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If there’s one thing you have to do in Malaysia, it’s eat a Ramly burger, specifically at night. Nothing compares to sitting on a flimsy plastic stool by the side of the road after a long day, scoffing down a freshly made burger in which the patty is wrapped in egg and slathered in at least 2 types of sauces. While Dhon Burger in Petaling Jaya doesn’t use the widely favoured Ramly patties, they still fit the other criteria.
Perched along the road leading to S.K. Taman Medan, Dhon Burger is nestled comfortably between other food stalls. It’s almost like a mini pasar malam, honestly. On the right, you have bottled drinks, and further down you’ll find the likes of takoyaki and keropok lekor.
Unlike most tepi jalan burger spots, this stall has a shaded area for customers to dine in, albeit, no tables. Most opt to tapau their food or eat in the comfort of their own vehicle, but there are several stools for you to sit on.
What I tried at Dhon Burger
Starting off with the main reason they’ve managed to snatch the hearts of PJ residents: their Bigmok Daging (RM5).
This particular burger is dubbed as burger banjir by netizens, and I could see why. Not only are their homemade beef patties dipped in a sweet-leaning black pepper sauce, the burger is also topped with a generous amount of mayonnaise, chilli sauce, and cheese sauce. The amount of sauce was astonishing.
From the moment we unravelled the paper wrap, sauce was already oozing out. Now, you might think that the sauces overpower the whole burger, but I was surprised to find out that this wasn’t the case. The sauces melded into 1, with the mayo and black pepper sauce being the more dominant flavours. Despite all that, the patty still shone through. Since they don’t use mass produced patties, I was able to detect the flavour of the beef.
There was a clear pattern seen in everyone who took a bite: slow chewing, followed by wide eyes and raised eyebrows, and nods of stunned approval. I think the homemade patty really sets them apart from their competition— other elements like the shredded greens and buns were pretty standard.
Again, with their Shawama Ayam Goreng (RM5.50), the stand out ingredient was the protein. The fried chicken was more like meaty chunks of popcorn chicken. The meat was tender, and the batter was perfectly crispy. It was also coated in a sweet and spicy sauce, which was the flavour that shined through the most. The chicken portion was just right too; it was enough to get some meat with every bite.
Similar to the burger buns, the wrap used for this shawarma was your run-of-the-mill store-bought flatbread. It wasn’t stale or anything, just fine.
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Out of the 3 dishes we had, this chicken shawarma was definitely the mildest, but that doesn’t mean it lacked flavour in any way. I think this dish would be something you’d enjoy if the only thing you order at fast food joints is chicken tenders.
Think of the best macaroni and cheese you’ve ever had. Do you remember how creamy and filling it was? How satisfying the cheese pull was when you scooped out your first bite? Now amplify that by 10. That was how I felt about Dhon Burger’s Mac n Cheese (RM9).
Not only did the dish come to us piping hot (I almost burned my tongue), they weren’t shy on the cheese either. The whole bowl was filled with the stuff, and topped with slices of beef pepperoni and pieces of chicken sausage.
If I had to describe this bowl of mac n cheese in 1 word, it would be “intense”, but in a good way. For the price, you can’t expect them to use 4 different types of fancy cheese and breadcrumbs. It’s clear that those behind Dhon Burger know what they’re doing. To compensate for that, they ingeniously mixed real cheese and cheese sauce, blended to a perfect ratio. The cheese sauce brought a slight saltiness without being too much, while the regular cheese contributed to one of the most satisfying cheese pulls I had ever witnessed.
This is definitely a dish meant for sharing, as the sheer amount of cheese might make you feel jelak after a while. Everything we tried was surprisingly good, and this was no exception. The pepperoni and sausage pieces didn’t do much for me, but I can envision a lot of people enjoying this. I didn’t even know that it came with those toppings when I ordered this dish.
You should note that the chicken sausages used were the budget-friendly kind, as it tasted more like flour than chicken. That being said, I really didn’t mind because of how affordable the dish was, and it made a lot of sense to use the ingredients that they used.
Final thoughts
I thoroughly enjoyed everything we had at Dhon Burger, and everyone else agreed as well. Coupled with the affordable prices, you can’t go wrong here. If you can throw away the factor of health for a while, the food there will leave you satisfied. I will undoubtedly visit the stall again, especially for the Mac n Cheese.
Again, I’d like to emphasise: this isn’t for you if you’re a burger or macaroni and cheese purist who only allows the highest quality ingredients to touch your tongue. Dhon Burger is a place for a quick, delicious meal that won’t leave your pocket crying, and they’re there to serve the surrounding community.
Sidenote: I suggest eating their burgers on the spot, unless you’re into super soggy food.
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