Well, I finally made it to this Honest Burgers. There was a bit of a wait to get our table – 45 minutes – for a late lunch at 3pm on a Saturday. We were a table of five, we didn’t have to queue physically, as they took down my mobile and called up to let us know it was our table was ready.

As you have probably read elsewhere, they’ve received much publicity last year, and is generally held in high regard by the burger lovers. As high regard as the Meatwagon & Lucky Chip burgers. On the same token, there are those who have written about an inconsistent experience.

The Cheese, with house chips with rosemary salt, £7.50.

That’s a neat brioche. The patty looked wet & juicy, the cheddar only just melted over it. The red onion relish is the unique condiment which sets the honest burger apart from its competition. The smell of rosemary filled our table, so much so, I could hardly detect grilled beef – a change in the usual burger outing.

Like most democratic burger restaurants these days, food is served in wartime enamel crockery. I did some digging around, and found Falcon enamelware which has been trading since the 20s.

Our immediate reaction were that these burgers looked a little small. More like oversized sliders. In fact, they looked about the same size as the supersized slider at Mishkin’s.

I asked for mine to be medium rare.

Served with only a knife, which I suppose is their way of suggesting to the diner to slice it down the middle to check for doneness.

Would you say it’s more medium than medium rare?

There are various reports that the grilled patty is finished in a similar way to Meatwagon/Lucky Chip, by allowing its own vapourised juices to re-condense under a metal cloche. I think most burger places tend to do this now, so it’s no longer as novel as it used to be.

I liked the patty (even if it came a little overcooked) , it was juicy, and the aged Ginger Pig mince certainly exhibited sharp and strong beefy flavour. So concentrated in fact, that I felt it was verging on blue cheese. I don’t know if it were a combination of the sweet bun, the cheddar and onion, but this big-bang flavour was certainly pleasing. The patty did remind me of the equally big flavoured Hawksmoor burger, which is also minced from Ginger Pig Longhorns, with a few dollops of marrow for extra oomph.

I thought the onion relish was a nice touch, giving the patty a sweet contrast, but personally, I could have done without it. The airy brioche was adequate, but perhaps just a little on the dry side. It’s strange really, most people have written about wanting doughier buns, but it seems restaurants are still adamantly sticking by variations of – in my opinion – rather ordinary buns. I think the Meatwagon (steamed) buns are probably the best available in town. However, I did try some experimental St John sourdough (with an O’sheas patty) at a BurgerMonday event, which I thought was fabulously the right doughy consistency. But that was about a year ago, and I haven’t actually seen it come on to the market. Logistics and perhaps high costs probably prevent better buns from coming into the burger equation. The bun can either complete the burger or be its weakest link.

As for the rosemary scented chips – yeah they were pretty nice. Very crispy and it reminded me of Kettle chips…. but I thought they were horribly over salted.

Everybody else on my table went for the special (£10) of the day which was Beef, manchego, chimichurri, brindisa chorizo and braised chillies. It sounds over the top on paper, and indeed it was horrendously salty in practice. I split my burger with the missus, and really regretted parting with my much mellower cheese burger. My friends couldn’t stop reaching for wine to wash away all the heaviness.

Overall, everybody thought it was a pretty good burger, but we also thought they should reassess their salting philosophy. More flavour is nice, but with such a strong flavoured patty, I think it is more than capable of pulling off a solo act. I don’t have a preference for processed cheese, but yes, it would be nice to see it as an option on the menu, if they were interested in offering it up. Afterall, a classic cheeseburger can be an elegant creature.

We paid about £74. That includes a couple of homemade fizzy lemonades and a bottle of red. I can’t remember what it was, but it was cheap, £14.50. It would appear they have gained a license since opening.

With burgers being the ultimate universal meal, it is only natural to expect the best ones to draw crowds and attract opinion. I think everybody has their own expectations as to what a perfect burger should taste like, even if its just nostlasgia.

For a few years, I ate the McD’s 69p cheeseburger every thursday as a reward to munch on some junk food after basketball practice. I still do it occasionally. I’m not suggesting that McDonalds are the default champions of the humble hamburger, but it certainly is interesting to note how this fast food has slowed down while gaining a fervent following. I still haven’t tried Shake Shack or In and Out or a Pat LeFrieda patty. I’m curious how any of London’s burger developments compare with the ones which really started it all.

The biggest challenges (in my humble opinion) of dedicated burger restaurants are in maintaining consistency and managing wait times. Ironically however, these speciality burgers take time to cook to a certain level of perfection, and it isn’t strange to wait a couple of hours for a burger to arrive. I suppose good burgers do take time (and care) to cook.

Meat Liquor continues to entertain long queues, and I think they’ve largely cut down cooking times with their burgers (The last time I went was Nov 2011, I think). I never made it to the Lucky Chip residence at Sebright Arms, and I think their term has only just come to a close, so it’s back to the truck at Netil Market.

I don’t know about you, I like burgers but I really don’t see the point of long waits by a food truck or being crammed inside an overcrowded pub.

I suppose the advantage of Honest Burgers is that they are neither. It is a smallish restaurant inside the brilliantly vibrant Brixton Village. They manage table turning well enough, and they maintain reasonable cooking times. I think we only waited about 20 minutes for our burgers, all of which turned out with good consistency. For what it’s worth, I enjoyed the Honest Burger experience, but my favourite (recent) burger memory is still the Lucky Chip’s Bill Murray Life Aquatic Surf and Turf.

The Gist

Honest Burgers
Burgers, £10pp
12, Brixton Village
Tel : +44 (0)20 7733 7963
Underground : Brixton

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The things people do to track down a good meal, this one in particular involves my first encounter with the Lucky Chip burger. As you know, summers are pretty up and down every year, we remember the odd day when the thermometer crosses the psychological 100F mark, but we tend to forget that mostly, it’s just very wet. So there we were, Mark with his gentlemenly brolly, and me with my … FT Weekend Magazine… (ironically, this weekend’s was the Food issue including a feature on the slow death of the Bib, and a short Heston interview) and soaked Marni blazer (sniffers) , we were traipsing up and down London fields to find this rather elusive, and well hidden Netil Market, and mindful that the mild drizzle – like a balloon slowly filling with water – was about to burst into a proper rainstorm.

