Flat Iron Burger is the Real Deal: a Concession By Hong Kong’s Nastiest Hater

As I mentioned in my guide breaking down the beefiest, most bodacious burgers in Hong Kong, when Flat Iron Burger came on the scene earlier this year, I wanted to dislike it. I was like Buc Nasty (R.I.P. Charlie Murphy) at The Playa Haters’ Ball in the G.O.A.T.’ed Chappelle’s Show, ‘The Nastiest Hater’ – one of the most diabolical haters this side of the Mississippi. 

I was essentially a Little League father with a dead-end job and a failing marriage, which caused me to become a fanatical supporter of Flat Iron’s predecessor ‘The Butchers Club’. So when I felt my favorite burger in Hong Kong dropped off in quality, it led to me inevitably taking things out on Bryan from accounting and yelling at volunteer teenage umpires who would miss the occasional ball or strike. If you didn’t catch the metaphor, The Butchers Club’s burger was my imaginary Little League son.

Consider this a letter of contrition. Scratch that. Consider this a letter of celebration. As I’ve done so in many facets and instances of life, I came too quick with…judgment. An ‘OPH’ (Original Playa Hater) would have been more cool, calm, and collected, only passing judgment after having tried the burger for himself. Having now frequented Flat Iron Burger five-plus times (with zero intention to stop), it has quickly risen in my power rankings as one of the best burgers in Hong Kong – a heifer harbor prioritizing premium beef and other ingredients, all at an affordable price.

Here’s everything I love about Flat Iron Burger on Elgin Street and why, if you’re in the running for the honor of 2024’s ‘Nastiest Hater’, you need to check yourself before your riggity-wreck yourself. 

“Like, real hatin’, man, that’s like an art form. You know, it’s like, you like a born hater. Like myself, a lot of cats think they hatin’. I mean, I’m mad at everything, man. A brotha got a nice car. Why you got a car? I only got one car. Why you got three cars or a wife or all that? Man, that’s played out…That’s what real hatin’ is all about.” Ice-T (OPH) 

Flat Iron Burger’s Details & My Origin as ‘The Nastiest Hater’

If don’t want to hear my origin story and you just want to get into the goods about why Flat Iron is behind one of the best burgers in Hong Kong, skip to the next section.

Website, Address, & Details: https://www.flatironhk.com/flatiron-burger 

• Location: 27 Elgin St, Central 
• Price: $-$$ – Burgers start at HK$98 but a standard set (fries + soft drink) can be upgraded for HK$38, you can snag a lunch set (fries + concrete shake) for HK$148, and you can upgrade to fries and a draft beer for just HK$88 extra. 

Having patronized Pure since before I learned to love, Flat Iron Steak (situated directly across from Nood’s side entrance) in SoHo had caught my attention on more than a handful of occasions, like a playful forest nymph teasing a chubby, mid-thirties satyr with its wiles (beef smell) and enchanting beauty (grill marks). 

Unfortunately, my vicissitudes of friend and fortune in Hong Kong have severely ebbed and flowed over the years, making it difficult to nail down a day or person to hunker down and tear into a ribeye with – so I never actually made the trip. 

If I were a boat, this would be the most beautiful thing to see if it were on the outside of a lighthouse.

So, when I saw that Flat Iron Steak was birthing a baby bovine burger boutique on Elgin Street, a route I predictably trudge every day, I knew this was my chance to pony (calf?) up and finally try this elusive beef nymph for myself. I’m not sure why but it just feels a lot easier to post up at a burger joint by oneself than to roll up with me, myself, and I for a steak. The fact that I intermittent fast and typically only eat at night might have something to do with this. 

If you think I’m a beef bozo for not rockin’ an 8 PM steak solo, please comment ‘Shame’ below with a cone emoji. 

I always feel a little bit bad when unsuspecting strangers end up in my pictures. But then I think about how many random photos I’ve probably ended up in outside of Bakehouse.

However, I was a tad skeptical at first as I knew Flat Iron Burger was pioneered by former ‘The Butchers Club’ corporate executive chef Aarik Persaud and other Butchers Club fam (Johnny Glover). I’ve said it once before and I’ll say it again, I am no culinary truth in Hong Kong, which is why I promise to only publish positive things on this blog and simply omit spots that don’t echo with me. But it was hard not to let a little bit of trepidation and beef-TSD spill out, like myoglobin from a cut of steak well past its prime, as The Butchers Club was (for many years) hands down, my favorite burger in all of Hong Kong. 

