Australia's Top Burgers, You Say? We Put Shilipu Newcomer Royal Stacks to the Test

Anna Pellegrin Hartley | Sep 20, 2018 6:06 pm | Add a comment | 3096 reads

Royal Stacks burgers: sly Aussie imposters, or the real deal?

Unless you somehow managed to escape the relentless barking of your sixteen million WeChat groups recently, you are aware that on Sep 8, Royal Stacks AKA 'Australia's top burger chain' opened in Beijing, giving away free burgers to the starving masses. "Royal who?" I asked, staring at my phone in confusion. I'm Australian and I'd never heard of the chain, and neither it seemed, had any of my fellow expatriated countryfolk that I know in Beijing.

So it was with much curiosity, and some suspicion, that I ventured into their glass-fronted Shilipu store during a recent lunchtime to try their wares. Who were these mysterious Australians? What kind of burgers were they slinging? And most importantly, would they be served with beetroot, as all legitimate Down Under burgers should be?

First thing's first: Royal Stacks is an Instagrammers paradise: the retro '50s-diner-meets-Madrid-tapas-bar aesthetic is bright and welcoming, while the gorgeous murals by Melbourne artist Jasmin Mansbridge are practically screaming out to be hashtagged. Despite the large space, there isn't much seating, but patrons can stand and eat at the center counter, and apparently there are plans for outdoor seating in the works.

Second, a quick scan of the menu revealed that there are in fact no beetroot slices on offer, leaving me to feel cheated out of my traditional Aussie experience, that was, until this line caught my eye: "using only Fresh Beef pasture fed 100 percent GMO FREE Australian Antibiotic free, Hormone Free [sic]." Aha. Unlike other certain prominent restaurant chains that I could mention *cough Outback Steakhouse cough* Royal Stacks seems to have eschewed disingenuous Australiana posturing in favor of serving actual Australian food albeit under the guise of a clunky and case-tastrophic translation.

READ: Meat Mate Opens at Indigo With Affordable Chilled Australian Beef Steaks

The King (RMB 58) with its hefty mac and cheese croquette layer, immediately caught my eye. The bun (baked next door in the adjoining bakery which you can spy through the large window) was light, soft, and fresh while the sturdy butter lettuce held its own up top, providing a nice counterpoint to the firm and juicy patty (perfectly pink in the middle). Despite its high profile inclusion, after the initial crunch, the mac and cheese patty dropped right off the burger's flavor profile and ended up just tasting vaguely creamy. Fortunately, this in no way diminished the excellent burger, whose varied texture and distinct flavor shone through with every bite, right until the end. The addition of real, proper-thick bacon in the Saint, as well as a very generous base of jalapeño peppers scored points with my dining companions, as did the well-balanced flavor of the truffle mayo in the stately Miss Elizabeth.

Our sides were of the same standard: fluffy-inside, crunchy-outside potato gems covered in melted cheese, and chili fries with chili that you could happily eat on its own. Flipping over the menu, the Tim Tam milkshake caught my eye, and I'm happy to report that Australia's most treasured chocolate biscuit was treated with the respect that it deserves.

Because we'd already made it all the way out there (located in the old Ito Yokado mall, the restaurant is in a bit of an awkward location given that it's a 15-minute walk from either Sihui East and Shilipu subway stations), and because we have no self-control, we decided to go for the ice cream too, which is churned on site. Of the lot, the chocolate was a standout.

So are Royal Stacks really Australia's top burger chain? Well, how should I know? I live in China.

What I do know is that most Australian's actually don't eat damper and emu on the regular, nor do we drink Fosters Beer (which, for the record, tastes like dingo piss and condensated regret that has seeped from the leathery folds of Paul Hogan's living carcass). We like good hamburgers as much as the next person and favor fresh, high-quality food, and interesting menu choices. On these notes, Royal Stacks definitely delivers.