It seems as though the days of high prices in Korea are over, as millions of Seoulites jump on the bargain bandwagon. It started with budget airlines, and has spread to the supermarkets, just look at the success of No Brand, Emart’s budget stores. This concept looks like it is spilling over to the restaurant scene as well, as Gilbert Burger comes up with a cheaper no frills version. I like a bargain and a burger as much as the next girl so headed over to HBC to check it out.
The Supermarket White Burger Stand has taken the place of Vertex Chicken’s old location at the very far end of Haebangchon. The small local eatery, has a simplistic diner style. However if a lack of decor equals low prices I’m there.
There are four burgers currently on the menu: The Cheeseburger (5,900), The Supermarket Deluxe (7,900), The Oklahoma Fried Onion Burger (5,500), and The Old Fashioned Hamburger (4,500). We decided to have a try of the first three. The standout for me was the plain old cheeseburger which consisted of a smashed beef patty, onion, and American cheese. When I bit into it melted into the mouth in an explosion of deliciousness. It had a very satisfying moreishness about it, slightly reminiscent of the way a Mcdonalds cheeseburger feels when you are drunk. The Deluxe version came topped with bacon and cheese, while the Oklahoma was topped with grilled onions. While I still enjoyed the bacon and onion versions of the burger, I felt the simplicity of the plain cheeseburger really shone and was everything I wanted and more.
As we visited during the soft opening phase we weren’t able to try the Chili Cheese Fries, but thankfully they had the regular Fries (3,500) which were crisp on the outside and fluffy in the middle. The small portion was more than ample enough for the price. We also enjoyed a soft drink on the house as they were giving them away for free during the soft opening.
Overall I was thrilled by these burgers, they are addictive in all the right ways. I even took two to go, and came back the next day for more, which is a very good sign indeed. I just couldn’t stop thinking about them, and when you factor in the rather low prices they are well worth going out of your way for.
Supermarket White Burger is located at 62 Sinhung-ro, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. To get there take a train to Noksapyeong station (line 6) and come out of exit 2. Walk straight until the road bears left into HBC. Take this road and keep walking straight past the kimchi pots. Keep walking straight until you reach the very end of the HBC road and follow it around the left hand corner. White Supermarket Burger Stand is a little way up opposite the 7-11. For more information you can call them on 02-749-0880 or check out their facebook page. They are open from 11am-10pm Monday – Saturday, and closed on Sundays.