A beautiful burger at IYO Burgers. Photo by Ashraf Booley.

If you live in Cape Town – dubbed by some as the foodie capital of our country – you’ll know that it’s become exponentially easier to come by a great, juicy burger bursting with mouthwatering toppings. Having said that, it’s now harder than ever for a patty and two buns to stand out from the crowd.

A stand-out burger needs to possess the following four elements: simplicity, freshness, balance and bravery. Simplicity means it doesn’t have too many toppings or unnecessary extras, and freshness goes without saying. Next, it should strike a balance between juicy (the patty), crunchy (pickles and greens) and tender (the buns). Lastly, a true stand-out is brave enough to include a surprising or unique ingredient that takes it to the next level.

Like, for example, a drizzle of truffle oil or a cheese-stuffed patty. Enter the Dew Truffles from IYO Burgers.

The burger

The Dew Truffles burger at Inside & You’re Out (IYO) Burgers is conspicuously brave, brimming with all sorts of deliciousness. It comprises a smoked cheddar-stuffed patty of pure grass-fed beef, which is topped with a creamy sauce made with porcini, brown and button mushrooms, and infused with truffle oil for an umami explosion. Slightly peppery rocket and piquant peppers top it off, imparting a dash of sweet heat, with everything crammed between sesame-seed kitka buns.

Dew Truffles burger at Inside & You’re Out. Photo by Ashraf Booley.

How it’s made

Smoked cheddar is stuffed into the patty before it’s cooked, says co-owner Jonah Lewis. The grass-fed patties, supplied by Ryan Boon in Paarl, contain no binders and the kitka buns are freshly made by their baker using a special in-house recipe.

Lots of people do mushroom burgers, but with co-owner Jean Marc Lenferna coming from a fine-dining background, they wanted to play around with it a bit, explains Jonah. “Truffle came up and we couldn’t get over it.” (Neither can we, guys… Neither can we.)

IYO interiors. Photo courtesy of the restaurant.

The restaurant

Located upstairs off buzzing Bree Street in Cape Town, IYO Burgers is small and cheerful venue, featuring wooden tables and chairs, and abundant potted herbs and lettuces. The open kitchen allows you to view your food being prepared and the soft, natural light streaming in through the windows lifts the mood.

The price

Order the Dew Truffles with your choice of curly fries, sweet-potato fries or seasonal salad for R89. (Or have kale chips for an extra R10.)

And…

Though the Dew Truffles was initially promoted as a special, they’ve decided to put it on the IYO menu for good. “It’s too special to be a special,” says Jonah.

Have you tried an IYO burger? Tell us what you thought in a review.