Having lived in Taiwan from 2015 to 2018, where there must have been a burger drought at the time, my trips to Hong Kong became somewhat of a sacred beef pilgrimage, one that echoed a similar tune each time – land, nap, pool, The Butchers Club with the boys in Wan Chai for burgers, beers, and carnality (the latter actually expended in recreation of the former, rather than what you may be thinking in the dregs of Lockhart Road). 

I don’t know why but the term ‘shaved cabbage’ gives me a good laugh – kind of just picturing a grizzled old head of cabbage with unkempt hair, a giant beard, and scraggly eyebrows walking into a barbershop and asking for a shave.

The tail end of that timeframe is where, in my opinion, quality began to slip and subsequent trips back while living in Vietnam and elsewhere only sadly confirmed this. Maybe it was aggressive expansion, maybe it was Hong Kong’s faltering gastronomic landscape, maybe it was exorbitant increasing rents by bullheaded landlords, or maybe it was a combo of all three and then some. Either way, I felt let down. 

I soon became ‘The Nastiest Hater’, also decisively edging out Silky Johnson and Pit Bull for years to come in the prestigious ‘Hater of the Year’ category. Damn, that’s hateful.

But it was time to turn a new leaf. So much hate yet so much hunger. I thought of the good times together and knew reconciliation was necessary, so I sent that metaphorical text, “Hey…I miss u :/.”  

Pale Ale Travel Tip: You know what is one of the ultimate combos out there? Burgers with beer. Make sure to check out my guide walking you through the rowdiest, self-guided DIY Hong Kong pub crawl known to humankind.

From Hater to Apostle: Prioritizing Premium Ingredients at an Affordable Price

The cheese somehow overflowed yet still remained fixed to the burger.

Strategically positioned next to the never-ending construction and lorries that barrel around the Peel/Elgin intersection with as little regard for life as I had for the only plant (a Peace Lily) I’ve ever owned (next to none), Flat Iron Burger is one part new age American diner, one part traditional burger joint, and multiple parts superlative among confounding Elgin Street neighbors.

Its mission, to create a high-end and premium burger experience at an affordable price. Normally, when someone tells me something like that in Hong Kong, I would think they’re as delusional as I am after a few overpriced cocktails, trying to parle Français with Parisian models at Maggie Choo’s on a Thursday night. 

But this is one of the few times someone isn’t blowing smoke up your “you know what.”

Pale Ale Travel Tip: If you like burgers, I’m guessing you’re also like me who exists in a constant struggle of whether burgers or pizza is better. To add to that confusion and existential angst, give my post on the best pizza restaurants in Hong Kong a thorough read and get back to me with your answer. 

Three Little Pigalles ‘N’ the Big Bad Raclette

If you couldn’t tell, all of these photos are from different trips (I go there that often nowadays).

Looking at Flat Iron’s burger was like looking at your high school sweetheart after 20 years, now married with kids, a career, a life, grown-up. However, there’s still a familiarity and comfort, where even through the tight-fitting black cocktail dress or baby blue Brooks Brothers three-piece suit, you’re still able to make out a glimpse of that person who knew you in your formative years. The backseat of their 2000 silver Chrysler Concorde after semi-formal still feels like yesterday. 

I’m not entirely sure this post is even about burgers anymore. It’s about history and the nostalgia a great burger elicits. 

From my understanding, both Flat Iron Burger and The Butchers Club use(d) the same signature chuck, brisket, and rump blend of either Black Angus or Wagyu (and there isn’t an amalgamation of both), so there’s a somewhat level playing field at its core. But something’s different this time around. 

The texture of the tri-blend, consisting of medium-sized fibrous columns that yield a tender and juicy bite while retaining the quintessential beefy texture we crave (rather than the applesauce texture you get with some smash burgers), the gooey, glistening cheese cascading over it like my belly over a belt two-sizes too small, the quickly dissipating bitterness of the accompanying (and mandatory) Goose Island draft to wash it all down. 

It all seems so familiar. 

But then you notice the patty clocking in just a smidge thinner, the timing of the medium-rare center flawlessly honed in on and spraying like a fountain after [insert Action Bronson reference here], and the introduction of a sesame seed bun, an earthy, salty, and sweet truffle bacon jam, and the luxurious (and ever-so melty) Raclette. 

I want to chalk the near-perfection of this burger up to the staff’s training and execution but there has got to be something I’m missing. Let me know in the comments if you have any guesses. Maybe it is as simple as their ethos which they wear loud and proud on the Flat Iron site – premium quality burgers at an affordable price.

Familiar but refined. 

The point is, Flat Iron Burger is behind a cowlike construction that takes you back to your first seductive beefy tango with its predecessor but then shows you a new, more polished side. Change is good, especially when it’s in furtherance of sustainability. 

