Burgertory

Subang SS15, the land of colleges, atrocious parking and burgers. The gourmet burger trend back then resulted in a deluge of pricey burger outlets, all catering to the college kid with time to kill between classes. Now that the hype has calmed down, it’s time to head to one that is still thriving – Burgertory.

My dining companions and I dropped by on a weekend night, completely famished from the parking hunt. The restaurant was a bustling, dimly lit space with long wooden tables and black steel fittings (factory-like, so to speak). I’ve never understood the hype for buns which cost the equivalent of several perfectly fine Ramly burgers, and so I viewed the menu with a certain degree of scepticism. Typos aside, their menu is extensive, featuring at least 16 types of burgers with various ingredients such as ebiko, habanero and candy pork bacon. Creative, yes, but whether these elements go well together remains to be seen.

While waiting for orders to arrive, things to do include getting free refills at the soda machine or watching the crowd stream in for their weekend pork burger fix. A staff member patrolled the aisles, ensuring orders are delivered correctly. The staff were friendly and efficient, even though this is a self-service restaurant.

Plagued with a sore throat, I wasn’t in the mood for giant chunks of meat in buns that night. However, it was a testament to the patty that I not only finished my burger (Porky Nest), I even contemplated ordering another. The homemade pork patty was tender and juicy, with meat and homemade herbed cheese in equal flavourful measure. The crunchy wire potato (basically wire-thin fries) nest and grilled zucchini provided good texture to the proceedings. For RM6, you can upgrade your meal to a set with refillable drinks and fries or salad. Instead of the usual rocket salad, they serve Apple Waldorf, made with apples and raisins tossed in a sweet sauce.

We also had the Skippy Burger and The Fat Samurai. The latter is on a special menu that changes monthly (rumour has it that Burgertory offers bak kwa burgers come Chinese New Year). While it’s easy to overwhelm the burger when you have pork patty, nicely charred salmon katsu and a variety of toppings, The Fat Samurai’s balanced flavours did not disappoint indeed. This is Filet- O-Fish all grown up.

We had to leave Burgertory to make way for another group eyeing our table, but I was already plotting my next visit. Plus, the ventilation system at Burgertory was so good my clothes didn’t even stink of burger after the meal. And that is a triumph in its own.