I consider Ramly Burgers of the most delicious street food treats Malaysia offers.
For Malaysians, their first taste of Ramly Burger was at a street food neighborhood-independent burger stall.
The most significant part was – these street burgers are best eaten at night; for dinner or supper!
The epitome of what Malaysian street food is all about.
Most stalls open from dinner onwards until the early hours of the morning.
These burgers make the best place to grab a bite after a night of drinking.
Ramly Burger stalls are a favorite that caters to the Malaysian palate.
You will always find a stall that caters to your taste.
Greasy, messy, or both, these bespoke burgers are where you get to be the boss of your patty.
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What’s Your first Ramly Burger Experience?
My first was before we had a McDonald’s in Penang.
I remember fondly the Abang, who made the delicious burgers that we buy for movie dates.
One of the reasons Malaysians still crave a Ramly Burger as it holds a particular spot in our hearts.
Ramly Burgers are a household name; these street burgers are a staple with Malaysians.
Whereas every Big Mac tastes precisely like every other Big Mac globally, the simple burger is a real bespoke Malaysian favorite burger.
Alongside other dishes like Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, and Satay, Ramly Burger is one of Malaysia’s MUST TRY food.
The Ramly Beef Burger patties, sausages, and bun share the grille. Image: Doris Lim
History of Ramly Burger Founder
The Ramly burger has been around since the late 70s.
Ramly bin Mokni founded this Malaysian frozen and fast food company, locally known as Ramly Burger, in 1980 to fill a gap in the Halal Western food market.
Ramly started selling burgers with his wife from street food stalls in 1979.
While working as a butcher, he discovered that most fresh-meat sources were unknown.
That led to Ramly’s decision to produce a halal-certified meat source for all Muslim consumers in Malaysia.
The core product was Ramly Beef Burger patties.
While there’s no shortage of Ramly Burger stalls around Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Penang, it is challenging to find a memorable one.
Ramly Beef Burger Patty. Image: Ramly Burger
Ramly Beef Burger Patty BBQ Flavour. Image: Ramly Burger
Street Stalls
Ramly Burgers are considered a local favorite for city dwellers, especially the Ramly Beef Burger.
These greasy, saucy burgers can be found everywhere in Malaysia.
Most vendors often set up a street cart or operate out of a van or truck’s back.
A Big Mac or a Whopper can be easily found in the fast-food outlets from the airport to the malls.
However, for us Malaysians, the Ramly Burger street stalls will see many queuing up as the sun goes down.
To this date, I still prefer a Ramly Beef Burger over a Big Mac.
Burger Stall or Truck
You can find Ramly Burger stalls and trucks sometimes parked outside a 7-Eleven.
You can find a Ramly Food Truck here if you want one at night.
Street Stall Menu
- Chicken & Beef Burger & Hotdog
- Normal RM3.50
- Cheese RM5.00
- Special RM4.50
- Special Cheese RM5.00
- Double RM6.00
- Double Cheese RM7.00
- Double Special RM7.00
- Double Special Cheese RM8.00
Extras
- Cheese 1pc RM1.50
- Patty Only has one pc. RM2.00
There is also Egg Burger, Fish Burger, and Oblong.
Ingredients
At its simplest, a Ramly Burger usually comprises a grilled meat patty, a toasted bun, some veg, and ketchup.
- Buns
- Margarine
- Mayonnaise
- Cheese
- Ground white pepper
- Chilli sauce
- Worcestershire sauce
- Mayonnaise BBQ sauce
- Sweet chili sauce
- Tomato Ketchup
- Beef or chicken patty
- Egg
- Cheese slices
- shredded cabbage
- sliced cucumber
- sliced tomato
Which Ramly Burger to Order?
It all depends if you take beef or not.
As all the ingredients are halal, either meat or chicken is excellent.
Some Malaysians don’t take beef for religious reasons to opt for a Ramly Chicken Burger.
I prefer the Ramly Beef Burger as it is more fragrant.
Preparation
The vendor will oil the hot grill and slap on a cold burger patty to cook it.
Most burger joints will flip the patty.
For a Ramly Burger, the vendor will butterfly the patty to grille all the sides.
Try the “Special” Ramly Burger, where an egg is cracked onto the hot plate and turned into a thin omelet.
The omelet wraps around the saucy, halved patty, creating a deliciously eggy parcel.
It’s a genius way of ensuring the sauces don’t spill out of the burger patty.
Flipping Burgers
You will see the stalls keep their patties chilled in styrofoam containers.
At home, let the meat rest in the fridge until you’re ready to hit the grill.
You want the fat in the patties to be super chilled so it rapidly expands when exposed to heat.
One way of creating delicious flavor pockets inside the patty is to create a burger with a nice sear and maximum juicy flavor.
How to keep the burger warm and toasty. Image: Doris Lim
Review
The Ramly Burger is a greasy, messy, satisfying street burger.
