[Kuala Lumpur] Burger & Lobster at Suria KLCC

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Burger & Lobster is a British chain which was started in 2011 by four former schoolmates. Catching the burger craze wave sweeping London at the time, Burger & Lobster’s first outlet was in swanky Mayfair’s Clarges Street. It was a simple concept: just serve premium quality burgers alongside grilled lobsters, plus some very attractive entrees (lobster rolls) and sides (truffle chips). The atmosphere was light and convivial, which proved irresistible to London’s dining crowd which looked for a place to unwind: not too posh, yet not too shabby.

Burger & Lobster first hit Malaysia at Genting Highlands, a casino-resort perched in the hills, back in 2017. Last year, it opened its second outlet, this time smack in the epicentre of Kuala Lumpur, at the Suria KLCC mall right under the Petronas Twin Towers.

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Our lunch there last Thursday:

  1. Lobster salad - quinoa, avocado, kale, figs, cranberries and roasted walnuts, all tossed in balsamic dressing with lobster meat and shaved radish.
    Salad would’ve been perfect if not for the kale, which tasted like it was a defrosted Ice Age relic. Maybe they should’ve substituted it for something really Malaysian, like a crisp jungle fern.

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  2. B&L Combo for One - consisted of a Mayfair burger, grilled whole lobster, B&L fries and house salad. - couldn’t resist ordering the signature dish. Loved the lobster (even if it’s a bit smaller than expected). Burger was overcooked and dry - I specified “medium”, but it came medium-well.
    House salad was okay, whilst the fries were just very average.

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  1. Lobster laksa, with lobster meat, tofu puffs, beansprouts in a creamy, mildly-spicy gravy. - this is a Malaysian menu special item and, for me, the best-tasting option. I’d come back for this.
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We decided to skip the desserts:

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Address
Burger & Lobster KLCC
Lot G46, Suria KLCC, 50088 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Tel: +603-2707 5932
Opening hours: 10am to 10pm daily

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Interesting. I’d not previously heard of them. But a quick look at the website explains why - their UK outlets are all in London. They’ve expanded internationally, rather than elsewhere in the UK.

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I’ve been to the one in Mayfair years ago. Indeed a very convivial atmosphere. But so many options in London I never really cared for going back.

Funny that you like the Malaysian dish best! )

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The Malaysian chefs could do their own local dish best.

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The local Malaysian franchise-holders are quite likely Anglophiles.

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I suspect pricing may account for the lack of UK expansion. Lobster is a premium product here. So premium, it is extremely rare to see it on menus in this part of the world, even high end places, and certainly not on the menu of a “burger place”. And I think that, even though the meat might come from this region, I doubt many potential customers would be willing to pay £24 for the “Lake District Burger”. 'Tis more evidence, if such was needed, that London is a different country from the rest of the UK.

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The Bangkok branches are always deserted. Walked past the Suria branch Saturday lunch and it was also empty. Me thinks not long for this world :slight_smile:

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