Flip Burgers is a cloud kitchen concept launched on 15 March 2021, under its parent company GastroLabs founded by Rukmankan Sivaloganathan. Concurrent to Flip Burgers, the company also launched Pulse + Beet which embodies a vastly different concept to the more relaxed fast food style of Flip Burgers.
Speaking with Brunch, Rukmankan shared that while he is just starting out, he has paid a great deal of attention to making GastroLabs a sustainable venture, investing in experienced staff and their own kitchen space, setting themselves apart from the onslaught of home-based cloud kitchens which have been on the rise during the pandemic.
When interacting with the brand, you will soon realise that they embody a far different aura to your everyday business ventures which pop up on Instagram. There is an overall proficiency and competence emanating from Flip Burgers, despite being a casual burger place dedicated to doing a few items really well – the customer interactions are swift, efficient, and incredibly hassle-free. While being available on UberEats, PickMe Food, and EatMe, they offer a 20% discount for direct orders made via WhatsApp to 0779 074 686.
Rukmankan shared however that, despite all their efforts, their foray into starting a brand new venture has not been without its challenges; sourcing ingredients, particularly imported goods, during a pandemic has been undoubtedly difficult. However, they have managed to figure things out.
We must also note that we were endeared towards the overall product due to its simplicity. Flip Burgers, in comparison to most burger places, offers a limited menu, but despite this, there is a noticeable lack of gimmickry when it comes to their presentations. Referring to the noticeable dearth of bells and whistles, Rukmankan stated that what they tried to do here is address the frustrations they themselves encountered as consumers, choosing to keep things simple and to the point.
He also stated that yet another thing they do, despite it being just a tad bit more expensive on their part, is to be as sustainable as possible, using kraft boxes for their food and glass jars for their chillers and shakes; they also encourage their customers to reuse their glass containers.
The menu at Flip Burgers offers you several burgers – a standard cheese burger, a classic beef burger, and their signature item the aptly named “flippin big burger”, which contains two quarter pounder patties topped with cheddar cheese in a sesame-crusted brioche bun with pickled jalapenos, pickled gherkins, sautéed mushrooms, topped with caramelised onions and what they refer to as their “house sauce”.
We thought it is only right that we attempt to eat this massive concoction. Priced at Rs. 1,499, it is certainly not cheap. However, the behemoth of a burger is definitely worth it. If two people are not up for sitting down for a whole meal, this will fill you right up. Rukmankan shared with us that they do their best not to “over sauce” their items, which we too must agree tends to mask all forms of sin when it comes to your patties, as you can get away with a lot if you bathe it in sauce. And while they certainly don’t do this, we have to admit that the burger overall had a slight imbalance in sweetness, as the caramelised onions were overpowering – perhaps it was just this one batch, but it was a little too sweet for our liking.
The real highlight here was their chicken burger, which surprised us, because, often, chicken tends to be a boring meat in burgers, as it is so very straightforward. However, Flip Burgers really does wonders with their near-perfect crispy chicken; flawlessly crispy and crumbly on the outside, and the meat incredibly tender on the inside, this one was incredible.
An honourable mention must also go to their vege burger. Usually, burger places take very little care to get their vegetarian option right, but these guys really step it up, and we can happily recommend this one. Additionally, we also tried a few of their sides – the shoestring fries, which were just alright, and their shakes. An example of doing basics well enough, the chocolate milkshake was lovely but nothing to write home about. However, the vanilla salted caramel shake changed things up a bit, offering an interesting flavour profile; with the sweet-salty mix, it was very pleasant and we thoroughly enjoyed that one.
Instagram: @flipburgerslk
Website: www.flipburgers.lk
