Hipsters like to hang out at fashionable coffee shops, indie rock shows, and hipster dance clubs. Do food shopping at stores like Whole Foods and are often vegan or vegetarian. Eat chic ethnic food and prefer organic and Fair Trade fruits and vegetables. Favorite beer is Pabst Blue Ribbon. (Source: Urban Dictionary)
Brooklyn NY‘s Williamsburg counts itself as one of America‘s hipster hubs, alongside Chicago‘s Wicker Park, San Francisco‘s Mission District or Manhattan‘s Greenwich Village. Brooklyn’s hipster culinary scene is best experienced by visiting the Smorgasburg Food & Flea Market which takes place every weekend on the East River State Park and the Brooklyn Bridge Park.
Lettucemeat correspondent, Terence (“tee loo”) Leung, took a leisurely stroll through the Smorgasburg Market and surrounding ‘hood, including quick look-see’s at the McCarren Park’s Farmer’s Market and Vice HQ. Here’s the lowdown on Terence’s Brooklyn adventure which included sampling Bonchovie‘s delicious fried anchovies, as well as crazy-long queues to sample the Original Ramen Burger (and the verdict!).
BROOKLYN in PICTURES
Here and There
RAMEN BURGER VERDICT
Is it hype-worthy?Ramen, yum. Burgers, yum. But together, are they sublime? Created by Japanese-American chef (now owner of NYC’s Ramen.Co) Sheizo Shimamoto, the Ramen Burger made its debut right here at the Smorgasburg Market in 2013 amidst dizzying hype. Even now, fans wait hours to get their fix of this truly Asian-American “fusion” creation, which features a medium-rare beef patty nestled between two ramen noodle “buns”.
After battling the long line-ups, Terence finally got to taste the Original Ramen Burger! Official verdict goes like this:
These burgers were good except for the ramen part. The whole point of a burger is to highlight the meat — and that means the bun should not be getting in the way. This is why one uses a bun that’s very light and soft, which keeps the toppings in control and doesn’t make a mess. What this ramen bun ends up doing is totally opposite: its dense, rubbery and totally bland. It would have been much better if it was fried to a crunch. Its like having soft boiled potatoes for french fries.
So if you’re aching to try a Ramen Burger, but are not fortunate enough to be visiting Brooklyn or Los Angeles in the near future, here’s a recipe for making your very own Ramen Burgers.
Photos and Food Review: Terence (Tee Loo) Leung
