Sherman's Food Adventures: Burgermania @ Glowbal

Burgermania @ Glowbal

When one thinks of Glowbal at Telus Garden, the ritzy decor and prime location might immediately come to mind.  Furthermore, the seen or be seen game is strong as well as its bar situated prominently at the entrance.  Maybe Happy Hour comes to mind or possibly their satays and steaks.  But I'm sure burgers are probably the last thing you would associate with them.  But for a limited time, from March 11th through March 22nd, Burgermania has taken over the restaurant offering up unique gourmet creations with custom sides for each of them.  I recently sampled all of them with Jacqueline and Joyce, coming away both impressed and very full.

There are 5 different options on the menu including the massive Ultimate Burger featuring a large beef patty, fried mac and cheese, double smoked bacon, onion rings, fried egg, tomato, lettuce, pickle and truffle aioli on a brioche bun.  Yah, this was enormous with a well-charred patty that was moist and full-bodied with meat flavour.  The egg was runny and the bacon was lean and meaty.  This was actually hard to eat without making a mess, but then again, we wouldn't have wanted it any other way.  On the side, the sea salted fries were crispy while retaining potato texture inside.  My personal favourite was the Funky One with a beef patty, spicy duck confit, pickled cucumbers, chili lime aioli and cotton candy.  Predictably, the duck confit was what made this burger.  Each bite yielded the unmistakable delicious gaminess and richness of the duck.  The well-rendered skin helped in this regard.  Although I could detect some spice, it wasn't very strong.  This came with tater tot poutine which was rich from the gravy and legit cheese curds.  Only problem was that the tater tots were no longer crispy (yes, I know fries in poutine get soggy too, but tater tots are best eaten crispy).  Maybe gravy on the side?

We actually got everything served on a large wooden board that would cost $110.00 for the whole thing (as each burger was priced at $22.00 individually).  As such, we also had the Veggie Nation, which was surprisingly good.   Consisting of tempura portobello mushroom patty, guacamole, chipotle aioli and roasted eggplant, the burger was robust and fulfilling.  Crispy and full of umami, the portobello successfully replaced the meat and the complimentary flavours were layered so that the lack of meat was not a detriment.  Accompanying this was truffle fries which were texturally the same as the sea salt fries except for the restrained Earthiness from the truffle oil.  Another favourite of mine was the Mediterranean with lamb patty, hummus, tzatziki, fried halloumi and bell peppers.  The flavours in this burger were both impactful and legit.  From the gaminess of the lamb to the saltiness of the hallomi, I found that there was waves of Mediterranean flavours from each bite.  This came with crispy sweet potato fries.

Lastly, if one couldn't decide, there was the Sider Trio featuring the Surf & Turf (caramelized onions, braised short rib patty, tempura lobster, truffle sauce and slaw), the Mediterranean and the Funky One served with tempura green beans and cotton candy.  The only unique slider (that was not a mini-version of the Mediterranean and Funky One) was the Surf & Turf.  It also happened to be the best of the 3 with a thick slice of tender braised short rib and a tempura fried lobster claw.  To top it all off, the sweetness of the onions and creaminess of the truffle sauce made this a decadent little bite.  I wished it was a full-blown burger, but I'm sure it would cost more than $22.00.  Loved the tempura green beans as they were crisp inside and out.  Yes, as you can tell, I was pretty happy with the selection of burgers and sides we tried at Glowbal.  They aren't known for this, but I hope they keep it on their regular menu.  Definitely something I'd have again.

*All food and beverages were complimentary*

The Good:
- Well-thought out flavour combinations that were impactful
- A varied selection of sides
- Cotton candy!

The Bad:
- Only available until March 22nd
- Wish the short-rib and lobster could be had as a full-sized burger
- Loved the poutine, but soggy tater tots 

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