Before the
gourmet burger wave ever hit our shores, there was good old-fashioned cheap roadside burgers. Operating out of mobile vans, these stalls served up a greasy and messy mix of buttered buns, grilled patties, and sticky sauces that is quintessentially Malaysian.
Yumminess incoming!Usually found in the late evenings to the early mornings, these street burgers make for an indulgent snack when food cravings come knocking in the middle of the night. Here are our top 10 picks of some of the juiciest and sloppiest burger bakars around!
Delicious offerings of burgers and hotdogs from your local Ramly burger stallSempoi Burger in Taman DesaShunning the more established brand of burger patties, this stall uses oblong burger patties, which they claim to be thicker and juicier than the usual cutlet of choice.
Sempoi's oblong lamb burger was bursting with flavour, with only a hint of gameyness.
The meat was grilled with a dash of worcestershire sauce and dunked in brown sauce before being thrown together with a generous amount of mayonnaise and chilli sauce, giving a great big ‘wow’ factor to every messy bite.
For Ramadan, the stall will only be selling roti john which we’ve never tried, but we’re pretty sure the awesome factor will come pretty close.
Price: Below RM10.
Dripping with juices and sauces
Jackson's in SS14Jackson's is less of a burger stall than it is an institution, having been in business for almost forty years and run by the same Chinese couple flipping patties today. It's one of the few (if not only) roadside burger places that open in the day, catering to the lunch crowd.
Their menu is simple: chicken, beef, fish and hot dogs, topped with crispy buttered buns. For those in the know, their crab burgers are excellent but best call to order as they run out quick.
Price: Below RM5.
Juicy homemade patties on the grill
Burger Bakar Abang Burn in Ampang
Importing his burger-making skills from Australia,
Abang Burn makes his burgers using homemade patties and douses them in a secret steak sauce mix (a testament to the owner's fondness for steak). Known for their speedy service, the burgers are prepared fresh, patties still oozing sweet meat juice.
Considered a rival to Burger Bakar Kaw Kaw, Abang Burn has since expanded his stall in Dagang Avenue, Ampang to 19 branches across the Klang Valley and beyond.
Price: Starts at RM10.
Yazid Burger in Shah Alam
Found in the corner of a food court,
Yazid isn't your typical roadside burger stall. In fact, what they offer may not be the sloppy joes you're used to. They sell only one type of burger but in three larger-than-life sizes; starting at 250g, middling at 500g and going way off the top at a whopping 1kg.
You may dismiss it as gimmicky at first (heck, even we did!), but the burgers are good. Made with homemade buns and patties (it's hard to get it processed in monster sizes), a healthy dose of black pepper sauce and cheese complemented the tender beef and sweet bread.
Price: Starts at RM10.
500g goes for RM20
Cut it like a cake!
A&Z Burger in Sea ParkLocated outside a 7-Eleven (as they usually are),
A&Z Burger serves traditional Ramly burgers. The little van is almost always crowded with patrons looking for a fuss-free snack. Grab a drink from the convenience store or the stall itself and seat yourself while your burger is grilling away.
A stone's throw away from
Nasi Lemak Bumbung and
myBurgerLab, those who are still hungry can head over to A&Z Burger to top up on the calories!
Price: Below RM10.
Less is more - the basic chicken burger
The Burger Shop in SS15 Subang For all intents and purposes, the mobile van known as
The Burger Shop is your regular ol' Ramly stall. While they have the usual burger bakar menu (which they do very well), venture further down the menu and you'll start seeing things like pita, nuggets, fishballs and even a foldover. A standout would be their mushroom burger - filled with generous helpings of mushrooms and sauce. Reasonably priced, we can see why The Burger Shop is so popular with its mix of classic burgers and novel creations. For Ramadan, the store will be closing an hour earlier at 3.00am in the interest of observing the fast.
Price: Below RM10.
Burger Bakar Kaw Kaw in Taman MayangAt
Burger Bakar Kaw Kaw, you get to choose how high your burger gets by adding more and more patties (while your friends egg you on in the background, 'How high can you go?')
Often thought of as the original burger bakar, their customisable burgers can be found in eight branches all over the Klang Valley. While they are known for their succulent beef patty, their juicy and crispy deep fried chicken patty is also one to look out for.
Price: Starts at RM10
Have the best of both worlds with the burger kahwin (RM14)
Burger Bobby Simpang Tiga in Lembah KeramatBobby used to run his burger business right out of his own home but has recently shifted to a proper shop not too far away. The store can now accommodate more customers hungry to try good ol' Ramly burgers and his many inventive variations (he even has one named after blogger Bangsar Babe).
But the stall's pièce de résistance has to be his tiesto (lamb) burger, a street take on the commercial 'prosperity' burger. A buttered bun sitting atop a mess of juicy patties, egg, lettuce and onions drenched in sauce, this hefty sandwich will be sure to satisfy.
Price: Starts at RM3.50 (basic single patty burger).
A hot mess
Big Bite Patty’z Burger BAKARRRR in Desa Sri HartamasThe offerings here at
Big Bite Patty'z Burger Bakarrrr are simple; beef, chicken, mushroom and a mix. But that just means they make their burgers really well, right? A definite Yes! With homemade patties seasoned with more than ten spices, the burgers are bursting with flavour and juices (s-s-spicy).
Especially popular are their beef burgers, made on a charcoal-fuelled grill.
Price: Starts at RM6.90.
OM Burger in Ampang JayaKnown as the greasiest and messiest burger around Ampang,
Om Burger is not for the weak of heart. Watching the proprietors prepare your burger is already enough to make you feel like your cholesterol levels are rising and arteries clogging.
Serving the usual suspects (chicken/daging special cheese and the like), the patties are fried in a pool of margarine before being further drenched in a mix of cheese, mayonnaise and chili sauce. It makes for sloppy eating as you try to hold it all together as you chomp down - perfect comfort food for those down days.
Price: Below RM10.
Oozing out of the buns
Bob Republic in Bandar MenjalaraWander into gourmet burger territory with
Bob Republic's latest branch in Menjalara. Run by friendly chaps, the stall offers a different kind of burger bakar experience with some Tex-Mex influences. With creative names like 'V-tec,' 'Geisha,' and 'Republic Tower,' their burgers are made with thick and tender homemade patties.
Their showpiece would have to be 'lovehatelove,' a single patty beef burger topped with nachos and salsa between charcoal buns. While it could have done with a little more sauce, the nachos added texture and depth to the overall taste.
A good nachos to meat ratio - lovehatelove
Other offerings such as their killer ribs (RM18) and fajita wraps (RM10) were also excellent.
Bob Republic's killer ribs - grilled with a sweet sauce and served with crispy nachos and salsa
CHURROS
