The Beijinger 2013 Burger Cup Finalist: Union Bar and Grille
As we head into the home stretch, with the Beijinger 2013 Burger Cup culminating this Saturday (Aug 17) in the Beijinger 2013 Burger Festival at Beijing City International School (BCIS), we are reviewing all of our finalists before they cook off, face-to-face, for the title.
Union Bar and Grille
This Sanlitun South Village staple warns about American portions on their menu, and they're not kidding. American fare is the way to go here: steaks, big salads, over-the-top desserts, and yes, burgers. Union has placed third in each of our previous two Burger Cups.
The Burger
Union Classic Cheeseburger, the only burger on their menu, is 100% grain-fed chuck steak ground in-house with your choice of cheese (cheddar, Swiss or blue). The fixings are robust – thick rounds of red onion and tomato plus a healthy leaf of Red Romaine lettuce. The burger is served with serviceable coleslaw (I ate it all) and excellent skinny fries (crispy, a touch of grease and well salted). A cherry tomato and a chunk of pickle are skewered through the toothpick holding the burger together.
Price: RMB 85.
Reader comment: "I've only tried the burger – which at 70+ kuai [now 85] makes it in my opinion a bit overpriced -- but it was excellent. I asked for blue cheese on my burger and instead of a few crumbles it came with a slab of the stuff. The shoestring fries on the side were good too – not terribly greasy and fried so that they're slightly crispy."
Why they could win it all: Union placed third in both of the previous Burger Cup outings, not an easy thing to do considering the top two were completely different in 2011 and 2012. That speaks to consistency. Grilling outdoors is a new thing for Union, so on Saturday we'll find out if they can bring those skills to the cook-off.
Update: Blue Frog has withdrawn from the 2013 Burger Cup. Although they will not participate, fans of their burger may still vote for them at the event. They will be replaced by Plan B, which was featured in a finalist spotlight.
Photo: Cat Nelson