After a little tinkering with google maps, we circled onto Westgate Street as the entry point to Netil Market. So we found it eventually, quite modest, in a rather small car park, but as it had been raining all afternoon, it wasn’t a surprise to find the vendors packing up their stock to shield from it. The sight of the Lucky Chip van was modestly uneventful, and given the street food craze, it’s quite a change coming across an empty food truck with good internet gossip. Manned by one, there were a couple of tables around it, one table in particular was shifted under a market stall tent, which we both thought was a good idea to duck into. So we ordered, and sat down, before long our worst fears were realised, the metaphorical water balloon had burst and it was as if wet bombs broke upon impact on the tent. What a day for al fresco dining, but no amount of rain dampened our appetites, when this landed on our table:

Single with Cheese, £6.00.

Looks familiar doesn’t it? Yeah it does bear a semblance to the now mythical Meat Wagon/Easy effort, what with the melted cheese oozing around the seemingly hand formed patty enclosed within a steamed bun.

The patty was juicy and well seasoned, not too beefy but not too bland either. All the pre-requisite fixings were all present. The burger was a tad too leaky but I think it’s probably down to a merely adequate bun, which could be a little better at soaking up the juices, but all in all, we found our burgers to be quite good. In fact, we thought they were really good.

I’m not going to get more technical than the above, because I’m not a bloody burger expert (then again, is anyone really?) , but I think you’ll find there is substance to the Lucky Chip burger, which for me resembled a Meat Wagon experience, ie, if I hadn’t already just completed a marathon 10 courses at Roganic, I would have easily gone for a couple more.

The good thing about Lucky Chip is that it is still relatively free from hype right this moment, so you won’t have to queue for hours just for a burger.

Wasabi Mayo and Ginger Sweet Chilli Fries, £3.5

What we did think was a cut above the competition were these hand cut fries. Bursting with mashy, rich potato flavours, so much so that we didn’t actually think it required all the salt it came with. In fact, when you do eventually make it to Lucky Chip, be sure to get the chips unsalted. The asian influenced condiments – wasabi and sweet chilli – were an effective touch.

Lucky Chip has only been around for about 3 months, they were ‘born’ in Kensal Rise (so to speak) trading a couple of days of the week from Kensal Rise church, but circumstances are such that it has forced them to found their now permanent spot in Netil Market. From our brief chat with the bearded Lucky Chip owner (one of two I think) , he told us they are in the middle of renegotiating their bread suppliers to somebody more local than their current guy out west in Park Royal.

We paid £15.50 for two burgers and the fries.

If you are searching for the contender which can go toe to toe with the Meat Wagon burger, I think this is it. Lucky Chip has got a great product on their hands, the patty in particular is great, and once it secures the perfect East London baked brioche or sourdough bun, I think it will have all the ammunition to fill the interwebs with pictures of its juicy burger. They are at Netil Market most days (except Mondays I think) from lunch hour through to 10pm, and I urge you to brave the rain and hit the food truck.

PS: Daniel – Perhaps a tie-up with BurgerMondays?

The Deets

Lucky Chip
£6 a burger
Netil Market,
Westgate Street
London Fields,
E8 3RL
Ben – 07795816355

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Unless you have been living under the proverbial rock that requires abstination from evil things such as sex, alcohol and greasy chips, you would have otherwise heard about the gospel of The Meatwagon. Unfortunately, the wagon was stolen late last year, so in early 2011, Yianni Papoutsis – aka Blighty’s one true burger king – had reassigned his team at the first floor of a closed down pub, in New Cross Gate. The pub had offered its space, as it is in the middle of its refurbishment plans. Yianni’s intention is to be able to secure enough funds to get a new van to roll out for the summer.

And thus, #MEATEASY was born. And it’s fucking brilliant. Very rough around the edges, but we don’t mind of course, because we love quirky and egalitarian, rage against the guerilla dives. Upon arrival, you are given a ticket, and then it’s a mad scramble to find a spare seat at the cramped space, as you study the menu scrawled across the wall.

The first time I went was a Thursday night at 9, and we didn’t eat till 11. So we spent all our cash on the £7 cocktails and £3 beers. Rum swizzlers aplenty. But when the food arrived, oh my giddy Uncle Bob, it was certainly worth the long wait.

As expected, the menu is not for vegetarians, their famed cheeseburgers are said to rival the In-N-Out and even the Shake shack. Purists love Yianni’s burgers, and I have no choice but to cave in and agree with the zeitgeist. It really is fast food’s finest hour.

Then again, a burger is a burger is a burger right? Afterall, a patty can only be flipped in so many ways. So sue me burgersnobs.

Joining the superburgers are the schnitzel breaded, tender, juicy and fleshy chicken fillet burgers, chilli cheese smothered hotdogs, Philly cheesesteaks, faux-buffalo wings, gigantic onion rings and McD’s style soggy fries and bad bad ‘slaw. Everything oozes first rate fast food appeal, redolent of the first time you ate at McDonalds, though everything else pales in comparison to the beef burgers (plain, cheese, bacon cheese, chilli cheese and the dead hippie).

I think the real winner with #MEATEASY in particular, is the rocking ambiance. And probably the people who go there. Equal measures of travelling burger lovers, trend chasers, people just looking for cool place to hang out. Everybody has an iPhone and checks their FB account while their partners order food when their number is up.

#MEATEASY is only trading under next Saturday, that’s 16th April 2011, because that is when Capital Pubs will resuscitate their refurbishment plans to remake the currently closed Goldsmith Tavern to the New Cross House.

I am not entirely sure what Mr Collins plans to do with the new pub, but whatever it is, I am certain he won’t be pulling in the crowds like Yianni is doing right now. My 2nd visit was at 5.45pm on Saturday, and we were number 44; the doors had barely been open for 15 minutes, and already there was a queue!

This is pure speculation of course, but this make-shift business must have been raking it in, enough for a new burgervan, or two, or three?