You’ll see I made quick work of the first beer in the background.

Pair it with a healthy bundle of crispy “beef dripped fries” that sit somewhere between a thin-cut McDonald’s fry and medium-thick Wendy’s fry and sport a satisfying snap pre-fluffy interior, and you’ve got one of the best joints in the burger biz. 

This is all for HK$188, mind you. Or HK$226 (pre-service charge) with fries and a drink. 

Pale Ale Travel Tip: One of the other “best burgers in Hong Kong” which also rocks a medium-thick patty is at The Diplomat. Now, you wouldn’t think that one of Asia’s best cocktail bars is also behind one of the best burgers in the city but it is. Make sure to read my post, “Is The Diplomat the Best Burger in Hong Kong?” for my honest thoughts. 

Flat Iron’s Secret Menu

Hopefully your phone is a lot better than mine because I just had to look up the Secret Menu online instead of scanning.

For those who push their way up to the DJ booth to annoyingly dance right next to the turntables and broadcast to the world that you have connections that others don’t, your days are over at Flat Iron Burger. And that’s all thanks to their secret menu that can be accessed via a QR code on the wall. Now, supercilious gatekeeping can be a pastime for everyone – as it should be. 

You know how I said familiar but refined? Flat Iron’s ‘Double Happiness Deluxe’ burger, which may or may not be situated between two grilled cheeses epitomizes this (as this was a go-to of mine at The Butchers Club), can be found on this secret menu, along with a double smashed patty, buffalo and lemon pepper wings, and even a Coke float. 

I’ll be back for the ‘Long Beach Legend’, Flat Iron’s double smashed patties fried in mustard, with lettuce, tomato, pickle, crispy onions, and house sauce, just to see if this is their take on an Oklahoma onion burger (I don’t think it is based on the crispy onions but a boy can dream, can’t he?).

Chunky Shakes For a Chunky Boy

No, the “chunky shakes” are not what this Big Body gets on a Sunday after one too many Peroni drafts at Armoury Terrace the previous night. It’s in reference to the viscous, chunky custard-based concrete shakes that look good enough to drink with your gal on the top of a red ‘67 Camaro outside the local drive-in. 

And, true to the SAR (or at least one of them is), you’ll find flavors like Portuguese Egg Tart (topped with an actual mini egg tart and caramel sauce), Strawberry Cheesecake, and Chocolate Oreo Brownie. 

If you’re from the U.S., think ‘Culver’s and their frozen custards. Then raise the bar. That’s Flat Iron Burger’s concrete shakes in a nutshell. 

The only reason I haven’t ordered one of these is (as previously mentioned) because I’m definitely at a crossroads in life where I can continue to stay on this health kick or I can just embrace total blob capitulation and get so big they blur my face when I’m shown walking in the background of obesity epidemic television news features – only to then appear on a quirky yet touching docu-series following thirty-somethings who bunk for the summer at an adult weight loss camp.   

Apologies to Flat Iron Burger From a Reformed Hater

You’ll see in an upcoming post that if I had a bowling team, we’d be called “The Strikin’ Gooses.” And yes, I know it should be “geese.”

You won’t see me at the gala this year. I’m a reformed hater. I’m officially withdrawing my name from the running for ‘Hater of the Year’. I will keep hatin’ on Osama bin Laden though at the annual photo flip and will no longer be taking yoga classes from him (if you haven’t seen the Playa Haters’ Ball episode, this is going to make zero sense). I’ll see you at the World Series of Dice with ‘Grits ‘n’ Gravy’ instead, which I’m hoping is sponsored by Flat Iron Burger. 

Let’s just hope it doesn’t get robbed this year. 

Flat Iron Burger is what I consider the first burger in Hong Kong to specialize in bringing premium ingredients to us everyday folk in a way that doesn’t break the bank. Yes, there are others out there using quality chuck, rib plate, and brisket but I’ve never seen it done to this level and at this price point. And sure, the ‘Surf ‘N’ Turf’ burger isn’t within the average person’s budget every single day. But you know what is within budget? Literally everything else on the menu – especially when you make it in time for the lunch set. 

Even if you don’t make it for lunch, HK$88 extra to make it a meal WITH an ice-cold Goose Island IPA draft? An absolutely criminally underrated combo. I’m heading there as we speak.  

If you’ve been to Flat Iron Burger in Soho, I’d love to hear from you in the comments. Or, let me know your favorite burger in Hong Kong and I’ll make sure to check it out. If you have any questions about traveling or eating in Hong Kong, feel free to reach out to me via email (info@palealetravel.com) and I promise not to be a hater. 

Eat well everyone,

Big Body