Reviews from the following places will be added….ah….shortly…..

CAPE TOWN – lotsa seafood, great meals at the vineyarrds, not to mention a trip to the latest place to be seen, JARDINE….

JOHANNESBURG - best prawns I’ve EVERRRRRRR had (at 2 different places), RIDICULOUSLY delicious meals eaten in the company of lions and ellies AND some great burgers too!

HONG KONG - the world famous China Club and the funky rooftop hang, Aqua….

SYDNEY – more phenomenal Thai than you can poke a stick at…

STAY TOOOOONED!

I’d heard of Kuma’s Corner for months and have craved their metal-themed hamburgers and pretzel buns for many a month I’ve lived in Chicago. Tonight, I set out for the famous metal bar and was able to snatch a spot before the looming crowd grew larger than the small room had space for. And I noticed something so curious that the New York Times picked up on before I was able to get to my WordPress:

I DON’T know what I was expecting — guns? outlaw bikers? — but the restaurant, with its high ceilings and a pleasing corner location, didn’t end up all that threatening. Sure, there were drawings of half-naked female vampires on the walls, a scrawl reading “Die Emo Die” above the bar, and the incessant and propulsive fluttering of double-kick bass drums chugging under growled vocals on the sound system all night, but my girlfriend’s parents — not the target demographic, one assumes — described it afterward as “a hoot.”

Yep. “Die Emo Die.” The Times piece actually makes it a bit more prevalent than the three words actually are. They’re scrawled in chalk, are a bit small and sit atop a gigantic picture of a bear. And with all the other chalk descriptions (what charity they’re giving money to this month, the burger of the month), t-shirts and random ephemera on the wall, it isn’t terribly noticeable. I guess that is unless you’re me and it sticks out almost immediately. It also helps that I sat at that part of the bar directly facing those three words.

And yet, just after sitting down something curious blasted through the bar’s speakers. At The Drive In’s “One Armed Scissor.” At The Drive In, a band that is by any other means, emo. Sure, it’s hard as hell, but it’s emo nonetheless. So, I smiled to myself, made note to my roommate who joined me in the metal meal quest and awaited the arrival of my burger (the “Melvins” burger.)

And man was it delicious. The atmosphere there was great, and is certainly another fond reminder of some great metal acts that exist. It’s just another great place that only seems to exist so perfectly in a place like Chicago.

Like many mountain towns Truckee,California is a great place to find tasty grub. Breakfast at Squeeze Inn is the gold standard for breakfast and Burger Me(a more recent addition to the town) is the gold standard for, you guessed it, burgers. Squeeze Inn claims to have the best omelets in the world. One thing is for sure if they don’t have the best they certainly have the most choices and many of those are damn creative. I mean where else can you get peanut butter, apple, banana and honey…in an omelette.

lottttttta choices

I'm a fan of the Denver and a stiff mimosa

the walls are covered with love from people...no idea where my old signature is prolly gonna have to re-do that.

merchandizing merchandizing

So a quick word about Burger Me. The reason it’s so damn good is because they really bring on the quality. Their meat is free range and local to the area. Their lemonade and ice tea is homemade on site. They have microbrew beer available, flat screens with sports and they use Ben and Jerry’s to make their milkshakes. I recommend the Bison BBQ burger or the Grilled Ahi Sandwich. Pair it with some sweet potato fries maybe throw a fried egg on that burger if you’re feeling adventurous. Hell I even hear their veggie burger is good from one of them vegetarian folks.

nice menu right there.

makes a real nice Arnie Palmer

sweet potato fries here are a must.

save room for dessert.

Elma and I gave Whitlock's Grill 3 stars overall

Three out of five stars now……but things are a-changin at Whitlock’s!!

Elma and I decided to eat at Whitlock’s Grill, (which was formally Chicago’s Steaks) on Whitlock Avenue about 2 miles west of the square in the Kroger shopping center.  Those of you who expect Whitlock’s to be Chicago’s are in for a disappointment. 

I would imagine it’s difficult to buy and established place, that everyone knows, and then make it your own, but that is exactly what this owner from Peru is doing….but he’s doing it gradually.

The menu now, is what I would call “familiar”.  It has the basics that one would expect on a menu: burgers, salads, and sandwiches.  But all that is expected to change in the upcoming months.

In speaking with the pleasant waitress (who is also the certified pastry chef) the owner, Fernando Vargas, wanted those who expected a Chicago’s menu to at least come in and get what they expected….for a while.

The word is, he is expected to slowly change the menu from “expected” to “pleasantly surprised”.  He plans to showcase a more unique style in both the entrees and the desserts. 

Thus this review is based on the food that is being served now, November 2009.  Elma and I plan to go back in several months to sample the new, hip and happenin menu and report to you on it.

For a synopsis of how we rate things please see our rating system.

Food quality:  Elma ordered the fish and chips.($9.99) The fish was fresh and soft, but the fries were previously frozen and gritty.  The hush puppies were crispy and good.  Says Elma:  “this is OK, but it doesn’t make my taste buds say “POW”.”

Whitlock grill's fish and chips ($9.99)

I ordered the grilled salmon ($9.99) which was a bit overcooked and not very tender, but fresh and flavorful, which made it as good as any…better ‘n some.  the only side was some steamed broccoli.  All the pieces were flowerets and no stems (thank you!) I have to admit…the plate looked a bit lonely and could have used a roll or something, no?

If you don’t eat meat, there are 3 things on the menu for you…even the salads all have meat (I guess I could pick it out, but I didn’t want to pay for it)

Whitlock Grill's grilled salmon ($9.99)

Value:  I don’t mind paying $9.99 for lunch but I expect to get a bit more than we got for it.  There were items on the lunch menu for $6.99, but it was nothing that sounded good to us.

Elma’s plate had a lot more food than mine, and she went home with a doggie bag. My plate was completely clean (I was hungry).  All is all, it was an average value.

A bright spot in the experience was the desserts.  Three of their desserts are made on site: the creme brulee, the carrot cake, and the key lime pie.  The owner and head chef  likes chocolate, so there were a lot of chocolate choices :pecan pie with chocolate chips, chocolate cheesecake, double chocolate cake, and a chocolate bundt cake.

Elma loves creme brulee, so she tried that.  It was very large, and the top sugar crust was thick (Elma picked up the pieces of sugar ice and ate them seperately..with a smile) The custard was very nice–soft and smooth…very good.

