I hope the readers of “the Hole” can indulge this flight of fancy. I miss writing about food. The other day I ran across the blog of the Texas Burger Guy. Basically, this guy goes around Texas and reviews burger joints. It inspired me to do something similar for Korea. First I was ambivalent about reviewing burgers, but after a while the idea started to appeal to me.
So now starts Dram Man’s Korea Burger Hunt. I am planning to go around Korea reviewing burgers in order to find the best of the best in Korea. Initially I will focus on place I, and many others, know; however any feedback on where to go by the readers is greatly appreciated.
I will rate things on scale of five stars (no where near as intricate as the aforementioned Texas Burger Guy). However before I start I think I should offer a caveat to my burger philosophy that usually generates much controversy. The great rift is, should a burger patty be thick or thin? Not all good burgers are thick, nor are they all thin. The problem is fast food chains have bastardized the thin burger to something a bit less tasty than cardboard. The problem is you have thin burgers like LA’s In-N-Out which is a thinner than a pancake, but is hands down better than most thick ones. In other words in these reviews size does not matter, its how you use it.
Finally, I should state according to me something are what they are. Some burgers to not aspire to be gourmet, they are zen like in their humility. I must admit I have a particular affection for White Castle, how they turn beef and bread into delightfully sinful savory candy is a mystery for the ages. Accordingly some of my opinions may seem wild since they reflect in part what the burger aims for, not necessary an overall quality. Do not worry, if this is case I will readily admit what influenced me.
Look for the first review soon, and please by all means post or email me your picks for the best burger in Korea.
40 Comments
Be sure to try New Phillies in 해방촌.
The Home Made Burger (or Home Burger, I’m not sure) joint at the COEX Mall Main Food Court is really pretty good for a Korean burger joint. The Korean-American (or is it Korean-Canadian? Anyway, friendly kyopos) entrepreneurs running it are the same guys behind Ho Lee Chow here in Korea. Home Made Burger is a pilot store for a franchise they hope to roll out soon.
What I like about Home Made Burger is the dedication to freshness. They bake the bread on site, and cut their own potatoes to make skin-on fries. Always fresh, never frozen. Every sandwich (there are chicken sandwiches, club sandwiches and all-beef hot dogs as well as burgers) is made to order, with the fries being cooked to match delivery of the sandwich — in other words, it’s hard to imagine Home Made Burger serving up Lotteria-style stale and cold burgers and fries.
Definitely Home Made Burger has the best fries in Korea. You know the kind, Maryland boardwalk fries — a little bit soggy even as they’re hot out of the fryer. I wish they had some Old Bay seasoning and vinegar available, or Amsterdam peanut sauce, or even mayonnaise. (I think New York fries was doing this on Chongno 2-ga five or six years ago, and they even had an ersatz poutine on offer.) But Koreans are not really french-fry aficionados. These nice kyopos are offering some kind of chili fries, which makes me think they’re Americans. The chili is not really to my liking (a little watery, which makes the fries too soggy). The only thing I could think of to improve the fries would be cooking them in beef tallow instead of vegetable oil; they could serve with a side of nitroglycerine.
The burger is good too — a big patty, just thick enough but not too thick. But for me, good fries are much harder to find. Home Made Burger is the place to go for that.
It’s much less expensive (30 to 50% cheaper) than the wildly successful Kraze Diner (née Kraze Burger) chain, and the food is better than Kraze Burger. Those burgers are rubbish. Kraze’s chili is a little bit better, though.
Johnny Rockets makes the best burgers. They also have good fountain drinks. The 50s style decor is irritating though.
Skip Kraze Burger, ridiculously overpriced, tiny overcooked patties–a total ripoff.
I heard good things about Home Made Burger so hopefully it will be successful.
Maybe this one could be a contender.
http://yeolchae.wordpress.com/.....th-kimchi/
Everyone I know says that the Smokey Saloon in Itaewon behind the Hamilton Hotel is the best.
Smokey’s is the bomb.
I completely agree with Michael. Skip Kraze burgers.
I made the mistake of visiting it only yesterday, first and last time. The burger was not very hot when it arrived and very small.
The sprite was about four months past its best before date on the bottom of the can, and it was very expensive: 17600 won for a burger fries and a drink? The decor is way too bright and shiny for my taste too.
I was wrong about Kraze Burger (shows you how long it’s been since I’ve eaten there); Home Made Burger is 2/3 less expensive. Home Made Burger dishes up a big tasty (and fresh!) burger, fries, and a bottomless Coke from the fountain for about W6500. A big basket of fries and a Coke are W4000. This place is strongly recommended. My office is across the street from COEX (until we move back north) so I hit it pretty regularly.
