The FPD Festival: mmmBurger @ Smoke House Deli (Bangalore)

Grills, Burgers, Cold Beers and other tidings of summer always make a Bangalorean happy. Not that we have too much to complain, considering our weather is more equitable than most cities in India and we indulge our summer fancies right through the year! The pub capital of India seems to have a soft spot for burgers (including veggie ones) and I can bet my bottom dollar that every pub has burgers listed on their menu. Why, even coffee shops and breakfast joints can’t stay away from listing meat sandwiched between a bun as their runaway hit. Smoke House Deli went a step further and had a whole festival dedicated to burgers. They call the mmmBurger Festival an ode to all things meaty as well as a little gift to all their patrons. “Each burger promises a distinct charred, smoky and flame licked flavor”, they say. We went on a balmy Wednesday evening to unwind over a couple of cocktails and sample their wares.

Every time I go to SHD I ‘need’ to order the Bacon wrapped Potatoes. These spuds are positively heavenly covered with smoked bacon and drizzled with maple syrup. These days they add some chilli flakes on top for some zing, which I am not entirely convinced about. (Why does majority of the Indian population want everything to be spicy??). We also got some Chorizo and Ham and Potato Croquettes to keep our drinks company. (The benefits of going out with a completely carnivorous group!). After ordering some martinis, margaritas and mojitos we peeked into the special burger menu. 

There was literally a tussle for the Bacon and Beef Burger selections after which no one cared to read the rest of the menu. I of course, choose the next best option - a Lamb Burger and we rounded off the order for the six of us with a Fish Burger as well. There was an interestingly named chicken burger called “Lucy's Juicy” – after thinking up all manners of inappropriate references to the above, we decided to abandon it. All burgers are served with coleslaw, fries and two big onion rings crowning them. So make some space and prepare to dig in. A quick photolog to capture the experience for you…

 

They should have called the South-West Style Lamb Burger – Lucy Juicy ;). A perfectly char-grilled lamb patty with mop butter and sauteed onions. I cut open the burger patty and it was deliciously pink inside. I’m glad they kept the condiments on this to a minimum because the patty itself was exemplary. 

The Fish and Chips Burger does justice to the classic combo. Two generous deep fried batter coated filets of basa, sandwiched between soft burger buns. The caper tartare and malt mayo added the necessary creamy filling and the pea puree on the side gave it that British touch. I wish they had given a fatter cut of chips than the regular thin fries with this one. 

The Benedictor sounded like a huge burger monster that we were eager to demolish. Char-grilled tenderloin patty topped with Black forest Ham served with a whole peppered runny egg and hollandaise sauce. When it arrived though, we concluded that it looked more like a morbidly obese patty that struggled to stay within the bun! This one promised all things glorious but failed to live up to the hype because of the lingering garam masala taste in the patty. We even check with the chef if the patty was tweaked to suit the Indian palate, but even though they replied in the negative – we could not shake off the masala taste. Shame, because the combination of elements is a hit. 

The Baconator however was the hero that saved the day and erased all ill-will. The fact that it came overloaded with bacon, notwithstanding – it was still the winner. A sizable char-grilled tenderloin patty, topped with oak smoked bacon and ‘baconaise’. Yes, that’s the new word for bacon flavored mayonnaise! Everyone else who had ordered other burgers were plain envious of this one. Enough said. 

SHD also has some cool veggie burgers. Kindly excuse my tribe for not bothering to savour the vegetarian burgers for your reading benefit. Instead of your potato patties and your mixed vegetable patties and your paneer patties – SDH has tried to keep things exciting for the veggie gourmet. Two of the offerings that caught my eye were the Spicy Soya and Spinach Burger (peppercorn, cheese melt) and Sweet Corn and Chickpeas Falafel (tomato salsa, hummus). So yes, if you are a vegetarian or have a vegetarian friend, don’t hesitate to go. 

We rounded the meal with my favourite from their dessert menu – The Flour less Chocolate Cake. Served with some espresso sauce, it is pure evil! Decadence takes on a whole new meaning with this one. 

The festival is on till the 8^th of June and prices start at Rs.280/- for the mmmBurger menu. So that gives you exactly 10 days to sink your teeth into the Baconator before you go back to eating from KFC and McDonalds.

SMOKE HOUSE DELI

52 & 53, Ground Floor,

Lavelle Road,

Bangalore.

Ph: 080 4127 6272

Parking: Valet available

Cost: Rs.280/-++ for the burger menu