Dream Burger at COEX in Penang
Klang Valley may have its fair share of burger joints, but Penang is not in deprivation of top-notch ones either. It can even be argued that the state houses one of the best burger stalls in town: Dream Burger.
This Penang-established burger joint has been buzzed about by Penangites ever since it opened its physical store. It’s tucked snugly within COEX at Kilang Besi, next to Hin Bus Depot.
Tired of relying on fast-food stacks to barely placate our burger cravings, we headed straight towards town, yearning for charred patty-and-bun towers.
Ambience at Dream Burger
What started out as a light-bulb moment amidst the pandemic calamity, is now a culinary sensation and a product of the magic going on within a vividly orange brick-and-mortar burger stall.
When lockdowns were in full-fledged and the young Shirley Saw began flipping homemade patties in her home kitchen, never would she have imagined that her burgers would bring legion of fans who can’t seem to get enough of her grilled stacks.
When occasional pop-ups and collaborations weren’t enough to cater to her clientele’s appetite, a physical stall was a no-brainer – and thus Dream Burger was born.
The quirky stall is situated within Hin Bus Depot, Penang’s coolest art scene where creativity thrives – apt for a burger joint that cooks up stacks like masterpieces.
While the stall’s tangerine walls are unmistakable, it’s the irresistible smell of smoked meats on the griddle from its open kitchen that turns heads and makes tummies whine – including ours.
We chatted up the friendly workers who gave us the low-down on their best of bests on the menu, before plopping ourselves on seats right across the lawn, waiting to get our hands greasy.
Food at Dream Burger
Dream Burger. It says it in its name, and that’s what you’ll get.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a burger stall that won’t boast about its “high-quality” ingredients, but it’s true here. You won’t be met with flaccid lettuce or mushy tomatoes. None of that tough bun or rubbery patty either. Every burger is made-to-order and emerges piping hot – stacked structures in all their glory.
These burgers aren’t monstrous by any means – they fit snugly in our grip, and filled us up reasonably without a sick feeling from the grease.
Smash Moo Burger
Our set of Pack A (RM68) that comes with two burgers, a set of fried chicken, and a snack was hearty for two.
Smash Moo (RM22) is a signature and a flavour bomb of a tower. Plush, toasted and branded brioche buns are anchored by an in-house mayo sauce and melty, droopy American cheddar, along with rings of crisp raw onions, lettuce and bejewels of pickles that gave it an acidic punch.
But the real star is the beef patty. It’s perfectly juicy and seasoned, and expertly chargrilled to get little pockets of burnt drippings stuck to it, providing a concentrated blast of savoury bliss in every bite.
Sweet Dreams Burger
The build of Sweet Dreams (RM27) is as hefty as the Smash Moo.
The sturdy yet fluffy buns dabbed with butter are rammed packed with stuffing between them. Yet, again, the charmingly misshapen patty demands attention – it’s succulent and over-charred in all the right places.
The patty also marries well with slices of pastrami glued to sharp cheddar, while also providing a solid stage upon which the mass of fresh toppings can shine. There’s a bounty of crispy onions, garlic, pickles, and even more sweet onions – many of them will inevitably fall out from the sandwich before you’re done.
Every bite was a dream of beefy funk and juicy drips, and unabashedly decadent.
Fried snacks
If you’re thinking about forgoing the side and snack offerings at Dream Burger, know that you might just be making a decision you’ll regret.
The stall whips up their fried fowls in a bunch of different enticing flavours, but we decided on their bestseller, the Basil Aioli Fried Chicken (RM18).
The chicken was served as a two-piece meal, exuding alluring wisps of steam and all fried up to the most perfect shade of bronze. That skin? Shatteringly crisp and irresistibly tasty on its own, even when they have only been kissed by good ol’ pepper and salt.
Once you’ve crunched through the crispy cocoon, you’ll find nothing but sweet, tender meat on the inside. Coat them in the punchy basil aioli sauce or devour them bare. It’s definitely one to not sleep on.
Basically a heap of deep-fried gold are the onion rings (RM15) that were truly a platter of oily joy. Mammoth-sized thick-cut onion rings are automatically incredible, especially when the breading is crisp and well-seasoned, and Dream Burger’s were all that and more.
Apart from nailing the batter-to-onion ratio, the panko breading did a huge share of the work here by giving the ring a gratifying crunch. It also possesses a slight herbaceous aftertaste that gave it that little something something.
The onion stayed firm within its fried shell, and as we sunk our teeth into the ovals, sweet juice of the root vegetable burst forth and mingled well with the not-too-salty crust.
The verdict
Burgers, burgers – this quintessential American staple is omnipresent even in the tiny island of Penang. Value ones from fast food empires or newfangled premium towers from restaurants – we all have our preferences.
But if you’re looking for one that’s accessible, reasonably priced, and made with fresh and high quality ingredients, Dream Burger is hard to beat.
We polished off everything we ordered easily, and were left full, happy, and covered in schmaltz. Truly a quiet burger game contender quickly digging their way into our tummies and hearts, we’re all too willing to gain some pounds here again if that means we get to devour their luscious stacks.
Address: 123B, Jalan Timah, COEX, 10150 George Town, Penang
Opening hours: Wed – Sun 11am-8pm (Closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
Contact: 016-476 9213 | Dream Burger’s website | Instagram
For more food features, here’s Grumpy Bagels, a viral cafe that serves pillowy bagels in KL and ice cream cafes in Penang that’ll quell your cold cravings.
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia
Photography by Jia-Ju.