Burgers Hong Kong

+852 2011 3009

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, exquisite, hamburgers, Hong Kong, Wan Chai

Jun 27 2014

JWM Hotel Hong Kong, The Upper House

Admiralty, Burger reviews, Edible, Hong Kong

Cafe Gray Deluxe

Burger at the bar

Cafe Gray Deluxe’s burger is an edible burger at most. The hamburger, unlike the location, doesn’t have much to offer in terms of a burger experience. What lays in front of one is an unexciting burger that lacks any form of vibrancy, a hamburger that simply just seems off; off in its colors, off in its disposition, and off in its ingredients and proportions – one soon is overwhelmed with a feeling of having to fix something, to re arrange some aspect, but what? One can’t be certain.

An inexplicable amount if cheese highlights the suffering of this hamburger; it greets one with a lazy plastic sweaty feeling, unbeknown if this is a slight of hand seemingly trying to cover something within, one continues onwards towards the first bite – towards a boring burger taste balance that does little to delight. Not surprisingly, the cheese causes most of the brunt with a beset of cheesiness that is hard to escape; the cheese’s wrath doesn’t just stop with its flooding proportions but also with a sharp harsh taste. The beef patty, cowering underneath, isn’t the inspiring leader a burger needs – bringing with it an unrelenting chunky texture and blandness in taste, a weak beefiness, and a dryness that burdens the burger whole, making the hamburger experience hard to swallow; a slow almost never-ending eat.

The vegetables and the bun make feeble attempts to improve the burger taste balance. The little bit of greens add a slight crispiness to the burger, one that is soon thwarted by mushy sun-dried reds that are a tad too tomatoey; and the bun, giving of a glimmer of hope at first, with an acceptable taste and soft sponginess, is brought back down by a discerning tear-ability that results from improper burger planning. There’s little to say about the resulting burger construction that is plagued by miss-proportions, breakages in the bread, and a general sense of aridness. The fries are alright, but the spicy ketchup is a bit too sour and piquant.

With little to show for, except a great location and view, 235.00 HKD is a hefty price to pay for a cheese with burger hamburger that is both edible and prosaic – and that is pretty much it.

Cafe Gray Deluxe

88 Queensway,

Admiralty,

+853 3968 1106

Tagged Admiralty, burger reviews, Burgers, Edible, hamburgers, Hong Kong

Jun 13 2014

The Butchers Club Burgers

Burger reviews, Exquisite, Hong Kong, Wan Chai

The Butchers Club Burger

Burger

The Butchers Club burger is an exquisitely good hamburger. It is a hamburger that has received proper burger care and tenderness, that brings forth a wondrous experience that begins with the creation of a burger that manages to stand its ground. Surrounded by meat filled cabinets and formed from within mountains of minced beef, the patty is forbearignly massaged and fashioned within the humble hands of a ruggedly bearded man. The men in the kitchen, who seem like burger spartans in their element, lay out their ingredients ready to defend their great burger entry into Hong Kong’s hamburger repertoire.

The burger construction seems precise and the measurements well crafted – structurally, the burger stacks up with a tight bespoke hamburger feel, with the right burger length ratios. Yet, it’s a shame that the hamburger isn’t slightly more beefed up; moments before the end, one wonders whether or not to get a second – a decision that is, unfortunately, not solely weighed on a great burger taste balance. Still, made apparent as one smudges the burger’s face against the board to soak up all the juices from the marvelous swirl of rich tangy secret sauce that mixes so well with the meat drippage, the burger holds steady throughout.

The ingredients, victoriously achieving a great burger taste balance that keeps charging until the end, are good. The beef patty is soft and tender, cooked to a proper temperature with a whimsical taste, it rips ever so softly pillowing onto one’s taste buds with a true juicy beef flavor and pleasant grilled singe on the outside. The cheese that lies on top, adds a real layer of lazy gooeyness – not so strong to overpower and not too weak to pass by unnoticed, it swings just right. The bacon, a small treasure hidden inside the burger, is just that – a single lonely sliver of bacon that impulses the burger taste balance upwards, that lusters through the burger, but that will leave a yearning for one more piece.

