Summer Sundays are made to relax. #MALTAburgers head off towards the Southern region of Malta, to the bubbly seaside village of Marsascala, and more precisely to Bongo Nyah, a colourful and rather cosy restaurant, located in the centre of the village. Here we find Marcio; an interior designer turned restaurateur and the main man behind the Bongo concept. Indeed this shows off in the choice of colours and materials that Bongo Nyah is decorated with. Marcio’s vision was to create a cosy and cheerful atmosphere while offering wholesome food.
Since we believe that not all Burgers are created equal, we delve into the creation of the star burger of this week. It all starts with Marcio’s travels and his encounter with the street food typical of Morocco. Lamb is the main ingredient in this burger, which was initially introduced on the menu in late 2016. The patty is made from 200gr of lamb, minced with coriander, mint and a blend of Moroccan spices. The lamb is imported and then minced and worked out in the Bongo kitchen. This creates a very tasty combination, as the flavours come together to create an unmistakable Moroccan street-eat, with ingenious Maltese architecture. As Marcio says, the food that they serve is a combined effort of the whole team, and it shows. The lamb crumbles nicely due to a proper coarse grind of the mince. It’s grilled to a temperature that allows it to retain the right amount of juice. The spices mask the strong gaminess of the lamb, resulting in a flavour that every meat lover can enjoy.
The Moroccan Burger does not come in the usual brioche bun but is served in Arabian flat bread, just like the typical comfort food of the region. The Pita bread is a flatbread made from wheat flour and is baked locally, the traditional way. It plays nicely with the lamb.
Rucola, tomatoes and raw red onion make up the vegetarian elements of the burger. All is topped with a hefty portion of Tzatziki sauce, a staple in Turkish and Greek cuisine. Tzatziki sauce is usually made with Greek yoghurt, cucumber, garlic and mint, but we don’t know the secret formula that Bongo Nyah uses. Tzatziki is a wise choice to put together with warm bread and goes well alongside grilled meat as it’s a more liquidy sauce.
As if the craftily constructed burger was not enough, we also get a portion of couscous as a side. The couscous is colourfully adorned with raisins and veggies. We found this to be a brilliant addition to the plate, which tops up the flavour level beyond the 5-star bar.
The burger comes with a choice of traditional fries or potato wedges. A very generous portion is an understatement here, but Marcio likes to feed his patrons well. The wedges are tasty and have a hard outer skin which envelopes a soft cooked potato. The fries are much crispier, so you know what to order depending on your tastes.
No great burger is a great eat without a healthy dose of booze. Bongo Nyah has a good selection of craft beers and cocktails. The picturesque surrounding of the place inspired us to go for juices, which are cold pressed there and then in the bar area. The Apple & Pear one is to die for.
One final question remains to be answered: Is the Moroccan Burger, the tastiest burger in Marsascala?
#MALTAburgers say Yes. And you?