The thought must have crossed Yianni’s – and potential investors’ – mind to create a permanent spin-off as a result of this project. If Spuntino is anything to go by, I think a relocated #MEATEASY will continue to be a hit. Afterall, Yianni already owns a burger recipe ( and a customised and ideal burger bun ) that is the envy of the industry. Whether or not stakeholders can come to an agreement, or if what I am suggesting is unadulterated blasphemy to Yianni is another issue. But we live in hope.

For now, the speakeasy-esque diner/bar, serving great grilled fast food, is very attractive. This is something we can keep going back to. It may yet be the best thing to come from the entire internet fueled, pop-up generation of eateries.

Anyway, if you haven’t already, I do highly recommend you try and get to New Cross Gate before 5.45pm, any day from Tuesday to Saturday, if you don’t fancy queuing up or risk not being able to grab a table, or missing the last train back to whence you came. Have £40 on your persons, a small tupperware box, order one cheeseburger, one dead hippie, one chicken burger, one Philly cheesteak, and stuff whatever you can’t finish in the plastic box for lunch the day after. I promise it’ll be a night to remember.

The Gist of It

#MEATEASY by The Meat Wagon
Ticketed, Cash Only, Burgers & Cocktails. £15pp
First Floor, Goldsmiths Tavern
316 New Cross Rd SE14 6AF
Tel: 07796 304024
Overground: New Cross Gate

Even more photos on my flickr page.

TimeOut London ; London Stuff ; Campari & Soda ; The Happiness Project London ; thebountifulplate ; No Reservations ; An American in London ; thecriticalcouple

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I remember the early days when Byron was the new kid on the block, did sliders and was firmly a West London thing. I didn’t think much of them back then, but all that’s change. I am a little amazed that some of my friends still haven’t tried a Byron yet. There are now ten locations spread across the most densely populated parts of town, while they maintain a reticent philosophy to burgers and life, each branch has its own individual character.

I’m not going to pontificate about burgers – I know very little about them to be quite honest (I remain un-shacked) – but I do visit a Byron at least once every month (actually, I now use it as an incentive to go running) and I just love them to bits. The charred beefiness… ohh… I am a gruyère, medium rare with skinny chips. My local is Gloucester Road, but I like the new Old Brompton branch, a little further away from me, which opened last month. However, my favourite is the Intrepid Fox in Soho. Just ambiance I mean, burgers are consistent across the board, it’s a franchise afterall.

Let’s see now, I have been to the High Street Ken one, Westfield, Gloucester Road, Old Brompton Road, Intrepid Fox, Covent Garden…. but have never been to the Canary Wharf, Islington, Kings Road or Kingston ones.

As an aside, this is the first of a new category of blog posts I intend to create weekly (in addition to the usual long form reviews). As much as I am a firm believer of never cropping my images, I have recently become obsessed with grid systems and am exploring ways of applying it to photography. The actual inspiration, however, came when I saw the dynamically generated photo montages in flipboard, really impressive stuff, and has to been seen if you have an iPad near you. I also have swish new software in Lightroom 3, which has a much better imaging engine, that allows me to recycle my old images and make them look brand new. It is just another reason for me to work on my food photography.

These panels are inspired by comic book panels, you got to get Surrogates, especially the hardcover Owner’s Manual, it’s brilliant.

About the only thing better than a Byron… is the Byron Big D. It was a special item that ran for a few months earlier this year (or was it 09?). The patty is made with using O’Shea’s excellent Irish beef…. oh man, now that was a burger…. and it is still available to buy at O’Sheas, the butchers in Knightsbridge. So if you are planning one last barbecue, I highly recommend getting a couple of patties from Darragh.

Accessible, affordable and simply delicious, as hamburgers should be.

Thegistofit Byron Hamburgers, £7.25, all over.

What the Burgerrati say about Byron: Will Eat for Money ; Food by Mark ; Cheese and Biscuits ; Young and Foodish ; The Epicurean.

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All text and photography on this blogpost is copyright and belongs to Kang Leong, LondonEater.com. If you repost this without my permission, bad things will happen. So please don’t do it.

Cast your mind back a couple of years ago and the emergence of the gourmet burger in this country, particularly London. I contributed my two pennies with a burger shoot-out of my own last year, pitching some of the well regarded burger bars against one another. Since then, the momentum for sleek burgers have subsided. And then I saw this post about what our NY cousins have for lunch.. oh man, it blew my insides away and then some. I am told that we are still lightyears behind American burger places. This year’s burger battle is a much more quiet affair, I’ve decided to focus only on the top two burger joints (arguably) in the smoke: Hache and Byron.

I’m no burger connoisseur, I haven’t tried every burger in the city (if I had I probably won’t be writing this), but I have tried most of the big hitters, and on a pretty regular basis. I live in a unique location in West London where I am within about 10 minutes walking distance from a Byron, Hache and two GBKs. Now, I’ve heard much about the Hawksmoor burger but that’s still on my to-eat list so can’t comment as yet. In anycase, feel free to chime in with a recommendation or two if you know something I don’t.

The Case of the Byron

When I did my burger battle last year, Byron was still the new kid on the block, but today it is very much ‘the’ burger joint, springing up in loads of locations (including twitter) and garnering many an internet fan.

One thing I really like about Byron is that they seem to take feedback seriously and make the little adjustments. Take for instance the mini burgers they once had on their menu – now gone, since people thought the portions were too paltry. Byron are also abit like zen masters, preferring to keep their menu short and focused on the delivery of ‘the perfect burger’. Prices start at £5.95 for the classic. Before we get into food, let’s talk abit about the atmosphere. I think it reflects the Byron mantra, steely, calm, controlled.

Alright – let’s get into the food: We have the blue-cheese burger, £6.95.

Let me just start by saying that I was the biggest GBK fan, the tomato relish is still unbeatable in my humble opinion.

I pick up a Byron about once a month (because its so close) and over the months, I had noticed how the Byron got better, and better and better. The bun is much like a floury sponge capable of soaking up all the good juices without falling to pieces. I’ve noticed how the bun seems to get better and better at holding the burger in when you take a bite. Right now, I think it is at that point where it’s abit special, and miles ahead of the competition (especially GBK). As for the burger itself, well its juicy, its beefy, its flavoursome and its sizzles; It is very nearly perfect to my humble palate.

