Merlion Cafe • Gourmet Burger operates out of a small shopfront on Nguyễn Bá Huân, the kind of place easy to pass without a second glance. What distinguishes it is a commitment to making almost everything in-house: brioche buns baked on site, spicy mayo mixed fresh, and patties thick enough to justify a triple cheeseburger at 130k for 220 grams of beef. The double cheeseburger runs 99k, the chicken burger 79k — pricing that has drawn a loyal crowd of expats exhausted by imported-beef burger bars charging three times as much for less interesting food.
The spicy mayo has developed a following of its own. Regulars eating in drench their fries in it freely; those ordering delivery know to request an extra bag on the side. The Hawaiian juicy burger and bacon-egg burger sit at the more playful end of the menu, while the bacon cheeseburger with fried egg is the reliable entry point for first visits. Cheese fries round out an intentionally short list.
Dine-in is functional rather than comfortable — seating is cramped and cooking smells settle into clothes. Most of the regulars order delivery, and the burgers travel well, arriving intact and still satisfying. Two dogs wander the space, a detail that shows up unprompted in multiple reviews as a reason to return. The owners run both the kitchen and the counter, keeping the operation tight and consistent.
For anyone who has worked through the burger options across Thao Dien, this spot occupies a distinct position: genuinely local in price and spirit, with craft details — fresh-baked buns, balanced house sauces — that usually come at a significant premium elsewhere.
