Burgers Hong Kong

Burger reviews, Decent, Hong Kong, Kowloon, Local burger, Sham Shui Po

Burgerman

The trucker burger from Burgerman is a decent hamburger. The burger is big… like a mighty truck. It stands up with a hulking burger construction, a freight that brings familiarity and desire for that big burger gratification feel. The feeling of holding and commanding something huge and burly, a massive hamburger that’ll dampen one’s sense of taste, and eventually leave behind a feeling of glut that was never asked for. Regrettably, the handling and consumption of the burger is ditched on its first impression; after a few bites the trucker burger becomes a pile-up of past decent hamburgers, of the many home made burgers that may satisfy but aren’t all that distinctive.

The burger’s burger taste balance is steered by a range of commonplace ingredients; the same hamburger items that many have experienced before, that have shaped countless burgers with a sense of placidness. The purity of the beef taste is driven out by heavy amounts of seasoning, trucking a taste of hamburger mediocracy. The cheese being hauled is nothing more than a couple of singles used to add a cheesy feel to the load. The fried egg has burnt-out beyond its greatness, drying up the runny goodness that is the yolk fluid. And the bacon handles with a crisp chew that is dimmed by a single strip.

The burger construction, rolling in impressively at first, disappoints with the first grab and bite… each mouthful is a constant breakdown of components that haven’t been stacked or planned for. One has to back the hammer down as meat chunks of sizeable proportions fall out of the burger. The meat’s better half, the bun, hauls itself with a great taste before it backfires from the barreling size of the hamburger. Nearing the final marker will be a messy plow that requires many stops and continuous burger repairs.

For 100.00 HKD, which includes some good fries and a drink, this burger is a drive down a long and familiar road, one that has been driven on countless times, that doesn’t offer any new experiences. If anything, this hamburger might make a trucker out of its handler… operating big equipment, knowing when to stop and speed up, getting down and dirty, and getting the whole thing into that tight spot. Once the trucker burger is served one’s in it for the long haul.

www.burgerman.com.hk/

65-71, Yen Chow Street

Sham Shui Po

Kowloon

+852 2361 1330

Tagged Burgers, decent, hamburgers, Hong Kong, Kowloon, Local, Local burger

Aug 10 2015

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong, SoHo

The Saint (Closed)

Gourmet Burger

The Saint’s Gourmet Burger is a decent hamburger. The burger’s first impression, a hamburger that is ready to be taken by a cradling mouthfeel, is one of immediate satisfaction; as burger essences ooze from one layer to another, collecting into a bantam pool of want, a sense of elation causes hunger to forswear. Not until the first bite, the first mouth touch, does the burger begin to reveal its true character, to unravel itself into a mediocre burger taste balance that’ll leave one troweling through a range of ingredients, many that have been seemingly neglected.

The burger, both in its burger taste balance and burger construction, is plagued by a rigid fatigue, by an old dryness that has subsided the freshness and vitality of some ingredients long ago, leaving behind, for the most, only appearances and illusions. The bun enacts one of the principal letdowns, golden and professedly firm with a crumpleness that adheres to the rest of the burger; it exists with a faded texture that, even beyond the release of meaty juices, eventually turns the burger stale. The beef patty is thick and flowing yet thirsty in its chunks, a good beef flavor within the first instances of the burger eventually dwindles into something ominously un-energetic, as if a hard glaciate had withdrawn most of its vigor – leaving a somewhat musty legacy in one’s mouth.

Other aspects of the burger don’t call much attention to themselves, their roles in the burger taste balance pass along without question. The vegetables, the tomato and the lettuce, had the taste one would expect accompanied by a suspicious softness – not a texture one might be looking for. The blue cheese has a fragrant savor that will chance itself the opportunity to overflow the burger, not always in one’s best interests. The bacon, probably the standout ingredient in the burger, exposes itself with an equitable saltness and a thick texture. And the onion rings, oversized with a thick oniony crunch, are a little over the top. The fries are alright.

For 168.00 HKD, plus 10.00 HKD extra for toppings like cheese, bacon and onions rings, this burger is pricey and common; it is a hamburger experience that climaxes on its introduction with its sight, smell and feel, that ultimately abates itself with each bite into becoming a simple decent burger.

