Worth the hype?
Credit: Provided
When we found out that Beer & Buns — a new Murray Hill restaurant in the St. Giles Premier Hotel — had a $250 burger on the menu, we did our intrepid work as journalists to taste-test it for you.
The Indulgence Burger is, well, a delicious indulgence.
Chef Wisit Panpinyo first creates the ground beef from a Kobe steak of ribeye and sirloin. On a housemade sourdough bun, he layers foie gras, caviar and secret sauce, and a slice of heirloom tomato and microgreens. Adding pancetta is optional. Bonus: Your order comes with a T-shirt, fries, a side dish and beer.
There’s no cheese on the burger, but none’s needed — “it’s melty enough,” said one reviewer at our table. Indeed, the patty stands up on its own: “You can taste that the meat is quality,” added another. Even our vegetarian critic was impressed — after 17 years without meat, this was the best possible comeback bite. After this, it’s all downhill for her.
Our tasters’ only critique (if that) was about the foie gras. Granted, foie gras isn’t for everyone, so the appearance of some on your burger might be off-putting. It adds flavor, but the dish is fine without it.
If you want to order the Indulgence Burger, you have to give the restaurant a day’s notice so Chef Panpinyo can gather the ingredients. So far only a couple have been sold, he told us on Friday, but with dinner service starting this week, he’s thinking that number will go up.
So, worth it? Maybe. It tastes pretty divine, and considering that this burger was originally set to cost $1,000, $250 appears to be a bargain. But to us, $100 would seem like a fairer price tag.
If you’re in the market for something a little less expensive, the restaurant also has a number of sliders that are tasty — maybe not as tasty as a $250 burger, but really, what is?