If those nice kyopos franchise, they are going to have a hard time educating their Korean franchisees about the desirability of serving freshly-cooked hot food instead of whatever pre-cooked leftover is lying around (past poverty and consequent frugality campaigns have left a lot of Koreans unable to understand that sometimes it’s better for a restaurant to throw old food away than serve it to a paying customer). That’s Kraze Burger’s problem right there — those patties are overcooked because they got cooked during a rush, and then left on the grill until you came in to buy it. Hardee’s basically got chased out of the Korean market by its franchisee’s lackadaisical attitude toward quality — Hardee’s in Korea was absolutely horrible. Same thing for the old Wendy’s franchises. (Oh, what I would give for a genuine Wendy’s, or even a Jack in the Box!) Right now, though, since its owners are North American kyopos who are present in Korea and actively involved in training, Home Made Burger is relentless in its message on freshness.
Ho Lee Chow was pretty good last time I ate there too.
it used to be that Bennigans had a nice John Bacon Burger that you could tear into after a night of boozing. but somewhere back a couple of years ago they got it in their heads that it was cool to crank up the grill heat in favor of speed and under cook the meat in the middle of the burger (and i mean not just a “little” pink, but raw and chewy). after many rants with the management and comped meals, i gave up.
then someone pointed me to Platters. a 50s style diner in Daehakno with red sparkle vinyl bench seats. they offer seven different burgers, all reasonably priced, plus hot dogs and cheesesteaks.
get off at Hyehwa station, exit 1, make your way to KFC, turn left go two block, then right, you can’t miss the giant neon letter sign.
Thanks for your comments all. I look forward to these places. As some of you may have seen, I did do Kraze first. I did this mainly to establish a baseline for the test (worse or better) since I felt it was definatly above McD/Lotteria quality but not too much so.
Brendon> I used to work around the corner from the NY Fries place. Not bad. I do not know what it was by there was that place and a place by the Jeil Bank building not too far way that offered Poutine. Must have been some sort of mini-fad in the mid-late 90s
Speaking of beef turned in to delightfuly trashy candy. Has anybody here had a Jack-n-the-Box taco?
Jack in the Box tacos are simultaneously the worst and the best. Oddly spicy mystery-meat paste slapped into a corn shell, deep fried and then a slice of American cheese tucked in with shredded lettuce and a squirt of hot sauce. What could be better? When I went to the International Bar Association conference in San Francisco (2002? 2003?), I nicked out of the lunches to sneak into Jack in the Box and Wendy’s with the homeless bums. There is no shortage of decent four- and five-star hotel fare here in Korea, but a decided paucity of comforting junk food. No Steak’n'Shake, no chili five ways. Life without chili mac is wrong.
Although it’s a chain, Ruby Tuesday’s serves a decent burger. Allegedly ground by hand with really good ground chuck. They have a lunch special, too …
Ruby Tuesday opened here? I advised the US Ruby Tuesday franchisor on its franchise agreement (franchise law allows for a melding of personal and professional interests). Where is it?
There’s a great 24 hour Greek diner in an alley just off Samgakchi Circle……………Riiiiiiiiiight!
The Battleship at the Navy Club is the best, hands down–1/2 pound of succulent patty with cheese and bacon an all the fixins. However, next time at COEX I’ll give the Home Made a shot.
Not sure, but I think there’s a Ruby Tuesday in Shinchon.
Brendon … the Ruby Tuesday’s is in Sinchon. It’s across the street from Krispy Kreme (I’m on top of all the healthy chains). If you go to Sinchon Rotary (or take the subway there), you go right toward TGIF. At the intersection where there is an entrance to Hyundai Department Store, make a right. It’s down about a block
Not a big fan of the Ruby Tuesday’s. And most strangely, the Pizzeria Uno’s in Shinchon is really terrible. Much worse than the one that used to be in Shinchon at a different location.
Whatever happened to Chili’s? I would trade all the hamburgers in Seoul for a decent Chicken Fried Steak.
Glad to see the burger review initiative. Here’s a list of burger joints to help you with your quest:
http://wiki.galbijim.com/Category:Burger_joints
Last summer I visited Korea and I ate frequently at McDonalds. The price is right and you can count on the quality. Burger Kings are OK, too.
I don’t take chances. Small places have difficulties in aquiring good beef. I hope things change, once they get good American beef.
And, don’t go to Korean KFC. Their chicken is the half the size of American chicken. No meat.
Man, you guys are making me hungry!