I had to try the chocolate bundt.  Even thought this was not made on site, it was very good.  Super moist little round cake with a chocolate explosion in the center covered with ice cream and whipped cream (canned I believe).  Very nice and it hit my sweet spot.

We recommend the creme brulee and the chocolate bundt!!

Atmosphere:  There has been no new changes in the set up from Chicago’s to Whitlock’s.  It was clean and neat–nice all in all.  “How would you rate the atmosphere?” I asked Elma.  “The atmosphere has to do with who you are with–not what’s on the walls.”   Smart lady.

Wait staff:  This one may be unfair, because we were the only people in the place when we went at 3:00.  The waitress that served us was very attentive (it would have been really bad if she wasn’t, right?) and very nice.  She seemed very excited about the changes that were to come in the menu…..we’ll see.

Senior Friendly:  There are 2 handicapped parking places in the front, so if it were a busy day, I don’t think we would have gotten one.  There is a ramp and  several stairs to the front door.  There are also stairs in the main part of the eating area in some places.

Bathroom:  The bathroom was very nice, fully stocked and smelling like a fresh flower.

Whitlock's Grill bathroom was fresh and clean

All in all not a bad experience.  I am very interested to see the changes that take place–it all sounds very exciting……there is talk of  ”de-constructed desserts”…..very “avante gard”!

Check back with the blog after the first of the year and we will review the “new” Whitlock’s Grill!

Whitlock’s Grill’s web site is under construction at the time this blog entry was written. (Nov 2009)

Got in Monday Afternoon…. to a sunshiney Colorado Holiday afternoon. Rushing over to visit my girl Kristie and hit Olive Gardens endless Soup and Salad. Then checked into the hotel and headed over to my brothers house for dinner.

He was making Burgers and Pasta Salad. While we were watching him prepare the meal, we were catching up. As he measured the Milk and Mayonnaise for the Pasta Salad, I had to tell him. Steve, I’m a vegetarian now and I don’t eat meat products or dairy. He had a look of OH! NO!…. And then quickly I said, don’t change what you’re doing.. I just wanted to let you know. Then I said, well do you have any Carrots or a Salad I can munch on. And he said, well of course…. it turned out to be better than I thought!!!

It’s happened again – I am in full procrastination mode! Now don’t get me wrong, I am usually quite a decisive person – I am a card carrying member of the old ‘just do it’ school of thought – if you want to get something done there is precious little point in wasting time thinking about it. If you do, you usually end up achieving nothing, and that is exactly what is becoming more and more likely to happen in this case. Let me explain…

A few weeks back I agreed to go speed dating with a friend. She is a pretty organised type of person – she had booked a place for herself at the venue which was somewhere in one of the leafy suburbs of SW London, on a date in early December. She gave the details of the times, and the web address of the site that I needed to do the booking.

Get to know me in three...

I had fully intended to book it that weekend, but when I sat down at my PC to do the deed, I couldn’t even bring myself to visit the site – I just spent the rest of the evening on Youtube. I have been trying too figure out exactly why this is. I have no real problems with the concept of speed dating itself – it sounds as if it could be fun. One thing I have always had a bit of an issue with though is booking online. The thought of putting my payment card details out there on the web has always made me feel a bit uneasy, but on the other hand I have booked holidays and paid for insurance over the Web before, so I can’t see why this latest venture should pose any real problem.

As the day of the event draws nearer, my window of opportunity for booking my place is shrinking, so it is basically bite the bullet time if I don’t want to let my friend down. It is going to be done….soon! Wish me luck!

If you are visiting Rockit Bar and Grill on Hubbard Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood the answer is yes.

While in Chicago a couple months ago I was looking for some late night eats and while wandering down Hubbard Street and I spotted Rockit. Looked at the menu and they said they were still serving so I sat at the bar and ordered a Goose Island Honkers Ale and a cheeseburger.

First I had to deal with some arrogant prick yelling criticisms at the bartender because she didn’t snap to attention the minute he came to the bar (she was the only bartender) and there was e decent crowd. He kept saying stuff like “Is this place closed? because I’d like to get some drinks and nobody is helping me. You must be closed then” and “I own bars in New York and if I saw an employee take this long she’d be fired.” Total cockbag.

I soon got my burger, a Black Angus burger on a pretzel roll with lettuce, onion, tomato and Cheddar cheese. As I bit in it was as if I was tasting perfection. This was one hell of a burger. Thick, perfectly seasoned, juicy, and a perfect medium rare this was a thing of beauty. It was better than any pub-style burger I have ever experienced in Wisconsin, including my favorite at Wicked Hop. The pretzel roll just added to the awesomeness of this burger.

Then as I was eating my very delicious masterpiece I head some whiny dude in his mid-to-late twenties complaining about everything under the sun to his girlfriend. “Whey are we here?” “This place is lame.” “How long do we have to stay here?” He seriously sounded like a 5 year old that was forced to go to church.  I’m not sure who was worse him or his girlfriend that has such low self esteem that she puts up with such a whiny little twit. I turned around and not surprisingly he was wearing a Marquette hat.

If you are in Chicago you need to try this burger.  However my suggestion would be the check out the Wrigleyville outpost of Rockit. That area tends to be less high strung and filled with more decent people than most of the joints near downtown.  Rockit is located 3700 N. Clark (Wrigleyville) or 22 W. Hubbard (River North). http://www.rockitbarandgrill.com/

I just want to say that I love my friends and I like hamburgers. So if you’ve got a hankering for one (a hamburger, not friend – although you could perhaps find one of those there too), I suggest you get yourself to Paul’s Burgers on 2nd avenue. They’ve got a million different burgers you can order (all super healthy, of course) and you get a giant bowl of pickle chips at your table, which gets automatic points from me.

It’s quite the spot; lots of kitsch, with checkered table cloths and road signs like “Trailer Trash Avenue” and the like. They also have TVs so you can watch your college football team get killed (ahem) or you can sit on one of the bar stools and watch the cooks in action. The burgers are deeelicious, as are their shakes. My little sister even got a shake there once when she visited me and she’s not a shake person by any means. It’s just good, people.

Ok, that is all. Eat a hamburger. And get ready for City Mitten: Detroit Edition, as I’m on my way to Thanksgiving weekend back home.

How was your first burger experience?

At best, this experience can be seminal; a gateway to another plane of existence, where our imagination dictates our livelihood. Where we realize that what is right in front of us is just the very tip of the iceberg. Where we learn what we can’t see, or didn’t see becomes exponentially more important than what we can. Because after years of consumption, we know that a better burger exists. And every craving leads to an adventure to find our El Dorado. The place where our burger is exactly what we want at exactly that time and place. It is less a feeling of home, and more a temporary guest pass to the cosmos.

