Burger Festival Pula set to open on the Riva

by croatiaweek
July 19, 2023
in Food & Wine

Burger Festival Pula on the Riva promenade set to open

Starting from Thursday, July 27th until August 15th, the Riva promenade in the Croatian city of Pula will the second edition of the popular burger festival.

For 20 days, Burger Festival Pula will “anchor” itself on the Riva promenade. Last year, in its inaugural edition, the festival won over the taste buds and hearts of more than 94,000 visitors. This year, the people of Pula and guests from all over Istria will be greeted with a total of ten stands, seven of which will showcase gastronomic delights created by top chefs, while three will focus on beverages.

Featuring over 20 different burger variations, including the Institute for Burgers by Mate Janković, Chefs Burger by Ivan Pažanin, Full Circle by Marko Palfi, 4 Burgers, Beg’s Plant Based, Picnic Mingle & Fun, and Istrian Manjada. Additionally, the festival will welcome refreshment specialists: Gingle Bells, Picnic Craft Bar, and Central Bar, offering their signature refreshing summer cocktails, premium wines, cold beer, and juices.

The organisers of the Burger Festival Pula, the team from the creative agency Kokoš ili jaje, have turned the festival into the most relevant and well-attended street food event in the region over the past eight years.

It initially expanded from Zagreb to Pula, Varaždin, and Zadar. Notably, their Fuliranje event was recognised by CNN Travel as the most interesting Advent event in Zagreb for two consecutive years. Their passion and energy for developing quality and innovative street food scenes are evident through their successful Pizza Festival and the first Asian Street Food Festival in Zagreb.

Among the many innovative and enticing combinations, one highlight is the shrimp burger from the Picnic Mingle & Fun gastronomic workshop in Zadar.

The burger features a silky soft brioche potato bun, a juicy shrimp patty that embodies the freshness of the sea, homemade Sriracha mayo sauce, and goat cheese that elevates the overall freshness of the burger.

Shrimp burger

In addition to the shrimp burger, Picnic Mingle & Fun will also offer their award-winning Blackie burger, Juicy burger, and Snow burger, as well as three variations of Sweet Potato fries that have become a hit among food enthusiasts.

But that’s not all from these street food enthusiasts. As part of the Burger Festival in Pula, they will introduce the Picnic Craft bar, featuring incredibly refreshing drinks such as Spring Gin, Summer Gin, and Floral Gin.

Chef Marko Palfi, known for his exceptional culinary skills, will showcase four burgers at the Full Circle booth: his well-known classic, Smokey D, the award-winning Dekadent, Mediteraneo, and the vegetarian Beyond burger. Palfi believes that the most sincere reaction to food can be obtained from the first bite. That’s why he loves street food and direct communication with people who taste his creations.

Chef Marko Palfi

Among his burgers, the Dekadent made with aged beef patty, Cheddar cheese, truffle sauce, grilled silver onion, and arugula in a brioche bun, has received overwhelming praise from both Zadar locals and visitors. It comes highly recommended for anyone visiting the Pula Riva during the upcoming Burger Festival.

Dekadent Full Circle by Marko Palfi

Competing for the visitors’ favour and taste buds in Pula, the team from the Institute for Burgers by Mate Janković will present their Classic Smokey burger, recently proclaimed the “little black dress” of burgers in Zadar.

They believe that simplicity is often underrated in today’s culinary scene but consider it crucial in achieving unforgettable flavours when combined with quality ingredients. Apart from the Smokey burger, they will offer the Pepper Jack and Bacon Jalapeno burgers, as well as a special creation prepared exclusively for this occasion.

Chef Mate Janković

Institut za burger by Mate Janković – Bacon Jalapeno burger

Adding to the seaside enjoyment, Chef Ivan Pažanin will also be present at the festival. Known for his Dalmatian and Mediterranean cuisine, Pažanin decided to venture into street food through Chef’s Burger by Ivan Pažanin. It quickly gained a devoted following, and his “Crispy Kapula” burger was crowned the best hamburger at last year’s Pula edition, captivating visitors in Zadar as well.

Chef Ivan Pažanin

This year in Pula, Pažanin will offer his Original Cheese burger, along with a new creation specifically prepared for this festival. He promises “excellent local ingredients blended with a touch of Mediterranean spice, which is the recipe for our burgers.”

The highest quality street food festival wouldn’t be complete without the genius of 4 Burgers and Chef Ivan Goreta, who recently delighted the audience in Zadar with their smash burgers made from local Croatian meat and vegetables.

The charm of their burgers lies in the beef patty pressed with a weight on a hot, flat grill until it forms a crispy, asymmetric patty that remains soft and juicy inside. They take pride in the characteristics that define 4 Burgers: quality – as they exclusively use Croatian products, speed – with each burger ready in 2-3 minutes, and an enjoyable price considering the quality and quantity offered. They promise delightful surprises for all Burger Festival visitors in Pula.

4Burgers – Smash Burger

Beg’s Plant Based Street Food will once again offer their plant-based options. In Zadar, their Beg’s Cheese burger made with Kroštulini’s Plant Based Brioche bun, Beyond Meat patty, Bedda melting cheese, BBQ sauce, Honey Mustard Mayo sauce, iceberg lettuce, arugula, and tomato was in high demand.

As was their Beg’s Karlo’s Double Decker and Beg’s Hot Summer burgers. In Pula, Beg’s Plant Based Street Food will introduce various novelties and offer an innovative menu based on plant-based ingredients, surprising even the most demanding food enthusiasts.

Representing local flavours at the Burger Festival in Pula is the team from Istrian Manjada, offering genuine gourmet delicacies made from local Istrian products. Istrian Manjada is a concept born out of the love for gastronomy shared by Luka Marčeta (Marčeta Winery) and Karlo Damijanić (Damijanić Distillery).

“We have incorporated our love for excellent manjada into three burger variations. In addition to our exceptional food, visitors can also enjoy the premium wines from Marčeta Winery and cocktails prepared by our team of bartenders,” they reveal. They will present the Terra Divina, Istrijan, and Spicy Chicken burgers at the Burger Festival in Pula, along with their pride and joy, the Spicy Chicken burger, and Teranino Spritz, which will be a refreshing delight for the upcoming summer days.