Hailing from a city consumed by gourmet burger chains, I’ve grown accustomed to craving pimped-up patties.  In this series, I hit the streets of Phnom Penh to sniff out the very best burgers on offer.

Hawaii Burger
Burger meat, grilled pineapple, onion, lettuce, tomato and cheese.
$5.50 served with a side of fries

The Burger Joint

Now this is a treat. Sitting on a sunny rooftop, with a decent sized pool and fantastic views of the museum, palace and river. 14 floors up, at the top of Okay boutique hotel, this is one of my favourite locations to be writing a burger review yet.

The hotel is decorated luxuriously, with obvious Asian influence. There’s a $3 pool charge if you’re not a resident, which seems reasonable as you get a nice breeze from being so high up and guaranteed sun hitting the pool all day.

The Burger

Having popped up to work on my suntan sunburn before heading home to Scotland for Christmas, I was delighted to see a few burger choices on the menu.  I opted to try the Hawaii burger, as the standard came with egg and I don’t believe that should be a default topping.

Fairly loose with the description ‘cheese’ and ‘burger meat’ gave no clue to the type nor origin of the cheese and patty. I like a surprise anyway. The grilled pineapple was the treat to honour the exotic Hawaiian name.

On the Side

A portion of thin, unseasoned fries arrived alongside the burger. There was a ketchup dip included and no other condiments offered up as standard.

The fries were fairly unremarkable, crispy and light. They weren’t overly filling, but always nice to have fries included in the burger price rather than an extra charge.

First Impressions

A cherry tomato had been placed upon the skewer holding the burger together. Cute extra touch, points for presentation.

I was pleasantly surprised by the pepper poking out from the bun, not included in the description but a very welcomed addition to the taste. Pineapple and pepper protruded to create pleasant flavours whilst the bun, cheese and patty left me poignant.

The cheese seemed to be a cheese slice from a packet, slightly melted. I was glad it was included but disappointed in the seeming lack of quality of it. The bun as well seemed quite bland, whilst the patty was cooked medium rare to my liking but fairly thin and leaving me hungry enough to devour a club sandwich afterwards too.

A burger sauce on top combined mayo and thousand island sauce, which was a nice treat with the toppings.  It was a mixed bag of enjoyment and disappointment, until I looked up from my empty plate and gazed fondly on the sparkling clear blue rooftop pool.

The Verdict

Okay boutique won’t claim to be a gourmet burger hot-spot, and the experience is really about the views, the luxury and the pool. I’d give the Hawaii burger 4/10 –  suggesting that it’s an acceptable enjoyment if peckish on this stunning roof, but advising visits to be based on the awesome pool location rather than searching for the best burger.  The hotel still ranks highly on my recommendations for a nice room in a decent tourist location, but unfortunately the burger war shall stay between the gourmet restaurants.

Street 19z, Near the Palace Phnom Penh

Looking for different flavours? Check out other reviews in this series here:

Frazer Vs Burger: Bushtucker @ Fatboy’s

Frazer Vs Burger: Tattie Patty / Herby Beanie @ Roots N Burgers

Want to know other swimming pool locations worth a visit?

A Guide to Swimming Pools in Phnom Penh: Splish Splash Splosh