Hongkongers have largely been deprived of the chance to sample McDonald’s biggest worldwide rival, except in the rarefied atmospheres of the airport and The Peak. However with expansion underway, BK is coming soon to a corner near you. We of course went for The Whopper ($27), a quarter-pound patty on a sesame bun, which came topped with lettuce, tomato, onion, dill pickles, cream mayo and ketchup.

What our tasters said: “I’m not convinced this patty has been flame-grilled... It does have a decent barbecue-y flavour though, and it is huge... Good crisp lettuce and nicely sweet tomato – much better than I’d expect from a fast-food chain... The toppings deserve to be on a better patty... Just the right amount of sauce... The bun’s a little dry, but it keeps the toppings together better than most.”

Meat: 6/10
Bun: 6/10
Toppings: 6/10
Value: 8/10
Overall: 6/10 Satisfying and filling, it’s an effective – if unspectacular – way to divert those hunger pangs. And yes, it’s better than McD’s.

Five locations. We got ours from: Airport, Level 7, Departures East Hall.

Ten best take-out burgers in town:
Mos Burger, Japanese Ingenuity
McDonald’s, The Market Cornerer
Burger King,By Royal Decree
Shake ’em Buns, X-Rated
Monster Burger, Creature feature
Atomic Patty, Best of LKF
Burger Republic, Independence Day
Big Bite, The chefs’ choice
Wow! Burger, Almost famous
BurgeRoom, Top of the class

Also reviewed:
Gourmet Burger Union
Freshness Burger
Triple O's
Toppings
Cul-De-Sac
Archie B's
Si Sun Fast Food

See also: The United Nations of Burger
                  The Burger Boom