All Beefed Up
Brace yourself, Bali. The Butchers Club Burger is officially open, sizzling up Seminyak with its signature dry-aged burgers, dubbed by gourmands and food critics as the best in Hong Kong.
You know your meat is in good hands when a restaurant boasts a dedicated off-site dry-ageing facility, practises nose-to-tail butchery and sources its Black Angus beef from its own farm in Australia. The Butchers Club started out as a dedicated dry-ageing specialist in Hong Kong and has since grown into an empire with the openings of The Butchers Club Deli in Wong Chuk Hang in April 2014 and The Butchers Club Burger flagship in Wan Chai June 2014. The new Bali location is the brand’s first international venture with a few more in the pipeline for Singapore, Dubai, Shanghai and even as far as Sweden.
Located just off the main Petitenget road in Seminyak, The Butchers Club Burger is housed in a relaxed 1,200 sq.ft. indoor space and has a cool 500 sq.ft. outdoor patio with a generous parking lot. The venue oozes a tropical island vibe perfect for a quick bite, a casual night out, or a fun private party.
The Butchers Club Burger’s founder and co-owner Jonathan Glover, who is also a self-taught butcher and fishmonger with a love of food, warmed us up with a chart tour of the different beef cuts. Beautiful secondary cuts of rump, chuck and brisket are first dry-aged for up to 45 days and marinated in The Butcher’s Club Burger’s secret sauce before passing through an old-fashioned grinder.
“We think Bali is the perfect space to launch the first of our international outlets,” says Glover. “The market is truly international, filled with holiday-makers, expats and long-staying guests who, we are certain, will agree with the foodies of Hong Kong in thinking that ours are the best burgers they have ever tasted!”
The official menu is refreshingly fuss-free with only one signature beef burger—a medium rare, dry-aged Black Angus beef patty topped with mature cheddar cheese, glazed bacon, tomatoes, pickles and an onion spread, sandwiched between homemade Scotch baps—and thick-cut, triple-fried, duck-fat fries, as well as a limited edition Secret Menu with rotating specials accessible through a QR code. Every burger is freshly made-to-order in front of the customer in the open kitchen.
Notable secret specials of the day include the intimidating Double Happiness burger, the crispy-on-the-outside, moist-on-the-inside Captain Ahab barramundi burger, the legendary flavour-packed Wu Tang burger (spiced up with kimchi and sweet potato tempura) and, a favourite with the ladies, the healthier option of the patty-less veggie burger with grilled halloumi cheese, rocket leaves, oyster mushroom and tomatoes. Wash it all down with ice-cold Bintang beer or some bourbon to aid digestion.
Could this be the best burger restaurant in Bali? It certainly is a carnivore’s dream. Follow the beef buzz, get your meat fix and enjoy an evening of burger bonanza!
The Butchers Club Steakhouse Bali
Jalan Cendrawasih, Lingkungan Umasari
Kerobokan Kelod, Jutautara, Badung, Bali
www.thebutchersclubbali.com
Notes:
This article was first published in Asia Dreams, March-April 2015.
Photos courtesy of The Butchers Club Burger Bali.