Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
- Joined: Dec 12th, 2006
- Posts: 248
There is plenty of new competition in the Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium zone - including Blue Frog, Luga's Villa, 25 Degrees, Let's Burger - so what are people's takes?
Here are mine:
Blue Frog: Been there twice, liked the burger, but too pricey (RMB75) in general. The beer - RMB45 for a large Carlsberg or Tiger - will hit your wallet.
Luga's Villa: Excellent value at RMB35, which includes a side salad and decent fries. The beer (Corona = RMB15!) is equally cheap and it's substantially more upscale than Luga's.
The Den: Also great value, and I like The Den Burger with the fried egg up top although the patty sometimes tend to be dry. Plus, these guys know how to make fries.
The Rickshaw: The burger is OK, but that 15% surcharge makes it less of a value than The Den and Luga's Villa, especially given the dodgy service.
Let's Burger: Going tonight...
Cheers, Boyce
I administer this Beijing nightlife blog and this China wine blog.
admin
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
so boyce have you tried the 325 kuai burger at One East on Third yet? does it come with a foot massage?
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beijing boyce
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
Admittedly, I haven't - I gotta pay my own way and RMB325 is a tad too rich for me. Anyway, that lies outside the Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium zone, no?
Cheers, Boyce
I administer this Beijing nightlife blog and this China wine blog.
admin
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
sure, but the hungry public wants to know what a 325 kuai burger tastes like!
we should approach the hilton and have an "Eat a RMB 325 Burger For Charity" event... perhaps the money raised could go for famine relief.
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beijing boyce
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
OK, here is the review of Let's Burger I put on my blog:
In my mind, something called an “Original burger” should include a patty, toppings such as tomato and onion, and a bun. It should not include a slathering of what looks and tastes like - and might well be - Thousand Island dressing. Which is what came on not only my “Original burger” (RMB48), but also the “Nicoise burger” (RMB48) ordered by 8 Songs at Let’s Burger last night.
On the first floor of new Nali, Let’s Burger opened last Friday and is a long, narrow, and airy venue with Spartan decor and a friendly staff.
Here’s how the place works: You order at the counter, grab a table number, sit down, and wait for the food to be delivered. The burgers come in baskets. (Note: Fries are extra - starting from RMB20.) Both the beef and pork patties are tasty, the toppings fresh if simple, and the bun pretty much nondescript. The seating is comfortable enough, especially, given the weather of late, the tables outdoors.
A self-serve station includes about a dozen condiments in squirt bottles, including “bao bao hot dip,” Mexicano, and Wasabi mayo, though incredibly no mustard. (This is where that Thousand Island / burger dressing should be.)
Let’s Burger offers a small but decent selection of beers, from Grolsch at RMB25 to Old Speckled Hen, Newscastle, and Kona’s Pipeline at RMB35-38, though the wine appears to be limited to house at RMB38.
For another diner’s take, here are 8 Songs‘ notes:
"When all you want is a drink while waiting for friends, it’s a little strange that you have to go up to the counter and order. Once the beverage has been selected, you are given not a drink but a numbered table tent so that the waitress can find you. Next time I won’t bother. [Note: The beer, but not the wine, is “take away.”]
"The décor was not quite American 50’s, not quite modern, not quite flowing, not quite right. Though the smell of the cooking induced hunger.
"The drinks selection was interesting, but only one wine - a nondescript French cabernet. RMB36 for it was over the top, especially since the glass was well below half full.
"As for the burger itself, my de la Nicoise (the menu board has the spelling wrong) was built on a nice slice of pork. But the toppings left me disappointed. If I wanted thousand island dressing on my burger bun I would have asked for it. A smear of coleslaw should have been aside the meat, not on top of it.
"This must be the first restaurant that doesn’t automatically at least offer fries to go with the burger.
"Presentation of the food was okay, with my burger on a white plate. But no cutlery. Since we were sitting beside the sideboard, I helped myself to a knife and fork.
"The food arrived within 2-3 minutes of us ordering. That means the burgers must be on the hotplate in anticipation of an owner. Pity help it if I wanted mine cooked rare.
"RMB48 for the burger was at the low end of the spectrum according to the menu board. And on the low end of the spectrum in terms of value for money.
"To summarise, in a town where the flavour of the month barely lasts 3 weeks, this place is in danger. They seem to have a great feel for the meat, which of course makes the burger, but the rest of the offering is not likely to make it a drawcard among Beijing’s fickle diners. Let’s burger? Let’s not.
To be fair, this place has been open less than a week, so I’ll soon return for another try.
Note: Let’s Burger currently opens daily at 5 PM.
I administer this Beijing nightlife blog and this China wine blog.
Lola123
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
I took Boyce's advice and asked for no "special sauce" on my burger, and it was pretty tasty.
I had the original cheesburger (still not sure what type of cheese it was) and cheese/chili fries.
Only bad thing was I got the fries after I finished the burger! I simply told them I would not like them anymore as its crazy to serve a side dish after you finish your main. They were very nice and gave me my money back and let me keep the fries to try them- they were ok. (I would not order them again anyway)
The regular fries were nice and crisp (ate some of my husbands as there was more than enough for two people).