At worst, you become completely disgusted at the thought of burgers, thus staving off future complications like coronary artery disease and stroke, something I am sure to experience soon. Which…really, in the long term, sounds extremely smart.

But I pity those who don’t enjoy burgers. Because beyond their stigma as the key to the city of obesity and malnutrition, there are few other food options that can provide such a thorough gastronomical emprise.

And the adventure starts at home, and doesn’t really end until you either die, or become a vegan. Because even when you’ve broken into the stratosphere, beyond the lengths that home could possibly encompass, there is still the thrilling comfort of knowing there is a piece of home in every piece of this land.

My adventure took me to Santa Barbara. It was a summer camping trip with the usual subtitles. We fled from our trouble, ran from our demons, but always keeping them within our sights. The All-American vacation. But when Hamburger Helpers, baked beans, and nachos made with day old ground beef lost its luster, our cravings led us to the one most permanent fixture of Americana there is.

The Habit. An inoffensive ode to the California style burger, much in the mold of the In-N-Out burger, but in every way, an upgrade.

I like In-N-Out. I do. The secret menu was a remarkably genius addition, providing all of the lonely individuals in the world a place in which they are part of a distinct collective, a collective that has the pleasure of creating a better burger. But at the same time, I can’t help feeling as though something is amiss at the storied franchise. The whiteness of the walls, the ceiling, the buildings. The juxtaposition of red and yellow, almost a mockery of an even larger, more storied franchise. The sparkly white everywhere, it becomes a representation of a clean place, a heaven, where those who have been scarred by McDonalds’ bad press can come and enjoy a ’superior’ burger, at a price. There’s too much of a gimmick there for me. In-N-Out doesn’t establish itself as an individual among fast food chains, but rather, establishes itself as some sort of antidote. A “comeback” for the poor soul who initiates the “insult” of bringing up McDonalds as a potential destination.

Plus, their fries suck. They suck horribly. Alone, without the thousand island and the grilled onions and the cheese contained in the “Animal Style” version, they are limp, with no crisp in sight. Even when you order them well done, they become chips. Not french fries. It’s frustrating for any burger lover. Because their burgers are fine. But you can’t fully enjoy a burger without good fries riding shotgun.

Well, The Habit’s fries do not suck. In fact, they are some of the best fries I’ve had in a while. The perfect size. Not shoe string, but not steak cut either. A perfectly golden exterior provides the pillowy soft interior a solid fortress. And as you break down the castle walls with the blunt razors of your teeth, you realize what a burger experience is. Even the best burger is not without its flaws. And those flaws can be concealed, or forgotten, with the correct french fry. You realize that a burger does not equate to a burger experience. Because a house is not a home unless it holds your love within it. And a burger cannot sustain a meal. It must have its accompaniment. It must have good french fries.

The burger itself? It hides itself well in its sloppy appearance. But the details. Oh, the details. Cheese completely melted, completely devouring the beef patty. The buns, slightly charred, to bolster its defense against the monstrosity that lies between them. The shredded lettuce, and single slice of thick and juicy tomato, creating a perfect bite, every time, in contrast to other chains using two dinky slices, and a few whole leaves of lettuce, creating unproportioned bites, leading to a few awkward concluding bites. Complete with the fries and Barq’s root beer, it was a great meal. Not revolutionary as much as it was a reminder. Not seminal as much as it was succinctly satisfying. A meal with perfect proportions. And from that adventure, I hold onto a memory. A little pocket of time in which, if only for a few moments, I can call home.

• 3320 S. Westnedge Avenue
• Kalamazoo, MI 49008
• (269)342-0323
• Website
• Menu

McDonald’s twice in one week?  I know.  I apologize.  This was one of those unplanned stops. 

J and I left Waldo Stadium about halfway through the third quarter to avoid the incoming rain.  Somehow, I ended up back in Portage after leaving the stadium, so we came home I-94 to Westnedge.  About the time we were getting to our turn, J said she was still hungry.  I didn’t want to say anything, but I was too.  We had only eaten a slice of pizza and some popcorn at the game and didn’t have much of a lunch.

J was craving a smoothie and the only place we could think of at 10:00 at night that would have a smoothie was McDonald’s.  We knew there was one just a mile or so down the road, so we skipped our turn and headed to the golden arches. 

McDonald’s in the South Westnedge neighborhood is on South Westnedge near Elys Way.  Like I mentioned in my McDonald’s review earlier this week, I hate drive thrus, so we parked and headed in.  The restaurant is open 24 hours, but the lobby closes at 11:00.  We got there ahead of that, so I wasn’t forced to argue with a speaker because neither of us can understand each other. 

I was pretty predictable again.  Double 1/4lber meal with a Sprite.  I did not make it a large this time though.  I don’t need that many empty calories that late at night, but I needed something substantial. 

J ordered a small strawberry/banana smoothie and a Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap with crispy chicken.  Our bill was under $10.

We took it to go so we could get home.  We were both good and actually waited until we got home to eat….except for the few fries J stole from me.

My burger was what I expected and what I always enjoy from McDonald’s.  No surprises.

J said her chicken wrap was pretty spicy.  I didn’t take a bite, so you’ll just have to take her word on it.  I could smell the smoothie, but I don’t really like bananas or strawberries.  She enjoyed them both. 

I said it last time, I’ll say it again.  McDonald’s is what it is.  It’s cheap.  It’s quick.  It’s consistent. 

Strawberry-Banana Smoothie

Chipotle BBQ Snack Wrap

Well, the burgers were a success! 

I found the recipe on vegetariantimes.com.  I won’t post the entire recipe here, but you can view it here on the website.  The burgers included: black beans, corn, brown rice, red onion, walnuts, and lots o’ spices.  After mixing all of it together and forming patties, the burgers were dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking to the grill.  They looked like this heading out to the grill:

And this coming back in:

Don’t they look like ginger snaps?  They weren’t going to win any beauty contests– they were cracking me up.  But hey, they tasted good!  My one gripe?  They fell apart a little bit on the grill, so if I made them again, I think I’d just bake them in the oven, or cook them in a little olive oil in a skillet. 

As I worked on the “burgers,” my sister prepped sweet potato fries, cutting them into wedges and then tossing them with Tony’s cajun seasoning.  If you look hard enough, you can see her baby bump!  Hi, Sophie!