The strength of the Byron is how all the elements gel together to form one consistent taste – a signature taste I might add – which leaves a real impression on you and makes you want to go back, which is to say that th Byron is something I can eat again and again and again.

I used to be Byron skeptic when they first came on the scene, but as the months rolled by, I actually think that they are continually refining the perfect burger and they’ve now got something distinctive.

The Case of Hache

Hache has universally been hailed as the best burger makers in town and few can fault them. Their secret to burger success, is to not to serve burger with their burgers…. They serve steak haches instead. As I said, I’m no connoisseur, but with Hache, I believe the main difference with their burgers is that it is made from chopped steak as opposed to minced beef.

I think the décor at Hache has infinitely more ambiance than any other burger place in town. It has lots of warming lights and it feels more like a neighbourhood restaurant. I especially liked that they were playing Ella Fitzgerald at the Fulham Road branch, it’s magic, especially on a lonely Wednesday night. I was glad that they have relaxed their photography policy, which really ticked me off. When I was there last week, they didn’t seem to mind my D700.

The Hache burgers are just a tad dearer with the classic steak au naturel starting at £6.95. Now, the Hache menu is much longer and has more variety. In addition to steak haches, there are fish burgers, duck burgers and lamb burgers. I was a little disappointed to see the cod burger being taken off, I loved it when I had it.

Anywho – I ordered the Sicilian: parma ham and melted premium mozzarella cheese, £8.95.

I asked for it medium rare, it was cooked as requested. Tick. The hache texture is rubbery and bouncy compared to a ‘normal’ mince burger. I was disappointed that my burger was abit dry and unenthusiastic. It was tepid and it didn’t impart that grilled sensation. Flavourwise, a lot beefiness but on the whole it didn’t feel alive in my mouth. The hache bun is probably its weakest link – in short it’s crap. You cannot palm a hache in your hand, this posh cow requires you to eat it with a fork and knife. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but compared to Byron who have perfected the dark arts of the burger experience, I think Hache has lost abit of its bite.

The king is dead, long live the king

I tell you what was smashing at Hache: the mocha (£2.50) , the deep chocolate infused coffee was a devilish way to end my meal.

I think Hache has taken a step back, I distinctly remember being properly blown to bits once upon a time, last week it was good but not memorable. On the other hand, Byron continues to wow, everytime I go back, I feel like I’m having yet another enhanced version of an already perfect recipe. I just get the feeling that Byron are obsessed with their product, and that can only be good news for this regular burger goer.

If you have yet to give Hache a try, I would still recommend it because it is still pretty special in its own right. But for me, given the choice, I would go to Byron again and again. Long live the king, baby.

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My buttons need sewing while I’m on a quest to find more burger, reading up on 25 other ways to use vinegar and blogging about guest bloggers.

eating happenings here on london eater

When your colleagues come down with something one by one, and you wake up with a stuffed up nose, you know that winter is just around the corner. Brr.. The temperature dropped like a stone yesterday and I’ve duly prepared for that with a fresh pair of gloves and broke out my winter coat and turtlenecks. My coat is still missing two buttons and I inadvertently asked Jennie if she’d be so kind as to help a sewing challenged london eater put the buttons back so that I can keep warm. Sometimes, its nice to have people do things for me, it’s a memory and it just makes things mean so much, because everytime I button up my coat, I’ll feel warm and fuzzy inside knowing that it was Jennie who sew them on. It’s not just buttons you know.

This has been a rather hectic week offline for me, but I was glad that I still managed to get five posts out. It was unofficially burger week here, but I didnt want to overload with 10 burger posts, only did two burger related ones:

1. mini-burgers at byrons the week began with a review of the new boys in town – byrons. They were good, but I think they need abit more time to perfect their craft.
2. increasing technorati backlinks I found a blogpost on moneybush about increasing backlinks and just thought I’d pass on the knowledge to fellow foodies.
3. i was tagged by howard & co down under on their excellent sydney foodblog eat, show and tell. I included some random things about me.. and also tagged some excellently cool blogs too.
4. the best london burgers vol 1 compared 5 burger spots in london and GBK came top. Go check it out.
5. wine alternatives released part 6 (of 7) of the quickie wine guide. This week was about some nice wine alternatives in sake & scotch. What’s your pick?

Elsewhere on Metrotwin.com ..

1. Some of you know that I also write for this NY-LON twinning website producing foodie recommendations. I starting a ‘rolling’ list of burger places on metrotwin to coincide with my burger lists over here too. Do check it out here.

london happenings around the smoke

Chrissymas is just over a month away and I’m so excited! It’s kind of nice that the cold has settled in just now as it really does feel like chrissymas is coming! Apparently you can start playing your favourite chrissymas songs now – no more bad luck

1. hydepark winterwonderland is awesome! the german christmas market has stalls with chocolate dipped strawberries… and chocolate dipped bananas.. and really tasty chocolate smothered ginger bread. There’s this huge slide, a big ferris wheel, a mini rollercoaster, a horror house, curry wursts, german potatoes, mini pancakes and that super cold chrissymas feel (yes, i said chrissymas) it’s so wonderful . I’ll take my tripod and take lots of pics and post it here sometime soon. In the meantime, if you are on vacation in london , then GO. If you live in london then GO.
2. oxford street lights where are all the oversized disney characters looking over regent street? It’s just blue lights this year, looks like the recession hit the lighting budget too, still a nice spectacle though.
3. inamo I heard about this oriental fusion restaurant which puts the control in your hands where by you order food from touchscreen tables..that even lets you play battleship. You can set the mood, change colours on the table and even order a taxi ride home. Baffled? Me too, its due a visit I think.

reading happenings around the community

1. nikibone sandwich recipes i get lazy during cold times. here’s a huge list of sarnie recipes.
2. yumsugar: katie lee joel’s award winning burger this looks so tasty, its a cross between a hamburger and a grilled cheese sandwich and Im drooling
3. the london review of breakfasts you know london’s a great place to grab some morning grub. If you’re looking for a great place to eat breakfast, then look no further than their extensive collection now.
4. redcook I bet you never knew about the diversity of chinese cooking. It’s one of the most colourful cuisines in the world and really is just, tasty. Ok, perhaps I’m a little biased since it’s part of me heritage, but if I can’t convince you, then maybe kian the red cook can.
5. 25 other uses for vinegar bet you didnt know that vinegar was good for a sore throat, and an ant repellent at the same time. Go check it out already.

