The Ultimate Burger Experience!

Upon first glance at the limited menu of Fuku Burger,  I wasn't in a hurry to get in and try these "burgers with a Japanese twist." Pickled ginger, wasabi mayo, habanero kabyaki? I don't even know exactly what that is! It was hard to say that the oversized photos on the online menu made it look appetizing. Simply because it didn't look recognizable. So I put it on my list of burgers "to try" . . .  low on my list. After all, the past few burgers I have gone out of my way to eat have been . . . well . . not blog-worthy, as you may have guessed.

I don't say this all that often anymore, but: Thank goodness for Groupon! I saw the deal for Fuku and the Hollywood burger joint suddenly rose to the top of my list. $15 for a meal for 2? Can't beat that!

Its located on Cahuenga Blvd which has more than a handful of other burger joints, including my beloved Umami Burger. When we arrived, the place was near empty, so we got our choice of tables. The waiters were SUPER friendly and Lamar was instantly related and has us totally comfortable, cracking up and having fun the entire time. Cool people and a laid back environment always makes for a great burger experience. The tables were large, red, and picnic style. The decor was cultured, yet urban and unpretentious. Did I mention how cool our waiter, Lamar was??

And then there was the food. Fries with "crack sauce"? I don't know exactly what it is (it definitely has some kind of sweet chili sauce and mayo or something in it), but I want more!! And they brought us as much as we wanted! The fries had that kind of "dry" texture like In 'N Out fries, yet were thick and potatoey, seasoned perfectly with a seasoning salt mixture. Included in the Groupon deal was an order of edamame which was delish and perfectly sea-salted.

We tried the Belgian Beer flight which had 4 different Belgian ales, including my 2nd favorite: Allegash White (#1 Favorite is Stella Artois). I could have been totally satisfied with the beer, fries and edamame. But that isn't what I came for. I was there for the BURGER!

Before I get into the burger, I have to mention how cool and fun it is that they have a 42" plasma with a Twitter feed showing their posts and posts they've been tagged in. The marketer in me has to love that marketing move and the attention whore in me had to tweet a few times while I was there. And, of course, take a picture of one of my tweets . . . "Look mom, I'm on TV. Sort of."

I got the Buta Burger, exactly as it comes. I'll say it. That was, hands down, the BEST burger I have ever had. I have not been able to stop thinking about that burger.

I could have eaten the patty all by itself. Why was it so delectable? Perfectly cooked and seasoned, perfect thickness, perfect size for the bun and oh so juicy. Speaking of the bun, it was incredible! Good amount of breadiness, good size and a tiny hint of sweetness, but not so flavorful or dense that it took away form the burger in any way. I would be totally fine if I had just gotten the burger and the bun!

The toppings. Oh the toppings. Tillamook cheddar cheese, smoked bacon, pickled red onions and red ginger, finished with Japanese BBQ sauce and wasabi mayo. These guys knew exactly what they were doing when they made this genius combination of ingredients in the "Buta Burger." And I so appreciate anyone who can combine flavors like that. Its an attractive quality in another human being. Yes, I'm looking at you, creators of the Fuku Menu. That's Hot.

The first bite into this burger was HEAVEN. Absolute HEAVEN. If I close my eyes, I can still taste in now: The juiciness of the burger, slight sweetness of the bun, coupled with the pickled onions and BBQ sauce, against the saltiness of the cheese, bacon and pickled ginger with the kick of wasabi mayo at the end. It has to be one of the best flavor combinations I have ever tried.

I think what makes me love Fuku so much is that it has all the unique sauces. Sauce is the sauce of life, after all. It is what many of the flavor combinations rely on to bring all other flavors together. I miss out on that often times because I don't eat ketchup or mustard.

Sauce I love+amazing flavor combinations+awesome staff+I get to be on tv+crack sauce+super cool vibe=The Ultimate Burger Experience.

