Just Burger has become a popular destination with us at #MALTAburgers. And there’s a reason for that. It’s located in the very heart of Sliema, the mecca of shopping sprees. Their burgers are the perfect bite size. And they ooze creativity as they come up with a speciality burger every month of the year. That’s three reasons (who’s counting?) to visit regularly.
Liselott Moazed, the owner of Just Burger, says that she and her team want to bring a Swedish twist to an American classic here in Malta. Seems like an international tongue twister! And that’s going to become even twistier, as the Burger for July is a Greek inspired one!
The Greek Burger is a complex combination of many different layers and flavours. It starts with a bed of rucola (or rocket leaves to you and me). This green leaf is native to the Mediterranean area and has a rich & peppery taste. Indeed it’s strong flavour starts our summer journey to Greece on a good step.
One floor up we have a mix of grilled vegetables, mainly peppers and courgettes. Roasted peppers have a wonderfully sweet, caramelised flavour that makes for a tasty accompaniment to this burger. Red & yellow peppers definitely bring a colourful element. The sliced courgettes (zucchini) are crisp and tender.
Tomatoes are one of the highlights of summer produce, and juicy ones are a favourite element in many burgers. One might be surprised that this Greek burger features tomatoes of the sun-dried variety. They bring the perfect balance of sweet and tart.
At the heart of every Just Burger, we find a patty made from 140g of Angus Beef. They opted to use their signature patty for this burger too, instead of one made from lamb, which would have been typically Greeker. The reason is that Just Burger gets their own fresh cuts of Angus beef and mince and create the patty in their own kitchen. They don’t add any spices to the meat, just salt & pepper, so they know their game. Having to re-invent the whole process for lamb, just for a 30-day run would have been a nightmare. The beef 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. If you like it the way they do it, you will always like it!
Featured at the very top of this burger are feta cheese and Greek yoghurt with a hint of mint. Greeks are the highest consumers of cheese in the world, and the average Greek can consume 20-30kg of cheese in a year! For Greeks, feta is like bread, and it seems that they eat it all day long. So it’s no wonder that Just Burger put this one element at the very top! This white salty cheese produced from sheep/goat milk has a high water content and hence fewer calories than other cheeses. It has such an intense flavour and brings a salty punch to the burger.
The bun is made from a Swedish recipe and produced by a local bakery. They have a gluten-free bread option too, which will be very welcome by many. The buns always have a nice glaze to them.
All the elements are well-stacked, so you can pick up and eat the burger easily without large chunks falling apart. This might well be the tallest burger we’ve yet seen from Just Burger and hands down the one with the most diverse ingredients crammed in… and we love that! The vegetable elements are crunchy fresh, and everything is carefully constructed, not to overload or unbalance the rest of the ingredients.
The first bite was divine as you get a taste of beautifully cooked beef with a hint of minty yoghurt which isn’t overpowering at all but adds to the overall moistness. This is followed up by the saltiness of the feta. Each mouthful intensified the flavours of the Mediterranean ingredients. It is so good that we found ourselves eating slower than usual just to savour each bite one little bit more! This is one summer burger everyone should try at least once (or maybe 5 times). You can easily close your eyes and dream of being in a tavern on some Greek island! We were slightly sad when we finished the last bite and stared at the empty wrapping. And the best part is that unlike other street burgers, this does not leave you feeling full or bloated at all. It is evident that the Just Burger kitchen team put a lot of love into their cooking.
The fries need to get a worthy mention too. They are nice and crisp and generously seasoned. They aren’t greasy and compliment the burger nicely.
This is a one of a kind burger in many ways. It’s the first time Just Burger have this item on their menu, and once July is over, they will concoct an entirely different burger. So if you are in Sliema and want to experience a Big Fat Greek Juicy Burger, you know what to do! We will be there too until July is over!
