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.
