Naked and loving it
It’s the ultimate burger indulgence as Tan Bee Hong sinks her teeth into a pure lobster patty sandwiched in a soft potato bun
THE burger is on a wooden board. Naked. No leaf of lettuce peeping out apologetically from between the two halves of sliced bun. No slice of tomato. No onion rings.
No pickles.
No melting cheese.
No sunny side egg.
No mustard.
Nothing but patty and the potato bun. Yup, the Limited Edition Lobster Burger (RM148++) comes naked. That, says restaurateur Datuk Hafez Mohamed, is the only way to enjoy Pince & Pints’ National Day highlight.
“We don’t want anything to distract from the lobster patty,” he declares.
Oh, don’t be shocked at the price. Items on the Lobster Menu start from RM168++, which is not surprising really, as every dish comprises a whole lobster of approximately 600g. Not only are the crustaceans live but they are wild-caught lobsters, air-flown in from the Atlantic Coast.
LIMITED EDITION
Launched in conjunction with Malaysia’s 60th National Day celebrations, the Lobster Burger is only available until Sept 30.
Hafez was inspired by thoughts of Ramly Burger and Jackson Burger when he wanted to create a special dish for National Day. Since the specialty at Pince & Pints is lobster, he and the chef came up with the Lobster Burger.
The best way to eat it is to hold it firmly with both hands and chomp away. Take a bite and release the burst of crustacean flavours trapped that juicy patty. The rush can be a bit heady, yet the result is a rich, delicate flavour. You will be licking your lips and savouring the moment.
The huge patty is made with meat
Neat, uncluttered seating at Pince & Pints. from one whole lobster, marinated with salt, crushed black pepper, butter, Italian parsley, house-made seasonings, breadcrumbs and egg. It is then sealed twice with cling film to retain its moisture and chilled for 24 hours.
Upon order, the patty is slowly deepfried to maintain the moist and juiciness of the lobster!
The potato bun is house-made. Just before assembling, the bun is steamed for one minute and then chargrilled to get that charred texture and aroma without compromising on softness.
SIDES AND SAUCES
The Lobster Burger may be naked but it comes with sidekicks.
“We want to make sure none of our customers leave hungry,” says Hafez.
There are fries, coleslaw and three types of sauces. No ketchup. The closest is a spicy tomato sauce that the chef has created.
But wait. Don’t slather this on the patty just yet as there are two more sauces: Wasabi mayonnaise and lobster garlic butter.
If I have to choose just one, I’ll go with the lobster garlic butter. With its crustacean aroma tinged with a hint of garlic, the creamy sauce is simply created for
this indulgent burger. The chef makes this by simmering garlic and lobster shell for two hours, and then reducing the stock. It is then blended with soft butter. Handwhisked, mind you, as using a blender would result in a different texture.
The spicy tomato sauce is rather yummy too. if you must have ketchup on your burger. The hints of chilli add a subtle kick that will please local palates weaned on sambal.
Personally however, I feel that this and
Close up of the lobster patty.
wasabi mayo make a better dip for fries instead.
Oh the fries. These are not your regular fries. Using a double-coated technique to acquire the crispiness, the sweet potato sticks are coated with seasoned batter and deepfried. And they stay crisp even after the burger is all eaten.
There’s also a small saucer of coleslaw, made with julienned carrots and purple/ white cabbage tossed in mayonnaise.