While the burger, for the most, feels great and enjoyable, the vegetables – the single slice of tomato and cooked onions fall somewhat short – doing little to satisfy one’s primal urge to connect with nature. The sweet bosom of a bun, soft and tender with a brawny grilled springiness, with a sprinkle of flour that kisses one’s lip leaving a speck of a white mustache, is a respectable addition. The duck fat fries are alright.

For 100.00 HKD you can get the stand alone burger, for an extra 20.00 HKD you can get the fries; though not a high price compared to other Hong Kong burgers, when you consider the size that feeling might adjust, and soon be forgotten as one savors this burger; a formidable burger, one that even a couple of guys on an icy wall can look forward to after a hard night’s work.

G/F, Rialto Building
2 Landale Street
Wan Chai

+852 2528 2083

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, hamburgers, Hong Kong, Wan Chai

Jun 06 2014

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong

Liberty Exchange Kitchen & Bar

Wall Street Burger

Liberty Exchange’s Wall Street Burger is a decent hamburger. Located in the heart of Hong Kong, no where near a street named Wall, how this burger got its name will, most likely, forever, in my heart, remain a mystery…

Could it be because of a glistening rugged facade, or because of its burger magnitude? Not likely. What is introduced is a monstrosity of a burger, unfortunately, this is not in reference to its size; this is not a gluttonous burger not a hamburger so greedy as to take up all the space in one’s stomach. What this small fisted sized burger is, is an ugly misshapen, swamp monster, goo covered, raggedy leaves sticking out, looking hamburger – certainly not a dressed to impress kinda burger.

Might the name have come from a sturdy resilient burger construction? Definitely, n-o, no. From the moment this burger is placed on the table, it’s deformed proportions – with a patty/meatball too thick and a bun slightly too wide for adequate burger construction, fail to impress. Moments from its arrival, without laying a single finger on this poor malformed hamburger, my burger became alive… the top bun, holding on for dear life began a downward move, unwillingly sliding towards an impending doom away from its lofty seat. However, throughout the eatery, the burger does manage to hold its shape with acceptable compression, but a last bite of empty bread doesn’t manage to make up for this slight hopefulness.

A name bestowed from a powerful mighty burger taste balance? Which is actually quite decent pedestrian and dry… doubt it, the burger chemistry isn’t really there. The meatball of a patty is thirsty, and the beef flavoring is a mediocre one covered in a charness that is hard to escape. The tomato confit, which I guess is a fancy name for a pickled tomato, is quite powerful on the burger – making it an excellent substitute for ketchup; on the flip side of the beef, the lettuce is just merely there to add some texture. The cheese, which covers the core in a strong appearance, is feeble in taste; and the basil mayo, which is barely noticeable has a hefty savoriness that is enjoyable in smidgens. The bun, though a bit dry, does have a nice soft bite to it. The fries are alright.

Wall Street Burger… maybe its because of its price tag? One could say so. For 228.00 HKD you can get a small burger with 6 oz. of beef all to yourself – the reality is that one would expect more from this burger considering the price. In the end, the experience one gets from this burger is a mediocre one; ordinary enough that one should take the liberty of exchanging this restaurant for one with a better burger option.

+ 852 2810 8400

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, hamburgers, Hong Kong

May 23 2014

Level 3 Soundwill Plaza II – Midtown

Burger reviews, Causeway Bay, Exquisite, Hong Kong

The Chop House

BBQ Beef, Bacon & Cheddar Burger

The Chop House’s BBQ beef, bacon & cheddar burger is an exquisite burger. Starting of one a great note, this burger adventure will have a couple of hiccups along the journey towards the end, but upon completion, one can surely be satisfied with what has been experienced – an accomplished burger taste balance, one that shows that this burger has received a certain level of thought and care… at least for its taste.

