For the longest time, the ‘Burger-eating’ experience in India has been dominated by international burger chains like Mc Donald’s, KFC and Burger King. While the concept of handcrafted, artisanal burgers is not new to urban India, the trend is certainly on the rise. People are slowly waking up to the importance of hand-made patties, buns and sauces and smears, all of which and more are required to build a burger of your dreams. The capital is brimming with restaurants and cloud kitchens dedicated solely to artisanal burgers. One of the leading names in the market is of Burgrill. With a selection of chicken, lamb and vegan burger, Burgrill is creating all the right noise among burger lovers. But chef and co-founder of Burgrill Shreh Madan is a little shy to dub the burgers ‘Gourmet’. “I wouldn't like to categorise burgers, we serve at Burgrill as ‘gourmet’ or ‘exotic’. They are everyday burgers that are made using the freshest, best quality ingredients, but they are also light on the pocket. Hence, it will be apt to call them ‘Win-Win burgers’ in my opinion. However, yes, the trend is on the rise, and it is here to stay."
A burger lover himself, Madan says that he personally loves the Burgers at ‘Almost Famous’ Manchester. The commitment they put in making one, customised to T is truly admirable he says, and that is the ethos in the kitchens of Burgrill too which currently has multiple outlets across Delhi and Chandigarh.
In his own menu, he is rather proud of the ‘Cheese Chicken Quarter Pounder’ “it is a fairly simple recipe, but it is bustling with great flavours”.
Ask him what constitutes a good burger, “perfectly toasted bun, melted cheese over the patty & bun-to-patty ratio”, comes a prompt reply. And while having their mutton quarter burger, and bbq chicken burger, we could tell how much effort has gone into making the patty especially juicy. The buns were all made of whole wheat, to give it a little ‘healthy touch’. The free use of lettuce, olives and jalapenos never comes in the way of enjoying the burger. The ratio of all the components is decidedly clear and works in favour of the burgers.
The burgers are also deliverable across Delhi and Chandigarh, which brings another challenge. How do you heat burgers and retain the same magic? “Microwave the burger for 15 seconds and then put in a pre-heated oven or air fryer for another minute”, Madan shares a handy hack.
Apart from burgers, Burgrill also has an interesting selection of salads, wraps and sides such as African Peri Peri fries (not meant for the faint-hearted), and crispy onion rings. The in-house sauce, complements each and every snack on the menu with its tangy and tingling flavour. Upon being asked his favourite ‘side dishes’ with a burger and he says, “Nothing can beat chunky and crispy fries & chilled wheat beer”.