Here’s the whole spread:

Close-up shots:

My plate:

It was a delicious dinner, and the burgers were a hit!  Even the meat eaters tried them, and agreed that they were very good.  I think I’ll probably try a few more recipes for veggie/black bean burgers, but these were a good place to start.  They weren’t difficult to make, and they sure were tasty.

Now we’re moving the party to the living room to play a rousing game of this:

My life in the 80’s revolved around Troop Beverly Hills,  Sweet Valley High, and cabbage patch dolls, so…we’ll just have to see how it goes.

Hope you had a good day!  Night!

    As you’ve probably gathered by now, I like to eat out. Okay, that was an understatement – I like to eat out A LOT, maybe more than any other activity in the city.  It might even seem that my appetite for a decadent, well-executed meal is insatiable.  Yet I can tell you my friends, after 2-3 weeks of near back-to-back dinners out at some of the best restaurants I’ve been to in the Bay area I am actually looking forward to a week-long break from dining out.  What brought on this short-term hiatus?  The answer is simple: over indulgence.  I’ve eaten at five or six pretty off-the-chart restaurants recently, at least 4 of which I’d rate in my top dining experiences in the last 6 months.  Yet, I do have my limit folks, and for at least a week, I’ll be putting up my credit card and whipping out the cooking utensils.  This break from dining out could not be any more well-timed given the upcoming American past time of competitive eating…also known as Thanksgiving.  

            Yet before I embark on this mini-vacation from eating out, I feel it absolutely necessary to include a two-part abridged run-down of the last five restaurants I hit up.  Try not to drool.

Things White (and Asian) People Like: Bushi-Tei

      Asian fusion is not a new concept, yet head chef Seiji Wakabayashi (known more simply as Chef Waka) manages to elevate this popular restaurant theme to new heights with the Michelin 1 star rated gem, Bushi-Tei.  The Japantown favorite spotlights the synergy between Waka’s classical French expertise (he was the head chef at Audine in Sausalito for years) and his secondary training in Japan; a throwback to his Japanese roots.  Bushi-Tei’s décor is modern and formal, with elements of Japanese design.  Dark wooden walls add an element of coziness, and glass partitions offer guests an extra level of privacy.  You may notice the host in her traditional Japanese kimono, and make sure not to miss the high-tech Japanese toilet in the bathroom, complete with “front” and “rear” cleansers. 

     Let’s get down to the food. There are 3 course and 5 course prix fixe options, but my friend Kelly and I opted to explore our creative sides and to customize our own menu.  Everything is made in-house at Bushi-Tei, from the rice bread served at the start of dinner to each delectable appetizer or entrée, to the dessert menu (two words – Apple Dumpling). 

To say the appetizer menu is impressive is a serious understatement. Quenelle de Mer, Foie Gras, Langoustino, Chicken Confit.  I looked at the list of 10 or 12 appetizers and realized I would be extraordinarily excited to try ANY of them.  Based on my recent blast of tuna tartares in (http://sftaoofpao.com/pao-chow-parent/top-5-most-overrated-dishes/), you may be surprised to know that we opted for the Big Eye Tuna Tartare to start our appetizer tour, and I may have to eat my words because I am not one bit sorry I ordered it. 

The tuna is finely chopped with Japanese sprouts, shaped into a tower, and perched on a bed of diced avocado.  Wasabi-Crème Fraiche binds the sculpture and you may even catch the subtle taste of coriander seed.  My favorite topping on the dish is fresh tobiko (Japanese fish roe).  For appetizer 2 we ordered the Lobster and Crab Chrysanthemum Leaf Salad.  I have never had chrysanthemum leaf before and was pleasantly surprised at how well its slight bitterness paired with the sweetness of the shellfish.  Papaya, bacon and curry oil added another level of depth and you’ll notice that Chef Waka does not hold back on his portions of crab or lobster. 

After two seafood appetizers, the carnivores in us were drawn to the Braised Ton Toro (pork belly) served with ginger cabbage and a sherry vinegar.  This was tasty but nothing too out of the ordinary for a pork belly dish. 

For our mains we enjoyed the Orata.  Orata is a type of white fish called sea bream.  Bushi-Tei serves it on a layer of potato mousseline – similar to a puree, and then dresses the dish up with the strong complementary flavors of fennel and chanterelle mushrooms.  The fish is served with skin on, which I definitely recommend eating.  The slight crispiness of the skin adds a bit of texture to this otherwise smoothly layered choice. 

For our second entrée we ordered the Sonoma Duck Breast which came served over a bed of lightly sautéed baby mizuna – a tangy Japanese green that reminds me a bit of dandelion greens. A mascarpone mustard and dried chutney add a level of depth and sweetness that helped offset the slightly bitter flavor of the mizuna. 

One of the best parts about Bushi-Tei is the service – it really elevates the meal to a full dining experience. From the moment we arrived, our server showed excitement over the menu, attention to detail, and a genuine concern that we enjoy each moment of our meal.  He was knowledgeable about the wine options and potential pairings, and offered small tastings of the different varieties until we found one that matched our preference.  With a relaxed and intimate dining environment, expertly crafted cuisine and warm and attentive service, I would highly recommend Bushi-Tei as a “Pao Wow” choice in Japantown.

http://www.bushi-tei.com/

Burger Club rates Burger Bar

            For those of you that do not know this – I am a meat enthusiast.  Perhaps I should be more specific – a burger enthusiast.  I am the founder of the LA Burger Club and now the SF Burger Club. What is a burger club you ask?  Simple really – people get together all the time for shared interests – book clubs, wine clubs, and sewing clubs.  So why not have a club dedicated to the love and enjoyment of red meat; and even more – burgers?  It started as a joke with some girlfriends from UCLA.  Our guy friends told us that we were the only girls who liked eating red meat and burgers more than any crew of men they associated with.  Someone mentioned, “Ha, – we should start a club.” And the rest is, well, history.  LA Burger Club had up to 60 members, all friends or friends of friends – no randoms. SF Burger Club is now at around 70+ members.  Yes, I know you are already thinking – are there “rules” to being in Burger Club? Ha ha, you witty person, the first rule of Burger Club is you do not talk about Burger Club! I’ve heard that. Many times. Yet there actually are three simple rules to Burger Club:

1)      You must like red meat, or be a very cool vegetarian.  Don’t come to Burger Club and think you can order a pizza. Burger Club is not for the faint of heart (or the faint of stomach).