Coming soon.

I’m expediting myself in the weeks ahead as I’ll be doing a guest spot over at foodproof . Will let you know once that goes live. I am also glad to be inviting a couple of guest bloggers to london eater, Helen of food stories and Jessie of simple scrumptious foodie will be making their acquitance soon. Be sure to make them feel right at home when they go live here.

By the way, I’m still more than happy to invite guest bloggers over here, so if you are interested then do let me know , consequently I’m also more than happy to guest blog too. I’m make sure I keep things light & breezy, if you’ll have me on your blog then be sure to  let me know as well.

Wrap up warm for the winter folks, have lots of warm drinks and have a great end to the week. See you back here eating&reading in seven folks.

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the union chilli burger

This is the beginning of the search for the top burgers in london.

It’s no real secret that burgers have slowly been devouring the capital in the past few years and I think it’s only appropriate for me to highlight some of the burger bars which are ever-present around town. On this outing, I chose to try five places:

• Gourmet Burger Kitchen – the original posh burger bar now serving buffalo.
• Burger Shack- smollensky’s take on the ol’ bun.
• Hamburger Union – One of the few which serves a steak burger.
• Hache Burgers – Self anointed connoisseurs and aspiring to be the best.
• Byron Hamburgers – proper burgers and nothing else.

Who has the best beef? Which bun can soak up the most juices? Which one serves the biggest shakes and just who exactly serves the best burgers in london.

disclaimer

Alright, I know the first thing you’re thinking is ‘only five?’ . Yes, there are more and yes, I filtered this list down to the five which I think are worth a shot at the title. You may notice that I’ve not included your favourite pubs or michelin restaurants which do ‘proper’-ly posh stuff, or even a great steakhouse (and there are a few) and I may have even missed off the one which needs to be in this list (cheeky petes?) . No excuses other than that I want this list to be completely biased to this five and that I can only eat so many burgers for one article. But you know what that means right? Yes thats right – there will be a part two, so if you want me to square off your favourite burgers then leave a comment after this post and I’ll go eat & rate it.

In an effort to be completely objective, I’ve come up with six criteria points to judge the humble burgers, 5 points for coming 1st in each category and 1 for coming fifth, as simple as that.

1. atmosphere & service

white noise at byrons

Burger bars should be lively places, may not necessarily need loud blaring music, but it definitely needs to have soul. A large part of that is down to the staff needing to let their hair down and make it infectious , its a burger bar, just let loose! Probably one department where it’s difficult to get it wrong. London is generally a pretty progressive place to dine out in any case.

best: GBK scores highly because the atmosphere is just great. Staff are ultra-nice and the music ( not loud ) is appropriate for the mood. +5

worst: Byron is a soul-sucking machine. The walls are drab in white, the tables are cold steel and they have creepy qoutes about george foreman need to fight to stay away from burgers scribbled across the walls. Even the staff seemed restrained and the music is so low – I felt I had to whisper. No, no no.

overdone: Hache’s music is 80′s pop and its too loud. If I find myself needing to raise my voice over ‘Love is a Battlefield’ , you know something’s wrong. Staff are actually a little snotty here as well , perhaps it’s because of that ‘connoisseur’ image they are trying to project… and a no photography policy in a burger bar? Senseless.

Points: GBK 5 , Burger Shack 4 , Union 3 , Hache 2-1 (for wham on the stereo) , Byron 1.

2. the beef

smollensky’s beef

If the beef aint good – there’s no point.

Generally speaking, the standard across all these places are very high, in that all of them use a high quality mince, usually a good cut of steak ( some even use matured beef) in one form or the other. Of course, not all of them are necessarily grilled to the same spec. I must say, it’s rather difficult picking them apart, however, not an impossible one.

best: Close call, but I have to give this one to hache. The char-grilled taste is really sizzling, the beefiness is really full and the chunkiness is perfect. Being that it’s 100% scotch steak chopped (hence the hache) , the texture is just great. It’s as close to perfection as you can probably get in a burger.

close seconds: I’m on the fence with GBK and burger shack. The burger shack burger ’sticks’ together better, making it taste almost like a really soft steak! It’s pretty amazing stuff, but that classic GBK taste is just awesome, in that it’s consistently juicy and amazingly grilled, just pink in the middle and just the right chewiness.  Byron is not far behind in this department either, although on my visit, I felt it was delicate compared to the others. Being the new boys, I think they are probably still honing their burger making skills.

lonely at the bottom: Hamburger Union. Not that there’s anything wrong with it.. it’s just dry. Like I said, the benchmark is high, either you get it 99% right or you’re out. Unfortunately hamburger union was a 89.

Points: Hache 5 , GBK & Burger shack 4 (tie!) , Byron 3.5 , Union 1.

3. the bun

the gourmet burger

If you think about it, the bun makes up about 60% of the actual burger. Unless if you’re a fan of the bunless burger (if you are, you should be shot) , a superior bun is key to bringing out the umami. Ok, this is debatable as to which works better. Soft and light or hard and intense? Sour dough or plain white? Sesame seeds or onions? I think one think we can all agree on is strength. There’s nothing that makes me more annoyed than a bun which breaks apart the moment you bite into it. Also you want a bun which has super absorbing abilities to soak up all the stray juices.

best: I’m going to give this one to burger shack. It’s not a soft bun, but rather a dense ciabatta-like bread which keeps it’s shape and form and is great for soaking up all the juices. The bread itself actually tastes great too being that it’s moist inside while the crispy exterior gives it a nice toasty flavour. Yummy.

worst: GBK buns feel like they were bought for 20p at the local asdas. It sucks. For one it’s too fragile to hold that monster of a burger and slowly disappears as the juices flow out from the meat. And for some reason, they think that a measly toothpick stuck in the middle is going to solve that issue. Nice try, but no.