The Saint

55 Elgin Street

Soho, Central

+852 2522 2646

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

Apr 27 2015

Burger reviews, Decent, Sheung Wan

Corner Kitchen Cafe

Juicy Beef Burger

The Juicy Beef Burger from Corner Kitchen Cafe is a decent hamburger. This dainty little burger, prepped inside a snug little corner kitchen, illustrates a burger taste balance that shoulders the genuine feel and care of an honestly humble home-made hamburger. Practical, simple, predictable, from the instant one’s hungry gaze comforts onto this hamburger, through the journey to the closing last bite, everything about this burger – ingredients, build, presentation, form a coalescent fervor of menial familiarity, a straightforward house hamburger.

A sturdy burger construction would not describe this burger’s demeanor, more so it becomes a sense of rife in one’s enjoyment. Moments after witnessing an angled inclination in the sheaf of ingredients, as one’s fingers begin to feel comfort with the body of this burger, and as the first bite takes over, a loss of semblance commences from within its depths, within its patty… To the burger’s suggestion, the patty is a juicy piece of meat that accommodates a modest beef palatableness seasoned with what feels as a befitting range of spices that just vaguely overwhelm; the patty’s massed texture and chunky crumble lead to fractures from its core, and within the first few bites a source of torment is given as one never truly knows if and when the meat will collapse.

The hamburger bun, aptly holding its shape as it takes in all the meaty juices, is a tasty toasted bread with a snug crunch – one which is bound by a stiff supple bounce that is too tenacious towards the patty. The lettuce, adding a hefty berth to the burger, and the tomato and caramelized onions, both sort of lost in the burger’s taste balance, drive a desire for better greenery in the burger. The cheese overflows its mild flavor playing well with the ingredients, even if it hints to a process; but its the bacon, with a hefty bacon flavor that overhangs in the burger along with a brittle chew, that gives this burger its congeniality. The special sauce is nice and spicy, and the fries turn out good.

For 125.00 HKD this burger is pretty pricey for a home-made hamburger – it is a simple everyday burger, a well known burger to anyone who has every had a house hamburger made for them by someone who’ll give little thought to a burger crafting process, a homely burger that most could comfortably make at home.

+852 2547 8008

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

Mar 13 2015

Shop 2017 Podium 2 IFC Mall,

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong

Big Fernand

Le Bartholomé Hamburgé

Big Fernand’s Le Bartholomé Hamburgé is a decent burger. This hamburger, a french concoction of pompous proportions, is introduced as a proud frenchmen; a frenchanization of an american icon, a potential representative for le cuisine française – a culinary fling considered by some to be the best in the world. This notion might lead one to believe that this hamburgé would be something to excite, a chef d’œuvre that benefits form its french touch; instead, Big Fernand’s statement of “stop guzzling burgers, eat hamburgés” fails as it becomes one too grand to convey.

The passionate affair that the french have for bread is well translated in the taste and construction of this hamburgé, the intricate unwrapping of the burger culminates in a faux pas as only bun and smidgens of sauce become visible. This bun, with its soft texture and with a crusty exterior, is good bread, but oh mon dieu sacrebleu there’s just too much of it – bite after bite the patty seems to become an improbable fact. After each dragging mouthful, as one beckons the arrival of the patty – quel dommage! The calamité of the patty is not derived from its flavour, which has been bred for meat, it comes from an un-juicy chunky texture and a petiteness that leaves a desire for a patty that circumferences the bun.

The rest of the burger décor forms a tableau vivant – nothing in this hamburgé particular stands out as remarkable. A combination of two sauces, the BB Fernand or BBQ sauce and Tata Fernand also known as cocktail sauce, are overwhelmingly sweet to the burger – le hamburgé is served au jus, as these dominate the burger taste balance. The raclette fromage, the sassy stinky cheese one can expect, adds a french gooey embrace to the burger; the bacón, a crunchy tasty forte in the burger, falls short with a vignette of slices. The légumes are quite limited, the handful of chopped chives add little more than hints of greenery, and the caramelised onions are present but forgettable – and voilà, one’s experience with le hamburgé. The fries were soggy and old.

For 135.00 HKD, plus an additional 40.00 HKD for the little combo – fries and a drink, the hamburgé is a pricey burger to be missed. Towards the finale there’s a realisation that the burger taste balance isn’t terrible, it simply isn’t representative of that high level of french food one would embrace – but hey not everything turns out as one wants… c’est la vie!

