The double smash burger is a hugely satisfying meal that even fans of meat will find worthy of their time. — Photos: SAMUEL ONG/The Star
Over the past few years, there has been no escaping the growing pull and appeal of plant-based foods.
This is in tandem with an increasing number of people across the world consciously looking at switching up their diets and eating food that is relatively more “environmentally-friendly”. To cater to this growing appetite for plant-based fare, many fast food joints, restaurants and supermarkets now offer plant-based options.
But having a few vegan variants scattered across a menu is a far cry from opening a full-fledged vegan eatery.
With the inception of RightSide, Low Sze Yie (better known as Bob) took the road less travelled when she and several of her partners decided to open a homegrown fast food joint dedicated to American-style burgers, milkshakes and tacos – all entirely vegan.
Bob and the other co-founders of RightSide believed that there was a space in the Malaysian market for a fun, American-style vegan fast food joint.
“When you come to RightSide, the whole feeling we want people to get is that we are a fun, American dining space, because I have been vegetarian for a few years, so what I always felt was missing in the Malaysian scene is that when we think of vegetarian or vegan food, it is somehow quite boring or ordinary.
“So we wanted to bring something different to the market. We wanted to show that vegan or ‘healthy’ food can also be very fun and tasty. We kind of mimic the real taste of meat, but we want people to be able to choose a healthier meal – like if you want to eat a burger, you can have a healthier option instead,” says Bob.
Originally, the eatery – which opened in November 2022 – was called Amazon Vegan, but after realising that many meat-eaters were turned off by the word “vegan”, Bob and the other co-founders decided to rebrand and call the eatery RightSide instead.
The brand new fast food joint has all the trimmings and makings of a slick, cool American fast food joint and is awash in bright shades of red. Interestingly, everything on the menu – from the vegan burger patties to the minced meat, vegan mayo and vegan cheese are formulated and manufactured entirely by Right Side, which has its own food tech team and owns a manufacturing plant in Klang.
“So a special thing about our restaurant is that we are not only a restaurant business, we also are a food manufacturer and we have our own food tech team. It’s rare that in a restaurant you have your own food development, but our products are made from scratch and entirely in Malaysia,” explains Bob.
The eatery has been designed to resemble a typical American fast food chain.
Most of the plant-based meat replacement options (beef, lamb or chicken) are fashioned from pea. To begin your vegan-venture here, try the Double Smash (RM14.90) which is essentially two patties topped with melted vegan cheese, lettuce, tomatoes and vegan mayo. The beef burger patty is really quite satisfying and has pleasant, filling textural overtures complemented by a light, nuanced – weirdly bovine undertone. This is complemented by everything else in this constellation, most notably the burger bun, which has a toasty exterior and soft cuddly insides.
Perhaps the only minor letdown (if you are not vegan) is that the cheese doesn’t quite have the melted pull of regular cheese. Overall, this is a stand-out option for beginners to the vegan experience.
Up next, try the Philly Cheesesteak (RM21.90) which is essentially tender “beef” steak slices, melted vegan cheese, caramelised onions and a toasted vegan butter hoagie roll. It is pretty mind-boggling to bite into this dish and realise how astoundingly similar the beef steak tastes to its actual animal counterpart. There are some differences of course but only to a very discerning palate.
The Philly cheesesteak tastes remarkably similar to the real deal.
The roll itself is great – buttery, slightly crusty and very pillowy tender. The onions and cheese add to the goodness of this meal, which offers satiety and satisfaction in every mouthful.
If you’re after something a tad different, definitely look at trying the Tacos Double (RM17.90). Here, you will discover hard shell tacos, filled with house-made guacamole, melted vegan cheese, vegan mayo and minced lamb (or other plant-based meat of your choice). The taco is very, very good – from the crispy carapace of the taco shell to the sturdiness (and remarkable gamey quality) of the lamb, which segues into a creamy guacamole alongside the cheese and the mayo. Even without the vegan tag, this is a meal to remember.
For a little bit of everything, try The Little Vegans (RM24.90) where you’ll get to try the house-made zero beef, zero lamb and zero chicken mini burgers alongside vegan cheese, vegan mayo, caramelised onions, fresh lettuce and tomato slices. This is the perfect meal for kids, people with small appetites or anyone who can’t make up their mind what to order here. Each mini burger offers plenty of flavour, with the beef option possibly edging the others out in the taste stakes.
The tacos offer plenty of flavour and textural contrast from the very first bite.
Round out your meal with the Strawberry Cream milkshake (RM14.90). Made from pea milk and fresh strawberries (with no added sugar), this is an amazingly rich, hedonistic sweet drink that has all the luscious fruitiness of strawberries juxtaposed against a thick milky brew that glides down the throat like pure silk.
Moving forward, Bob says there are plans to expand RightSide – albeit in a slightly different iteration.
“Yes, the idea is to multiply but we want to expand into more kiosks throughout Malaysia because we think that kiosks make more sense. So we want to multiply and have 15 outlets by the end of the year,” says Bob, smiling.
RightSide Fast Food
Unit GF-02
163 Retail Park
Mont Kiara
50480 Kuala Lumpur
Tel: 012 577 0525
Open daily: 11am to 10pm
