Born more than 30 years ago in Japan, MOS Burger (Level 1 Food court, apm, Kwun Tong, 2576 6220) introduced its first branch in apm last year, and is following up with a second this month in Langham Place – which makes sense when you look at the long queues during lunch and dinner hours at apm. It is normal to wait for 15-30 minutes to order your freshly-made rice burger, a lovely creation inspired by the Japanese beef rice bowl. MOS burger uses sticky, chunky organic rice grown especially in Taiwan to make their buns and assistant manager Douglas Cheng says the most popular choices include the seafood rice burger, for which scallops, shrimp and assorted vegetables are fried into a tempura-like cake and served with sweet Japanese sauce. If you think using rice to replace flour is too spooky, go for the MOS cheeseburger, where the steak is generally thicker and juicier than in other fast-food restaurants. And don’t miss the meat sauce, which is a little bit spicy to stimulate your appetite. All burgers come in a pouch which is handy if you don’t want paint the table with your burger’s sauce and patty! One last thing: MOS does not stand for Ministry of Sound or whatever you think. It’s an acronym for Mountain, Ocean and Sun, a symbol for the company’s love of people and nature. Um, well, yeah.

Al’s Diner (G/F, Shop F 27-39 D’Aguilar Street, Central, 2521 8714) sits at the top of Lan Kwai Fong, harkening back to the ’50s and ’60s with its retro style décor and lighting, replete with Jukebox. The menu, too, is reminiscent of what one might find in a search for true Americana, yet a few additions make this venue distinct in its own right. We tried the Wake Up Little Suzy ($115) (all their burgers are named after songs) a beef patty topped by bacon, egg and mushroom between two light, fluffy buns. The beef patty is flavourful, and the toppings well cooked and delicious. We also sampled the Duke of Earl ($90), a regular burger served on an English muffin. The patty again was juicy, tender and cooked well according to our specifications (medium-well) but the muffin didn’t add much – our suggestion is to just go for the regular burger instead. Both burgers came with fries and coleslaw, the former were just crisp and the latter was nicely garnished with mayo.

Although Inn Side Out (Sunning Plaza, 10 Hysan Avenue, Causeway Bay, 2895 2900) has a large bar and TVs to watch sport, it is not your typical American sports bar. The atmosphere is far more relaxed, and, with its two separate areas (outdoors under the palm trees and the indoors area) is a nice place to relax whatever time of year. We tried two of the only four burgers on the menu: the classic burger available in 1/3 lb ($70) and 1/2 lb ($82) variations and the Beergarden burger ($100) a 1/2 lb patty smothered with caramelized onions, bacon, cheese and mushrooms, both of which are charcoal grilled. The patties were well seasoned and wonderfully juicy and tender. Although covered in toppings, you could still taste them and the bacon was perfectly crisp. The caramelized onions on the Beergarden burger were a terrific contrast to the meatiness of the patty. And the accompanying fries were crisp on the outside, and almost creamy on the inside and the onion rings, beer battered in the house brew, had a nice spicy kick to them.

It’s only recently opened, but Shake ’Em Buns (Shop K, 2D Star Street, Wanchai, 2866 2060) is pretty popular. The small shop has a very rustic, almost Southern feel, which might be attributed to the owner’s growing up in North Carolina. The menu, although small, does offer burgers not to be seen in other HK burger venues, with names like The Missionary ($48), for the classic plain burger, and Sissy Boy ($65) for the veggie burger. Ordering is bit of a giggle. We tried the Red on the Neck ($60), which is a classic burger made in the Carolinas – a beef patty topped with homemade chilli and coleslaw, and the Guitar Shop Special ($60), a burger topped with mushrooms, onions, green peppers and cheese (basically, a Philly cheese steak as a burger). Both burger patties had good seasoning and flavour and worked well with their toppings. The only gripe we had about this place is that the sides are extra: $18 for freedom fries and $39 for spicy onion rings.

If you want American classics, Hard Rock Café (G/F and 1/F Silvercord, 30 Canton Road, TST, 2375 1323) seems like a no-brainer really. This well-established joint has classic American burgers, some with a little bit of modern flair. Their menu consists of 10 burgers, although some are under the sandwich section. We tried four: the veggie burger ($85), Ahi tuna steak sandwich ($98), pulled-pork sandwich ($89) and the legendary 10z burger ($120). The veggie burger was surprisingly tasty given that most veggie burgers tend to be bland, uninteresting and rely on their accompanying sauces for flavour. The pulled-pork sandwich was a nice mix of sour and sweet, and almost tasted like char siu bau. The Ahi tuna steak sandwich is a healthier alternative to the fish burger, because it isn’t deep fried in breadcrumbs but slow grilled and, in a nice Asian twist, basted with teriyaki sauce. Finally the 10 oz legendary burger really does deserve its name. It’s huge, and the patty juicy, tender, well seasoned and gob-smackingly delicious. We’d eat it just on it’s own but the bacon, cheese, fried onion rings and the bun made with Guinness are just yummy extras to an already excellent burger.

Triple O’s (Shop 10, 1/F The Forum, Exchange Square, Central, 3401 4000, other locations: Admiralty, Tsim Sha Tsui) is still the only burger spot worth going to for many west-coast Canadians out there. Although in appearance it looks like fast food, burgers are made to order and are pretty fresh. We tried their feature, the mushroom cheese chicken burger ($41, $61 combo) and their BC burger ($41, $61 combo) – bacon and cheese, but uh, ‘cleverly’ named after the west-coast Canadian state. The chicken burger had a good flavour, with tender meat and a nice soft bun. Their signature mayo is also pretty yummy, and definitely worthy of the praise it’s received. The BC burger was good, but unfortunately you couldn’t taste the patty itself which was also rather thin. The burgers on the whole though are pretty delicious and, with all their fillings, are large and satisfying, especially with the hand-cut fries and gravy dip.