Big Fernand

8 Finance Street,

Central,

+852 6650 0580

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

Feb 15 2015

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong

Burger Circus

The Magician’s Maytag Blue

The Magician’s Maytag Blue burger from Burger Circus is a magical burger of decent abilities. The big top has been raised and the stage set – a burger construction with everything in place, where not all is as it seems… As the curtains rise and the show in one’s mouth commences, a hamburger, full of mysteries and illusions, will have a couple of audience members in awed wonderment as to the perplexities of the ingredients that spectacle a presentable burger taste balance and a burger construction of unfulfilled proportions.

The burger’s showhamburgership, perfectly scened in its box, appears to be as sincere as they come, yet something about it feels slightly dolorous… something about its stacked presentation, as one is soon to discover, seems a little out of character – and as the show plays on, the burger’s lead characters are restrained by those of supporting roles. A green hyperbole of lettuce and tomato is introduced in this hamburger; the lettuce in particular, with its too many layers of leaves, robs the title role – bites are lush with crispy fresh tomatoey greenery that overpower the ring leaving the meats as fill-ins.

The beef patty, standing in as the magician’s assistant, has an enticing brown roundness and a textured character that crumbles in an agreeable juicy manner, its tragic illusion is portrayed by a beefy blandness and an unimposing stature that has difficulty staging itself with the other characters in the panoply. The bacon has a more ominous feel in the burger, the single slice has a hard crisp presence that behests attention, but lacks confidence in its taste.

The burger magic between the two pieces of bread, buns that execute their part with a winning malleability and taste that manages to capture the essence of the burger show, continues with the vanished cheese. A distinguished performer such as blue cheese, with an interesting stage name, should hail excitement; as one anxiously waits for its savory appearance, in the end, this credited role was left utterly unfulfilled. The fried onions make a charismatic but lowly appearance throughout most of the burger. The fries are pretty standard.

The cost for the burger experience at the circus comes to 88.00 HKD plus an additional 30.00 HKD for the fries, it all seems a bit steep for the burger one gets. During the finale, as one reflects on the closing act of this decent burger, it’s hard not to think about other burgers one might be missing because the circus is in town.

+852 2878 7787

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

Feb 07 2015

Burger reviews, Decent, Hong Kong, Tin Hau

Texas Burger

Texas BBQ Burger

The Texas BBQ Burger from Texas Burger is a decently good hamburger. The burger, titillatingly glistened with a neon luminescence from the electric trace on the wall, staged with a brand of provenance a-top, approaches the table with a persuasive burger ardor of sight and smell. Yet, under the gloaming redness of the shop, as the hamburger rides in closer – questions on how this burger rodeo will fair arise…

The pioneer impression of the burger’s burger construction, with ingredients that seem slightly under ratio, will first leave one as nervous as woodshed waiter; the top half of the hamburger, particularly the bun, enters the roundup like a cowboy, as fat as a town dog, gripping a lesser bucking bull facing all efforts to avoid a tumbling. A cheating stick that follows the width of the hamburger works to quell the uneasiness until its outward slide – with a gentle pull and pray a discovery that the burger construction holds is met with comfort – a feeling that rides ’til the end.

The burger’s burger taste balance counts a contrasting story, a brawny first sway entices one to reverie that the burger may be right as rain, but a progression of the chow reveals slim faults of overcookedness that slight the hamburger. The sole slice of bacon makes a hardy impression with a nice salty savor that looks out for the burger but cracks with a dry crispiness. The fairly sized patty has an honest beef flavor that has been snarled with a tinge of seasoning as to not spoil the burger taste balance; on the other hand, the crumbled texture of the patty, drier than a popcorn fart, does at times feel slightly bare and lumpy.

The bun has a soft texture that snugly saddles the burger even if it feels too big; the onion rings gives the burger a modest crunch with a tasty mushy sweetness while the lettuce feels respectable; and the cheddar cheese is thinly present. The signature smoked jalpeno BBQ sauce is one of the better acts, with a tangy piquant taste, it feels fine as cream gravy. The fries are good.

For 88.00 HKD, if one finds themselves venturing into the east of Hong Kong Island and is in need of a burgerhole, this might be the roadhouse to try – one’ll get some grub with a good serving, and be as happy as a hog in mud before pilgriming on.

