At the very top floor of the prestigious Gate Mall in the Egaila area, in between the many amazing eateries that the mall has to offer, you’ll find a homey diner by the name of Burger & Karak.

The restaurant’s logo is spray painted on a brick wall, and plenty of seating booths, tables and chairs waiting ready to accommodate diners whether they come in large groups, small groups or solo. Each table is adorned with a candle-lit heating plate and a traditional dallah coffee pots that can be filled upon request and heated right at your table.

The menu is expansive with different options ranging from salads, small mains and sides, burgers, Chapati, desserts, drinks and of course, the traditionally spiced tea known as Karak.

Excited to begin our journey, we started off by sampling three different types of salads. We tried the Mixed Green Quinoa Salad, a hearty combination of perfectly cooked quinoa, feta cheese, lollo bionda and rosso lettuces, corn and avocado. This amazing salad was enough to be a main on its own, drizzled and tossed with a balsamic vinegar only tantalized our taste buds for what was to come.

Other salads we tried were the Rocca Salad; tossed with tomato, rocket leaves and parmesan cheese, and the Feta Strawberry Salad;  tossed with strawberry, rocket leaves and feta cheese. Blended with an aromatic mixture of balsamic vinegar, the tanginess of the salad mixed with the sweetness of the strawberries was nothing short of pleasing.

When eating a Burger & Karak burger, be prepared to encounter a trip down memory lane. The taste of the burgers left us feeling nostalgic, as the flavors served as a reminder of delicious childhood and home-style burgers. This was induced by Burger & Karak’s BK sauce: a mixture of mayo, ketchup and chopped pickle. Coupled with the Single Single Burger’s melted cheddar and fresh veggies, the combination was comforting and delicious. Be sure to indulge in a side of Tornado Style fries when enjoying your burger, but be forewarned: these fries are not for the faint of heart. Topped with melted cheese, grilled onion and smothered in their BK sauce, these fries are sweet and hearty.

We were more than ready to finish off our meal with an order of icy Karak, since the sweet and spiciness of the chai drink was just enough to satisfy our sweet teeth, but the friendly staff began to grace our table with a selection of fine desserts. Oh, the desserts. Where do we even begin? We were lucky enough to try not one, two, three or even four, but FIVE different desserts – and we’re telling you; these desserts are The Business.

While we didn’t sample any of the savory Chapatis, the sweet Chapatis were an indication that Burger & Karak knew exactly how to handle a piece of thin Indian bread. Stuffed and heated with a Kinder Chocolate spread, the Kinder Love Chapati was devoured. You can only imagine that a similar type of pleasure erupted once we tried its heavenly counterpart, the Nutella filled Chapati. Nutella says it all, we were in love!

Though we were basically crying from joy, and protesting an end to our gluttony, we tried the Lotus Rush- a bread pudding infused with a decadent Lotus spread and topped with a signature Lotus biscuit. Dipping your spoon into this pudding and taking the first taste will make you cry – the goodness of this pudding was so overwhelming that it’s a wonder we could try anything else.

But we tried the Lotus Cheesecake next, with its beautiful presentation of a dripping Lotus spread and mountain of creaminess, adding a decadent thickness to the classic dessert. This cake was definitely out of this world.

And lest we forget the chocolate molten cake with a side of vanilla ice cream: a vision in and of itself, taking us away from our Lotus-filled infatuation to remind us that chocolate is indeed a beautiful delicacy that can be transformed in many different ways.

By this time, we were so full, but the Karak we were sipping on was the perfect way to calm our taste buds after so much indulgence. We knew, however, that with their selection of comfort food and showstopping desserts, we would be coming back to this cozy diner shortly, and we couldn’t help but applaud Burger & Karak’s successful efforts to take local casual dining to the next level.

Burger & Karak is located in The Gate Mall in Egaila. Check out their website at www.burgernkarak.com and follow them on Instagram @burgernkarak. Call them at 2205 6356 or 9995 4099 for more information.