La Tapa del Coco won the Burger Challenge 2023 for the first time

The team led by chef Isaac Villaverde reached the final of Burger Week thanks to the success of La Culeca , a burger inspired by the flavours of the interior

For the fifth consecutive year, La Tapa del Coco participated in Burger Week, the event that tests more than 80 restaurants with the preparation of the most creative burger. In 2022, it came close to winning the final competition with La Dominguera and took third place.

This time, Armando Bramwell, creative chef at La Tapa del Coco, took first place and the title of Burger Master Chef 2023. Never before had the team led by chef Isaac Villaverde received such recognition.

“We are very happy that La Culeca has been so well received. It has been an incredible experience. The best thing is seeing how people receive a product created by a team with a lot of love. We sold more than 4 thousand hamburgers. We had never seen such a long line at La Tapa del Coco, even after the event there are still people who come to try it,” said Bramwell.

The Culeca was the burger that took La Tapa del Coco to the final of the Burger Fest & Challenge, which took place in Andrés Bello Park. A recipe inspired by the flavours of the interior, the result of creative work between Bramwell, Villaverde and Javier Pérez, head of operations at the restaurant.

“Each year, the burgers we make have a direction. The Journey, the first one to participate in Burger Week, was inspired by Bocas del Toro, then came the Bon Burger for Easter, then La Mr. Chin, which highlighted the Chinese influence in Panama. With La Dominguera we went to Colón and this year we brought back the flavors of the interior. Although the burger is not directly connected to the celebration of Carnival, the name is a very clear reference,” explained Armando.

With La Culeca, La Tapa del Coco qualified for the Burger Week semi-finals alongside 5 other competitors. The burger won over diners and judges with a combination of: experimental yuca chicharrón, provolone cheese, Caribbean beef jerky and smashed beef with ginger chimichurri, served on artisanal roasted garlic bread.

To make it to the finals, along with two other chefs, La Tapa del Coco presented a new burger called Caribbean Rhapsody at the Burger Fest & Challenge. This recipe also used artisanal roasted garlic bread, plus oxtail curry with short rib, double cheese, caramelized onions with saril and plantains with La Tapa del Coco's special dressing. The competition judges awarded it first place.

“This victory confirms the fact that we are a versatile team. We are a restaurant that offers more than just Afro-Panamanian cuisine. We promote our culture but we are also open to enjoying others. We like to play and create new dishes. That is our strength,” concluded Armando.