Like a microcosm of Kuwait, bazaar goes through changes all the time, staffers leave to grow their own families, study abroad, form their own creative start-ups and new staffers arrive. This means discovering a bazaar world of new things to do, eat and experience and that of course includes all the favored burger concepts for bazaar newcomers! Smashburger has been in Kuwait since 2012 and the concept was developed by Tom Ryan, the founder of the stuffed crust pizza renowned for his successful food ideas. So, let’s take you through these classic items once more and discover why there are Smashburger menu staples which have such loyal fans over here.
“Sweet potato fries!” is the resounding cheer that goes around the office when mentioning Smashburger, so this is definitely the first thing on the order. Fries are so difficult to get right but these had exactly the right amount of crunch with the sweet potato still remaining mushy and full of flavor and topped only with simple sea salt. What is wondrous is that, as the fries cooled, they still managed to maintain their bite! Nothing limp to look at here.
The staff are incredibly helpful when it comes to describing all the various burgers and what they are most well-known for. Starting with the Classic Smash it couldn’t be simpler. Take halal Angus beef, freshly handcrafted on site, smashed onto the buttered griddle to caramelize the beef and seal in all those delicious juices percolating up through the sizzling patty. Throw on a thick slice of American cheese and add the veggies. The burger taste is so incredibly flavorsome and meaty! This is something that Smashburger always wants, “a burger you can taste in every bite”.
There’s something really clever about the way Smashburger plates up your order. The presentation on a rectangular wire basket keeps it almost rustic yet modern. With fries on the side, the base of the bun holds the patty with the cheese softly melting into the rough, succulent beef. The top of the bun is overturned and placed on it is the crispiest lettuce, deeply red tomato, an entire slice of white onion and three perfectly placed pickles. The clever bit is that you are presented with a veritable smorgasbord of color, you can pick out the veggies you don’t want without any mess and the lettuce doesn’t wilt as it would when your sandwich is built and bound together when compared to the typical burger presentation seen elsewhere.
The next to arrive was the Classic Chicken, 100% halal and accompanied by fragrant Smashfries which are tossed in rosemary, heart healthy olive oil and garlic. These fries are so crunchy and tasty you’ll never be disappointed with these as a side.
Inspired to try something a step away from the usual burger, we ordered the Veggie Frites and the Spicy Baja black bean burger. The vegetarian patties for this are mixed in the kitchen by hand from scratch, and there’s a delightful homeliness to the way the texture of the patty turns out. Seasoned on the grill, this burger option comes with a heaped spoonful of creamy fresh guacamole and slices of green chilis. Set in a spicy chipotle bun with hot pepper cheese this burger has a real warmth to it but isn’t too overwhelming if you’re not used to piquant flavor profiles. If you like butter rich vegetables, then the Veggie Frites are definitely for you. The flash fried green beans kept their bite and the carrots kept their crunch, but you should eat these while they’re hot to have the optimum frites experience!
Smashburger likes to keep the offering fresh, so this season they’ve lovingly worked on their recipes to bring you the Las Vegas burger and the Lotus milk shake! With a crumbling of lotus biscuit on the top of the milkshake with a base of vanilla ice cream, there are little balls of sweetness which get sucked up into your straw spreading the caramel goodness as the milkshake hits your tongue. Delightful.
The Las Vegas burger, like the Sin City, has it all with lashings of toppings to keep you going all night long! Handfuls of grilled and haystack onions sit on top a fried egg covered with strips of seared veal bacon on a beef patty. This burger was only ever available in Nevada but proved so popular, that they rolled it out across the United States and internationally. It’s the first time in Smashburger history that a regional burger has been taken out of state, so it’s well worth a try!
If you want to try the regional offering here then order the Kuwait burger with hot pepper cheese, Hawaij grilled jalapenos, labneh, baby spinach and tomato. The Kuwait fries are aromatic, and seasoned with Hawaij spices and topped with fresh coriander.
The Smashburger team convinced us to try the red velvet Smashcake. A wonderfully decadent dessert at the best of times, red velvet gets the full smashburger aesthetic treatment. A scoop of ice cream between smashed cupcakes with a dollop of cream cheese icing scooped onto the top, finished with a sprinkling of chocolate flakes. Happily, there is a full range of Ristretto flavored Nepresso coffees available to wash down any of the rich sweets on offer if you care to indulge.
Smashburger restaurants are located in Hawally in eMall near the large Sultan Center (5029 8884) and Mishref Co-Op (2537 8596). For updates follow them on Instagram @smashburgerq8 and like Smashburger Kuwait on Facebook. Mishref residents can enjoy delivery through www.talabat.com!
