Makansutra: Hawker burger joint Burgs has a taste for success
Great tasting and reasonably priced burgers the big draw at Golden Mile
Why do folks line up at some hawker stalls and avoid others?
One reason could be the cheap-cheap factor, the "two vegetables, one meat for $2.50" lure. Great for those who just want a decent enough hot meal.
Another could be that the item is rare, comforting or affordable and the stall conveniently located.
Also, there's a chance that online posts about the stall went viral because of some "influencer" on social media.
For Burgs By Project Warung, it is a bit of all of the above. The three young owners run a tight ship, keeping the operations slick, clean and smooth in the small 8x8 kitchen space. It helped that their reasonably priced burgers are better than good too.
I first heard about them from their hawker neighbour, the noisy and friendly Charlie of Charlie's Nonya food stall, about half a year ago when Burgs opened.
The guys operate the Muslim-owned burger stall like silent commandos out to achieve a target - the customer's orders.
Everyone knows what their job is and no one looks clueless. One takes the orders, placates customers' fears of a long wait and calms them by saying "it's all freshly made upon order". Another sears and grills the meat and patties, while the others assemble the platter and fry the chips.
Their Alaskan Pollack fillet ($5.90) has a crunchy batter that holds the soft juicy fish inside. The spicy cheese sauce (with hints of masala and chilli) offers a nice local touch, and the greens give it more crunch and sweetness.
BBQ SAUCE
I like the Barbecue Chicken Burger ($5.50), which comes with a light own-made BBQ sauce. The smokiness in the meat comes through and is not drowned by the sauce. The plus point is that the chicken is not dry.
The Hickory Smoked Beef Brisket ($5.50) is one of their better sellers and one can see why. The chunks of beef are generous, smokey and hearty but my only beef with it was that the BBQ sauce drowned the beefiness. But it is a steal at that price, quality and portion wise.
All orders (except for the beef brisket), can be upsized for an additional $2 to $3, and you get double patties and more chunky fries. They change their menu often and my wish for them is that they will introduce more local sauces and flavours to their burgers. Think rendang pulled beef brisket or sambal pedas fish burger, and I will gladly get in line again.
Burgs By Project Warung
505, Beach Road, #B1-24, Golden Mile Food Centre
11.30am-2.30pm; 5pm-9pm (or till items are sold out)
Tuesdays to Sundays. Closed on Mondays.
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