A Talk With a Beijing Burger Fanatic: Nancy the Burger Muncher

Vincent R. Vinci, Managing Editor | Dec 5, 2022 2:43 pm | Add a comment | 177 reads

With the Beijinger’s Juicy Burger Month still in full swing, we decided to talk to a few burger fanatics based in the capital -- all of which are the most active members of our Beijing Burger Lovers WeChat groups -- to find out more about their favorite food.

This week we speak with Beijing native, avid climber, and burger lover Nancy Lee, who holds a great many long gone capital burger slingers close to her heart.

Where are you from and how long have you been in Beijing?
Hujiayuan, near where China’s first Pizza Hut is located (random fact!). I’ve been here for as long as I can remember. I would gladly take the title of Beijing food ambassador simply because I've outlived many restaurants here and have documented a lot of my favorite restaurants with my camera over the past ten years. Due to the fact I keep an excel spreadsheet of local eateries/bars sorted by location, my friends call me 人肉点评 Rénròu Diǎnpíng (aka Dianping in the Flesh). I really should charge them for my services, though. For one request, I’ll usually delve into a hunting frenzy and come up with three options for them, and that’s a lot of time and effort, you know, especially so during my working hours, dropping everything less urgent.

How often do you go out for burgers?
I don’t really keep count, but if I don’t get at least one a week, I might show symptoms of withdrawal. I’m grateful that my sponsor is still on board with this.

What's your favorite Beijing burger and why?
For now, SOLDOUT without a doubt. I have tried all burgers on their menu, which range from RMB 23-37. They also have a variety of grilled cheese sandwiches all at RMB 30 or so. But sadly my work is beyond its delivery reach or I’d order it every other day. It reminds me of Cannon’s back in the day. Affordable, tasty, and almost similar in decor, with its red and white theme. Everything’s at a perfect ratio too. I also loved Prodigy’s supreme burger and Salt Lake Inn's premium burgers, but sadly they lost the fight to Covid-19...

When looking for the perfect burger, what's your criteria?
The patty and the buns! Sauce is, somewhat important too, as I painfully realized. He Burger in Wudaoying is perfect for me. I never knew buns were as important as the patty until I tried their freshly baked buns. I usually come for a chicken sandwich after work, sometimes I split a burger with a friend and we’ll order something else to share, sitting by the window watching people hustle by. It’s perfect for a burger date... or a sponsor session.

I know many burger-fanatics would pay whatever for their favorite burgers because it’s well worth their money, but not me. Price matters. I like an affordable burger since they almost always surprise me. Trick to life, am I right? Lower your expectations and end up getting the best out of... burgers.

Any burgers you're looking to try over this month?
I haven’t had Home Plate’s burgers for so long, ever since I moved away from Xiaoyunlu 10 years ago... Their legendary pulled pork sandwich holds a special place in my heart. I would like to make a revisit and see how things have changed. Also Burp, I heard the owner’s also a Beijing local, and their menu has a certain Beijing twist, and I find that hard to resist.

Now that Juicy Burger Cup is over, who do you think should win next year's contest and why?
Take A Bite (TAB)! Their Royal Beef Supreme (RMB 69), double cheddar cheese, double patty with slow cooked mushroom paste and BBQ sauce is incredible. I can swim in that sauce. Their chicken sandwich Billionaire Scrooge McChick (RMB 32) is my second favorite, and Szechwan Style Suicide (RMB 26) reminds one of a fastfood chain equivalent. I also love the fact that they put something special on the menu which certainly appeals to GOT fans. You can find it at the bottom of their appetizer and snacks menu.

While Juicy Burger Cup may be over, our Juicy Burger Month is still happening until Dec 11! There's still a week left to get out there, try some burgers and stamp your passport to win great prizes.

To stay up to date with the latest on burger restaurant openings and closings, it’s best to join our Juicy Burger Month WeChat group. Here we post an updated list everyday of operating and delivery status for all the participating restaurants. You can join by adding TBJButler on WeChat and requesting to join (make sure to specify if you want to join the Chinese or English language group).