Compiled to celebrate the introduction of flying gourmet burgers on the bistro menu in its First cabin and grounded burgers in its First and Concorde lounges, the list includes the world¹s biggest, most exclusive and most indulgent hamburgers.
British Airways recommends the Gourmet Boerie’s Gorgonzola boerewors roll, served with poached pear, caramelised pecan nuts and rocket.
Others on the top 10 include the Absolutely Ridiculous Burger, from Mallies in Detroit, the $5000 burger served by the Fleur at The Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas and the Local House in Dubai’s Camel Burgers.
Mark Tazzioli, British Airways¹ chef says that burgers are experiencing a renaissance, with pop up burger bars and food trucks opening in all major cities.
Burgers are the ultimate tasty, satisfying treat and comfort food we crave when flying. He explains that developing the Flying Burger took his team of chefs ten months. Three different cuts of beef: chuck, cheek and onglet, are used to ensure maximum favour, even at 35 000 feet where the sense of taste is reduced by 30%.
We needed to ensure we got the perfect texture and succulence, not just for the British palate, but for the many other nationalities that fly with us. As altitude affects taste we created an original patty, which has proved extremely popular in taste tests.
Served with a side of triple-cooked chips and a choice of relishes, the burgers will be served in the First cabin from next month.
Ingredients include:
100% British Beef
Three cuts of British beef to create a succulent juicy burger that keeps moisture even at altitude
Monterey Jack Cheese
A semi-hard cheese, particularly favoured by American travellers
Gherkins
Also known as ‘pickles’, these are most popular with customers from Poland and Germany
Tomato Relish
Using tomatoes, raisins and paprika, the smoky relish is popular with British, American and Canadian palates
Brioche Bun
A sweetened pastry especially popular with French and Italian flyers
Besides the Gourmet Boerie, the other burger restaurants to make the list are:
Lucky Chip, London UK
The Food truck revolution has made van food cool again. Lucky Chip is one of East London¹s finest, with gourmet burgers with fun names, including the ‘Scrooge McDuck’ which boasts duck, veal, aioli truffle and Pedro Ximenez figs in this fun-filled-feast!
Mallies, Detroit – USA
Featured in the Guinness Book of Records for serving the largest burger in the world, Mallies was made famous when ‘Man Versus Food’ attempted to take on the ‘Absolutely Ridiculous Burger’. If you dare to do the same, they require 72 hours notice!
Fleur at The Mandalay Bay Hotel, Las Vegas – USA
Home to the most expensive burger in the world at $5,000, Hurbert Keller¹s dish is made from Kobe beef topped with black truffles and served with 1990 Château Pétrus wine.
Rockpool Bar and Grill, Sydney Australia
Burgers are the centrepiece of this award winning restaurant, which produces dry aged beef on its premises. Carnivores will love the dry aged 30 day full blood wagyu beef from the wood fired grill.
Local House, Dubai
This UAE establishment is best known for one thing: Camel Burgers. Described as ‘surprisingly juicy’ why not go all the way, and finish with camel milk fried ice cream!
Hamburgueria do Bairro, Lisbon – Portugal
With a choice of 15 burgers, including four vegetarian options, this Portuguese burger has attracted a loyal local following.
Agadir Burger, Tel Aviv Israel
Going strong since 1997, Agadir Burger tops the Tel Aviv list. Head to the Nahlat Binyamin Pedestrian Mall to sample their unique toppings, including spiced goose breast.
Heart Attack Grill, Las Vegas – USA
An unapologetic celebration of burgers boasting higher fat content than anywhere else. Daring bites include ‘Flatliners’ and the ‘Triple bypass’ among others.
Burger Mania, Hiroo – Toyko
Serving 100% Japanese beef, this is one of Tokyo¹s top burger joints. Try the ‘platinum’ burger made with mouth-watering wagyu steak.