Texas Burger

G/F 109 Electric Road

Tin Hau

+852 2576 9011

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

Jan 30 2015

Shop B G/F Wo On Building

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

Boomshack

Vintage

Boomshack’s Vintage burger is a decent hamburger. The boom burger, as it’s categorized on the menu, won’t particularly cause a booming blast of satisfaction in one’s hungry stomach; not by cause of its burger taste balance, which is good in itself, but because of a burger construction that explodes with the burst of a twinkle; and with this it’s hard to see the vintage side of this hamburger, a burger from the past that represents the best of its kind… it is the more traditional option in the shack.

The favorable burger taste balance, though a tad on the salty side, seems to have been chemestried with ingredients that have received, flavor wise, proper attention. The square patty, with a juiciness that bursts in a richly manner following a fine texture and rupture, has a prosperous beef taste. The mixture of three cheeses, cheddar, provolone, and something else, melted together in a milky blend of goo, savorily flow through burger to mouth without imposing a hefty oleaginous feel. The bread, a riveting potato bun that actually awkwardly resembles a bun, has an amicable flocculent softness that is confined within an easeful exterior that has a bit of a crackle to it. And the vegetables, a sprinkle of chopped onions and a slice of tomato, feel as fresh and frugal as shall be.

The botheration with this simple burger, which is initially hidden as it sits inside a container, is not its contents, but a small burger construction which detonates with a burger force of minuscule proportions. As one proceeds to open the carton, weary of a burger boom, what one is left with is the shared feeling and look of bewilderment and defeat that Wile E. Coyote has when something doesn’t go as would be expected. Somehow somewhere one could probably find an ACME Corporation logo followed by an absurd contents description printed on the box, and as the roadrunner continues its run so will one’s hunger. At least the burger ratios work. The beet fries are alright.

For 78.00 HKD, plus 30.00 HKD for the combo, an overpriced feeling befalls onto this burger, a feeling that increases as one departs this shack of a trailer park with an unsatiated yearning for a full stomach. On occasion even a booming burger taste balance can be brought down by a dud sized burger, a fizzle that lessens this so called vintage burger.

Boomshack

8-12 Wo On Lane

Central

+852 2660 5977

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

Nov 14 2014

Burger reviews, Central, Decent, Hong Kong

Al’s Diner

Big Bopper Burger

The Big Bopper burger from Al’s Diner is a good decent hamburger. As one makes haste towards this locale tis hard to gage what sort of burger experience will be had in the following moments… Enter the burger, a hamburger with an exquisite looking presentation – a colorful facing burger that is accompanied by an enjoyable expansive smell. The initial buildature of the hamburger is also a reason to rejoice, the circumferences of the bun and the patty look to agree with each other while the proportional measurements of the characters appear appropriate – the beef seems to have the right shape and thickness, the cheese a musk hardy yellow presence that deluges the bacon, and the vegetables look verdantly present.

The aesthetic and nasal enjoyment begin to dispel when taste and feel comes to play – faults are made more obvious as one delves into the burger experience. The perception towards the bun shifts from a proportionally rationed bread to something that seems slightly oversized and weak, the soft bread with a bushy density soon becomes soggy – the longer it is held between one’s finger the greater the chances of protruding though the sweaty dough and tickling the meat. There’s a whole other character to the patty once the meat is grasped within one’s lips; from a great scent and an exciting moisture, the meat falls short on its lack of tasty meatness, by the inadequate composition of a jerky seasoning and a grainy chunked texture that reveal a decent taste.

The usual vegetable trio of tomato, onion, and lettuce are all acceptable – more so ordinarily selected vegetables that at times possess the burger taste balance as overlooked thick shapes. The cheese has a couthy visual feel to it that was not strongly contemplated in the burger; and the bacon, not evenly cooked with crunchy bits and soft bits, ends up as an enjoyable salty inclusion into the burger. The pale fries were passable.

For 105.00 HKD Al’s Big Bopper Burger is a burger that could be given a single chance – ultimately the burger taste balance and the construction offer a greater visual and olfactory experience than a palatable one. One might be better of enjoying some of their jello shots than the burger… but then again, few will go to Al’s Diner specifically for a hamburger.

