Burger and Chips @ Goodman, Mayfair, London

[limster]

A very solid burger, cooked more or less to the specified medium, with a slight pink hue in the middle of the fairly thick and evenly juicy patty. Enjoyed the sturdy beefy flavour, with a moderate amount of drippy grease, much of which was soaked up by the bun. Good bun with medium-light brioche-like texture, but without the inappropriate sweetness that some buns have. Standard support from lettuce, pickle and tomato, the last a fairly big but not an exceptionally fruity example. But that gives room for the sweetness and acidity of ketchup to do its work. Grilled onions were very minor presence. Definitely one of the better burgers I've had in London, certainly superior to the oversalted and overpriced ones at the Hawksmoor.

The chips are outstanding, as good as, if not better than the triple cooked chips at the Bull and Last. Hot, super crispy on the surface, smooth and light on the inside. I got the truffle ones and they gave off a pleasant earthy muskiness.

The oak, tannin, acid and moderate fruit of a malbec by the glass integrated fairly well with the food.

A good scoop of dense creamy ice cream (but only a scoop), went together with fairly ok brownies (wished they were more fudgy and warmed) and excellent whipped cream (lots of it).

[DavidT]

http://www.goodmanrestaurants.com/sec...

[zuriga1]

I found it so funny how Goodman's page about its meat said they have a close relationship with the state of Nebraska. I wonder how one does that. :-)

[cathodetube]

A close relationship with feed lots?

[zuriga1]

I suppose they mean a close relationship with the meat suppliers of Nebraska. Amazing how food can travel around the globe so quickly but it takes weeks to get mail to someone in the States from here.

[cathodetube]

I would want to know if the beef comes from feed lots. That would be extremely important to me. I would want to know why they would be importing beef from Nebraska feed lots when you can get amazing beef here that is grass fed.

[zuriga1]

Goodman's is at the top of the Young and Foodish list. I am definitely going there next chance I get. Another good description of it here:

http://youngandfoodish.com/london/top...

[limster]

I'll need to go back and try the burger at the Bountiful Cow, which I quite liked (even though their chips were not up to Goodman's standards). The other burger that is on my list is the Bar Boulud Truffle burger, apparently on weekends only. But I can never understand why the Hawksmoor burger is so popular - had 3 of them in 2 locations (Spitalfields and Covent Gardens) and in all cases they were so oversalted that it was literally painful to eat.

[howler]

and i am equally mystified why the ginger pigs beef gets such hype ....

[zuriga1]

I have a feeling that we'll hear less about the Hawksmoor burger now that it's got some growing stiff competition. Someone should smack the hand of those people dumping in the salt on those burgers!

[limster]

It's probably not so much salt as the rather salty olgeshield cheese which they use. Alas!

[zuriga1]

>salty olgeshield cheese <

Even the name strikes horror in my heart!

[limster]

Woops typo - ogleshield is the correct name. It's actually a good cheese, just rather salty; with the right accompaniments can be very enjoyable.

[howler]

good stuff! it's all about getting the right amount of fattiness in the meat - do you know if its o'sheas that supplies them?

[limster]

They get their beef from more than one source. I think some of their steaks are from O'Sheas, but they also sell USDA beef which I assume is not from O'Sheas. Don't know which beef they use for the burgers. Am tempted to go back for a a steak.

[PhilD]

Agree anout the "right" amount of fat, my recent comment on the Meat Liquer thread questioning whether "greasey" really is good or simply a bit of marketing hype. The balance is key.

[cathodetube]

I was wondering what this craze for using the term meat sweats is? Can't say it is something I would aspire but it seems desirable for those in the Twitterati and Blogerati realms.