancier cheeses. The qualities for the best cheese for a burger are a combination of flavour and moisture. If it’s something really dry, it won’t melt too well. You want a cheese that naturally melts, yet still keeps some sort of consistency, when you apply heat to it. Enter the Applewood cheese, which brings into play its own kind of flavour. This semi-hard cheese is coated with mild paprika but does not leave a burnt aftertaste. It’s also fair in the melting department because it’s thick so it does not melt away from the burger. The thicker the cheese, the more flavour it imparts. Add that concept to the juicy patty and we already have a winner. You get two fat slabs of it, to make sure that it covers every centimetre of the beef!

The mustard sauce, infused with smoked paprika brings out the juices and vitae of the beef and cheese and drives the whole burger over the top! The combination of paprika and mustard creates the best sauce you could wish for in any cheeseburger. All the flavours come together so well that propel the burger into overdrive mode, bringing you one unforgettable bite. There was enough spread on the top to permeate every bite and unite all the burger’s components. The fried onions are a great topper on such a classic burger as this one. These onions are golden crisped and have that oh-so-oniony flavour, yet they don’t seem like veggies amidst all the meat! We love crispy onions, but when they fly all over the place, they are more a nuisance than a blessing. This is not the case here as they are well cemented on the sauce. These fried onions provide crunchiness and add an extra layer of height to the overall size of the burger.

There’s no shredded lettuce or tomatoes in this burger, and the patty sits on a bed of rocket leaves. The bun is made from a Swedish recipe and produced by a local bakery. They have a gluten-free bread option too, which is very welcome by many.

Once again, Just Burger never cease to delight us with yet another twist on the classic cheeseburger that is very filling and satisfying. There’s nothing not to like about this burger and the merry guys behind it all. Just Burger have now fine-tuned their winning formula to a high degree with their delectable beef, crispy fries and weekly and monthly distinctive condiments, that brings them way ahead of the competition in the local express food scene.