Al’s Diner

G/F 39 D’Aguilar Street,

Central,

+852 2521 8714

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

Nov 07 2014

Harlan Goldstein’s Comfort

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

Harlan Goldstein’s Comfort

McHarlan Burger

The McHarlan Burger at Harlan Goldstein’s Comfort is a decent hamburger. Undeserving of the ‘Mc’ title this is a burger that, as Eddie Murphy puts it, resembles a ‘big-house-burger’, which in this particular exemplar by no means is it meant to be taken as a burger complement – the concept of this hamburger has been eminently oversimplified. The burger’s whole induction is encountered with dubiety; beyond the casket’s unfurlment, through a colorful burger facade, as the burger sits in its faux cardboard hamburger throne – a box seat that one guesses should be taken as a joke, the feeling of skepticism enthralls.

Stratyfing the box in order to determine how to best lift the burger a disgraceful construction is made observable; everything shakes as everything moves, and a worrying degree of jiggling and joggling ensues with panic caused at every soft jolt, panic for a burger that seems stacked for a plummet. At the touch of the bun, with one’s gentle fingers, the burger feels hard and appears pretty small. The first bite is frantic and out of control as a terrible thickness of all the burger parts makes for a chaotic challenge to grasp. It is the poorly chosen bun, a cornerstone of the problems and the root of a terrible compression that exerts to much force on the insides – it’s too stubbornly crunchy, it’s much too rigid for this poor burger.

Then, there isn’t a patty… much more of a meatball that has been slightly and carelessly squished; a meat shape that doesn’t feel juicy but a bit over seasoned – with a dark peppery essence that covers a beefy expectation of taste. The bacon is good all out on its own, but struggles to play within the burger taste balance. The vegetables – butter lettuce and onions manage to deliver some sense of chunky greenery in the burger, but with a couple of burger issues at bay it’s hard to pay attention to them; and the truffled mushrooms, shichimi msyo and gouda cheese seem almost non existent – just another mediocre burger taste balance that befalls from a not suitable burger construct. The fries are good.

For 188.00 HKD, one shouldn’t pay too much attention to this burger; it might be trying to hard to be equal or better to something it is not… One thing’s for sure – this ain’t no McDonald’s burger.

5/F Grand Progress Building,

15-16 Lan Kwai Fong,

Central,

+852 2521 8638

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

Aug 22 2014

Burger reviews, Decent, Hong Kong, Sheung Wan

The Lot on Possession

Number 1

The Lot’s Number 1 hamburger is a decent hamburger. The mid range burger manages to deliver a reasonable burger experience, a satisfactory burger satisfaction that has both good moments and somewhat adequate moments. Not all the ingredients have been treated equally here, and it shows in both its burger taste balance and its burger construct – at the time of this write up, as a new arrival to Sheung Wan, its as if some ingredients are still trying to find their way, their purpose.

The unwieldy presentation will initially raise concerns around proper burger ratios, and as the patty hides in the core of the bun and the bread shows its scalding scars one can only perturb themselves as to what the first bite will be like. The beef patty is one of the few ingredients that has been taken care off – juicy, tenderous, and with a ripe beef taste, it is a noble ingredient within the burger; but not all is lush in this hamburger, the surrounding bun hasn’t been as privileged – covered in burn marks, it is dry with a somewhat stale attitude.

Perusing the rest of the ingredients; the cheese, with a strong extent, lacks any sort of essence; the relish, with an acrid sourness on its own, luckily doesn’t particularly give much back to the team; and the rich buttery herb mayo, could have made its presence better known. The vegetables, appropriately sufficient, deliver a somewhat fresh experience with particularly juicy tomatoes.

Once one gets into the hamburger, considering the burger construction, the burger proportions aren’t as amateurish as they seem. However, the shoddily fabricated burger ingredients, a dried bun that departs as a terribly soft mediumly rare patty releases its juices to break through, signify a somewhat troublesome burger holding experience – one is to be careful as to not cause to much compression onto this burger, as one squeeze to hard may cause a spilling discard. The spicy wedges weren’t that spicy but good.

For 118.00 HKD plus 25.00 HKD for the fries, and with not many options in the Sheung Wan area, this is a burger that one might give at least a single opportunity; though it is obvious that it still needs some learning to do – oddly enough it has no bacon, one can only hope that this burger will bloom to live up to its name, though unlikely – to become the number one burger in the lot.

The Lot on Possession

22 Possesion Street,

Sheung Wan,

+852 2576 7700

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

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

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