‘tweeners: Not that there’s anything wrong with the others as you dont notice the bun at all – perhaps its a good thing, it means its doing its job. A special mention for byrons though, the buns here are as good as the shacks’ with the difference being that they have a soft exterior. So if you hate crusty rolls, maybe this will be higher on your list.

Points: Burger Shack 5 , Byrons 4 , Hache 3 , Union 2 , GBK 1.

4. chips

chips, chips ,chips at the union

Behind every burger is a strong chip. The venerable potato is the humble supporting cast that does not seek the limelight from it’s attention hogging partner; doesn’t mean it’s not important though. A burger needs a chip like Tom needs Renee to complete him.

best: For fries, the crispy hache version wins hands down. For the ultimate fat chip, you can do no wrong with GBK. Everything else is just a pretender.

worst: Union’s chips are soggy and a half way house as it’s undecided to be a thin fry or a fat chip. No.

Points: GBK & Hache 5 , Byrons 3 , Burger shack 2 , Union 1.

5. sauces & relishes

minis and that byron sauce

Sauces can breathe much needed life to a dry burger. Pairing it with something sweet or perhaps fresh onions and maybe even chilli sauce. Every little bit makes a big difference.

best: GBK has a wide range of flavoured mayos from blue cheese to garlic but what sets its burgers apart is that superb tomato relish which carries a sweet edge and really works well in bringing out the flavour of the beef. However, this category has to go the byron sauce. Supposedly based on a secret recipe of capers, chilli, peppers and all sorts, these guys keep things simple but with a sauce like that, you don’t need much else. Byron wins hands down.

worst: I had the chilli burger at hamburger union and it was dry – need i say more?

Points: Byron 5 , GBK 4 , Hache 3 , Burger shack 2 , Hamburger union 1.

6. special mentions

a burger shack menu

Each of these burger bars made it to my shortlist because each of them have some kind of special selling point which I can’t necessarily categorise:

• Hache: Selection includes cod fish, hoisin duck, salmon, lamb and even venison. Best of all – they taste fantastic. 5 pts.
• GBK: Portions are huge here. The milkshakes, in particular are massive and the prices are peanuts. Economic woes demand value for money – 4 pts.
• Hamburger union: They are one of the few burger bars around which does steak (not minced or chopped but grilled as a whole piece of meat) burgers! 3 pts.
• Byrons: I was actually going to penalise byrons for serving tiny ‘mini’ burgers, but that special mayo sauce is too good and deserves more points. 1 pt.
• Burger shack: At the risk of totally contradicting myself, nothing in particular which adds value. 0 pts.

Racking up the numbers

So after much poking and prodding and lots of burger eating, this is what I’ve come down to:

• In fifth place 12 pts: Hamburger union.The food just isnt up to scratch compared to the superior counterparts. Great name – but the burgers are in dire need of a re-hash.
• Forth with 13 pts: Burger shack.They have great buns and the beef is actually quite tasty, but everything else is alittle deflated. Not bad though.
• And the runner-up to the runner up with 17.5 pts: Byrons. Looks like these new boys are serious competition, but they still have alot to learn if they want to churn out London’s best burgers. A worthy addition to the London scene, especially that sauce.
• The would be champ with 22 pts: Hache. The burger connoisseurs are great and come within a hair of victory ( 1 point to be exact ) . They really are good, possibly the best , but ‘love is a battlefield’ killed it for me.

Drumroll.. Weighing in at 23 points, with super-sized beefiness and ultra fat chips, the winner is…..

Gourmet Burger Kitchen.

Yup, that sounds about right, it explains how GBK are all over the country and why everybody just loves a gourmet burger. Deserved champs indeed.

Here’s a shot of the winner:

winner

Some honorable mentions that perhaps should have been included in this list:

• Ed’s easy diner. Malt shakes are great but tiny portions turned me off. The rarebit is pretty good though.
• Black & blue. More of a steakhouse, but burgers here are nice. Abit too expensive for my liking.
• The big easy. Loud american crabshack on kings road serving up kobe burgers. Must try!
• Cheeky petes. Apparently the god of london burgers which is still unspoken for; uses prime welsh black from pembrokeshire and in dire need of a visit.

Did you think that I missed off a worthy champion? If so, leave a comment so I can go eat it and do a follow up to this

For more in-depth reviews, do have a read below:

• Byrons
• Gourmet Burger Kitchen
• Hache burgers
• Burger Shack

Now go out and eat a burger.

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With the explosion of the london posh burger phenomenon at critical mass, I wonder how relatively new boys Byrons stack up against the establishments. Welcome one, welcome all to yet another entry in my loosely connected series of burger posts. Today, I’ve decided to go mini at Byrons, come join me in finding out if its any good..

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Byron hamburgers are relatively new having opened their first branches just little over a year ago. Most recently they rolled into my neighbourhood on gloucester road and it was perfect timing for me to pay a visit. According to their story, byrons are proper burgers which are made from 21-day matured aberdeen angus beef and the (soft) buns come from a 4th generation family baker in the east end. Truly big words for a humble franchise. It’s all well and good to have strong advertising spin – but at the end of the day, do they actually taste good? Bearing in mind the embarrassment of burger riches in London at the moment (GBK, Hache comes to mind..) , the bar has been raised several times – how are they going to compete?

proper menu and no nonsense decor

The menu is mind-bogglingly simple… almost too simple in this day and age of more is more. There are really only three choices on offer: beef , chicken and veggie. Naturally, you get to obligatory cheese & bacon add-ons to the classic beef, but aside from that, um.. that’s it.

And here I thought the menu was sterile , the decor is a physical manifestation of that simplicity ideology. White walls and soft fluorescent lights with a george foreman quote reading “I want to keep fighting because its the only thing that keeps me out of hamburger joints” scribbled across the wall. The place is also adorned with replica bulls ( in many shapes and sizes ) with cold steel for tables and dark woods for chairs – it feels abit like eating in an empty white kitchen. This place is about as devoid of personality as paris hilton and is quite possibly the most drab and colourless dining space ever. Talk about going proper, even the staff seem stiff when it comes to service… maybe they need to loosen up a little. I just don’t quite understand it, simplicity should imply easy going ’we do burgers and do it well’  and not a stuffy ‘ I know its not a 4 course french dinner, but we do burgers so well you might as well have 4 courses worth’.