The burger will initially make itself noticed by a delightfully radiating burger smell that touches your senses as it lands at your fore with an accompaniment of a strong BBQ aroma that feels zesty to the nostrils – after all, the burger has been christened with ‘BBQ’ as a first name, and with that one should expect great BBQ flavoring. The result: a rightly rich sweet-sour BBQ tanginess so powerful that the burger should be a little more sparing with its sauce, in actuality the sauce is not bad – the amount just needs to be toned down a little or grilled. Still, remove a bit and I found that the experience was still an pleasurable one… again, in terms of taste.

The first bite is quite captivating – the bacon makes a first great impression with a wonderfully sharp salty taste that feels nice to the tongue, not too crispy slightly chewy. Close by, with a shape to perfect to have been hand massaged and fashioned, one can feel the patty charming its way in with an agreeably soft juicy texture and enjoyable beef taste that is seasoned with an appropriate amount of salt. The vegetables, feeling that green crunchiness, play their parts correctly with an outstanding tomato; and the cheese, which doesn’t much feel like cheddar, leaves a gooey touch with a good subtle flavor.

The tribulation, a proportional and constructional one, commences about half way through this hamburger when the overloaded heavy BBQ and mayo sauces begin to swirl and swamp the burger – sabotaging the vessel, a soft pleasant but delicate bun that can’t handle the burger’s engineering challenges. Tearing itself apart in the last stages, revealing a patty that feels slightly short, once completed only a terrible mess remains. One does have the option to add additional components to the already overloaded burger; marinated beats, sweet onion, and the stupendous chili mustard. The tator tots are meh.

For 160.00 HKD this is a delicious burger with sturdy burger taste balance that is worth a visit, to bad the construction and the burger ingredient ratios are a little choppy…

The Chop House

1 Tang Lung Street

Causeway Bay

Hong Kong

+852 2771 3177

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Causeway Bay, hamburgers

May 09 2014

Tipping Point Brewing Co.

Burger reviews, Decent, Hong Kong, Sheung Wan

238

238 Burger

238’s 238 burger is a decent hamburger. This burger design has a certain euro-essence to its burger taste balance; and with that they’ve tried to play around with the burger components, the results is a burger experimentation that didn’t go horribly wrong, but didn’t exactly go wonderfully right either. The hamburger’s decency is much less derived from its burger taste balance, which in actuality can be quite enjoyable, and much more stemmed within its dreadful burger construction. As one stares at what has been presented, it’s difficult to snub the immediate inadequacies that fault the hamburger – inappropriate assemblage that is visibly apparent in the burger’s main support pillars, the patty and the bun.

The beef patty will be the first one to call attention, it has a nice brown crisp coloring to it that is accompanied by a tangy-esq beef taste that is well seasoned; unfortunately, as it visually crumbles, it lacks the texture of a real patty. I’m not certain what ‘chopped a la minute’ means, but I hope it doesn’t mean that the beef was minced, fried, compressed, and pattied, all in that order, within a minute’s time – cause it really felt that way. Then we have the bun, which is really just a bread roll; and as a roll, what the patty lacks in strength, the bread makes up in a hard exterior that won’t break as you bite into it expelling the burger contents outwards. The garlic seasoning on the bread was a nice touch though.

Finally there’s the mayo, a what-feels-like home made mayonnaise that is thick and rich and good turns out to be a real mess… literally. It’s like someone in the kitchen got so excited with their mayo that they smothered the burger in the stuff, leaving you with an explosion of condiment that’ll figuratively cancel out any vegetables present in the burger, veggies which are quite alright. They did seem to have forgotten one of the ingredients in the burger, listed in the menu is bacon, in my burger, was no bacon. The thick golden fries are quite excellent.

For 150.00 HKD one gets to wrestle a hamburger, and ends up covered in white stuff; and while the euro-taste might be interesting the construction is not. Towards the end, the fries were a little more enjoyable than this over-complicated burger.

+852 2517 7322

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, hamburgers, Hong Kong, Sheung Wan

May 02 2014

2 Comments

Burger reviews, Central, Edible, Hong Kong

Tipping Point Brewing Co.

