Mel's Burger Bar

M, E, and I were at Butler studying (a welcome change from our campus on 168th) and E recommended Mel's Burger Bar! Mel's Burger Bar has an array of mouthwatering burger selections and it was exactly what M and I wanted after a few hours of being stuck in the library. We looked at the menu and could not wait to get our hands on the food. E was unable to join us :( The atmosphere was hip and comfortable and the service was friendly and efficient. It is a bit of a trek for those who do not live uptown but it is worth a visit if you are craving for a burger with a little extra somethin somethin such as mac and cheese on your patty!

BBQ Wings 
The sauce was very sweet and enjoyable. The wings were lightly coated in a thin crispy batter and I really enjoyed the addition of scallions. 

Fries with Parmesan and Jalapeños
The fries were quite yummy but the portion was MASSIVE. M and I felt that the parmesan and jalapeño flavor could be a bit more pronounced. 

Dirty Hipster - Spinach Dip, Jack Cheese, Onion Rings, Served on a Potato Bun
I loveeee spinach artichoke dip so I knew that this was the burger I had to get. It was ridiculously messy to eat but it satisfied my craving so much. The patty was super juicy and fatty and the dip was creamy and just ridiculously sinful. The onions rings were battered a little too thickly but it worked well as an added crunch to the overall burger. 

The Cowboy - Cheddar Cheese, Chili, Onion Rings, Mushrooms, BBQ Sauce, Served on a Potato Bun 
M had this and I did not get a bite of this but she said that it was yummy. She did forgot to say no mushrooms so that made the burger less enjoyable for her. 

Mel's Burger Bar

2850 Broadway (between 110th and 111th)

New York

NY10025

Bun Wars

This is a super super late post dating back to the summer! Bun Wars was a super fun event where participating restaurants made a burger and a side and guests voted on their favorite in the end. It was a great Sunday activity with good friends, drinks, and food. I was really upset that I had to miss the next event done by the same company because I was in school but I really loved the entire concept and really excited that Hong Kong is starting to have these new types of events. Looking forward to more!

Blue Butcher's Burger
This was the first burger we ate and it was a very decent burger. The potato salad was delicious and the chef told us that it was his mom's recipe. The burger patty had a really beefy flavor and was juicy and cooked perfectly. The bone marrow did not add too much to it though, maybe it already did add some richness but it was not very noticeable. Definitely a contender for my vote!

Melon Belly
The drink was really refreshing and not too sweet! Nice!

Posto Pubblico's "Meatball'er Burger
Oops I spoke too soon! THIS burger was easily my favorite of the night. The Blue Butcher one was yummy, but this one was better. The patty had a sausagey flavor and the bacon and roasted garlic mayo was just perfect together. I think the Blue Butcher burger had more classic flavors and Posto's was more interesting and really danced on my tastebuds. I was super disappointed to find out that the prosecco fries had run out. Sob sob.

The Pawn's Tuna Burger
Ummm after the delicious burger came the worst burger of the day. I think it's a relatively ok tuna burger (something I would never order hehe but just from overall judgement), but why would you serve something like this when you know it is a burger competitive. If you are going to serve a healthy alternative then you better make sure its jam packed with flavors - which it was not. The patty was quite bland and there were no special sauces or garnishes to perk it up. I'm not saying healthy food can't be good, but when everyone is serving up these scrumptious burgers, you better bring your A game if you are going to serve something less decadent. The sides was also like rabbit food, no good no good! 

Restoration's Pig Feet Burger
This was definitely the most interesting burger of the night and while I admire their creativity and uniqueness, it was not my favorite. Yet this was still definitely better than the tuna burger. The patty was very gelatinous and bouncy textured and I liked how the outside was crunchy which was a nice textural contrast. 

ICE CREEEAMMM YAY

Overall it was a lovely Sunday and I look forward to more fun events!

Ramen Burger

The ramen burger was causing a huge stir and T and I decided to create our own at home. It was a lot of fun making it and it was SUPER filling.

Ingredients

Minced beef

Cheddar cheese

Bacon

Ramen noodles 

Mushrooms

Japanese leeks

Kewpie mayonaise (BESTEST)

Shabu shabu sesame sauce 

Onion

Egg

Soy sauce 

Salt

Directions

1. Buy Ingredients (we went to the supermarket under SOGO)

2. Dice up 1/4 to 1/2 of the onion depending on personal preference and mix with the meat. Add soy sauce and salt and mix together. 

3. Quickly cook the noodles, drain, and wash with cold water. 

4. This bit was a bit tricky. We have read in some recipes that egg was added to hold the noodle patty together but we decided to go with the original recipe's method and just press down the noodle in a bowl to mold it. 

Press that downnn 

5. Sautee the mushrooms with diced onions and then pour in the japanese shabu shabu sauce.

6. Trim some of that bacon fat off... 

7. Slice up the japanese leeks. T and I LOVE leeks and scallions so the more the merrier. 

We're creative ;) 

8. Left the noodle in the bowl for around 15 minutes and it definitely did not hold up. It fell apart when we tossed it onto the pan :(

9. Stare at hot bf 

10. We decided to go the egg route and so we whisked some egg up and poured it into the patty. It definitely helped a lot in holding the ramen together but it made it a bit dense. 

11. Form the meat patty and fry that up. Make sure you get a nice caramelization of the surface by first using high heat and then turning it down. 

12. Toss on the leeks  then covered it with the cheese. Mmm

13. BACONNN! 

14. Build your ramen burger! 

15. We also fried an egg because we're greedy. 

TADA!! 

It was a lot of fun making it and it was quite the flavor bomb but I actually prefer a normal toasted bun. I felt that the ramen "bun" was too starchy and dense. It also didn't really have any flavor and overall it was just way too filling. I really did like everything that we put into the burger, the meat patty was juicy and flavorful, the mushroom mixture was delish, and the leeks were crunchy and fresh. Be ready for hardcore food coma after this! 

Umami Burger

When I first had Umami Burger, my mind was blown. And as our days in LA decreased, our desperation to eat everything was at record high. We had booked Gjelina for brunch and decided to pop by Umami for a "bite" before our meal. Sadly, I felt that the burger was not as good as the one I had the first time, this could be due to the fact that it was my first time or that it was a different location. It was still yummy, just not amazing (although food porn level is very high for these pics). Tater tots were damn good though. They just opened a branch in New York so I would be down to go try it out.

Umami Burger

Various Locations