Bite into Burger Bodega and Phat Eatery’s Limited Edition Beef Rendang Burger in Celebration of AAPI Heritage Month [Update]

Chefs from Street to Kitchen and Musaafer have also put their own spin on the smash burger this month

Update, May 30, 2023, 10:55 p.m.: This story has been updated to include new details of the burgers Phat Eatery chef Alex Au-Yeung and Burger Bodega will serve on Wednesday, May 31.

Following its collaboration with fellow restaurant Craft Pita, Washington Avenue smash burger haven Burger Bodega has harnessed its pop-up roots to host a themed burger mash-up series in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

Burger Bodega founder Abbas Dhanani, also owner Instagram food account @HoustonEatz, tapped three chefs this month, including Mussafer’s Mayank Istwal and chef Benchawan “chef G” Jabthong Painter of the James Beard Award-nominated Street to Kitchen to reimagine the smash burger. And this Wednesday, Phat Eatery’s Alex Au-Yeung will put his spin on it, using a restaurant favorite, to close out the celebration.

The last chef to participate in the series, Au-Yeung will team up with Dhanani to create a beef rendang burger, complete with a rendang-spiced smash patty filled with lemongrass, onion, and Malaysian spices. This saucy burger will be topped with curry aioli, a mango and papaya salad, and saucy curried fries, and loaded onto a sweet sourdough bun. The burger will be available on Wednesday, May 31, from 11 a.m. to sell out.

Burger Bodega

Istwal, who specializes in Indian cuisine, kicked off the event on May 3 with a $12 chapli smash burger, topped with a bone marrow emulsion, black garlic aioli, and Indian cheese on a potato bun on May 3. And chef G of Street to Kitchen teamed up with Dhanani to offer her Thai-inspired Khao Soi Smash Burger on May 17. Composed of two seasoned khao soi smashed patties, the burger was layered with curry cheese sauce, egg noodles, Street to Kitchen cucumber mustard green pickles, and fresh red onions, and then piled high on a potato bun. Burger Bodega also celebrated National Burger Day on May 28 with an “old school” Angus cheeseburger on a Luloo Day & Night’s sesame bun with American cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, diced onions, pickles, and bodega sauce.

Michael Ma