Sunny’s Burgerland
Add: 286 Feng Xian Road, Shanghai 奉贤路286号
Hours: closed Mon; Tue-Sun 11:30am-3:30pm, 5:30pm-8:30pm (last order)
Price: [burger] 60-88
Visited: July 2017
Will return: Yes
Please note that this was an arranged tasting.
An unexpectedly wonderful find over the weekend, Sunny’s Burgerland is a new diner tucked away on Feng Xian Road, just behind Citic Plaza in Jing An district. With little more than a dozen seats and just seven items on the menu, the restaurant presents more standouts than you might expect.
Photo credit: Flora
Photo credit: Alexan
Sunny’s burger offerings include both well-made classics and new creations that taste like classics in the making. There are just six beef burgers and one chicken burger for now, with more options coming up down the line.
Purists will enjoy the Classic burger or the Bacon Cheeseburger. Sunny’s beef patties tend toward the lean side but remain impressively juicy. The bacon gives some extra fat to the bacon cheeseburger, though we wish it were slightly less salty. In a whimsical touch, all the burgers at Sunny’s are served on a choice of yellow (butter), red (beetroot), or black (bamboo charcoal) bun, alongside a salad and some fantastic potato wedges.
Bacon Cheeseburger (68)
There’s nothing wrong at all with a classic done right, but if you’re at Sunny’s, go for something more exotic and adventurous, like the Mexican-inspired Amigo burger. The tangy guacamole hits you first, softened by a layer of white kidney beans and sweet corn. In an inspired touch, some tortilla chips give a satisfying crunch to the burger, and the unannounced rings of jalapeño are a welcome surprise, providing enough heat to spark a slow buzz on the back of my tongue. Each component in this burger is fantastic, and their sum even better.
Amigo Burger (68)
The Surf ’n’ Turf is topped with citrus mayonnaise and some succulent prawns. The citrus mayo is made in-house and whipped by hand, the outcome impressively smooth and airy.
Surf ‘n’ Turf Burger (78)
For something playful, there is the Sun-Rise burger, a play on a breakfast burger topped with bacon, beans, and a sunny side up egg.
Sun-Rise Burger (68)
Or, go all out with the Royale, dressed up with a piece of foie gras, as well as bacon and sautéed mushrooms.
Royale Burger (88)
The only non-beef burger on the menu also fares very well. Dubbed the “Budapest burger”, this burger is not something you’d find everyday in Shanghai. An ingenious combination of chicken schnitzel and lángos (a popular Hungarian street food that consists of deep-fried flat bread topped with sour cream, grated cheese, and garlic butter), this burger has a breaded chicken schnitzel slathered with garlic sour cream and sprinkled with parmesan. Like the citrus mayo, the sour cream is also whipped by hand, the light texture belying its rich, garlicky flavor.
Budapest Burger (68)
Sunny’s Burgerland has been open for less than a week, but it already has a lot going for it. The price point (from RMB60 for a classic burger up to RMB88 for the Royale) and the excellent quality combined make the place very easy to love, an exciting addition to the burger spots in town.
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