This halal LA style smash burger spot is about to take over London. Having been in the game for a couple years and establishing themselves as one of the best burger spots in East London, they are now looking to expand and conquer the rest of London! What sets them apart from the rest? Cool and hip are words that come to mind. From their burgers, to the menu, from the location to the setting. Everything about them just oozes coolness and that is not at any cost – the taste is top tier and at the end of the day that is really their distinguishing feature. Let’s talk about our experience here.
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From LA to London
I have never set foot in LA, but dining here made me feel like I was there for a few minutes (yeah it only took us a few minutes to devour all of this). Tucked away in an industrial estate in Bow in East London sit a number of ghost kitchens and from them is Bun & Sum. They aren’t just a ghost kitchen though as they do have some outdoor seating now. It’s a cool setup with a few barrels outside the kitchen for you to stand and dine. Very cool, very hip vibes here as mentioned earlier. When the suns out (summer or winter) it seems like a very calm, relaxed and casual atmosphere for dining out. Something I imagine is common in LA. Let’s explore the menu now.
The menu
Their menu is full of items that will light up any burger enthusiasts eyes. Simple in its construction, but some super intriguing items that will make it very difficult for you to not over order. Burgers, sides and dips is essentially what the menu is made up of. For burgers they’ve got, for example, big smac (a copy of the Big Mac but so much better), pastrami, bow dip and big rib among many other wonderful options. For sides they’ve got animal fries to tater tots and a whole lot more. And you’ve got a wonderful selection of dips to choose from too including queso cheese and beef bone. They’ve got a couple of dessert items too, which we regret not trying. The banana pudding is so hard to find in this country and we’ve been in love with it since trying it in Dubai. Oh and how can I forget their drinks selection. All I’m going to say is trust me if you’re a drinks fan, you’ll be happy.
What we tried
We tried the big smac burger, pastrami burger, animal fries, dirty tater tots, queso cheese dip and the beef bone dip.
Let’s start with the burgers. The big smac was constructed as a Big Mac would be, but the taste was on another level. Straight away I knew it – the East London halal burger scene is pretty competitive, but these guys right here setting the bar. The bun had the right fluffiness as well as the firmness to hold the burger in place, the sauces elevated the flavours and I’m saving the best till last. The smashed patties had a literal crunch! You know how them food reviewers mention a crunch when biting into their smash burgers, yeah the edges of these patties had a literal crunch. Amazing! The patties were delicious and creamy and buttery and as mentioned had that crunch too. Moving onto the next burger, which is the special pastrami burger, which is made up of the same smash burger as before but with pastrami lathered on top. Delicious is an understatement. The pastrami was cooked to perfection and it just gave the smash burger a whole another dimension of premiumness. We got the cheese and beef bone dips too. The cheese dip was okay (a little too rich and cheesy for us, but if you like that you’ll love this), but the beef bone dip is where the magic is at. Dip the burger (or the tots) into that and you’re onto a winner!
Let’s talk about the sides. Unfortunately, the animal fries didn’t live up to how great everything else was. The tater tots on the other hand, wow. Speechless. So good. And dip them into the beef bone dip and you got yourself some delicious bites. They were so good, I’d come back for them alone (of course we’d have to pick up a cheeky burger or two).
Conquering London
Many would argue (and they’d have a strong case) they’ve conquered East London. They’re looking to expand now. Both in terms of location and setting. This one in Bow is of course a ghost kitchen / stand and dine outdoor spot. And now they’re planning Hackney, Camden Market and also South. Hackney will be a dine in restaurant. Camden Market is of course a market spot. And South is still early days.
Definitely exciting times ahead for Bun & Sum and Londoners alike.
Getting there
Parking: Archibald St is free evenings and weekends.
Nearest Mosque: Bow Muslim Cultural Centre or British Estate Masjid & Cultural Centre (not sure if either have female facilities though)
Nearest station: Bow Road