Any idea when I can get a burger for lunch??
Whatever
supercadet
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
I've actually had the burger on One East on Third...the caveat is that it was during fourth of July, where they had it on special for 150RMB. I assume its the same burger they usually serve, but I can't be sure. First, they served some great rolls and butter at the beginning of the meal, which is something I mention because I have really been missing good soft rolls lately. So, on to the burger...It was highlighted on the menu as a waygu burger with fois gras, truffles on a toasted brioche bun. It was lovely...and by far the best burger I've had in the 'jing, but not my all-time favorite due to the price point (that would go to an In-and-out double-double combo with fried onions, hold the tomato) This monstrosity of a burger was served with fois gras, truffles and a brioche bun. The fois gras was not of the highest quality--it had a creamy, mellow, liver richness, but not the buttery, fatty, exteriorly-crispy lusciousness that I would expect from a stand-alone fois gras (with hudson valley apples) dish. The truffles did not impart a strong flavor as I expected, but did have a pleasant smoky, earthy aroma. The bun was beautifully shiny on top and crisply toasted on the inside, with just the right amount of sweetness.
Admittedly, the waygu sirloin may have been lost on me...the flavor of the beef wasn't too overwhelming, but memorable enough. Frankly, the biggest problem with burgers is the right amount of fat to meat ratio, combined with the appropriate cooking temperature. I ordered my burger medium, and in that regard, they were right on. They serve several relishes on the side, including some over-the-top-named ketchup (I think some kind of Thai-Ketchup), a stone-ground fancy-pants mustard and a horseradish mayo. I slathered on a dollop of two latter. On the side was a stack of polenta (I think that's what they were) and zucchini fries. Also, there was an aesthetically playful pile of fried onion strings (which I just put on the burger, for good measure). As good as the sides were, I was disappointed by the lack of french fries. For the price (albeit discounted), I'd like some double-fried, from scratch, lawry's seasoning salt sprinkled, palate-scorching-hot pommes frites.
As I said earlier, the burger was de-li-cious...just a tad fiscally unreasonable to be truly enjoyed without a twinge of guilt. There is enough calorie-laden guilt with eating a burger, or foisgras or truffles (I can usually only afford the kind of dishes that feature a drizzle of truffle oil) alone--the combination of all three, plus the monetary baggage makes me feel like some of the 'value' choices are all I need when the cravings hit.
Arcturus
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
The burger at One East is great. Well worth the money when compared to Beijing's other burger offerings. Went to Let's Burger the other day, it was decent and the service was excellent. My burger automatically came with ketchup, and when I indicated that I do not eat ketchup, they immediately replaced it.
melodymelody
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
well, me & group of my friends not really quite agreed with what mentioned. Since we tried that several times & really tasty. Of course still have room of improvements, but any kind of the shops should have, am I right??!!!
Don't go for too extreme! At least, me & my friends also comment this is the best place for burger in BJ currently!
Last but not least, as this is a fast food shop & I totally feel comfortable to paying at the counter! This practise applies to many american & european style fast food shops, as I lived there for over 10 years!
I & my friends will definitely come again!
"Let's Burger", yes, it really is!!! At least up to this moment I couldn't find a better one in BJ!
beijing boyce
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
OK, here's a belated post on the burger Union Bar & Grill. When compared to the other new places - Blue Frog and Let's Burger - it's the best so far:
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Brick walls, dark wood trim, a large three-sided bar, and plenty of booth seating give this spacious place an upscale steakhouse look. We grabbed a booth (a bit of a tight fit), surveyed the one-page menu (front and back alternating between food and beverage), and ordered cheeseburgers - one with blue cheese and one with cheddar (RMB78; RMB10 more for bacon or mushrooms).
I asked for mine medium-rare and apparently such descriptors are no longer in vogue. Instead, my choices were revealed to be 70-percent, 90-percent, or 100-percent “done” (I’m not sure what the latter means - burnt to the consistency of a blowtorched shoe heel?) I chose 70-percent, though in hindsight, I suggest a 50-percent option be added.
Anyway, the burgers looked great, from the cherry tomato and green onion garnish on top, to the slick slabs of melted cheese on the patties, to the large mound of shoestring fries and the little cup of coleslaw on the side. The only hitch: the bun, which fellow diner m-dawg called “uneventful” and which we found surprisingly ordinary given the basket of freshly baked bread on our table. In any case, the burgers turned out to be juicy, delicious, and more than filling - and they bloody well should at RMB86 kuai.
I didn't want to write too much here, but I include some more details on my blog if you are into that kind of thing:
http://www.beijingboyce.com/2008/09/05/todays-beef-union-bar-grill/
Cheers, Boyce
I administer this Beijing nightlife blog and this China wine blog.
cooldude75
Re: Burger time - Sanlitun / Workers' Stadium
We tried the Burger at the New UNION BAR AND GRILL at The village ,Sanlitun
The waiters were nice and great.
The Burger was juicy and great size.
The french fries were perfect
The coffee kept flowing however it could be been a bit better.
The decor was great.
The toilets were clean.
The Music system and the quality of songs played were good.
We had a great time.
at the Village, Sanlitun