The Beijinger 2013 Burger Cup Finalist: Flamme

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 profiling all of our finalists before they cook off, face-to-face, for the title.

Flamme
Known best for their steaks and the two-for-one deal offered on Tuesdays as well as their stellar happy hour and excellent cocktails, Flamme has two burgers on their menu.

The Burger: Their signature burger is two beef patties wedged between three pieces of brioche bun topped with white cheddar cheese, a couple slices of bacon and a fried egg. It's cooked to order and served with the standard fixings of lettuce (iceberg), tomato, and red onion (caramelized). The dish is accompanied by a heap of passable crinkle-cut fries.

Price: RMB 88

Reader comment: We had a burger and a salad, and both were well-portioned and tasty.

Why they could win it all: Flamme was paired against its neighboring Union Bar and Grille in the 2011 Burger Cup match and didn't quite make the cut. Those were different times, however. Since then, Flamme's burger has really stepped up a notch. Okay, more than a notch. Going from "weirdly compressed" beef to being "striking" and "juicy" in just two years is quite impressive, but will it be enough to take home the trophy? Make sure to come by Saturday and find out.

Photo: Cat Nelson