As if this wasn't enough, General Manager Jessica stops by our table, is ridiculously adorable and tells us about the super secret edamame hummus. Yes please! I could write another whole blog on that hummus alone. But this isn't Elaine's hummus blog, after all.

Go get that burger. Its seriously the best burger ever. I'm going to go drool on my pictures from Fuku now . . .

In-N-Out Vs. Five Guys

I am asked at least twice each week, a version of the question "So, which is better: In n Out or 5 Guys." My answer is honest, yet sometime unsatisfying: They are very different.

With all the fast food(ish) Burger places out there, it is interesting how people are so compelled to compare the long time west coast based, simple burger drive through to the East Coast originating burger and hot dog stand. 

Because I cannot even begin to compare the sum of the Burger, Fries and drink meal from In N Out to that of the 5 Guys meal, I will break it down into comparable categories and YOU can choose how heavily each of these categories weighs based on your individual tastes.

Bun
InO: standard burger bun, perfect size, texture and thickness for the patty and rest of toppings
5G: my dad said it best "I don't like how they wrap the burgers in foil, because it gives the bun the effect of having been steamed." I agree, dad. That kind of texture on a hamburger bun isn't my favorite.

Patty
InO: thin, well seasoned, and good proportion to the rest of the burger. According to the In N Out Website, InO has their own patty making facility and purchases only high quality chuck beef (No mention of whether is organic, grass fed, etc.)
5G: Thicker, wider patty and only served well done, the 5G burger patty is satisfying. Depending on how hungry I am, it can sometimes be a little too big. I will always eat it, but it does leave me overly full. As for the beef? According to the FAQ's page of 5 Guys website, "While our beef is neither organic nor are the cattle free range, our distributor purchases raw materials from the major meat suppliers in the US who are required to treat the cattle humanely and follow all the procedures set forth by the USDA." Thanks for the straight, honest answer!

Toppings
Cheese
InO: Cheese is always delish, perfectly melty and always holds the grilled onions in place. The cheese is so good at InO that I sometimes order a grilled cheese and am totally satisfied. My theory on what makes InO SO GOOD is  the onion/cheese combination melted perfectly on top of the patty.
5G: Cheese is good and they always put two slices, which is never a bad thing. BUT the onions are not on the cheese which, for me is a bummer.

Onions:
InO: As mentioned, the grilled onion and cheese combination is what makes the InO Burger so magical and addicting. The onions are a perfect mixture of being grilled and caramelized so they have the flavor of caramelization and the non-mushy texture of grilled onions.
5G: Only because I'm comparing them to InO onions, the 5G onions are sub-par. They are caramelized and for some reason, placed underneath the patty so they don't really stay in place which lends to a somewhat messy burger eating experience.

Other toppings:
InO: Simplicity is the key. Because of the limited toppings offered, they keep it simple and consistent and they do it REALLY well. Its a very well made, tasty, basic burger. Just one thing I'm not a huge fan of . . . every once in while I have to take out some of the lettuce or a tomato slices as it overwhelms the rest of the burger.
5G: Major points for offering the extra toppings . . . specifically BACON!! For me, Bacon weighs heavily on my burger loving experience. Sometimes I'm just craving bacon on my cheeseburger and InO can never and will never fulfill that craving.  I usually get grilled mushrooms, too. Just cause I can.

Sauces:
InO: I do not eat their sauce as it has relish/pickles in it and I do not get ketchup and mustard "instead" as I do not eat those condiments.
5G: While they have a slightly larger variety of sauce toppings, I also do not get sauce at 5G. So, no comments on sauce either way.

FRIES!
InO: Fries are good, but in my opinion, nothing special. Since I don't like the sauce, I am not enticed by animal style, though I have friends who swear by animal style fries (and they DO look delicious. Its one of the rare times I actually wish I liked pickles)! I rarely order fries on my InO trips.
5G: The fries score them major points! Small fries = a 10ish oz cup full of fries and another whole scoop of fries on top of the, inside the bag.  PLENTY to share with a friend. Especially because the burger is huge and filling.  Added bonus: You have the option of getting the fries with cajon (NOT pronounced "Kah-hoon") seasoning. Its a lot of seasoning, but it sure is delicious. The fries are big, fat and potatoey which makes them fries worth eating on almost every visit.