At least let mark ronson loose on the stereo or something.

Sliders

Ramblings aside, all can be forgiving if the food measures up to all the marketing spin. On this occasion, I was intrigued by the mini-burgers options. I was imagining three medium sized burgers, rather than three mini ones… so I thought to myself that this would make it a great valued option. I was looking at their in-house byron sauce special, which is some sort of secret mix of capers, pepper chillies in mayo. Also ordered the skinny fries, I prefer skinny fries to fat chips, they get crispier than fat chips do.

Ok let me start off by saying those mini burgers….. are too small. They are literally three bite sized burgers, while this is cute – I did not appreciate it at all. Granted it costs 25p cheaper than the £5.75 classic option, cumulatively speaking it must be just half the size of the standard burger! It’s abit of a rip-off to be honest, being that this place is a proper hamburger place - it really should be mindful of burger enthusiasts who expect burgers to be, at least of proper sizes, even if you are offering a ‘mini’. Ok ok, so it does say its mini on the menu, I suppose what I’m after is some sort of disclaimer warning people of the actual size of those things.

Moral of the story, don’t order the minis. Size aside, the burgers actually taste quite nice. I must say, it’s a rather refined taste. The burgers are wonderfully flavoursome, definitely held up to their promise of it being totally 21 day matured beef and it is grilled nicely as well. The smokiness wasn’t too over the top, rather it was quite delicate and surprisingly, carried very little oilyness. I think the best part of the burgers were the buns. They were indeed soft, but they were strong enough such that it didn’t break apart when you bit into it. Very nice. However, while the burgers here are commendable, it wasnt the best I’d ever had. As I said, the burger tasted very delicate, and so it didnt really carry a wow-factor. You know what I mean – that feel-good factor you get when you chomp down a really huge, really nice burger bursting with richness.

I didn’t get that.

I did however get a mini wow from the byron sauce. The secret recipe was a really appetising version of mayo with hints of spice and a really flavoursome edge. It went wonderfully well with the fries and I found myself constantly dipping my mini burgers into the mix to enhance the flavour. Looking over the menu, the ‘Byron’ is one which is topped with their sauce, bacon and comes in at a hefty £8. I suspect that flagship burger must taste truly proper.

Burgering up

Well, its okay. I finished with this rather unglorified knickerboxer glory which was just bits of cherries and boring ice cream. Overall, my visit to Byron was subdued, seriously this place must have some sort of soul sucker built in because I came away feeling, well… empty. And it’s suppose to be a burger bar.

In all fairness the burgers do taste ok, just not great and compared to GBK or Hache, in my humble opinion, byron’s still got alot of catching up to do.

If you’re pushing for a simple menu, you better make damn sure your product is up to spec, because if it isn’t, it leaves little reason for me to return. GBK anyone?

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The original Gourmet burger kitchen started it’s first outlet in Battersea and since then, their super-sized burgers have exploded across the country with far too many outlets for it to be countable. If you’re looking for a great meal on a shoe-string in today’s crunch-induced environment then GBK might just interest you.

The best burger debate rages on

This is part of a loose series of burger write-ups which I’m running here at London Eater. You will noticed that I recently paid a visit to burger shack and also to hache burgers. This is still an open debate as to which one is the best burger bar in London. I still am yet to come to a conclusion, because there’s still a couple more ‘big names’ which I haven’t tried yet. Oh yes, London is entering a golden age of burger bars, it’s gone mainstream, it’s gone gourmet and I’m loving it.

Burgers, burgers and more burgers

The most recognisable part of the restaurant surely must be their ketchup bottles which are these little red tomatoes. Be careful though, cos the green root opening where the ketchup is squirted from easily comes off and can be quite a messy affair.

The food here is so straightforward, more burgers and more combos than you can shake a stick at. The beef burgers are made from 100% aberdeen angus, which is in my opinion, the most flavoursome beef currently available in the UK. The sheer variety of ‘configurations’ are what makes the menu stand out. They have stuff like the pesterella which is pesto, mozzarella with beef, or the kiwi which consists of an egg ( sunny side up ) , beetroot and a pineapple ring. And how about that jamaican which sees its burger smothered with a mango & ginger relish.

Apart from it’s fairly extensive beef burger menu, they also do a variety of specialty burgers such as lamb & buffalo and I should also point out their vegetarian burgers which include falefel , puy lentil and an aubergine & goat’s cheese option. Something for everyone.

Shaking it

One of the hallmarks of what makes GBK so successful is definitely it’s supersized milkshakes that match the supersize burgers. They come in huge steel cups (glass?) , roughly a pint and a half , which can easily be shared by two with huge appetites. By far my favourite is their oreo shake, you can still see the oreo chunks in the shake, and sometimes it gets stuck while you drink from the straw, but that’s what makes it so good.

the garlic mayo

I’m a regular at GBK, been going there for years and I’ve pretty much tried everything on their menu. If you want to keep it simple, then go for the cheese burger. The melting cheddar and beef is just… wow. Part of the reason it’s so good is the fact that their burgers are grilled to finger-licking perfection. I normally have my burgers medium, ( don’t think it’s hygienic to have it any less than that) and it’s just so good. On this occasion I went for the garlic mayo, which is exactly what it is on the box. You can clearly taste the fresh garlic infused with the mayo and that burger is beefy, sizzling with a chewy bounce and the taste is appetizing and flavorsome. Just think about the best burger you’ve ever had, yes, the one that makes you salivate and that’s how good burgers here are. Another thing I should point out is they don’t actually use run-of-the-mill ketchup as a garnish in their burgers. In it’s place, is a lovely tomato chutney/relish which is refreshingly sweet (instead of just being sharp and tangy) and it goes down so well with the beef.

Three down … a few more to go

There’s still the fine burger company, ultimate burger union and byron (which I believe are the new boys in town) to try before I proclaim a burger champ. But you know, GBK is definitely a contender, I should also mention that the prices here are a big plus, with burgers starting reasonably at £6, an atmosphere that’s so chilled, you could be mistaken to be dining in new zealand and burgers which are not only large in portion, but big in flavour. They have outlets all over the country now, so it’s easy to get hold of one, look for the closest one to you here. If you haven’t been yet, you are a minority, if you are a regular (like me) then maybe it’s time to go again. I know I will.