2)      No cheapies.  You know who you are. The guy who always “magically disappears” when the bill comes. Or shorts the bill $5 thinking no one will notice that he ordered a beer.  Burger Club generally means group outings, so expect to throw in a couple extra bucks. Things just work out when everyone rounds up.

3)      You must be cool and sociable. Burger Club is interactive and involves several different groups of friends. Generally it’s a place to interact with people from all the many SF neighborhoods, because really, what is more unifying than a large slab of meat?

In all honesty, I am probably being half serious about the above “rules” but I do like throwing them out there to separate the half-hearted carnivores from the truly committed.

Now onto the topic at hand: Burgers.  The number one question I get when people know I founded a burger club is obvious: What is the best burger in San Francisco?  It’s difficult to limit the answer to just 1 as we’ve been to over 30 places in the last 3 years and so many factors beyond meat and toppings go into making the “perfect burger.” So I’ll narrow it to the Top 5:

1)      Joe’s Cable Car (on Silver – a bit of a hike – known for using hand ground beef chuck – enough said)

2)      Chez Maman (multiple locations in Potrero, Union St – Gamine is its new name – quality meat on a ciabatta with your choice of added A+ toppings – I recommend the fried egg with gruyere and bacon)

3)      Darla’s on 9^th and Irving (try their ground sirloin burger that comes on a French baguette with swiss and mushrooms – tasty)

4)      Street on Polk and Vallejo (more of a sit down, upscale diner but their burger is pretty legit)

5)      Mega Mouth Burgers in the Mission (you will definitely leave full and the burger is a perfect combination of tasty bun, toppings and moist, well-seasoned meat)

Now that we have a reference point with respect to burger spots, we can discuss the latest creation from Hubert Keller (famed chef of Fleur de Lys and finalist in Top Chef Masters) – Burger Bar SF.

I have to say, when I heard Hubert Keller was opening a new restaurant dedicated just to the expert execution of burgers, I was ecstatic and could not wait to test it out.  I gathered 20 people from SF Burger Club and was pumped at how easy it was to get a table at the new location above Macy’s in Union Square.  The restaurant staff was helpful and accommodating to our party, giving us a choice long table with a complete aerial view of downtown city center.  The menu at first glance had some impressive and creative options.  

The “Build-Your-Own Burger” components were exhaustive to say the least:

- Meat: choice of Black Angus beef, Country Natural (sustainable ranching), American Kobe, Buffalo

- Bun: just a few choices included Poppy Seed, Wheat, Onion and Ciabatta

Burger Bar breaks toppings (besides traditional lettuce, tomato, pickle, onions which come for free) into 8 sub groupings:

The Garden: vegetable options such as sprouts, cucumber, jalapeno

The Dairy: 8 different cheese choices

The Grill: grilled veggies or pineapple

The Farm: protein options like jalapeno bacon, prosciutto, a fried egg or foie gras

The Ocean: grilled half lobster (yes, lobster is on the menu as an ADD), shrimp

The Pantry: different sauces like aioli, salsa, and cranberry sauce

The Earth: mushrooms and truffles for you high-end rollers

Fleur De Lys Sauces: reduction sauce, peppercorn sauce, black truffle

There are also multiple vegetarian or non-red meat options like turkey burgers, salmon burgers or chicken breast. 

Instead of doing a Build-Your-Own-Burger you can select one of the “Chef’s Burgers”.  There is the Hubert Keller Burger, which is buffalo meat served with caramelized onions, sautéed baby spinach, blue cheese, all served on a ciabatta bun.  Two other Chef Burgers that caught my eye were the Surf and Turf which is a combination of Black Angus beef, a lobster tail and asparagus.  I thought this was an interesting concept and although I love the two unique sets of protein, I am not too sure how well lobster would complement a hunk of red meat.  The other option that I’d love to try is the Rossini burger.  The Rossini comes in at a whopping $60 a pop, and for good reason. It’s served with Kobe beef, foie gras, and Black Perigord truffles, all on an onion bun, served with Madeira sauce. 

I opted for the Build-Your-Own-Burger option and made my creation with the following ingredients:

Country Natural beef

Onion bun

Peppercorn cream sauce

Jalapeno bacon

Sliced cucumbers

Swiss Cheese

Regular lettuce, tomato, onions

Sautéed mushrooms

The meat was cooked perfectly and when my creation came out, it was quite possibly the most beautiful burger I’ve ever seen.  Everything was layered perfectly and the bun did not fall apart after I combined all my ingredients.  I was really excited to see how the taste lived up to the appearance with that first bite, but I must say I was a bit disappointed. Perhaps this is the problem with the Build-Your-Own-Burger option. I had the sense that the various toppings ended up competing with each other for taste, so it did not fuse together as well as I would have liked. I asked other burger club members about their meals and they agreed, the burger was tasty, expertly cooked, with impressive presentation but something was missing. 

I even tried the Hubert Keller Burger, and although it was quite tasty, I still was not blown away.  I did not get the same level of overall satisfaction as I have from my Top 5 burgers above.  I’m not sure if it is because my expectations were over-hyped given that it is Hubert Keller.  Overall, I’d rate the burgers at Burger Bar at around a 7 or 7.5. 

I also think I need to touch on the sides and drink options available.  Despite my excitement to try the Zucchini Fries, Beer Battered Jalapeno Pickles, Sweet Potato fries and Skinny Fries, I ended the meal underwhelmed by each option.  For drinks, we tried a couple of the near $10 shakes and came to the same conclusion.  They were a bit runny and overall just disappointing. When I pay $10 for a shake I expect it to be one of the best shakes I’ve ever had. Unfortunately this was not the case. I actually had to send my chocolate/Oreo shake back because it was runny chocolate milk with too much chocolate fudge and no chunkiness.  I do think it is only fair though to mention that my friend’s Alcoholic Mint Chocolate signature shake was much tastier. 

In the end, yes, I think Burger Bar has a great concept, location and potential to be really fantastic, but needs to spend a few more months getting the rhythm down and seeing what works and what does not work. Maybe our meal was less impressive because it was only a month since the restaurant had opened. Maybe we can blame ordering the Build-Your-Own Burger or Shake options for the less-than-stellar taste experience.  I think if you decide to check it out, stick with the restaurant-created options and you may fair better than our table did. Burger Bar is not a more of a “Pao Later” than a “Pao Now.”

