Burger Brief: A Burger for Every Occasion With Chat Room by The Rug
Burger Brief takes a look at some of the attendees of the Beijinger's 2017 Burger Cup. In this edition we visited Chat Room, whose venue is sadly no longer in contention for the honor of Beijing's Best Burger (vote in Round of 32 here) but who still has a delicious burger.
The Rug's Chat Room branch in Chaoyang Joy City has apparently made it their mission to have a burger for every occasion. When paired with a great outdoor-but-indoor seating area for lounging, brunching, and enjoying time with friends and family, it makes for a tidy stop for lunch.
The real stand-out on their menu is, in my opinion, their vegetarian burger, dubbed The Green Valley Double Sliders. They're a tad smaller than you average burger, and come in a pair (RMB 68, pictured below). The burgers are delicious towers of grilled tofu topped with crispy quinoa, wild mushrooms, and an especially designed patty comprised mostly of corn. Trying to keep this pile of ingredients together was tough, just like with any other great burger. It also sidesteps the trap of forfeiting any sense of personality as a means to cater to vegetarians.
If you are looking for meat, they're in the process of adding some burgers to their menu, such as this guabao burger, a take on the popular Taiwanese buns and the sweet-savory lurou pork dish. With fresh coriander to keep the burger from feeling overwhelmingly oily, and pickled vegetables for a crunch, this burger will also be available in a two.
Other new additions to the Chat Room menu include their grilled sizzling pasta dishes, such as the black pepper beef spaghetti, which comes on a hot plate with a fried egg, and a portion of healthy veg on the side (RMB 98).
These dishes, along with a huge range of desserts (the black sesame cheesecake, RMB 46, winning our hearts for not being overly sweet), make Chat Room a great place to sit 'outdoors' this summer when the temperatures rise or the AQI levels render sitting outdoors impossible.
While you're in Chaoyang Joy City, there's actually a lot of shops worth popping into. In our rush we spotted a big H&M, a massive Zara Home, a branch of the British brand New Look, and some homeware shops, so there's certainly more to explore there.
The Beijinger 2017 Burger Cup is sponsored by Bon App, Job-in, and Left Hand App. Vote here to push your favorite through to the next round.
More stories by this author here.
Email: margauxschreurs@truerun.com
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Photos: Margaux Schreurs