A burger isn't the first thing one would associate with Bangkok, let alone Thailand. But Thais, especially the younger generation love this Western import and the burger market over here is dominated by one big chain of golden arches. Yep, you guessed who ... I don't need to spell it out.
So when I read about a gourmet burger joint that had opened very recently - in the last week in fact - I had to go check it out for myself, along with my dear mother (dm).
The 'Bangkok Burger Company' sits just inside Thong Lo Soi 10 on the left hand side as you enter the soi. There are benches outside for those who want to puff away whilst eating (which I think is gross by the way) or those who just love the heat (in this case I think they are just mad, nothing worse than dripping sweat whilst eating). Otherwise, step inside the air-conditioned red leather seated diner.
Six person booths line the left wall, four person tables line the right, huge glass windows let in lots of natural light and serving girls are eager to take orders.
The yellow t-shirt girls are a friendly bunch, one came over to hand us the drink menus. A quick peruse and there are milkshakes, soft drinks, hot drinks, fruit juices.
Then there is the food menu, which doubles up as a place mat. It lists everything under separate headings: sides, toppings & sauces, salad, desserts, sandwiches (three choices), chicken (two choices), vegetarian (two choices) and a fish option, namely a fish finger burger.
There is a lunch time deal which runs from 11am until 2pm: a regular burger with a choice of soft drink for 199Baht plus 7% government tax.
With many burger choices to choose from, my dm asked me to pick one out for her, so with her consent of course, I picked out the Le Parisien: french brie topped with garlic mushrooms and a dijonaise sauce.
I went for The Mexicana: Chilli con carne (beef), sour cream, salsa, grilled cheddar cheese and jalapenos. OK, not exactly a traditional burger, more like a sloppy joe. Who cares though, it's still beef in a bun right?
The open kitchen with a high counter is at the back, so you can see the chefs bustling away as they prepare your food which is great.
Music plays in the background and although it was a little quiet at first, customers started to trickle in whilst we were there. You can tell that this place is brand spanking new, with shiny leather seating and freshly painted walls. I am sure it will only be a matter of time before word to gets out about this place.
Back to the burgers though. I can't remember how long it took for our food to come out (wasn't too long and ugly), but they looked good. Here is the Le Parisien with stack of thick cut chips, skins still on, yummy!
The Mexicana, which if I do say so myself, looks mighty meaty here. This one came with a salad, which I didn't feel needed to be in the picture as the burger was the star of the show. Like a true sloppy joe, the beef slopped out of the joe (as I cut into it) and went straight into my mouth.
Here are some pictures of a few other tempting things on offer:
So what did I think of the burgers? Execution and presentation were pretty good as the burgers were lovingly juicy and very meaty. The thick cut chips were crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The salad was nicely dressed. All the ingredients were fresh and tasty. They certainly make an effort to give you a 'gourmet' burger experience.
However, I felt a little let down by the buns. I like my buns (bread buns that is) to have a crispy crunch and these didn't quite have that crunchy edge. I also found the bread a teeny bit sweet for my liking, which I find is typical of bread found in Thailand. Many Thais tell me this is how they like their bread. My dm didn't seem to notice, she is Thai by the way.
All in all, I think it's great that there is a dedicated gourmet burger diner in Bangkok. I wish them well and I will look forward to going back for another little jaunt in the future.
In the meantime, Bangkok Burger Blog was fortunate enough to have had a sneak peak tasting and I for one will be interested in reading their review in the near future.
Bangkok Burger Company
Thong Lo Soi 10, Bangkok, Thailand
Nearest BTS: Phrom Phong and the take a motorbike or car taxi to Thong Lo Soi 10.
HOURS
Daily 11am-11pm
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