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Honolulu Burger Company, a closer look
 Check out the official site! |
 Jason Genegabus on Honolulu Burger Company! |
 Yelper's on Honolulu Burger Company! |
Lesa Griffith with a great Honolulu burger story! |
Aloha!
8/27/10 - Uuuggghhh! Misplaced my trusty tri-pod, so I couldn't do a few things I'd normally wanna do. It's also gonna be a relatively quick one today - a couple of burgers, two types of fries, that's about it!
Ya know, it's amazing how quickly restaurant news travels through the various types of media out there. I mean, first, there's the internet-savvy crowd, using Twitter, Yelp, and even Facebook to get the word out - usually to a relatively young to middle-aged, upwardly-mobile set. Then there's television, through programs like Russel Yamanoha and Lyle Galdeiras' Cheap Eats or Manolo Morales' morning programs. And finally, there's the newspaper faithful acting on print tips from places like Honolulu Weekly or the Star Advertisers' TGIF insert. Seated at the newest upscale burger joint on the island this past week, it was easy figuring out that Honolulu Burger Company was recently featured in the States' last major newspaper, Star Advertiser. Why, you ask? Well, I've seen food spots aired on either the news or in the major newspaper (newspaper's, until recently), and it's always folks from the same demographic who momentarily flood the markets, literally from that very same day - retiree's! It's the cutest thing, actually, seeing so many of our kupuna rushing in for the latest big thing on the island food scene - I've stood in many a line during just these moments, and it seems every time, there's always lots and lots of lively, friendly conversation! In twenty or thirty years, I'll probably be one of them, and hopefully, I'll be just as warm and effusive as all the super-kind, big-hearted elder's we've had the pleasure of meeting over so many past lunches!
But anyhow'z, here's the scoops on the Honolulu Burger Company:
First of all - location? Right across from Time's Supermarket on S. Beretania St., at the old Mekong 2 restaurant and in a structure and parking lot shared with Beretania Florist (lot immediately Ewa of florist). You can also park on the street if you so choose:
Inside, owner and former nightclub afficionado Ken Takahashi has done a great job sprucing-up his new eatery, with a sleek, modern, clean look. There's only a few tables situated in the small dining area, with a few more just outside:
The two flat-screens above are some of the coolest menu boards I've seen anywhere - wonder if they catch cable? Posted is a relatively small, but ample amount of choices, with a classic starter burger in your choice of bun, your choice of sauce, a 1/3 lb. patty, sauteed onions, lettuce, and tomatoes, going for a respectable $6.79, although you better watch out - it's a dollar more for any type of cheese and another dollar for extra toppings like bacon, kim chee, or avocado. The eight ready-made burgers range from $7.49 to $8.79, while sandwiches like a Philly dip, pastrami, or buta kau kau, are just a tad higher on average. Check it out yourself:
With professional critics raving about this place and one even going so far as to say it's the best burger on the island, I definitely had to check it out myself! A lot of the respect has to do with the fact that Ken uses only 100 percent grass-fed, hormone-free beef from the Big Island, and if he happens to run out, which sometimes happens, you won't see a runner visiting the butcher at Time's supermarket across the street; no, no - he'll just shut down for the day, is all! I like that kind of commitment. Furthermore, Ken uses island-fresh ingredients whenever possible, including the use of fries and sweet potato fries that are hand-cut daily! You don't see that too often!
In fact, maybe fries are a good place to start. Of the five different varieties, I couldn't resist a truffle version, especially after having enjoyed them so much at Burgers on the Edge a couple of weeks back.
Here's the thing... Big props for being fresh-cut and for the sprinkling of natural sea salt, easily recognizeable by the jagged, irregular crystals. Gotta say, though - the fries were skosh on the mushy side, very similiar to the ones I make fresh at home except fatter and waaay browned. Which leads me to ask - why are frozen store-bought fries always crunchier? Chemicals? Additives? Treatments? Hmm... The truffle toss was also a bit of a let-down, as there was very little truffle essence anywhere. For a penny shy of five bucks, I'll settle for regular fries at $2.99 next time!
Their sweet potato fries were of the orange variety and priced at $3.29 for a small and $4.99 per large. These were much better than the truffle fries in every way - crispier, prettier, with a moist inside and that naturally sweet taste of sweet potato shining through brilliantly. Pictured is a small order:
It seems the Honolulu Burger Company is a meat-lover's paradise, and not just for free-range beef! Patties that are waaay beefy enough to begin with are oftentimes loaded with even more protein, such as the case in their kalua pig and beach boy (teri-glazed ham). And how's the Bull sandwich, topped with sliced sirloin steak, corned beef, and pastrami!
There are several different burgers in the works here, and one of them being introduced and not shown on the menu above is a pocho burger - local slang for Portuguese, for all you out-of-towner's. Check it out:
Pocho, because of the thick, juicy, surprisingly large slice of that most iconic local specialty - Portuguese sausage. Usually purchased as logs or horseshoes at the supermarkets, these club-sized cuts have been around for a long time, but are much harder to find. I've never, ever tried the two meats in a burger before, but I gotta say, this burger was pretty darn ono!
The burger itself wasn't a medium as requested, but was still very juicy and delicious, with a well-balanced, beefy, char-grilled taste. As good as it was, however, both Kumi and I were absolutely smitten with another protein-packed choice:
Called a locomoco burger, this is one serious set of stuffed buns. Not only is there your classic locomoco ingredients - burger patty, fried egg (done over-well so as not to run everywhere!), grilled onions, and yes, even brown gravy - but also three small slices of bacon and two slices of Spam! Local specialty, or what?!!!
As good as bacon is, it's surprising that a Spam burger is not just as popular as a bacon cheeseburger around here, as I find the combination ingenius. Actually, I think it's more like the combination of burger, Spam, and egg that really does the trick, with each ingredient strong enough to not be drowned-out by the other. Somehow, some way, and despite each product being of common and somewhat humble origins, they all worked perfectly together in burger harmony in the most natural of ways. Absolute winner!
With the exception of their fries, I certainly think the Honolulu Burger Company's got a good thing going, for reasons I've already stated throughout this page. With quality ingredients and a commitment to local products, it's certainly a player in the world of upscale burgers on the island, with interesting combinations like the two shown above proving just how deep local roots go here. Good luck to Mr. Ken Takahashi and his great new place!
Next, we'll stay on the local theme, as I just had to act on a few comments recently regarding the best fried noodles on the island! I did come to a few conclusions, just to let ya know!
Take care, and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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