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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
