Grilled: Dongli Brewery Tells Us What Makes Their Burgers Especially Juicy, Thick, and Bouncy

As part of the Beijinger's month-long Burger Cup (which kicked off May 16 with burger specials around town), we take a closer look at some of this year's participants. Today we're grilling Wang Wei, general manager at Dongli Brewery, who will not only be slinging burgers at our May 28 Burger Festival, but is also vying for the title of Burger Cup champion (voting for which begins on May 30).

How long have you been a burger flipper?
I've worked in F&B for 19 years.

Tell us about your signature burger.
Our signature burger is our Dongli Beef Burger, which is RMB 68. We choose our ingredients very carefully, and after a lot of research we finally settled on this combination. It turned out to be the right choice, as proven by its popularity among our customers.

Our chef learned how to cook in Munich, Germany. He was influenced by the local burgers there, and decided to bring that style back to Beijing.

Brief us on your beef.
We use beef from Argentina, the cows raised on the Pampas, making the meat juicy, thick, and bouncy.

Give us the lowdown on your toppings.
We made a special creamy mustard sauce, to accentuate the patty and the vegetables.

Bun conundrum: what bread is best suited to hold your burgers together?
We use imported flour and milk powder from the Netherlands. Together, they give the bun a subtle crispy texture and a golden color.

How should we wash it down?
Three of our beers, which we brew ourselves, go well with this burger. There's our IPA, which is brewed using Cascade, Citra, and Chinook hops for aromas of grapefruit, orange, pine, and spice. Then there's our amber, which is stronger and more bitter. Also, our pale ale, which has a hoppy aroma balanced with malt.

Do you have any Burger Days promotions or Burger Festival discounts in lieu of the Beijinger’s Burger Cup?
We will sell our Dongli Beef Burger for 25 percent off, RMB 50, at the Burger Cup Festival. We'll also sell our burger and beer combo at 15 percent off, for RMB 60.

Stay tuned for further info on Burger Days discounts at Dongli and other restaurants around town from May 16 onward. Also, be sure to check the Beijinger blog for regular updates on the Burger Cup competition (voting for which begins May 30), and how you can cast your ballot for 2016's beef patty champion (which will be crowned on June 13). 

The Beijinger's 2016 Burger Cup is brought to you in cooperation with the following sponsors: Oasis Hospital, McCain Fries, and Santa Fe Movers, Etonkids, Sherpa's, Lonely Planet, Xian Cheng, and Asian Tigers.

Photos: Dongli Brewery