George Bukhov is a brave man. His restaurant only serves three things: burger, lobster and lobster roll. And with only three items on his menu, those offerings better be spot on.
It all started as a joke.
“My friends and I — once school mates and now my business partners — opened a steak house in London in 2008 which then expanded to become the Goodman restaurants,” he said. “We always had surf and turf on the menu and there’s always a lobster, but it’s a very tiny part of the experience. We also loved the amazing meat that we had available to the restaurant.”
“One day we were sat on the rooftop drinking, and were joking about what would happen if we put those two things together — a high-end burger and lobster as an affordable luxury. No menu, one price, a very simple drinks list and a playlist of old funk and soul music. It all just came together.”
That was in 2011. Five years on, Burger and Lobster is a brand that people know about. With Dubai up and running, Bukhov and his business partners now have 16 restaurants operating internationally.
“We managed to keep it really simple,” Bukhov said. “The idea came from what we call a ‘mono-product manifesto’. With so much choice available, I think that the future of restaurants is to go for one dish and be the best at it.”
And simple is what you can expect. Three dishes: Lobster, burger or lobster roll, with chips and salad for the set price of Dh127. A simple drink menu, with cocktails matched to your choice of meat (a drinks license is to come).
It’s an impressive whack of a burger, a thick slab of high quality Aussie beef served with lettuce and tomato. The restaurant-baked brioche bun is pillowy and slightly sweet, providing some much-needed balance to the overly salty sauce. There’s also the option of cheese and/or turkey bacon, a must if you’re seeking the full burger experience.
“We wanted to use the cuts of beef that you actually want to eat whole — normally, burgers are cheap because other people use the off cuts or pieces that you actually don’t want to eat,” Bukhov said.
“To achieve a real juicy burger that we all love, you need beef that is predominantly grain fed to give really good marbling. We don’t add anything to the burger — three cuts of beef, that’s it. We worked for a long time to balance the flavours of the three different cuts and the right thickness of the grind— but we’re not sharing our secret.”
The lobster roll is packed with succulent meat and the lobster itself is lovely, steamed or grilled. The flesh has a gentle fishy flavour and is perfectly matched with the garlic butter sauce. A quick tip — pour the rest of the garlic butter on your chips to liven them up a little.
The only let-down is the portion size. Your best bet is to order the combo — two burgers and a whole lobster to share, with the lobster the right size for an entree.
A bowl for bits and a few more moist towelettes would also help out as I left smelling like a Nova Scotia trawler men.
“We have the unique opportunity to be honest about our food,” Bukhov said. “We like quality in every element. We stay close with people. We realised that to be successful in this business, you have to think about not only the money but what people actually feel — their emotions. That’s the success of the restaurant — emotion and the dedication of our suppliers.”
To that, they added top shelf suppliers. Lobsters are flown live from their breeding grounds in Nova Scotia so that you can wave to your dinner in its tank in Dubai, and beef is sourced from the best breeders in the US and Australia.
Oh, and don’t worry too much about your outfit. You’ll be handed a big plastic bib in your first few moments, perfect for a giggle and a Snapchat. It’ll seem unnecessary, but once you get the lobsters crackers out, you’ll be grateful.
With 31 nationalities now staffing Bukhov’s restaurants across the world, he was quick to applaud the impact of the restaurant’s carefree philosophy.
“Burger and Lobster is a unique opportunity in the restaurant industry where, as a waiter, you don’t have to pretend. Because everything is so simple, people have the chance to express their personality. This is why we went with no [physical] menu — so you can talk to the waiter, you don’t have to read the menu before and you don’t have to think about the 25 different numbers on the menu. You also don’t have to think about how much money you are going to spend. It’s straightforward. That’s the important thing and what we say to all the new people who come to work here — be yourself.”
Burger and Lobster is a little tricky to find. Turn left once you enter the main doors of Burj Daman, head up the escalator and you feel like you’ve found a secret hideout. Inside, it’s cosy and filled with families, dinner dates, catch-ups and hang outs.
“The restaurant attracts a really amazing wide mix of people who feel really comfortable and relaxed and feel that this is their place. From the super-rich to students and tourists and cool people — everyone feels happy.”
Don’t miss it
Burger and Lobster, Burj Daman, DIFC
The Bottom Line: Lobster, lobster roll or burger, Dh127 dirhams; combo (two lobster rolls or burgers and a whole lobster to share), Dh450 dirhams
Open daily, noon-2am.
Reservations: 04-5148838, reservations@burgerandlobsterdubai.com