Classic Cheese Burger

The Tipping Point’s classic cheese burger is an edible hamburger. The overarching burger experience has an unwelcoming feeling from start to finish; and at the end, rather than a sense of satisfaction, there is one of relief – solace that one has completed the difficult task of stuffing this salty burger down one’s throat and leaving this locale.

As the little sized burger arrives, literally dumped in front of you by the irate staff, it brings with it a smelly smell of burntness and old oil that lingers throughout the first moments of this burger’s existence; the small size, which makes it possible to finish the burger within a few good bites, means that the burnt smell will waft throughout most of the hamburger experience – later on, this smell of uncleaned grill, will exit through the nostrils as the burger enters the mouth.

Peering beneath the hood won’t make a thing better, what one does have is: blackened grill marks on a bun that is soft and spongy; a patty that is both thick and compact, that is properly pinked inside and at first has a great beef taste that diminishes into saltines as one eats through; you have slivers of bacon, that’ll aren’t all that tasty but are all that salty; a cheese that is pretty oh-kay; and finally, a feeling of desolation as one notices that there isn’t any sort of greenery or verdure amongst this party. All this combined makes for an edible charred grilled burger taste balance, one that is reminiscent of a Burger King’s cheeseburger – except that Burger King will more likely offer a superior burger experience.

Also, have I mentioned how salty this burger is? They really tipped the point on that one. It does appropriately seem like bar food though, it is after all a micro-brewery, the burger’s so salty it’ll definitely encourage some beer ordering. At least, besides the burger mass, the burger has a good hamburger construction, it is burger sturdy and it’ll hold its shape… but so will a BK cheeseburger. The french fries felt a little soggy and old.

This cheeseburger is undoubtedly not worth 180.00 HKD (24.00 USD), and 28.00 HKD for a couple of slivers of bacon is preposterous – for this price they could of at least included a shred of vegetation. Tipping Point really tipped the scales on this burger – unfortunately towards the more shoddy side…

On another note… I seldom talk about the locales and I don’t usually mention stuff about the services I receive, but sometimes the service in places can be ridiculously abysmal. I don’t think anyone would appreciate having cash tossed across the table because the waiter thought the tip was insufficient – seriously waiter dude, we hadn’t even finished discussing how much tip we’d leave, or if any would be left at all, but you’re attitude made the decision pretty simple.

79 Wyndham Street,

Central,

+852 2868 2892

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, Edible, hamburgers, Hong Kong

Apr 25 2014

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong

Red Bar + Restaurant

Red 1/2 pound beef burger

Red’s 1/2 pound beef burger is an decent delectable hamburger. Much better enjoyed sitting outside on the terrace on a cool clear day, this burger experience, appreciated alongside Hong Kong’s magnificent Victoria harbor and savored under the imposing erection that is the IFC 2, the second tallest building in the city, is a satisfying one. Engulfed by a riveting cityscape – the hamburger, with its size and good burger taste balance, seems equally imposing; from the moment it lands on the table, as the eyes measure up, one might have regretted the appetizer.

The burger’s presentation holds up, the performance is proficient, and the burger construction is solid; the ingredients, managing to pull through almost reaching exquisiteness, indicate that some care has gone into this burger. Still, there are times in which the burger taste balance feels as though a heavy-handedness of salt occurred – a saltines which may be derived from the rich but flabbily textured bacon. The patty holds a fine beefy flavor, and though it does feel somewhat chunky at times – leaving a desire for a slightly softer formation, it is filled with juicy meat juices; the cheddar cheese, nicely melted and not too sharp, creates an enjoyable composition. The vegetables feel crisp, and even with their seemingly thick appearance for the hamburger, already a hefty sized burger, the veggies don’t create a sense of overpowerment – not even the onion.