Link to website: http://www.fleurdelyssf.com/

Keller’s Drive-In
Address: 6537 E Northwest Hwy, Dallas, TX 75231
Phone: (214) 368-1209
Website: N/A
Known For: Burgers
What I had: Special No. 5 with Grilled Onions & Tater Tots
Price: $4.68
Rating: 8.5 out of 10

I’m having a hard time remembering how I first heard about Keller’s Drive-In but thank you to whomever mention it. This place is awesome. It’s a good ol’ American Car Hop, matter of fact there aren’t even tables here. I think they may have a few benches somewhere but I didn’t actually see them. They bring your food on a car tray and you’ve got no other choice but to eat it that way.  I tried to walk up and they acted strange and a little uncertain on how to handle me. There is no place to order at the building, the car hop comes to you. You’ll see people eating it like Fred Flintstone from within the car or some place the tray on their trunk or hood adopting a more picnic-style dining experience (this is how I decided to eat).

They’ve got burgers, hot dogs, corndogs, french fries, tater tots & onion rings, and they’re ridiculously cheap. You can add bacon, cheese, patties, chili, etc. all for around $.50 each. You really could make any sort of burger that your tummy desires.

I ordered their “Special No. 5″ which is a double cheeseburger, with tomato, lettuce and their special sauce. Funny thing is there are not really other “No.”s, I think maybe there is a No. 8 but that’s it. I also got grilled onions which come free with any burger.

It was a fantastic burger, the meat was nice. It was two good old griddled patties and very fresh tasting. Obviously nothing frozen here.  The produce was extremely fresh. The special sauce was good, just your typical blend of various condiments (mayo, ketchup, mustard, etc). Now that poppy seed bun was awesome. I love a good squishy, fluffy bun and this was just that. I also hate when a bun is not substantial enough and disintegrates in your hands and this did not do that. Overall this burger was darn tasty. The tater tots were a nice addition that you can’t order just anywhere. They were cook perfectly crisp, not to oily.

I really like this place. This is quintessential American fast food from back in the days when it didn’t have such a negative connotation. This is what that national chain place (I’m not even going to mention names) tries so hard to be. If you need to be flung back to a simpler time when going to grab a burger was a treat and something a bit special this is where to head. If you’re anywhere near Keller’s be sure to drive on up, park and wait for a Hop to come your way. She’ll quickly bring you out a nice tray full of tasty treats.

Special No. 5 with Grilled Onions

Tater Tots

Burger & Tots

Further reading:
www.yelp.com/biz/kellers-drive-in-dallas
www.dallas.citysearch.com/profile/9620189/dallas_tx/keller_s_drive_in.html
www.tripadvisor.com/Reviews-Keller_s_Drive_in-Dallas_Texas.html

Sep 5, 2009 @ 12:00

Photo from AJBombers.com

When I think of businesses that have used social media to successfully pump up their business, three Milwaukee businesses come to mind; Streetza Pizza, a travelling pizza truck who announces its location via Twitter, Blatz Liquor, who tweets special events and tastings as well as 140 word posts about interesting customer purchases, and AJ Bombers, who also publicizes events and specials via Twitter. Often times you’ll even find these three businesses doing events together like the recent Tweetup Meetup at Blatz Liquor.

After following them for a while I had a chance to check out A.J. Bombers last week. I had been hearing great things about their burgers from people, including JSOnline, OnMilwaukee.com and the handful of reviews on Yelp.  AJ Bombers is one of those peanut shells on the floor places. Something I really don’t mind but has never really understood. Seems like a big pain in the ass for the workers to clean up. Nonetheless, its nice to snack on some peanuts while you peruse the menu and wait for your food. Also you need to check out the peanut bomber in action.

There is a burger for every appetite with options of up to four (!) 1/4 pound patties on your burger. I wasn’t that hungry so I went with the one patty AJ burger, which has American Cheese, tomato, bomber sauce, and onion. I added bacon and was rewarded with some nice, think slices of crispy smoky bacon. ($1.50 extra). The burger was cooked to a perfect medium with a touch of pink in the middle. It’s always disappointing when places won’t cook your burger to medium or medium rare (Sobleman’s and Mazos I am looking in your direction) so AJ Bombers gets extra points in that department. The burger was so good that I would put it up as one of the best in the City. Yes, even better than that place with the web domain proclaiming that they are Milwaukee’s Best Burger.

The burgers are ala carte so they don’t come with fries or chips however for 2 bucks you can add an order of fries or their own homemade sweet potato chips, which were absolutely perfect and quite addictive.

AJ Bombers may be the most vegetarian friendly burger restaurant around. They have a stuffed mushroom sandwich which consists of a crispy friend Portobello mushroom stuffed with Wisconsin Cheddar & Muenster cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and that delicious bomber sauce. They also have a veggie burger, a black bean burger, and grilled cheese (though vegetarians probably would want them to hold the bacon.

Like many new restaurant/bar combos opening the past year or so AJ Bombers is smoke free! My only complaint (and it’s just being nitpicky) is that there is no tap beer. Though they do have a great bottle selection including offerings from New Belgium (Fat Tire), Bells (Two Hearted and Amber), Lakefront, and New Glarus. For those who want a more traditional brew they have Schlitz, Pabst, Miller, and Bud products.

If you love burgers you need to get down to AJ Bombers. Even if you don’t make a special trip, check them out when you are downtown for a UWM, Marquette, or Bucks game or before attending the Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol this winter. If you love great burgers you will not leave disappointed.

AJ Bombers is located at 1247 N Water St., Milwaukee, WI Phone: 414-221-9999 Web: www.ajbombers.com.

My radar zeroed in on Craigie on Main soon after I moved to Cambridge.   Scouring websites and magazines like a devout and dutiful f-blogger, the restaurant name reappeared wherever I looked.  Among its heap of honors sits a string of “Best of Boston” awards; but perhaps most impressive of the accolades amassed is Chef Tony Maws’ nomination for a 2009 James Beard award (Best Chef Northeast).  The restaurant relentlessly focuses on local, fresh, and seasonal, and this bistro’s cuisine takes those ingredients and delivers the goods.  My Sunday brunch here was hands-down the best dining experience I’ve enjoyed, probably since returning from my travels in July.  Despite the miscommunication between J and the maitre d’, resulting in a 20 minute wait, her friendliness, the lovely service and lively atmosphere, the promptness of the kitchen, and of course the execution of the food blew this initial hiccup into oblivion.

The exposed kitchen that greets you as you enter.

We did not order the pancakes but they looked good. I think those are huckleberries sprinkled on top.

However, the donuts were too sexy to pass up.

