Burgers that lived to tell the tale

Bengaluru chefs have experimented with various types o burgers over the years.

When someone says hamburger, it’s natural for anyone to say that it’s an American dish. Fast food chains have definitely given us that impression. However, it doesn’t really have an American origin.

Metrolife gives you a lowdown on the different versions of burgers around the world and how they are faring in India and Bengaluru.

Whether you prefer the fast food chain burgers or the gourmet ones, chefs across the globe have experimented and continue to experiment with this culinary treasure. Some of them like to work with just a simple cheeseburger and some like it with a lot of toppings. Some others want to make a larger burger which will fill you up to a quarter way through and then there are those who want to make the tallest one. Whichever it may be, burgers are comfort food to many.

What makes a great hamburger?

Going by the books, an authentic burger is supposed to have a melt-in-your-mouth juicy beef patty wedged between two slices of soft buns. But that’s definitely not the case in India. The beef patty is usually replaced with chicken or lamb, and sometimes even potatoes or mushrooms for the vegetarians and vegans. Over the years, chefs have come up with many variants, not just of the patty but also the buns and toppings.

A bite of history

Burgers became what it is now because of the Americans, but similar kind of food already existed in Europe before the 19th century.

Hamburg, Germany, is the home of the first hamburger. In the 19th century, the beef of the German cows was minced and combined with salt, pepper, onions and garlic, and made into patties. The concept of bread or bun didn’t exist back then, so it was just a hamburg steak; the sandwich concept came much later.

Because of the good quality of beef, it was considered gourmet. But when the German immigrants arrived in New York and Chicago, they opened restaurants to serve the steaks. When they realised the difficulty of eating steak while standing, the innovators decided to make a sandwich, slowly becoming one of the most popular dishes in the world.

Burgers experiments in Bengaluru

We have definitely witnessed the city eateries experimenting with food. From can’t-hold-but-will-hold kind of burgers to you-are-not-that-spicy-but-you-are-very-spicy, foodies have seen it all.

‘Cafe Thulp’, a burger joint that recently shut after 10 years of service, was a favourite hangout spot for many. Known for their beef burgers, the cafe’ versions were bigger than the normal burgers. ‘Moos Your Daddy’ was one of the most popular options here. The patty was juicy and succulent; had the perfect amount of toppings and the buns were so well-made that nothing fell apart when taking a bite into it. It definitely came as bad news when we heard that the cafe was shutting.

‘Monkey Bar’ was the first in the city to start black burgers or as we now know it ‘charcoal burger’. However, they didn’t use activated charcoal to make black buns.

Speaking to Metrolife, head chef Dheeraj Varma details, “We introduced the black burger in 2016 and had it only for a very short amount of time as a part of our special menu. We used aubergine powder to get the colour.” The restaurant used beef patty, caramelised onions, onion jam and mayo to complete the dish. It became the talk of the town mostly for the colour than the taste itself as the charcoal does not have any flavour to it. Ever since then, many restaurants have tried their hand at charcoal burgers, charcoal appams, gothic ice creams and so on.

Known for their pasta and burgers, ‘Truffles’ has been on the list of must-visit burger joints for a decade now. Their ‘All American Burger’ is the most popular dish yet.

What makes their burger stand out from the others? Avinash Bajaj, co-owner of Truffles, answers, “We have a vegetarian, chicken or lamb patty and then a cheese patty also that makes it a crowd favourite.” You can tell that it’s a good burger as it’s neither greasy nor too messy to eat. The patties are grilled and not fried, giving it a bonus point for the healthy take.

A recent one to make it to the list of famous burger joints is ‘The Bundle Co.’, for its menu of interesting options. The ‘Mr Quack’ is a duck burger, an option that is not commonly available. There’s also ‘Quattro Formaggi’ which has four types of cheese (blue cheese, goats’ cheese, feta and parmesan) with a succulent lamb patty.

A few eateries, that were once quite famous, have been receiving bad reviews for the decline in taste.

When Metrolife visited ‘Smally’s Resto Cafe’ last year, we quite enjoyed the food there, including the burgers. But when we asked around, we haven’t been receiving positive reviews. While the flavours remain tasty, it is the messy plate that people have been complaining about. Some say that it’s probably because of too many toppings or that (sometimes) the quality of the bun doesn’t allow the ingredients to hold in place.

‘Biggies Burger ‘n’ More’ too had positive reviews when it started, but the quality has definitely gone down. The buns are flaky and the patty feels dry. The caramelised onions were one of the best parts of the burger — it’s not the same anymore.

Veggie burgers

A vegetarian burger is usually frowned upon by the meat-lovers. Chefs use mixed veggies, potatoes and mushrooms to make the patty.

When Metrolife asked the office vegetarians where they have tasted the best vegetarian burgers, the top answer we got was “vada pav is the best”.

Health factor

A burger is definitely not the healthiest item on the menu. The grease, cheese and meat can often lead to weight gain, cholesterol and blood pressure. But, that doesn’t mean that you have to completely avoid them.

Opt for smaller portions and order a side salad to go with it. Choose to have grilled burgers instead of fried ones. Balance it out with exercising regularly.