Power Burger Review: The Humble Hamburger Gets The Gourmet Treatment

We get our burger cravings satisfied at Power Burger’s newest Central location.

Since quietly opening its first post in Sham Shui Po at the end of 2021, Power Burger found success serving its own formidable take on the humble burger. It’s one thing to enter the ring of established burger joints in the city (during the pandemic no less), and another feat to stay in it. But with a passion for high quality ingredients, it’s managed to hold its own, now with a takeaway shop in Sai Ying Pun, on the corner of Water Street and Third Street, and its second location in Central.

We ducked out of the office to visit the Central location for lunch and ate our fill of burgers, fries and milkshakes. Read on to find out what we thought!

Comfy Cool Spot In Central

Seek out the bright orange light box up Aberdeen Street to find Power Burger’s Central location. It’s a bit of a climb up the hill, but you’ll want to work up an appetite. Despite being a literal hole-in-the-wall, Power Burger makes great use of its space, fitting in a good amount of seating without it feeling crammed.

Fitted with sleek wooden furniture with black metal accents, leather lounge chairs, skateboards hung up on the wall, potted plants filling up corners and a cute nine-layer burger made entirely of tufted yarn by the entrance, the venue is equal parts cool and cosy.

Love In Each Layer

Ok, let’s talk burgers. We went for The Ultimate Smash and The Chicken Smash. Our burgers quickly arrived at our table and we couldn’t wait to dig in. First to draw our eye was the glossy sheen on the buns, second were the fresh-looking greens (no limp lettuce here!), and third, the sheer size of our burgers. The latter shouldn’t have been a surprise knowing The Ultimate Smash comprised four 2oz Angus beef patties and three slices of American cheese and that The Chicken Smash piled two natural chicken patties and a layer of cheese.

A burger of this caliber deserves to be broken down in layers. Starting with those beautiful milk buns, which were soft and plump. Then the often unappreciated green, which in this case played a commendable supporting role. They use fresh local organic vegetables, specifically kale (which we must mention was not bitter and surprisingly tender) and lettuce, which brought a crisp freshness to each bite and were strategically placed to keep the toasted buns from getting soggy.

A lot was going on in terms of flavour, with bursts of sweet, sour and savoury coming in the forms of red onion rings, pickles and melted American cheese, and a mystery homemade sauce that tied everything together. The patties, both beef and chicken, were succulent and well-seasoned. Overall, a winning burger in our books!

Sides And Shakes

When everything had arrived at our table, we questioned our decision to add on Milkshakes to our order, but they were lighter than your standard diner milkshake and so didn’t fill us up too quickly. The sprinkles on top were a fun touch, but anyone with a nut allergy should be warned that there are almonds blended into the shake (which isn’t mentioned on the menu).

We also didn’t regret ordering the Sweet Potato Fries and Onion Rings. They came piping hot and it was nice to have something crispy to munch on between burger bites.

The Perfect Pick-Me-Up

While most meals at a burger joint will leave you feeling like you’ve committed a cardinal sin or hit you with the feeling of instant regret when that wave of lethargy washes over you, we left quite energised. This was surprising considering the amount we consumed, but nothing felt greasy or heavy.

If you work in the area, we think the combo meal is a great lunch break option for when you’re starving but don’t want to be in a food coma for the rest of the day. There’s another branch in Sham Shui Po and a takeaway shop in Sai Ying Pun.

District: Central
Cuisine: Elevated American-style burgers
How much: $88 to $138 for burgers (additional $38 for a side and drink combo)
Must order: The Ultimate Smash with a side of Onion Rings
The best for: Casual lunches and quick dinners

Power Burger is open from 12pm to 9pm on Sunday to Thursday and 12pm to 11pm on Friday and Saturday.

Power Burger, 29 Aberdeen Street, Central, Hong Kong, 9545 5578, Facebook: Power Burger, Instagram: @powerburgerhk,  www.powerburgerhk.io