What Makes A Great Burger, According to the Newly Opened Raging Bull
There’s no shortage of burgers in Manila. You’ve got your simple fast food cheeseburger, your decent-but-unremarkable family restaurant burger, even your over-the-top duck fat-fried and foie gras-laden burger monstrosity. But what’s missing is a place that serves burgers the way America always intended to, and which made it the greatest nation in the world in the first place.
We’re not saying that the newly opened Raging Bull Burgers makes America great again, but we appreciate the satisfying handful of tasty burgers Chef Nathan Griffin serves at this tiny burger joint at the Shangri-La at The Fort. We asked the British chef de cuisine how he built his signature burgers and what makes Raging Bull Burgers special.
How do you build a signature burger?
We went to different farms in different locations, like Australia and the United States, and we coordinated directly with the farmers. At the moment, we are using chunk, brisket and wagyu. It was a lot of trial and error to get the signature taste of each burger right and to make sure that it suits the Filipino palette. We focused only on five different burgers because we wanted each one to have a unique taste and to have consistent quality. The same meat from the Raging Bull Chophouse & Bar is being used, especially the wagyu, which has a full flavor and is very juicy. All meats are prepared fresh daily and are not frozen, we do everything to ensure freshness and quality.
What’s your perfect burger?
The perfect burger should be juicy, full of flavor, with a little kick and must have a nice crusty bun. Lovely and fresh produce is also very important—the slices of sweet tomatoes should be perfectly cut, topped with crisp lettuce and a special sauce to go with it. The meat is very important, it must be of the best quality and integrity.
Tell us more about Raging Bull’s credo?
Raging Bull Burgers is a new concept in Shangri-La at the Fort. It’s young, modern and very casual. The main concept is grab and go, where diners may come and go as they please. It’s funky and a burger shop with a conscience and rock star attitude. Just come in and relax, socialize with your friends and have the best burgers in the neighborhood. The staff are very friendly too, more engaging and pretty badass you could say. The whole philosophy of the restaurant is reflected in the team as well.
What makes your burger joint different from the steakhouse?
This restaurant is more edgy and contemporary. Raging Bull Chophouse is more elegant, somewhere you’d take your date, while at Raging Bull Burgers just have fun while enjoying good comfort food. It has a very casual and friendly vibe. The whole interiors speaks differently too, the graffiti was done by street artist Dee Jae Paeste. It’s a pretty small restaurant but it can come alive no matter the size. You still see some elements of the Chophouse here, like our barrel-aged bourbon from Iowa, USA, which was especially made for Raging Bull Chophouse.
Raging Bull Burgers is at Shangri-La at the Fort, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City.