OUR house-made donut with confiture du lait. Consider it dessert before brunch, to accompany the house’s outstanding coffee. So soft and pillowy, oh, the thought of resting my head on this edible cloud every night, nibbling as I fall sleep…

My order: a grass-fed beef burger with Shelburne Farm cheddar on a house-made bun, served with mace ketchup and shoestring fries.

Medium-rare to a tee, easily the best burger I can remember eating (I hate that I’ve used “best” twice already in this post but both are warranted).  The beef was tender and juicy, coarsely ground so the meat retained that chunky beefiness that’s lacking in ordinary burgers. And here I must agree with food pundits, because I tasted for myself how much more natural flavor this grass-fed beef had than the beef I ate growing up. The meat wasn’t heavily seasoned – if anything, the kitchen tends toward underseasoning — but beef of such potent flavor doesn’t need much to make it memorable. The house-made ketchup was mild but distinctive, the aromatic cheddar adding tangy creaminess to each bite. Craigie’s is a judiciously sized burger as well; I’d judge it to be a 10 to 12 biter, which was just right for hitting the spot without leaving me immobilized (though I did need a few moments after the meal to gather myself ). The fries and little sides were forgettable but that was easily forgivable.

J’s dish, Craigie “Dimanche” sausage with a buttermilk biscuit, gravy, and a fresh egg any style. The sausage was generously portioned, three plump logs of porky porky; I found it a bit bland, though J definitely enjoyed it. The biscuit was insane, a must-order side in the future.

Craigie’s beautiful twist on good ol’ corned beef hash, house-brined grass-fed beef with smoked beef tongue. L heartily approved as did I; topped with a poached egg and a hollandaise-y sauce, whose combined creaminess trickled and tucked itself into the well-seasoned, smoky hash. Spooned onto rye toast, I now see the humble hash in a new light.

Our post-brunch plans for Toscanini’s hit the wayside after this delightful meal. There will always be an occasion for ice cream but this day wasn’t it, certainly not after such revelation. I wanted to savor and preserve the sanctity of that experience, keep it as its own, to remind me of how downright delicious, just plain nasty, food can be.

Craigie on Main
853 Main St
Cambridge, MA 02139-3512
(617) 497-5511

• 7240 W. Saginaw Highway
• Lansing, MI 48917
• (517) 323-2228
• Website
• Menu

My quest for cheap meals went on with one of the most obvious choices when it comes to dining on the cheap. 

My first day of work in East Lansing ended around 8:30.  I was exhausted and headed straight for my hotel.  As I was driving across town on I-496, I was trying to picture what I could grab quickly and eat in my  hotel room.  I was drawing blank, but I knew there were a couple options right there near the Red Roof Inn.

Like most cities, Lansing is littered with McDonald’s.  I chose the location on West Saginaw Highway and Vermillion Road in Delta Township for one reason.  It was close to where I was going. 

Being 9:00 at night on a Thursday meant I should be able to get in and get out in a hurry.  I’m not a drive thru fan.  In fact, I despise them.  Unless I absolutely have to, I never use them.  If J forces me to, she leans across the seat and yells into the speaker.  I guess I don’t speak clearly or something because I never have good luck.  I’d rather just take the extra few minutes and walk inside.  No one has ever died from getting out of their car for a hamburger.

I’m really predictable when it comes to McDonald’s.  For, oh 15 years now, I’ve gotten the Double 1/4 pounder with cheese plain.  That’s what I got this time.  I was starving so I actually made it a large.  It didn’t take long for the food to come up and since it cost me just a little over six bucks with a drink, I hit my goal of trying to eat cheap. 

McDonald’s is what it is.  I’m not going to trash the place because it is a go-to if you’re in a hurry.  You always know what you’re going to get and as long as that’s what you’re looking for, that’s not a bad thing.  There are times I just don’t want to think about dinner or I just want to get something and get back on the road.  No matter where you’re at, you can find a McDonald’s to accomplish that. 

• 7240 W. Saginaw Highway
• Lansing, MI 48917
• (517) 323-2228
• Website
• Menu

My quest for cheap meals went on with one of the most obvious choices when it comes to dining on the cheap. 

My first day of work in East Lansing ended around 8:30.  I was exhausted and headed straight for my hotel.  As I was driving across town on I-496, I was trying to picture what I could grab quickly and eat in my  hotel room.  I was drawing blank, but I knew there were a couple options right there near the Red Roof Inn.

Like most cities, Lansing is littered with McDonald’s.  I chose the location on West Saginaw Highway and Vermillion Road in Delta Township for one reason.  It was close to where I was going. 

Being 9:00 at night on a Thursday meant I should be able to get in and get out in a hurry.  I’m not a drive thru fan.  In fact, I despise them.  Unless I absolutely have to, I never use them.  If J forces me to, she leans across the seat and yells into the speaker.  I guess I don’t speak clearly or something because I never have good luck.  I’d rather just take the extra few minutes and walk inside.  No one has ever died from getting out of their car for a hamburger.

I’m really predictable when it comes to McDonald’s.  For, oh 15 years now, I’ve gotten the Double 1/4 pounder with cheese plain.  That’s what I got this time.  I was starving so I actually made it a large.  It didn’t take long for the food to come up and since it cost me just a little over six bucks with a drink, I hit my goal of trying to eat cheap. 

McDonald’s is what it is.  I’m not going to trash the place because it is a go-to if you’re in a hurry.  You always know what you’re going to get and as long as that’s what you’re looking for, that’s not a bad thing.  There are times I just don’t want to think about dinner or I just want to get something and get back on the road.  No matter where you’re at, you can find a McDonald’s to accomplish that. 

Double Quarter Pounder w/Cheese

McDonald's Famous Fries

888 Fraser Street
Hope, BC  V0X 1L0

604-869-7448

Summer: 6a-10p, Winter: 6a-9p (opened 7 days a week)

November 7, 2009

It was a late Saturday afternoon when we found ourselves driving through the city of Hope and decided to stop at Rolly’s for some late lunch.  We’ve thought about eating here on more than one occasion because we’ve had a few people recommend this place, but never actively searched it out so we’ve never found it.  The establishment is located just behind the Chevron gas station on the main strip through town and the signage is actually quite easy to see if you knew where to look.  Weather was miserable and had been a consistent downpour for our entire trip down to the Coast so I was looking forward to getting something hot in my stomach.

It took a few minutes before we were acknowledged and the waitress seated us in a diner-typical vinyl booth.  The menu was fairly extensive and I took interest in their pie selection.  Coconut cream was available and it was something I’ve been hoping to try for awhile now.

...scramble and flapjacks...

