We Weigh in on Umami Burger

Cronut Mania hasn't let up since the day Dominique Ansel introduced the why-didn't-I-think-of-that pastry to the world. But the cronut was shadowed for about 7 hours in the blogosphere recently when California-based burger chain Umami Burger opened its first New York City location. We stopped by the other day (knowing people wouldn't be lined up at sunrise) for a taste.

Before we get to the Umami Burger, it's important to mention a few things. Namely, Pat LaFrieda revolutionized the burger game in New York. He was among the first to acknowledge the rising demand for sustainable, hormone free, pasture-raised beef, and his ability to blend different cuts for optimum burger potential remains unmatched. Some of our favorite burgers (Spotted Pig, Minetta Tavern, Lot 2) are made with a blend of LaFrieda's beef. In 2004, hospitality/food guru Danny Meyer opened the first Shake Shack. But he didn't do it alone. He called on LaFrieda for a special blend and the fast-food burger as we know it is forever changed.

We opened the door to 432 6th Avenue wondering why a burger chain would puff up its chest and move into a city that already offered the best of the best. We didn't do any research on the place prior to our visit, and it was fun navigating the big, glossy menu and finding words like truffle (eight times) and parmesan crisp. It wasn't fun because it felt new. Instead, the opposite was true, and with a beet salad, cesar salad, and turkey burger on the menu, it felt like we were reading over one of Wolfgang Puck's first menus from the 80s.

We got the Original ($12), and Umami Burger gets the bun right. It's a simple brioche - the choice vehicle to get what's between it into your belly and not a filling gut bomb/obstacle that keeps you from finishing the burger. It's light and airy, but strong enough that it doesn't crumble and leave your hands covered in bits of ketchup and seared beef.

The meat is good too, and employees will gladly tell you it's "Never Never Beef." That means it's never treated with antibiotics and never given any hormones. It should be called "Never Never Never Beef" though, because Umami Burger will also never disclose their source.

The beef is cooked to a perfect medium rare, though on the Original, you have to get past all the layers of sweetness to taste it. Carmelized onions are a sound condiment, and offer a subtle touch of sweetness, but when they're paired with roasted tomato and ketchup, sugar appears in two too many guises and smothers the salty, savory profile that we love in a good burger. The menu says something about shiittake mushrooms too. We couldn't find any on our burger, but their earthiness would have been a much needed and welcomed addition.

New Yorkers will chew up and spit out a bad concept the same way they will bad food. Just because an idea works elsewhere doesn't mean it will thrive in New York City. Take away the umami shtick and you're left with not much more than another generic burger joint. In a city that can get its burger fix at places like Five Guys, 5 Napkin Burger, Burger & Barrel, and Shake Shack, we wonder where Umami Burger fits in. But then again, we like our burgers with barely-melted American cheese.

432 Sixth Avenue | 212-677-8626 | www | map