Houston – It’s a collaboration you may have never expected, Indonesian beef rendang on a burger, and it’s delicious!
Burger Bodega and Phat Eatery are teaming up once again to serve the Beef Rendang Smash Burger during Asian-American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.
This time, it’s to celebrate the life of Chef Alex Au-Yeung, chef and owner of the Malaysian restaurant Phat Eatery. He was born in Malaysia and at 19, he made his way to Houston after being raised in Hong Kong. Phat Eatery’s Malaysian cuisine has warmed our local community with its roti, curries, skewers, seafood, noodles, and rice.
Chef Au-Yeung passed away on March 21 after a brief battle with cancer. He was 52 years old.
The 2022 James Beard Award semifinalist was a staple in Houston’s food scene and his team at Phat Eatery wrote about his passing on Instagram stating, “To us and many of you, Alex was family, and the loss leaves a void that words can’t express. Leading with compassion and an infectious spirit, he was one of the best of us.”
To pay homage to the late chef, chef, and owner of Burger Bodega brought back the collaboration with Phat Eatery. Chef Abbas Dahnani and the man behind the popular food instagam @houstoneatz created the burger with Chef Alex last year.
According to a press release, Dahnani says “Alex was one of the kindest people I have met, and he supported me throughout my journey of starting Burger Bodega. We did many pop-ups together, but this one will hold a special place in my heart, celebrating Alex’s life. It will be bittersweet, but we are excited to bring back the popular Beef Rendang Smash Burger and donate to Alex’s favorite non-profit, The Southern Smoke Foundation.”
Sales proceeds will benefit the non-profit Southern Smoke Foundation. The foundation aims to put dollars directly into the pockets of food and beverage workers when they need it most. SSF was one of the chef’s favorite organizations. Chef Au-Yeung and Southern Smoke’s founder Chef Chris Shepherd sat together for a meal at Phat Eatery during a KPRC 2′s Eat Like a Local episode on the flavors of Katy Asia Town.
The Beef Rendang Smash Burger features a beef rendang spiced patty topped with curry fries, curry aioli, and papaya salad, served on a sweet sourdough bun with a side of curry dip.
Try it for yourself
Chef Abbas and Kevin Lee joined us in Houston Life’s Studio B to show us how it’s done.