Boutique Burger Kitchen serves better burgers than your favorite burger joint.
What prompted Chef Carlo Miguel to open Boutique Burger Kitchen is his love affair with burgers. Being in the industry for 25 years, he shares that burgers have been a huge part in his life – his aunt and uncle had a burger joint in San Francisco when he was five years old. So he's always searching for that kind of burger that would bring him to a "Ratatouille" moment, and that's what he's trying to create when he opened the diner.
His main goal is to create a better burger than what's out in the market right now and he also wanted to build something that's different from the other restaurants in the metro. Taking into consideration, of course, that almost all of them look the same.
Channeling a 1950s soda fountain diner, it would easily transport you to Riverdale and feel as though Archie and the gang are going to show up anytime. But then again, the bright color palette of the whole diner gives you that vibe that you're at the beach basking in the sun.
Have we piqued your interest yet? Something great to try first is the 6pc Chicken Wings (P280) that's new on the menu. The skin is crispy because of the buttermilk and the meat remains tender so I was surprised to know that these are not double-fried like most of the fried chickens are these days. This is available in Classic Buffalo, Garlic Parmesan and Honey & Chili. However, if you're a bigger group, the BBK Nachos (P320) should be your top pick as your pica-pica. It has braised US Angus chili con carne and all the works on fresh corn chips.
Made in-house, the Chicken Nuggets (P280) is another star in the diner other than the burgers. They source 100% organic chicken and Chef Carlo shares that he only uses the leg and thigh part since it's juicier and more tender. Starting from a paste out of the chicken, they put a handful of herbs and spices then steam it in trays before breading it and deep frying. We couldn't stop munching on it, this one's definitely a dish that would make you go back for more. Don't forget to dip it in their housemade ketchup!
The star at Boutique Burger Kitchen is, of course, its burgers. And what makes the perfect burger is the patty. Chef Carlos Miguel does not kid when he told us that it takes them hours just to prepare its patties – something unique and special that you won't find anywhere.
There are four cuts of meats to create the patties: two are Black Angus from Greater Omaha and Nevada and two are Wagyu from Snake River Farms in Idaho and Kitayama in Cagayan de Oro. The richer cuts are a bit tough which actually go through the grinder thrice – course, fine and finer – and that becomes the marbling of the beef.
"I then take the leaner and the tender cuts and we remove all the tendons out, is cut into chunks and gets seasoned a little bit. We then mix the fine grind to it and then grind it one last time through a very course grind just so there's texture in the meat. When it comes out of the grinder, we catch it and layer it in one direction. We then wrap it into a log that has to set overnight and then we cut the patties off like you would cut a steak from a slab," shares Chef Carlo. Indeed, there's more to it than just grinding some meat and forming a patty.
Nothing can go wrong with the Classic Cheeseburger (P280) which would remind you so much of a Quarter Pounder. Chef Carlo describes it as something better than the classic one we were introduced to when we were kids. Better bun, better patty, better cheese, homemade pickles and ketchup – a level up from what we remember it to be. There's also the Brekkie Burger (P360), "brekkie" that's a slang for "breakfast" in Australia. It has cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, perfectly fried egg, caramelized onions and their housemade ketchup sandwiched between soft hokkaido milk buns.
What has been the best-seller in the last couple of weeks is the French Flair (P390) which would surely fill you up. It has gruyere cheese, dijon mustard, bacon, mushroom and french fried onions for that crunch when you bite into it. Yes, they're proud of their beef patties, but their Chicken Burger (P300) is also worth-trying and indulging on. It has the same patty they use for their chicken nuggets so you know it's good, has a sriracha aioli and Asian slaw and to top it all off, has a crisp chicken skin. Better act fast, you wouldn't want Jughead to steal this from you!
There's also a lunch menu since Filipinos are naturally rice-eaters and wouldn't look at burgers as a main meal. Rice meals still look like diner-style food like the Gourmet Burger Steak (P220) which is a best-seller on the menu. It's the diner's answer to the burger steak war, only a better version of it.
Insider Tip: There's a secret menu item which has caramelized onions, cheddar cheese, three kinds of mustard and ketchup and steamed. Can you guess what's its name?
What's a diner without some thick milkshake? At Boutique Burger Kitchen, there's a range of milkshakes to choose from, priced at P180 to P190, and uses their own ice cream. There are classics like Chocolate and Vanilla but there are also Nutella and Salted Caramel if you want to feel a little fancy. If you want something refreshing, there's also a number of homemade sodas where he starts by creating infused syrups and concentrates. A few of their fruit-based flavors are Ginger & Calamansi, Strawberry, Lemon & Basil, Apple & Elderflower and Passionfruit & Mint.
Most of their desserts are based on their house made ice cream like the Mango Meringue Sundae (P220): has fresh mangoes, vanilla ice cream and topped with whipped cream and crumbled meringue – pretty much looks like an upside down or deconstructed pavolva. They also make their own Cheesecake (P280) which he takes pride on, and is one of his favorite desserts as well. It's tart, smooth, creamy and dense – just as cheesecakes should be.
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Boutique Burger Kitchen is located at Ground Level, The Fort Strip, Katipunan Circle, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig. They're open from Sunday to Thursday (11am to 12mn) and Friday to Saturday (11am to 2am). Like them on Facebook and follow them on Instagram for more details.
