Buns Burger Bar at Desa Sri Hartamas

One of KL’s most ambitious burger joints so far, Buns Burger Bar is the brainchild of Aaron and Angela, whose cross-border search for the world’s tastiest burgers has spurred them to open a place that seeks to offer not only luscious burgers but tempting tapas too. Many thanks to the friendly young couple for inviting us to this preview tasting session earlier this month.

Quality Burgers on a Budget

Buns is finicky about its burgers, employing patties constructed from free-range, grass-fed Australian beef, freshly ground daily, and buns sourced from a cautiously selected supplier; mercifully though, the outlet keeps prices relatively affordable, with a basic burger starting from RM16, with none surpassing RM20.

With meat cooked slightly pink, the spotlight also shines on tantalising toppings; the S.E.A. features a lemongrass-infused patty crowned with fish sauce, sambal mayo, coriander, carrots, radish and cucumber, while the Guac showcases guacamole and hand-chopped salsa (note: neither is pictured here, but we’ll return soon to try them).

Meet the Champ

Beef wrapped in turkey ham, with a sunny-side-up, shiitake mushrooms, herbs, tomatoes and red cabbage. Note that Buns’ buns lean a bit more toward the dense side, not exactly the fluffy sort.

Chicken Burger

The sole representative for chickens so far won’t ruffle any feathers, with a slice of thigh fried in lemon and thyme, topped with crunchy crackling skin (the piece de resistance), arugula and garlic-rosemary mayo.

Fish Burger

Dill-battered dory fillet was what we had above for this session; now that Buns is officially open, this recipe has been fine-tuned to come with shrimp, cucumber ribbons and lemon mint mayo.

Tapas

What makes Buns more distinctive: the presence of tapas, including a succulent serving of gyutan _ ox tongue, ponzu and daikon _ that’s marvellous by every measure (especially since it costs only RM12).

Buns is blessed with an experienced chef who’s honed his craft in KL (including at the Carcosa Seri Negara) and abroad (in Dubai); his craftsmanship is evident in offerings like bruschetta topped with smoked salmon, egg and balsamic tomatoes (RM14).

Buns plans to eventually serve wine and cocktails to partner with its parade of tapas, currently comprising tiger prawns with garlic, chilli and lime (RM18) …

… meatballs of minced lamb shoulder with tomatoes (RM14) …

… buffalo wings with kitchen-made hot sauce (RM11) …

… can’t-stop-munching-them strips of chicken breast with sriracha mayo and lime (RM11) …

… won’t-share-them-with-anyone lightly battered tempura of local sweet corn with paprika (RM9) …

… protein-powered skewers of lamb shoulder with capsicum and yoghurt (RM12) …

… and carb-crazed croquettes stuffed with potato, mozzarella and raspberries (RM9).

Desserts

Aaron and Angela’s determination to serve the best at Buns extends to their desserts. The sweetest incentive: Customers here can also enjoy Ong Kee Win’s incredible gelato in flavours of peanut butter, pistachio, coffee caramel and Belgian chocolate (the public knows Kee Win’s brand better as Cielo Dolci) …

… as well as Lim Cheng Cheng’s inimitable cakes (check out her Gula Melaka Cempedak, French Vanilla Cheese or Carrot Cranberry), for which she has become beloved as the founder of Swich Cafe in Publika.