A proud Malaysian discovery?

The Tutti Frutti outlet which led us to the Darabif discovery!

It was an accidental discovery. Kit and I were shopping for close out Christmas decorations at IOI Mall Puchong as I am bent on an all-red tree next year. We celebrated our boxes of red baubles with some Tutti Frutti froyo which shared a storefront with Darabif (Lot EG3A Ground floor, new wing, IOI Mall).

After less than satisfactory flavours (the kiwi and lychee flavours were icy and sorbet like, with just a tinge of the fruit; while the Choco Raspberry was an uneasy combo which say the acidity of the raspberry spoiling the velvety finish of the chocolate, while the darkness of the chocolate overpowered the zest of the red fruit. Just Peachy was the superior flavour, but only by a tad); we thought we’d try this brand new burger joint.

Darabif is a well-known name in the frozen foods section in Malaysia. Their burgers have always been slightly pricier than the well-known Ramly brand, and I have to say, since I prefer Kit’s made from scratch patties, that I have made no close acquaintance with either.

The best beef nuggets ever!

What enticed me to try the restaurant was the offering of beef nuggets. (And who am I kidding; I like funky food names so the Holy Guacamole set also caught my eye). All Darabif burgers are sourced from Malaysian grown and slaughtered steer cattle. The USP of this restaurant is that it offers its burgers either ‘Lean’ or ‘Mean’. Lean burgers are made from topside, while Mean burgers use chuck, which is the usual burger cut. Beef nuggets, however, only come in one style. I’m guessing it’s Lean because they were amazingly tender.

Malaysian Moo burger - the RM11.90 combo meal is the upmarket answer to Egg Banjo!

I’ve never had beef nuggets per se, medallions in batter, yes. These just took the cake! They were tender, juicy and dense. The slight offside is that they are battered in golden breadcrumbs which sometimes make me choke because of the scratchiness. But that may just be a me thing.

Kit had a Mean Malaysian Moo combo which is a beef patty wrapped in an egg omelet. I think this is their take on the good ol’ Egg Banjo which is a burger with a fried egg on top of the patty. Kit calls it ‘an upscale Ramly burger’ since Ramlys are usually sold by burger boys on the road sides. Terminology aside, the Malaysian Moo had lots of lettuce and a nice, oozy slice of cheese which added to the yumminess of the burger.

The fries which came with the meal were cracked black pepper sprinkled and would have been perfect if they were fresh out of the fryer.

Other cool names are the Phat Moo, Maxi Moo and Lamb Glam. An additional patty can be added to any burger at RM3, but the menu does not say if the patty is a Mean or Lean. Darabif also sells packed beef and chicken jerky which look so much like Slim Jim’s, it took my breath away.

The Manglish grammar is the only thing that gives Darabif away!

Good packaging, nice outlet (the coloured light needs adjustment though), counter staff who are English speaking and can explain the products… Can this actually be a Malaysian product? Ah, yes, take a look at the paper placemat and see if you can spot the grammar error and this MAY be a giveaway. But, seasoned editor I may be, I know that it will be the food that sells the meals, not the Manglish, and therefore I give Darabif my personal thumbs’ up. I really, really hope it will be something that will take off!