Thursday, March 26, 2015

Tasting Through Umami Burger's Core Menu



Umami Burger

Umami Burger

Manly Burger

I had this before when the location was Umamicatessen but I didn't realize they kept the cocktails here. This was better than I remembered. It's a great, well balanced Old Fashioned to begin with, and the candied bacon just made it that much better.

Course 4: Ahi Tuna Burger (seared ahi patty, daikon sprouts, crushed avocado, gingered carrots, wasabi flake, wasabi tartar)
Pairing: Victory Golden Monkey (Belgian style tripel, herbal and fruity notes, slight spice)
Umami Burger

This was actually my first time having their tuna burger, and I quite liked it. It's only lightly seared on the outside and the combination with avocado and wasabi is reminiscent of tuna tartar.

Course 5: Hatch Burger (roasted hatch chiles, house Cali cheese, roasted garlic aioli)
Umami Burger
This burger is many people's favorite burger. You can't go wrong with hatch chiles! It wasn't too spicy either with the creamy cheese tempering the extra kick of the chiles.

Paired with: Blackberry Swizzle (Old Rittenhouse Rye, Benedictine, mint, fresh blackberries, lemon, topped with ginger beer)
Umami Burger

Course 6: Greenbird (turkey patty, crushed avocado, green cheese, butter lettuce, sprouts, green goddess)
Paired with: 2013 Laurenz Gruner Veltliner (apple, peach, citrus aroma with a touch of pepper)
Umami Burger
I like the Greenbird burger a lot. Sure, it's a healthier patty but I don't particularly care about that aspect. To me it's the combination of avocado and green goddess dressing (of which I was always a fan of) that makes it special. If you are looking for turkey burgers, though, this is one of the top.

Course 7: Cali Burger (butter lettuce, roasted tomato, caramelized onion, house spread, house Cali cheese)
Umami Burger
These toppings are more what I usually look for in a burger: lettuce and tomato. Here, instead of the crispness of fresh tomatoes, we get a more savory (more umami), rich touch from roasted tomato.

Pairing: Spicy Mezcalrita (Lunazul Blanco tequila, PAMA pomegranate liqueur infused with cucumber and serrano peppers, citrus, topped with Xicaru mezcal and Cointreau foam)
Umami Burger

Course 8: Throwback Burger (two 3.5 oz seared beef patties, white cheddar, miso mustard, Umami house ketchup, soy pickles, minced onion)
Paired with real sugar Pepsi

Finally, we come to their signature burger.
Course 9: Umami Burger (parmesan frico, shiitake mushroom, roasted tomato, caramelized onion, Umami house ketchup)
Paired with: 2013 Seghesio Zinfandel (aromas of red cherries, vanilla)

This burger tries to maximize that umami flavor from all the ingredients. They had chosen parmesan as the cheese for that reason, but parmesan doesn't really melt so you can't make a normal cheeseburger, so they decided to make a crisp out of it, which added a nice textural contrast as well.

I try a looot of new restaurants in LA and rarely return to old ones that often, but there's a reason Umami Burger became as successful as they did, and I'm glad they reminded me why with this epic burger tasting.

Umami Burger
852 S Broadway
Los Angeles, CA 90015
(213) 413-8626
Umami Burger on Urbanspoon


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