Summary:
InO: Fries aren't amazing and there are no extra special toppings available. BUT overall, its classic, dependable and excessively tasty. . . especially for a basic burger. Always fast, efficient service and super affordable prices.

5G: Servings are unnecessarily large and they don't quite capture that "perfect basic burger" essence, but they make up for it in extra topping options and yummy fries! They take a bit longer to get the orders out, are a bit more costly and the restaurants are not as clean as InO.

Depending on how hungry I am, what mood I am in and how much time I have, I'll choose InO or 5g accordingly.

If there is only one to be within walking distance of my house, I'm happy its InO.

Fresh to Death

According to UrbanDictionary.com "Fresh to Death" is a term used to describe something that is so good, its unexplainable.

How will I even proceed with this explanation of the three Burgers that I fell in love with at Marin Sun Farms over Labor Day Weekend? Luckily my phone has a great camera that at least captures the juicy essence of the burger that I couldn't put down...

Driving from San Francisco to Napa, there were several routes we could have taken. But when Bailie, Manager and Master of Delicious Freshness (not her official title, but it should be) at Marin Sun Farms has me drooling over a short description of her blue cheese burger, I'll drive the extra miles through Point Reyes.

The place looks just as you'd imagine: a little house-like structure on the side of a winding country road with a huge picnic area consisting of hay bale seats and a rustic wood slab picnic table. All, the front of a farm with assorted livestock roaming freely.

Inside, there are a handful of tables in a room adjoining the front counter area. The place is so clean, airy and open that it makes the display of raw meat look . . . well . . . beautiful! I never thought I would say that about raw meat, but its true. The line of customers coming in to pick up their meat for the week was a testament to its beauty.

Within minutes of sitting down, we are greeted with a plate of deviled eggs atop an arugula salad, a caprese salad tossed in reduced balsamic, and a jar of medium cut perfectly crispy fries that we are told are rendered in pork fat. If you have never had fries cooked like this, you are severely missing out. Everything that you think you love about regular fries becomes a distant memory to these heavenly, crispy, salty, melt in your mouth slices of fresh potato.

Then there were burgers . . .

The Bacon Cheddar Burger was Heather's favorite. It was on a Brioche Bun from nearby Panorama Bakery and was topped with local cheddar and house-cured bacon. The beef patty was perfectly cooked and tender which made the burger way too easy to devour. The house cured bacon really was the star of this burger. The saltiness complimented the sweetness and the thickness complimented the crispiness. If I wasn't already married, I'd consider getting hitched to this bacon.

The Goat Burger was Ali's favorite. Three wine tastings later, she was still reminiscing about the goat burger and how surprisingly tasty it was. I do not disagree! The flavor combination gave me the same satisfaction as that which I get from eating the Manly Burger at Umami. It is perfectly savory and the uniqueness has you curiously taking bite after bite. When I later asked for the details of what was on the burger,  I had to do some Google searches just to find out exactly how, what I was eating was prepared! Topping the surprisingly good goat patty was herbed Red Hill Farms Cherve, charred onions and shitake mushroom conserva. I definitely pushed beyond my burger barriers with this kid burger!

The star of my entire weekend is, without a doubt, the Black and Blue burger. Holy mother of cheese, is this the most perfectly complete burger/cheese combination I've ever had! The cheese is stuffed inside the patty and somehow the patty is perfectly cooked without the cheese leaking out! What happens on the first bite is pure magic.

I have never eaten a burger without putting it down between bites (call me crazy, but I love to savor my burgers). Once I bit into the Black and Blue, oozing with cheese and topped with the reddest heirloom tomato slices and the greenest cress, I was not ever going to put it down. I slipped into my own burger heaven for a few moments while I enjoyed this perfectly constructed hamburger.

