Burger Brief: Enjoy Stacked Burgers at He Kitchen & Co.'s Crafty Wudaoying Hutong Space
Burger Brief takes a look at some of the attendees of the Beijinger's 2017 Burger Cup. In this edition we visited He Kitchen & Co., a contender for the honor of Beijing's Best Burger, for which voting is now open.
Over the last several years, the touristy and quaint alley of Wudaoying Hutong has established itself as Beijing's primo spot for tourists, locals, and soon-to-be-married couples alike to ogle in front of each decorated and aesthetically-pleasing storefront, taking an incessant amount of pictures. Among so many well-designed spaces, it can be hard to stand out, but He Kitchen & Co. has managed to do just that.
He Kitchen does this by catching the eye with its tasteful and modern interiors, which sit entirely juxtaposed to the classic hutong-grey brick that surrounds its exterior. The restaurant space is comparatively large for a hutong joint, occupying two stories, including an airy rooftop and comfortable outdoor terrace. However, the most intriguing section of the restaurant is in fact its second floor seating area with its glass walls and ceilings. Unfortunately, it was way too hot to sit in direct sunlight on this particular day, but found comfort in a spot with plenty of shade, far away from the scorching glare of the sun.
From the menu we tried two of He's signature burgers: the Angus rib-eye burger (RMB 88) and the 3-in-1 mini burgers (RMB 99). They also serve a variety of other meat and bun combos, including the Angus rib-eye with goose liver burger (RMB 128), a barbecue chicken burger (RMB 68), a seafood burger (RMB 88), and an English muffin with soy braised pork (RMB 66). All burgers come served with a side of salad and extra-crisp french fries.
Both burgers were well-presented, with the Angus rib-eye burger loaded with two Angus beef patties, Emmenthal cheese, a sunny-side-up egg, bacon, a homemade mushroom mayonnaise, and the usual burger vegetation trimmings (lettuce, tomato, and, uh, cucumber). The combination made for a satisfying, gooey, and exquisitely messy bite.
As pretty as the Angus rib-eye burger was, if this was a beauty pageant, the 3-in-1 mini burger would win hands-down. The dish consists of three mini burgers with multi-colored handmade buns, each containing a different filling. The black burger is a smaller version of their barbecue chicken burger, containing a grilled chicken thigh covered in barbecue sauce, topped with roasted pineapple, green chili, bacon, fresh veg, and mustard. The saltiness of the bacon and tang of the mustard counteracted the sweetness of the barbecue glaze and the pineapple, for a satisfying arrangement. The green burger is a smaller version of the seafood burger, consisting of a fried seafood patty made from sea bass, prawns, scallops, and baby squid, and topped with avocado, aioli, and fresh vegetables. Lastly, the third burger is simply smaller version of the abovementioned Angus rib-eye burger, making the slider option a good bet for anyone wanting a decent cross section of He's offerings.
All in all, the burgers at He Kitchen are delicious and the restaurant's attention to detail really shine through. On your next expedition to Wudaoying, skip the pouting and selfie taking and do something altogether more rewarding: eating one of the area's best, though slightly pricey, burgers.
To vote for He Kitchen in this year's Burger Cup, click here.
The Beijinger 2017 Burger Cup is sponsored by Bon App, Job-in, and Left Hand App.
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Photos: Carmel Moersalim