Built so that even an amateur burger eater can enjoy this experience, the burger has a sturdy burger assemblage. Although the first big bite might prove to be a challenge, the burger will eventually compress enough for even the most delicate bite. This, I believe, partly has to do with a bun that has soft chewy qualities throughout, whilst it size can be overbearing at times, it holds the burger, and its thick patty, within. A floating mayoey taste in the burger was a nice touch, however, the fries, cooked to a crisp, weren’t all that enjoyable.

For 165.00 HKD (21.00 USD), plus 15 HKD for each additional topping, the burger is a bit on the pricey side; but when you consider its size, and, if your early or lucky enough, the view from the terrace, its worth to give it a try – in any case its always impressive to stand next to IFC2 and simply look up!

+852 8129 8882

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, decent, Hong Kong

Apr 11 2014

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong

Linguini Fini (closed)

LF Burger

The LF Burger is a decent pedestrian hamburger. One might not think to visit Linguini Fini particularly for their burger, in actuality their pizza encounter is vastly better than their burger experience; but upon a first visit as one studies their menu, hidden all the way on the last line, an interesting sounding burger calls out… with spicy ketchup and roasted garlic mayo along with the option to add pancetta (Italian bacon) and mozzarella cheese, the burger, seems to only ask for a chance.

The burger presentation does seem slightly lazy; slumped on the plate lacking a certain burger finesse, it does not come across, and later feel, like a great Italian stallion… it is not a powerful gallop into the stomach – the ingredients, especially the burger construction, do not fully deliver that memorable burger ride – what you get is a satisfactory burger taste balance with a worrisome built.

As one begins to build the hamburger everything appears correct, there is appropriate compression, and more importantly the portions stack up properly. It is immediately after the first impending bite that things begin to go awry, the outstanding offenders being the pancetta followed closely by the patty.

The pancetta ads a pungent salty kick to the burger, and cooked to an unyielding crisp, that bacon kick might just be powerful enough to chip a tooth – needless to say, the pancetta, might not make it to the finale. The beef patty carries a zesty taste to it, it is unknown whether the taste comes from the meat being kept in the freezer for a little too long, as a trained butcher at our table suggested, or from the spices and seasoning in the beef, hopes are for the latter. Worse still is the patty texture, soft and airy, as you hold the burger the patty will begin to tear and ooze away from the hamburger core – a struggle to strategically eat the burger ensues; the result: a center of bread, which is softly toasted maintaining its bun shape, and mushy veggies without meat. The mozzarella cheese doesn’t perform as well on the burger as it does on the pizza; but the burger did have a nice garlic buttery aftertaste. The spicy ketchup felt a little too sour and the fries, which are not included, are alright.

The LF burger has some potential, what it desperately needs though is a hamburger whisperer – but until that happens don’t expect much. For 168.00 HKD (21 USD) for the burger plus 20.00 HKD for each the pancetta and mozzarella think like one of the great four turtles and order a pizza!

+852 2857 1333

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, decent, hamburgers, Hong Kong

Mar 21 2014

1st/F, 63 Wyndham Street,

Burger reviews, Central, Exquisite, Hong Kong

Restoration (closed)

Burger

Restoration’s simple burger is an exquisite hamburger. It is a gorgeous southern belle in the center of Hong Kong; the hamburger, vivacious in both appearance and taste, makes a grand entrance, charming your senses as it releases a waft of its delightful burger perfume into your nostrils – preparing your body for what should be a beautiful burger experience. What follows moments after that whirl, from the instant you envelop this hamburger, is a rich and tasty burger taste balance rush; and the realization that prudence has gone into the ingredients as well as the construction – resulting in mouthfuls of exquisite burgerness.

Often encountered in Creole cuisine, one might notice that black pepper has a well distinguished role in this burger, a role that achieves a welcoming kick of southern spice; furthermore, the beef patty, full of flavorful meat juices, accomplishes a neat beef taste that is subtly accentuated by the apt peppery seasoning. Although the texture of the patty might feel slightly coarse at times, the patty is offered with the right thickness and correct diameter – creating a near perfect ensemble with the bun and other ingredients.

