Trying out two of Mumbai’s hottest new burger joints

Theres been a lot of buzz on social media about Louis Burger the new takeaway venture that restaurateur Zorawar Kalra has launched People have been posting paeans to it on Instagram gushing about how good the burgers are Well the good news is that none of it is hyperbole We tried the fare and can confirm that Kalra has a winner on his hands Itrsquos rare for us to not pinpoint a single flaw in a new eatery and if we had to pick one for this place it would only be the fact that the ostentatious gold leaves stuck on the buns of two of their limitededition offerings mdash truffletake burger Rs 888 and Louis grand royale Rs 695 packaged in fancy black boxes mdash are somewhat over the top because they donrsquot really add to the taste Otherwise we had nothing else to pick onLouis grand royaleAnd how could we when the burgers are things of uncomplicated beauty that focus on quality ingredients Donrsquot expect nasty stuff like processed cheese here because the sunshineyellow English cheddar glistening between the buns is jolly good to use an apt British description Even the buns arenrsquot factorymade nonsense they are baked inhouse But the patties are the real heroes of this place be it in the lamb chicken or vegetarian options The one ensconced within the smash buff cheese burger Rs 335 is in fact such a hefty piece of delicately flavoured meat that it might permanently put you off the flimsy soulless versions at fastfood chains And the truffletake burger lives up to its name because the earthy flavour of the fancy fungus permeates the palate with every biteSo the point is that sometimes you can believe what you read on the Internet Those who gave Louis Burger a public thumbsup werenrsquot off the mark Burger joints are a dime a dozen in Mumbai But you now know where to go if yoursquore looking for premium quality at affordable prices most of the items cost between R215 and R385 Itrsquos only the two limitededition burgers that are expensive but you can put the blame partly on the blingy gold leaf for jacking up those costs Time 12 pm to 1130 pmAt Louis Burger Kamala Mills Compound Lower ParelCall 8433942801Nothing to mock hereOf all the options at a burger joint in Santacruz the mockmeat one impresses the mostHashtag One is a new burger place in Santacruz West that has achieved the impossible It has made this writerrsquos partner appreciate the taste of a mockmeat burger When told thatrsquos what the patty is made of in the dish titled doppelganger R350 her immediate reaction was to screw her face up in disgust and exclaim ldquoEw mock meat whyrdquo But we actually couldnrsquot believe our ears when after unpackaging the burger from a cardboard box and taking a bite she changed her opinion to ldquoMmmm this is actually quite nicerdquoSeoulfulIt indeed is because we view mock meat with suspicion too and though the mushroompotato patty in this burger had a firm bite that didnrsquot quite replicate the texture of meat it didnrsquot make us miss animal protein at all The subtle herbs it was flavoured with and addons like soya jalapeno and caramelised onions elevated the taste further But all said and done the unapologetic carnivore in us couldnrsquot be suppressed for long So we turned our attention to Seoulful Rs 400 which gets its name from the Korean tabanjan chilli paste smeared on the grilled chicken patty Itrsquos an unusual ingredient for a burger at a Mumbai joint but wersquod definitely like to taste more of it given the pleasant sweetness it added to the dishDoppelgangerOfishal Rs 550 which is a fish burger didnrsquot work as well though The redsnapper patty coloured green with Thai chilli basil flavouring was quite bland But then again we arenrsquot the sort whorsquod go weak in the knees at the mention of something like a filletofish burger anyway because a fish patty isnrsquot our favourite thing on Earth Having said that we didnrsquot care much for mock meat earlier either But Hashtag One has changed our opinion on that front and that let us assure you is no mean achievementTime 12 pm to 12 amAt Hashtag One opposite Porsche showroom Santacruz WestLog on to Swiggy and Zomato