Anybody remember Uncle Joe’s (circa 1988) around the corner from Kyobo Book Store? Good for its time…
For it’s time Uncle Joe’s (Jo Ajushi) was great! Good ice cream also. Had a location in Sincheon too. The American owner (Tunney?) faced a lot hassles from the government–I recall the WSJ ran a story about his experiences. Though it’s good to be first to market, the guy was about a decade too early. I think he closed up shop in ‘91 or ‘92.
It been years since I was there, the Nashville’s burgers, and it’s chili burger in particlar, were good.
Animal fats get a bad rap. Because they are higher in saturated fats, beef tallow and pork lard have higher smoking points and thus are more suitable for frying than rancid recycled vegetable oil, whose polyunsaturates are converted to those evil trans-fats at medium to high temperatures.
Haisan–I’ll take you to the Navy Club for a suitable bribe someday. It has a wonderful U.S.-standard large chicken fried steak with a large dollop of mashed potatoes, all of it smothered in gravy. Ummmmmm… gravy… [passes out slobbering].
Went to the Uno’s in COEX and it was absolute shite. And all those well-striped American chains have really gone downhill. They cater to Korean families and young daters, not waygooks. At least they beat the old yangshikdangs, though. I shudder to think of those hamburg steaks.
> At least they beat the old yangshikdangs,
> though. I shudder to think of those
> hamburg steaks.
Heh. I say we force Dramm_Man to review a few hamburg steak restaurants, just for a sense of completion (and sadism, on our part).
I still remember an ajumma class I once taught, years and years ago, who took me to the fanciest yangshikdang in Gwangju, all proud of their fine, foreign food. I still remember the hamburg steaks (and little else) on the menu.
Wedge - I am trying to think of a suitable bribe even now. Sounds great. Although I do think the best chicken friend steak in the world can only be made by a woman from Texas… My friend’s wife (from Texas) used to make a CFS gravy so thick and rich you could feel your arteries congeal as you ate it. Good times.
Sounds like we got a group outing to plan. I would be happy to review the burger at the same time.
Haisan–Homemade is always better. Just kidding on the bribe.
Dram Man–I can bring two visitors on base. Maybe tomorrow night? I’ll send you guys an e-mail.
I forgot to mention the generic yellow soup that comes with every meal at a yangshikdang, inevitably with a single cornflake resting on top. Tell me those places no longer exist.
A burger on base? That’s cheating
I had a great cheeseburger on Yongsan once (Dragon Hill Lodge).
Nashville’s always seemed good to me but I was usually blasted when I ate there.
Oh, can’t me as one vote against Smokey’s. I don’t hate their burgers, but I was not impressed, either. In Itaewon, I still prefer Gekkos (especially at lunch, when the joint is not packed with wankers).
Is Bigger Burger still in Apgujeong? That place amused me (with the avocado burgers).
Oh, count me as one vote against Smokey’s. I don’t exactly hate their burgers, but I was not impressed, either. In Itaewon, I still prefer Gekkos (especially at lunch, when the joint is not packed with wankers).
Is Bigger Burger still in Apgujeong? That place amused me (with the avocado burgers).
i agree brendon, ho lee chow is good. as for burgers, kraze burger is awful. two things i miss here in korea is jack in the box and taco bell.
Dammit. Double post. Thought I stopped my browser in time. Bah…
Very interesting to hear about a possible diner in Daehangno. Definitely will check that out. If only they had a diner in the Hongdae/Shinchon area… would be a much better fit. College kids drinking all night and other random insomniacs need their cheesefries and coffee at 3am.
Wedge:
Not a burger place, but the Korean Pizza Hut pizzas are pretty good, in my humble opinion.
As for Koreanized western food (a la yangsikdangs?), I have a fondness for “ham toast” as served at select rest stops and finer sidewalk vendors.
While you’re at the Navy Club for burgers you may want to order a Rueben to go. Grilled dark rye, extra sauerkraut, a heaping dollop of Thousand Island, and slices upon slices of corned beef piled high. Thick, crispy fries on the side. Heaven.
If only it had lamb & beef gyros. Properly seasoned and dripping with grease. Cucumber yogurt sauce. Piles of sliced Roma tomatoes.
Wedge, I believe the generic yellow soup is called cream of paste.
The service was so-so, the decor a tad garrish, but I found the TGIF cheeseburger to be a real treat. 12,000W, but it gets you a jumbo burger with plenty of fries.
For something cheaper, the USO serves up a mean double bacon cheeseburger that is worht the occasional trip.
Being back in Seattle now… I’m able to fulfill all my cullinary wishes that I’ve accumulated over the years living in Korea. And yes, that means Jack in the Box tacos at least once a week.
Brian
The Uno’s is one of mine too. I found the food there to be pretty good — just too heavy for me.