Gastro-genius Basil Al-Salem has a way with food that has us waiting for cheat-days to indulge to our hearts’ content. So when we heard of his latest concept, this bazaar editor jumped right in. Cheat-day or not, the food was going to be consumed till the plates ran out and the stomach is fully satisfied. This entirely rang true as we approached Burger Boutique Black in the gorgeous Murouj restaurant complex. Outdoor and indoor seating options – the weather is glorious this time of year – and a wood flamed oven with the food being cooking away before it’s served straight to your table. With a minimalist approach to all things haute cuisine, Burger Boutique Black’s menu and decor all revolve around one theme: Black.
The color code is set, and everything else follows – the seats, tables, and plates are all in black and a green grassy wall accents the whole interior. Pickle jars arranged from floor to ceiling, caged and gloriously pickling away. Their piece de resistance sits by the greenery in a display cooler – their wonderfully dry-aged meat. Comfortable seating and natural light illuminating your experience – the setting is superbly cozy and the food spectacular. Fresh ingredients and not-your-average flavors uplift the experience. Apart from their infamous and highly addictive sliders, their menu boasts an incredible selection of salads, appetizers and beautiful sides. Buzzing tables all around and the wafting aromas of the food passing – we were ready to start our feast.
To start us off, they presented us with their signature drink – The Black. Keeping brilliantly in theme, The Black is a freshly squeezed blackberry lemonade that was absolutely refreshing. Pitch black – as the name would insinuate – the tartness of the berries with perfectly ripe lemons had us sipping in awe. But what had us grinning from ear to ear were their salads – perfection in a bowl! The Crispy Eggplant Salad is not to be missed – with a garlic yoghurt labneh, pomegranate molasses and walnuts, the salad had a stunningly delicious combination. The Green Goat Cheese Salad packed an incredible crunch and a glorious punch with green tomatoes and green apples combined with their raspberry balsamic and sweet chili vinaigrette. As for the Quinoa and Grilled Halloumi Salad, we were ecstatic – the combination of fresh greens with bean sprouts and sunflower seeds topped with pomegranate molasses vinaigrette had us jumping for joy. Packed with anti-oxidants and super-feel-good flavors, their salads perfectly hit the spot.
Their starters were a whole other song to sing – an Ode to Carbs and Protein we call it. The Giant Portobello Mushrooms covered in porcini cream and parmesan tantalized our palates. As for their fries, we ordered two! The Fuji Fries – which were sweet potato and regular golden potato fries with a sweet chili mayo – and the Rainbow Fries – with sweet and golden potatoes mixed in with pepper jack and American cheese and ranch dressing – were the perfect accompaniment to any meal. Their Garlic Flat Bread and Lamb Tacos were two essentials that we could not go without – baked and cooked to perfection respectively. And their Sriracha Honey Shrimp dish had an incredible kick mellowed out by the coolness of their yuzo miso ranch dip. But the appetizer that stole the show, was the Hot Stone Beef. Presented to you are two hot black stones with succulent cuts of raw black angus rib eye. Your mission, to dip the meat in the ginger honey soy then lay it out on the sizzling hot stones and cook them to your liking. That was delicious with a capital D!
Needless to say we annihilated all the dishes so far, but that didn’t stop us from getting the mains – and later the desserts, but you’ll have to wait for that line-up. Rather than going for the mainstream sliders, we decided to give their proper burgers a go. Have you ever had a burger made in a wood fire oven? We did exactly that! We present to you The Black – a burger made with a 270-day grain-fed black onyx dry-aged blend mince before being topped with a smoked mature cheddar, caramelized onions, arugula and aioli. To top it all off, the bun is entirely black – hence the name. That burger is what most burgers aspire to be, juicy and delectable this patty earned its place in our hyperbolic burger hall of fame. Next was The Crispy Chicken – a golden breaded chicken breast atop a helping of fresh jalapeno, cabbage, pickles, onions, parsley and finished off with spicy honey aioli. All over a beautifully glistening pretzel roll – excellence. Both burgers were beautifully constructed and of gastronomic proportions.
To end this meal – don’t judge us – we started our dessert journey. In true bazaarite fashion, we ordered them all, because who has time to choose? Their Pineapple Upside Down Cake made with roasted sweetened coconut and coconut skinny cloud, this dessert was light, fruity, and delicious – a true tropical retreat. Then came the Quatros Leches Cake – a cake covered in a sweetened milk, made with said milk, and dripping of said milk (the entire thing takes four helping of milk to make!) then finished off with a generous drizzle of dulce de leche. As for the White Chocolate Cheesecake with a pecan granola, salted caramel and green apple and blackberries, made for a very light and creamy dessert experience. Next came the Biscoff Monkey Bread with French vanilla bean ice-cream – beautifully spiced with cinnamon and crushed biscoff biscuits, this dessert was decadent and glorious. Still, what took the cake – pun entirely intended – were the Peanut Brownie Pancakes with salted maple toffee sauce. The presentation alone was decadent – let alone the taste! Beautifully fluffy black pancakes bursting with peanut brownie flavors this dessert was going to be a staple in our next feast for sure!
So go on, try it out! We all love Burger Boutique, and Burger Boutique Black has taken their menu to the next level. You can find it at the Murouj Complex in the Sabhan area near the Sahara Golf and Country Club. Check their website for more info and details www.burgerboutique.com and follow them on Instagram @BurgerBoutique