The melted cheddar cheese, which clings to the patty with a thick radiant summery yellow, properly manages to softly gleam throughout the burger experience; the vegetables, finely tuned to the portions of the burger, establish an evident sense of freshness and, particularly the tomato, natural taste. The bacon does leave something to be desired for, not because of its slightly charred appearance – which surprisingly doesn’t have a blackened taste, but more so because of its heavy saltiness that can disturb the burger. Though I have to mention, the bacon is not included in the burger. The tasty toasted bun, spring and soft, appropriately adjusts to the inner workings and assemblage of the burger, absorbing the juicy remnants while keeping the burger tightly held under its arms – it gives a feeling of satisfaction as you hold this solid burger. The piquantly seasoned fries are great.

Served only during lunch, for 108.00 HKD this burger is definitely worth a try. As part of a set lunch it’ll come with a choice of soup or salad, and four cheese options for its cheesy topping. However, it is unfortunate that the presence of fries, though good and plentiful, comes at an additional cost of 25.00 HKD. One last thought, I really hope that Restoration preserves the consistency of this exquisite burger, as one of the best burgers in Central – i’m sure Louisiana detectives Rust and Martin would approve, laissez les bon burger temps rouler!

Restoration

Central,

+852 2536 0183

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, exquisite, hamburgers, Hong Kong

Feb 28 2014

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong, Sheung Wan

Blue Butcher

Butcher’s Wagyu Beef Burger

The Butcher’s Wagyu burger is a good decent hamburger. It is reminiscent of a simple cheeseburger – a thick patty, a bun, a shred of tomato, and a slice of cheese; a cheeseburger that is just a little more classy a little more expensive, that can probably be tied to, as its name suggests, a meat lovin’ butcher’s idea of a hamburger – which makes for a fine idea, this execution on the other hand…

The presentable but desolate hamburger does offer an enjoyable burger experience, a nice hamburger taste balance. The rightly chewy bun shows a shiny firm outer shell that is soft to the touch; and the well textured patty which has a good beef taste but lacks that serious Wagyu flavor, is complemented by competent seasoning that doesn’t overindulge the burger taste balance – which is heightened by the rich truffle mayo. Together in taste, these ingredients work adequately; in construction, there are some faults. Holding and eating the hamburger, as the bun tightly encapsulates the patty, there is a pleasant feeling of compression and soft tear. Still, moments before, even with a grand presentation, one can already see the abstract construction – a patty too thick and mismatched for the bun, that’ll lead to a thoughtful strategic first bite and a likely defeating last bite, that dreadful incomplete final bite that is only bread.

Surprisingly, for being a butcher’s burger, there isn’t any bacon or other fanciful meats in the composition, even more startling is the incorrect meat temperature; this, together with the slivers of vinegary tomato, that kinda make up for ketchup, leads to a feeling that this burger needs a little more care in order to reach a level of minimal exquisiteness. In the end it’s just meat and bread, a ghostly cheese that is there but hard to experience, and a longing for a little greenness. And I know what you’re thinking, but don’t do it, don’t put the salad in the burger… the dressing will overpower the burger in a husky sourness – leave it be. The fries were good, though a little too salty, but distinguished with the truffle mayo.

For 190.00 HKD i’d like to have a more enriched burger experience, with a wide variety of layered tastes, not just a fancy cheeseburger that tastes great but feels like something is missing – oh and by the way, just for your information, it’s only served during lunch time.

+852 2613 9286

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, decent, hamburgers, Hong Kong, Sheung Wan

Feb 14 2014

33 Wyndham Street Lan Kwai Fong

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong

Gold by Harlan Goldstein (closed)

HG Burger

The HG Burger is a decent hamburger, its lacklusterness isn’t so much derived from its average burger taste balance, but more so from its abysmal proportions; this burger, the Mr. Magoo of hamburgers, small and expensive, is comprised of cumbersome shapes that result in an uncomfortable construction. From a gold restaurant this sure is a bronze burger.