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There’s only so many ways I can photograph a business card, but that’s all Hache burgers left me with after my visit to Timeout’s best burger place. I didn’t understand their refusal for pictures but I tell you what, I might have just ate the best fish burger… ever.

A thousand words is worth a burger

It’s going to be a little different from my other restaurant reviews, in that I was not allowed to take pictures in this burger place. Odd I must say, I wouldn’t have expected a chic and relaxing burger bar banning photos of their juicy creations. No bother really, I’m going to do this old school style and flex those copywriting muscles.

A reputation to envy

You should know by now that I hold the timeout guide in high regard. This year they bestowed upon Hache , their best burger award. If you search the web and keep your ears open on the streets, you’ll find that there’s alot nice words like ‘juicy’ , ‘lovely’ , ‘delicious’ , ‘ohh..’ being used in the same sentence with Hache. Word of mouth is a pretty powerful thing and you know that just means one thing – I have to check it out.

Hachin’ it

Following my visit to burger shack, I’ve decided to follow up on that review with a loose series of visits to some of the best burger bars in the city. Hache brands themselves as Burger Connoisseurs, that’s a pretty bold claim especially when it comes to dealing with fast food. But these days with a general trend towards healthier eating ( even McDs have re branded with ‘healthy deli buns’ ) , making the ol’ burger fit for posh palettes seem appropriate. Besides, I think there’s a little bit of burger connoisseur in every one of us. Yes, admit it, you love a good hearty burger.

Constructing the decor

It’s wet and rainy as I write this so the atmosphere is alittle dreary to say the least. I am in need of a warm burger to clear those rainclouds. There’s two branches one in camden and the other on fulham road. I headed towards the fulham road branch today and it’s immediately recognisable as the outside is a beautiful brown wood and does seem to exude the appearance of a connoisseur.

Stepping through the door, I am greeted by loud 80′s pop music, pots of green plants hanging off the door, mirrors on white walls and fairy lights in the shape of floral patterns. The lights are low and lend it a an urban candle-lit atmosphere. Also, I should mention the mini chandeliers hanging off the exposed white ceilings with which the wooden beams are visible. The space is very reminiscent of a family run restaurant who’ve had a secret burger recipe which has been passed down from the centuries. Aside from the blaring 80s music, the restaurant is alive and cosy and is coloured with the brilliant grilled smell in the air.

Something delicious is definitely cooking in the kitchen.

Duck, lamb, fish and anything you can put between two pieces of flour

How many ways can you dress a burger up anyway? It’s just meat in buns isn’t it?

I got to say, these guys deserve an award just from judging their menu alone; there are a multitude of options available! In addition to the standard beef + innovative add-on , they have options made from english shoulder lamb , dabble with a venison in a rich coating of cassis and even indulge in the aromatic crispy duck option. I mean, seriously, the description of the options alone seem they belong in a restaurant serving proper meals. Do have a read at the full menu here.

Gone fishing

I’m a seafoodie , fresh seafood is just good no matter how you cook it. Being that they are connoisseurs – I just had to order something a little less common to test their mettle. Not that fish burger is a rarity in any case, while I do love the angus option at Burger king, I tend to enjoy their ocean’s catch a lot more.

I spotted this on the menu:

COD A CROÛTE. Chunky Cod Steak topped with our chef’s own recipe of crust of blue cheese, red pepper, corriander and a touch of chilli … £9.50

Sounds really unique especially that crust with a medley of ingredients. I took the plunge with this. As it’s lunchtime ( and I actually just woke up by the way…. so er, it was actually fish burger for breakfast.. ok brunch. ) I also ordered their banana berry smoothie which was frothy and very light as well as some thin frites on the side.

Finally sinking my teeth in

The plate is deliciously beautiful. The bread is a rather dry ciabatta bread, which is crusty but soft on the inside. I appreciate the fact that it’s dry because that helps mop up and suck in all the juices from the burger.

If indeed the burger is juicy that is.

Complimenting the burger are the run-of-the-mill fresh and delicious giant tomato slices and super fresh lettuce. The burger is served semi-open, so the fish is exposed. I normally dip my head into the dish when it comes to the table just to take in the aromas of freshly cooked food. A deep breath and I’m just absolutely swooning, that grilled fish smell is very nice indeed. The searedness comes through just nice and I’m in abit of grilled heaven. The first cut and I can see that the fish is just on the side of perfectly grilled. The fish flakes perfectly being that it is just ever so slightly undercooked ensuring that the fish’s texture is still not falling apart and thus still has a bouncy bite rather than an overcooked chewiness to it. Hats off to the chef getting the cooking spot-on.

I will note that this is a pretty big chuck of cod, so there’s no way for me to pick up the burger and take a bite out of it ( which I would have loved to do, but fearing it may be abit of a messy affair for public eyes.. ) . Wow, wow, wow, the grilled smokey taste comes straight through and it’s just so nicely seasoned peppery , a little garlicky and just full of that fresh cod goodness. I have a sneak suspicion the rich tastes partly come from the excellent crust which accompany the fish. The crust is more likely described as a thinly grilled savoury cake of sorts. It’s definitely as advertised on the menu being cheesy, peppery and alittle fiery at the end of it as well. I’ll note now that while the fish itself is not oozing juices, though it’s not meant to be, it does taste just so hearty.

I have got to say, this is an excellent fish burger that is well-executed, probably the best I’ve ever and miles better than an ocean’s catch. This definitely does seem like burger taken to gourmet levels, but thankfully it hasnt taken on any snotty pretentiousness.

Thoughts

I forgot to mention that the frites are very tasty as well. They are fried crispyly and are full of that nice potato flavour. So, at the end of this meal, I am left nodding along to their reputation, I must say I thought I knew burgers but Hache really helped re-introduced me to burgers. Now, if you’re clamoring for some pictures, do pay a visit to their website here , but if you are after, dare i say, the best burger in town , do pay them a visit.

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