Another day, another burger place opens its doors. Of all the foods in the world burgers are the one thing that never seem to go out of fashion, especially in this city, and it seems like nary a week passes by before there’s another new one to try. As a self confessed burger lover I couldn’t wait to come and check out the newest burgeria to open its doors.
Brooklyn the Burger Joint has decided to open up their second location in Sinsa, but instead of going with a straight up burger place like their original location in Sorae French village, they’ve decided to go all out and make it a 24 hour all American diner. Yes that’s right, you read correctly, burgers available 24 hours a day, your late night munchies just got a hell of a lot more classy than a Big Mac.
The location is decked out in pure retro diner attire, 50’s style counter top, napkin dispensers, comfy boothes, root beer, and a Kool Aid dispenser, it’s right out of Grease, and sitting up at the counter I sure felt like Sandy!
To pop our lunch time cherry we started off with an order of the Jalapeno Poppers (8,000 for 5). These peppery treats certainly had a heat you could taste the moment you bit into it, though they were a bit light on the cheese stuffing for my taste. The spicy tomato dip on the side was tasty though, and I know a good friend of mine has being dying to find these on a menu so they will certainly put a smile on her face.
The burger menu has been beefed up a fair bit since my last visit to the Sorae location. So it’s good to know that they now offer lamb and fish burgers as well as the beef. We all took a good ponder and settled on our choices. I went for the Real Mccoy 5oz (9,800). Double american cheese, onion and bacon. The first thing that hit me about this burger was that it definitely needed sauce, so I did a mix of the mayo, ketchup and mustard and that solved the problem. However as I took my second bite I was just reminded as to why I didn’t love the burgers on my last visit. I just don’t like the patties they use. I know everyone else seems to rave about them but to me they are under seasoned and the meat has a very odd flavour to it, I’m nut sure what cut they are using to make the mince but for me it has that kind of flavour you get when you defrost beef in the microwave and however much I try I just cant seem to shake it. I’m sure they are using the finest ingredients but for me sadly they just don’t cut the mustard.
My buddy Alex went for the C.R.E.A.M 5oz (9,800), Topped with sharp cheddar, bacon and horseradish mayo. I enjoyed it this time so much more than I did the last time I ate it. The blend of cheddar, bacon, and horseradish mayo was perfect, along with a the slightly sweet buttery bun. If they were using different beef patties then this would be a winner for my top three burgers for sure. On top of the C.R.E.A.M we ordered a side of cheese fries (5,500), which were laced with the cheeseiest fake cheese topping I’ve ever had. I’d probably get these again on the side, but wouldn’t go for a full order.
My other dining companion, the Casablanca King ordered the Big Fish (7,800). A thick fried fish fillet burger, double American cheese, tartar sauce, and a sesame-seedless bun. This is what all Filet-o-Fish Fans have been dreaming of getting their hands on, this baby is sure to satisfy your Maccers cravings for sure. It’s nothing fancy and not in the same league as a posh fish finger sandwiches that us Brits adore so much, but it’s a fishy treat in burger form and pretty cheap to boot.
As well as the burgers they have expanded the milkshake menu so it now includes a mouth watering 58 flavours. They still have my favourite, the Nutella with Burnt Marshmallows, which is still as scrumptious and heavenly as always. But we also tried the extra sweet and sickly White Chocolate & Cookie along with the Orange and Ginger which was surprisingly creamy and refreshing. The milkshakes are all 6,800 which I personally find to be a bit steep and would only order one if I was really in the mood for it, however I’m sure they will be popular with the wealthy locals though.
While I wasn’t blown over by the food at Brooklyn the Burger joint I still adore the diner concept. Yeah there are better burgers in town, but few of them are open 24 hours a day and serve such sumptuous shakes in a cool retro setting. I’ve no doubt this place will be packed with Americans looking for a taste of their childhood.
Brooklyn the Burger Joint is located at 540-11, Sinsa-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Sinsa Station (line 3) and come out of exit 8. Walk straight and take the fourth road on the left (Garosugil). Walk on a block down Garosugil and take the first right, walk one more block and take the first left, you will see Brooklyn the Burger Joint just up ahead on the right hand side. For more information you can call them on 02-545-0718. Brooklyn the Burger joint is open 24 hours a day.