The main thing I took away from my Labor Day Burger experience is this: the taste of freshness isn't just a rumor that Jamie Oliver and Organic Farmers are perpetuating. It is completely true. The proof is just off a winding country road in the middle of Point Reyes at Marin Sun Farms.

I love all kinds of burgers, but when I can eat a burger and feel totally filled and energetic for the remainder of the day, I know I'm not just making my mouth happy. I'm making my body happy too.

A Burger as a Happy Pill

I love meeting delicious new burgers and passionate burger-makers in unsuspecting places.

Its a hot Sunday afternoon, but the kind where the clouds were thick and making the sun a greyish yellow.  My buddy Michael Baum calls and says we need to meet at the Old McDonalds Farmers Market just up the street from my house. He says he met a guy at a BNI event who owns a burger company, he told the guy about my blog and the guy demanded I come try his burger.

A short Sunday afternoon bike ride in my favorite Sunday outfit, to go get my favorite food with one of my favorite people? Can't say "no" to that!

There is a high school drum line playing as I walk along the rows of organic fruits and veggies, and I already have a headache. The air is getting hotter and the sky is getting greyer as we push past the crowds.  We find the burger booth and I look at the menu, perplexed. Its one of the rare times where I just cannot even imagine the burger as described on the menu.

Then, Anthony, owner of Hapa Burger  comes out of the booth and is visibly excited to see me. I ask him what makes his burger special and he goes into the the most intense, precisely depictive and passionate description of one of the most intricate, unique and savory burgers I'd ever heard of.


Here are a few of the highlights:

• The Patty-->Hawaiian Style Marinated Short Ribs
• marinated, then freshly ground and lightly handled while made into a perfectly thick, juicy and melt in your mouth patty 

• "Hash" Topping-->Disc Made of Bacon
• perfectly salty, evenly distributed and crisply cooked (I think he said he grilled some onions into this disc, too)
• "Gooey" topping-->shredded colby jack cheese sprinkled on top of the smokin hot hash which tops the grilling hot patty.
• "Pele" sauce-->I have NO IDEA what it was becuase it was a little sweet, a little spicy and a little sour
• It brought out those respective flavors in each bite of the burger, which gave you at least 3 different stages of taste in EACH BITE. 
• Fries: natural cut fries infused with coconut oil, topped with coarse sea salt. 
• Like the burger, unique and layered with surprising flavors

Because I know you are still imagining it, I will reaffirm what is written above: bacon. in the shape of a disc. grilled with onions. on a burger. made of marinated pork short ribs. cheese melted into every crevice.

At the end of his description, Anthony said, "you really cant describe it, why don't I just make you one?" I politely obliged. At this point, it would be rude not to. Though it took him only 10 mins to make our order for 4 burgers and 4 fries, it seemed like the longest 10 mins of my life. Pieced together, confused, yet delicious images were fighting in my mind of what this burger could possibly be like. The sky got greyer, the drums got louder and then . . . the burgers were ready.

We go to sit under a tree and it starts to rain. We take the first bite and for the next 5 minutes we are silent. The rain didnt bother us, the drumming seemed faint and even the worst Elvis impersonator seemed to be a distant trouble from our burger happiness.

The burger was exactly as described. Only what cannot be described is the taste itself. It is unlike any flavor combination I have experienced OR imagined. So wonderful, my other senses were dulled (thank goodness, considering grey haired Elvis over there singing Barry Manilow songs).

The burger was greasy, but appropriately so. It was huge, yet stayed together well (I think the shredded cheese is the trick). It had the perfect accent of sweet, yet always left you with a salty/spicy zing.

I love when I read a description of a burger and cant imagine it, then later find out its because it was unimaginable! Haven't had that happen since Umami.

Thanks Anthony. I WILL be back.


Plus, who doesn't love a hot retro chick with a burger in her hand?