When you eat it standing, the sauce spills out, and a bit of the shredded cabbage and part of the cucumber will drop out.
I tried eating this in so many ways, but I conclude that a Ramly Burger is just plain messy but delicious after working very hard.
The whole burger is so warm, especially the combination of sweet chili sauce, ketchup, and mayo heat in the eggy burger parcel.
A typical Ramly Beef Burger. Usually, the beef patty is wrapped with an egg omelet.
Other Types of Ramly Burgers
With burgers like the concept and idea of a Ramly Burger – sloppy, delicious, and fulfilling, many stalls upped the game with their own made or homemade patty.
If you’re a burger gourmand and want a thick, juicy burger, then the Ramly Burger is probably not for you.
But then again, you will want to order the bespoke Ramly burger with extra everything!
Typical roadside burger stalls often use Ramly patties or other homemade and self-made patties.
We look at a few that have taken the basic street stall bespoke burgers to a new level in creativity.
Voted as MUST TRY – Brother John Burger Stall, Damansara Uptown
If you’re willing to get in line and wait, then you can try the popular late-night snack – Brother John Burger at Damansara Uptown.
Two things stopped me from going when I was working at KL.
There are long queues and no parking around Uptown.
Grab is much easier, but you must be patient and wait.
Brother John elevates the humble Ramly Burger with a juicy patty, crusty buns, mustard, and chili powder drenched in their special black pepper BBQ sauce.
That is a lot of seasoning and sauces that go into the ‘banjir’ effect.
You will love this if you fancy a messy, dripping burger smothered in overpowering black pepper sauce.
Brother John BurgerI Image: vkeong
Brother John Burger Stall @ Damansara Utama, Petaling Jaya
Address: 62, Jalan SS 21/58, Damansara Utama, 47400 Petaling Jaya
Operating Hours: 10.00 PM – 4.00 AM
Chinese Style Ramly Burger – Hillside Uncle Burger
Hillside Uncle Burger is the only roadside burger stall an old Chinese couple runs.
You will find an inconspicuous white van parked opposite the Petron station at Tanjung Bungah and a steady queue of regulars waiting.
Uncle (Mr. Wong) and Aunty have sold their famous pan-fried caramelized onion burger for over 20 years.
The ingredients are simple Ramly Burger Patty with lots of sweet fried onions, lettuce, and bun, excellent!
Even with a massive pile of onions, some customers ask for more onions on their burgers.
Uncle Wong frying onions for his Ramly Beef Burgers. Image: FB Amelia Wong
Hillside Uncle Burger | Jalan Sungai Kelian, 11200 Tanjung Bungah, Penang | Business Hours: Not fixed. It usually starts at 7 PM till midnight.
Most Creative Burger – Rockstarz Burger
Rockstarz burger is one of the most popular joints specializing in homemade patty in Penang.
The signatures here include
- Rockstarz
- Red Hot Curry Chilleez
- Metallicheeze
- Santanaz
- Black Sabpper
- My Carbonara.
Make sure you don’t miss trying this if you’re visiting Penang.
The Metallicheeze. Image: Rockstarz-Burger FB Page
Rockstarz Burger | 118, Jalan Dato Ismail Hashim, Kampung Manggis, 11900 Sg Ara, Penang | Business Hours：5.00PM – 1.00 AM (daily) | Telephone: 019-545 4123
Fried Chicken Burger – Burger Ayam Goreng Njoy
Not all the great burger stalls in Penang are in George Town.
Come to Batu Maung for the local’s favorite supper spot – Njoy Fried Chicken Burger.
t famous burger stall sells breaded crispy fried chicken sandwiched between colored buns garnished with fresh lettuce and homemade gravy,
Burger lovers will want to celebrate with a customized Burger Birthday “Cake,” which you can order to enjoy.
Love burgers too much? Have a Birthday, Burger. Image: Burger Ayam Goreng Njoy Facebook
Burger Ayam Goreng Njoy | 6, Lorong Kekabu 2, Taman Desa Wangsa, 11960 Batu Maung, Penang
Business Hours：7.00PM -1.00 AM （Monday closed）| Telephone：012-4454478
Ramly Burger Review
Ramly Burger is the most versatile burger patty that you can cook and dress up in any shape or form!
The best #RamlyBurger images from Ramly Burger’s IG Page
Notes on my personal preferences and taste for an excellent hamburger.
Sauces:
I’m a purist and prefer to eat burger patties that I can taste without everything smothered in a mixture of dipping sauces.
The only burger I eat with a mix of sauces is a Ramly Beef Cheeseburger, which reminds me of my teenage years.
The next time someone looks for a cheeseburger, you will point them to this list.
We hope we’ve inspired you to eat and explore like a traveler, not a tourist.
So, the next time you see a Ramly Burger stall, try it!