At first, awkwardly spread out, this slight burger is met with a troubled feeling; as you gander at all the ingredients, ready to build the hamburger, you won’t be entirely sure how exactly they’ll all fit together. The greens, in desperate need of some fine slicing, lack a certain elegance; a gaucheness that becomes clearer as you forge this short stocky hamburger – the tomato and onion, too thick for the good of the burger taste balance, are likely to become unlucky characters taken out before the finale.

The patty, which has the right amount of herbiness to complement the burger taste balance without overwhelming, has an acceptable beef taste. Still, juicy splotches followed by a dry center become a puzzling revelation; to add to the perplexity, the patty is shaped like a freak’n oval! Molded too high and too thin, it’s proportioned well enough to, one, not cover the whole assigned bun area, leaving the last bite as bread and soaked up juices, and two, an uneasy overly extended first bite. Due to pork fat in the mix, the restaurant won’t serve a medium rare patty – you can ask for medium, but it doesn’t really matter since it’ll arrive well done.

If there is a bit of gold to be found in this burger, it’s the white truffle mayo; your taste buds will certainly fondle and appreciate the thick cream buttery texture that accentuates both the burger and the fries. The bun also makes a pleasant sweetish addition, a certain softness in the innards with a firm surround keep the bun robust; sadly, it doesn’t make the hamburger any less of a struggle to hold and devour. The one single solitary half piece of apple wood smoked bacon was good and crunchy; and the Gouda cheese with a strong visual presence, passes on pretty mildly. The fries are good.

In the end, some ingredients do a good job while most underperform; which is too bad, because for a burger that is priced at 228.00 HKD one wold expect that everything would at least be bearing on golden… at least they didn’t skimp out on the truffle mayo.

Gold by Harlan Goldstein

Level 2 LKF Tower

Central

+852 2869 9986

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, decent, hamburgers, Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong

Dec 11 2013

2 Comments

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong

Bloom, Lily & Bloom

Bloomberg-er

The Bloomberg-er, a decent burger, is one filled with ups and downs; from when you first lay eyes on it to the last bite, from its assembly to its flavor. At first, with its round bun and enticing inner workings, the burger looks attractive; an appeal that is soon diminished as you consider how structurally unstable the hamburger seems. The hastily piled ingredients and the top heavy feeling the burger gives to the eye, create a sense that the burger might collapse at any moment – if it weren’t spiked through.

As you begin to endeavor through this burger, initial bites bring a sense of satisfaction that soon turn into dismay as you notice the taste imbalance within. The patty, a minefield of flavors that combines great use of herbs to accentuate the beef taste with peppery patches that overwhelm the burger, is further sabotaged by a thick dry patty that breaks off into robust chunks. The truffle mayonnaise, a high point for this burger with its rich and luscious taste, is given in glimpses that create a desire to proceed with the burger in an attempt to palate the condiment; bites that soon turn into alarm as an abundance of onions dominate and drown the whole Bloomberg-er. The Gruyere cheese, which passes without leaving a mark; the vegetables, which feel ordinary; and the bacon, which tastes good but is too hard, don’t add anything special.

The bun, fried and warm, tasted great as it held its shape throughout the burger. Yet, the disproportionate construction that leaves you with too much bread at the end of the burger, produces a sense of distress as you’re forced to not enjoy every bite with an equal part of the key ingredients. The french fries are awesome.

The Bloomberg-er was a let down, even more at 175.00 HKD, but I believe it has the potential to be great if more care is involved, and I would give it another chance. Lily and Bloom is a great place, one that I’ve become a regular to, a place with a stylish atmosphere, where people know my name, and where the drinks are magnificent; and if you have the chance visit Lily and Bloom, but not for the burger. Perhaps my expectations for this burger were too high, and you know what they say about expectations – they make an ass out of you and me.

Bloom, Lily & Bloom

5/F & 6/F LKF Tower

No. 33 Wyndham Street,

Central, Hong Kong

+852 2810 6166

Tagged burger reviews, Burgers, Central, decent, hamburgers, Hong Kong, Lan Kwai Fong

Nov 20 2013