Yes Chef! Carlo Miguel of Burger Beast Shares What Makes a “Good Burger”
Asia is one food-crazy continent! We take great care to pick restaurants based on culinary vibes, rankings in international gourmand guides, mentions in magazines, Instagramability, and added allure. Yes, Chef! features the region’s chefs' stories of love and labor in kitchens, which has made some of our restaurants the next big thing in Asia.
On some days, nothing beats a good, hearty burger. Think: a juicy slab of premium beef sandwiched between soft burger buns, complemented by all the condiments and add-ons you can imagine.
If you’re among the many carnivores that call Manila home, then you’re likely to have visited Burger Beast. An eatery with a passion for good, old-school burgers, Burger Beast serves incredibly indulgent fare that is unpretentious and filling. “Burgers are very special to me,” said Chef Carlo Miguel.
Known as the man behind the menu, Chef Carlo shares that burgers aren’t just delicious to him, they’re sentimental too. His family ran a burger joint in San Francisco when he was around five years old.
“I remember sitting on the counter in the kitchen watching my tito (uncle) cook burgers. The sounds, smells, and tastes are ingrained in me,” he shared. And despite the burger’s reputation as all-American food, Chef Carlos believes that it can transcend cultures and demographics.
So what exactly makes for a good burger? For the chef, it’s a little bit of everything. Buns should have the right texture, not too soft and not too firm. It shouldn’t be too sweet either. Sauces and fixings must bring balance to the taste experience.
“The patty should be meaty and tasty but not ground too fine. There should be enough texture to chew on,” he added. Lastly, burgers should always be eaten by hand. “No cutlery please!” the chef laughed.
Having been a chef for over three decades, Chef Carlo has seen firsthand how quickly trends come and go. The only thing to stay in style? Good taste, passion, and love for the craft.
And while Chef Carlos may seem like a man who takes his burgers seriously, he’s not one to back away from creative reinventions of his favorite food. For Halloween 2024, Burger Beast released a limited-edition Purple Phantom Burger. Eye-catching in its design, it featured purple brioche hamburger buns that embraced black garlic ketchup, a 1/3-pound patty, caramelized onions, and cheddar cheese. For Christmas, the chef plans to release a holiday-inspired Turkey Burger, made with brie cheese and homemade cranberry ketchup.
“My style as a chef is very eclectic,” Chef Carlo admitted. “My stomach usually decides what direction my R&D goes but ultimately it must be delicious! In line with this, my favorite ingredients change all the time. Currently, I’m into fermented black garlic (like in the ketchup for the Phantom Burger) and oddly enough jackfruit as a vegetable.”
Aside from his work at Burger Beast, Chef Carlo is also the Culinary Director of CloudEats, a cloud kitchen that boomed during the pandemic. With a focus on food delivery, CloudEats now services countries around Southeast Asia including Vietnam and the Philippines.
“I would say that cloud kitchens are [more difficult to manage] than brick and mortar as we are disconnected from our customers so we have the extra challenge of connecting and captivating them,” Chef Carlo added.
It's a good thing then that Chef Carlo’s creations have managed to tantalize – and hook – his audience. Needless to say, his stomach and his creativity are well-trusted in the industry. “I have very little restrictions so I’m very free to create whatever my heart and stomach desires!” he laughed.
Location: Burger Beast, multiple locations (Mall of Asia, UP Town Center, Eastwood Mall, Uptown Mall)
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