Leave it to chef Ed Bugia to turn the local burger scene upside down.
For all the time I’ve known Chef Ed, he’s always been geekily obsessed about whatever is currently on his plate. Burgers are no exception and no, it isn’t just about how the burger tastes or how to make the most expensive product, but how to make a value-for-money burger.
Way back in 2010, when he was starting off, one of his first ventures was the Burger Project where he’d let customers pile on as many ingredients in the burger. While this was a novelty in its day, this ingredient overload could -- and did -- overshadow the patties.
Fast forward to 2024, it’s a more mature Ed Bugia who finds himself the overlord of new venture, Flipside Burgers.
For this one, gone are the unlimited toppings. Instead, he confidently limits the menu to let his smashed beef patties be the star of the burger.
“You have to flip the burger and eat it upside down… And that’s why we called it flipside,” beams Chef Ed.
Flipside is a smashed burger specialist. That is, the patties are “smashed” down on the griddle. At first glance, the patties are on the thin side. But this is on purpose because that’s the only way to get those crispy seared edges.
The thing about smashed burgers is that they tend to be expensive, thus the first surprise of the menu is how affordable these burgers are. As its first location is inside the University of the Philippines' (UP) Diliman campus, the prices should fit within a college student’s budget.
Chef Ed shares that to pull this off, he had to delay the opening by months to find a meat supplier who can deliver his mix of Angus chuck, brisket and tallow at the right price.
“It’s like eating a steak,” beams Chef Ed -- and he’s right. Pressing down on that meaty blend plus paper thin slices of onions results in a sear that adds that deep beefy umami with each bite.
The first burger that one should get at Flipside is the Oklahoma Style Angus Burger (P235) which I think is Chef Ed’s burger at its barest with just cheese, pickles, and his special sauce. No ketchup here (though they will gladly give you some if you ask for it). With this burger, I appreciated how balanced it all was -- the crisp umami of the patties, the sweet softness of the brioche, with just some brightness from the pickles and the secret sauce.
When I visited Flipside, he had an Umami Burger (P255) using the smashed patties with umami butter and shitake mushrooms. And a fully loaded breakfast burger, which is really like smashed choriburger with egg, a perfect meal after running laps around the academic circle.
Chef Ed promised that with such a lean menu, he can easily add and change to the list whenever he feels like it. For example, in the spirit of abstinence for the Lenten season, Flipside has Crispy Shrimp and Crispy Fish Fillet Burgers. Not smashed but with traditional breaded patties.
As for me, I’d want a burger steak version of this complete with garlic rice and gravy. But perhaps that might be coming in the new menu coming very soon.
Chef Ed is bullish on burgers, saying that it’s the food trend that will be coming back this year. He and his partners are so upbeat that they’ve announced that Flipside Burgers is now open for franchise. Looking at what they’re able to do with such a small footprint, it’s easily replicable and I have no doubt that we’ll be seeing and munching more of Flipside soon.
Flipside Burgers can be found at the al fresco area of Gyud Food Hall in UP Diliman and is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. (weekdays) and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (weekends). Check out @flipsideburgersph on Instagram for their updated menus and special offers.