Rolly’s is supposedly well-known for their breakfast food, particularly their pancakes and eggs benedicts.  However, it was about 2pm and my craving for breakfast food was well past so I ordered the chicken burger with a glass of lemon water.  Mr O ordered the ham and egg scramble, which came with a side of the famous pancakes, along with a cup of coffee.

They were out of chicken breasts and I had been informed that they were using the chicken strips in their place, which I was fine with.  When my burger appeared it was dressed with mayo, shredded lettuce and a slice of tomato.  What was puzzling, though, was the small packet of cranberry sauce that came with my meal.  Was I supposed to put this in my burger??  Anyhoo… a nice scoop of potato salad also accompanied my meal, which I found quite tasty, even though I ended up picking out the slices of radishes that was mixed in.  I was pretty hungry and enjoyed the first few bites of my food.

...chicken strips! er... burger!

...potato salad... hold the radishes!

It was at around this point when my lunch took something of a sour turn…

It wasn’t a very busy time of the day and there were few patrons inside the restaurant.  Seated not too far away from us was a small group of middle-aged white women.  They were talking.  Loudly.  You couldn’t help eavesdropping even if you tried.  Phrases along the lines of “chinese people are rude”, “Richmond is like Chinatown”, and “Hong-couver” filtered into my ears.  I’ve mentioned a few times in previous posts that I’m of Chinese descent, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that I got extremely upset.  Shooting the occasional dirty look their way went un-noticed and my appetite was gone.  I had no taste for the food in front of me and ended up pushing away a nearly full plate.  The waitress came at one point to ask how everything was and I didn’t even want to make eye-contact with her.  Mr O told her the food was fine and sent her on her way.  I  knew I was being very pissy and wanted to leave the restaurant so I told him to quickly finish his food.

The egg scramble was nothing worth mentioning and he noted that the pancakes were light, cakey and quite good.  (However, we ended up at IHOP’s for breakfast the next day and he admitted that the pancakes at this franchise were better).

When we finally went up to pay, the cashier never asked us how our meal went so I never got the chance to snipe, which was just as well.  At that point I just wanted to be as far away from the place as possible and get on with the rest of my long-weekend.  My overall review of the restaurant is skewed now, and I can’t give an honest opinion of how the food really was (especially that coconut cream pie I’ll never have a chance to try now).  Unfortunately, through no real fault of the restaurant’s, I don’t see myself giving Rolly’s another chance anywhere in the near future.

Edzo’s is a new burger place that opened in Evanston in mid October. What makes Edzo’s different is the fact that owner, Ed Lakin, insists that the burger meat be ground fresh every morning. The difference that freshly ground meat makes is an enormous one.

Make sure to try the fries at Edzo's. (Photo courtesy of Arun Ahuja)

Choose Your Burger

At Edzo’s there are two options when it comes to choosing a burger. The first option is the 4 oz. griddled burger, which comes as either a single, double, or triple patty. This burger is flat, skinny, and griddled to perfection on a flat top. The second option is the 8 oz. char burger, which you can have cooked to your liking of doneness. My preference in this case was the griddled burger because I love a burger with a super crispy outside.

A burger with everything includes ketchup, mustard, pickles and onion. There are also a variety of cheeses to choose from, including Merkt’s cheese spread and blue cheese. In terms of toppings, some of the most interesting offerings include garlic butter and a fried egg.

French Fries Galore

The fries at Edzo’s are one of the most special things about it. On their own, the fries are both crispy and greasy, which is truly delicious. However, Lakin’s cooky combinations are surely the way to go. There are gourmet options, like garlic and truffle fries and down-home varieties, like crazy (chili, cheese, chopped onion) and Taylor Street (italian beef gravy, sweet peppers, giardiniera) fries. All of them are delectable.

Edzo’s Burger Shop

1571 Sherman Avenue, Evanston, IL

847.864.3396

On an off night, Jeannie and I went to Sketch Burger out in Fishtown for dinner since she had yet to check it out. She got the burger and I got the braised short rib sandwich which was pretty good and juicy. And their wasabi sauce is pretty good too.

Fancy canned orange soda.

Menu on the board changes often.

The burger is pretty big.

Braised short-ribs were good, but I thought the short-rib sandwich at Tinto was better.

After hearing raving reviews of the famous Shake Shack, located in Madison Square Park, Nom2 decided to try some for herself.

The burger meat was tender and juicy, but the Shack had skimped out on the lettuce and tomato portions!  Two teeny slices of tomato and one leaf of lettuce?  And onions were not even an option! For shame, Shake Shack, for shame!  The crinkly fries were decent, but no match for fries from other burger joints.

There are, unfortunately, no pictures of the food, since hunger struck quite suddenly.  The camera never stood a chance…same went for the burger and fries.

OMNOMNOMNOM

Four hungry stomachs, equivalent appetites and a penchant for trials led us to the burger place Bembos. This was one of those rare occasions where everyone agreed instantaneously.  The South American (who knew??) burger place has two distinct seating areas – the inside part which is clearly for the afternoon hangouts and the outside part where a burger can be enjoyed whilst overlooking the bustling city traffic. So as we went there during lunch, we decided to grab a table inside before anyone else could!

The four hungry stomachs that I mentioned earlier, grabbed a different burger each with me trying the Grilled Chicken Burger. They generally have two sizes for almost every burger except for the Mutton Burger and the Grilled Chicken Breast (I guess chickens do not have different breasts sizes??). The large one I had was worth INR 99. Bigger than anything you get at Mac or at KFC but smaller than the ones at Gostana! My friend also ordered for a small pack of fries which according to her was more than what is served at KFC.

This burger outlet is the only place known to me which serves mayonnaise sauce along with ketchup and chilli sauce. Besides the mayonnaise another highlight is the fresh veggies used in the burger. The patty too was freshly made. The four hungry stomachs really enjoyed the burgers with some saying it was the best they have had till date! It took a not-so-well-known Peruvian fast food chain to bring out a statement like that!

I did like the burger a lot. Infact it was a lot better than the last time we tried em’ here! I hope they keep up the good work and keep churning awesome burgers!

This Peru-based burger place was an interesting find. According to Wikipedia they have another outlet in Delhi and in Panama City besides the many outlets in Peru!

If anyone knows any other South American eatery do post here! Would love to try it out!

(Image linked from http://www.brandsoftheworld.com)

Address: 34, Manorama Chambers, Opp. Indian Bank, S. V. Road, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050

Ph No (For Takeaways): 26415599, 26415600, 67100625