Maybe This Will Calm Them Down--Habit Burger to Open in the Middle East

The Habit Burger Grill, voted America's best tasting burger, is poised to enter the Middle East

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The Habit Burger Grill's first international agreement to roll out 50 Habit restaurants across the GCC over the next ten years
Food Quest Restaurants Management LLC given exclusive rights to open restaurants in UAE, KSA, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman
Dubai, January 11, 2015
Food Quest Restaurants Management LLC "Food Quest" today announced the signing of a franchise agreement with The Habit Restaurants, Inc. (NASDAQ: HABT) "The Habit" - the brand's first international agreement - for the development of 50 new restaurants across the GCC over the next 10 years.
Founded in 1969 in Southern California, The Habit currently owns and operates over 100 restaurants in the United States. Voted as America's best tasting burger in a leading consumer magazine, The Habit Burger Grill is a fast casual restaurant that specializes in fresh, made-to-order, char-grilled burgers, sandwiches, and salads.
Food Quest has been given the exclusive rights to open restaurants in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, and Oman - with the first Habit Burger Grill expected to open its doors to diners in the UAE in 2015.

"We are thrilled to bring The Habit Burger Grill to the United Arab Emirates and the entire GCC region" said Darryl Bearer, General Manager of Food Quest. "We have been great fans of The Habit brand and their signature made-to-order char-grilled burgers." The Habit's Chief Executive Officer Russ Bendel stated, "Food Quest is a great restaurant operator and franchise business partner and we are proud to be working together to introduce The Habit Burger Grill brand to the Middle East." He continued, "We are very impressed with their team's passion for delivering quality food and genuine hospitality all at a great value which aligns perfectly with The Habit's core principles."

-Ends- About The Habit Restaurants, Inc.The Habit Burger Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept that specializes in preparing fresh, made-to-order char-grilled burgers and sandwiches featuring USDA choice tri-tip steak, grilled chicken and sushi-grade albacore tuna cooked over an open flame. The first Habit opened in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. The Habit has since grown to over 100 restaurants in 10 markets throughout California, Arizona, Utah and New Jersey. More information is available at www.habitburger.com.

This article is reposted in its entirety from here at Zawya.com

Kahou Teriyaki Fire Roof (Food Truck)--Santa Monica, CA

 I found the Kahou Teriyaki Fire Roof food truck at the corner of Broadway and Ocean Ave. in Santa Monica, CA.  No web presence.

I was driving home from a particularly awful beach workout when I spotted a food truck with the words "Ramen" and "Burger" adjacent to one another, in that order, on the side of a food truck, and not too far from my residence. I called Happy Meal to see if he wanted one. His response was, "Dad, dad...I'll ask the stupid questions here." I ordered a couple of the signature Ramen Burgers, and I hung around while the order was prepared. The flat top cooking surface was viewable through a window, so I had the opportunity to watch the burgers and ramen "buns" cook. 10 minutes later, the burgers were ready, and I was speeding home to share my discovery with Happy Meal.

The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: The staff was busy at the Kahou Teriyaki Fire Roof truck, so I did not have a chance to get a depth of detail on the burger meat. The 8-ounce patty was strongly beefy and tasted like a 100% Chuck burger. The fat content was average--about 20%. There was no minerality, which would have suggested premium cuts, and there was no taste of funk/aging. The burger was juicy, and this was re-enforced by the moist, dense, ramen bun. The burger patty was just firm enough to linger on the palate and hold its own with the firm noodles.

The Seasoning: I observed the nice man behind the griddle hit the burgers with a salty blend of seasoning on both sides of the patty as they sizzled away. The seasoning was appropriate to stand up to a thick, 1/2 pound burger and equally thick ramen "buns."

The Sear: There was none. The moisture content of the Chuck, coupled with the griddle temp, caused the burger to steam more than sear. Frankly, a hearty sear would not have mattered from a texture standpoint. The savory, chewy noodle pucks provided a firm chew that would have trumped even the best sear.

The Preparation: Both the burger patty and the ramen pucks were pre-formed. All three were cooked on the same griddle and brought up to temperature. The burger was cooked to a juicy Med-Well. Med-Well was just right to denature the collagen in the Chuck, which released all of the beefy flavors. The patties were flipped only once as they cooked, and this was exactly right. The noodles were moist and hot with just a hint of carmelization, but not enough to create a stiff and overly chewy crust.

The Cheese: American...eff yeah! There was only one cheese choice at the Kahou Teriyaki Fire Roof truck, and that choice was the correct one. The American cheese was a decadent addition by way of texture. It added a creaminess to the firm mouth feel of the ramen. The iron and saltiness further served to complement the combination of beef and bun.

The Bun: The bun was exactly what I hoped it would be...dense, moist, chewy, savory, slightly sweet...you know, like a puck of satisfying and tasty ramen noodles. The bun was heavy...at least as heavy as the burger. The bun and beef patty weighed in at about a pound. That's not all, though. The noodles had been cooked, cooled, and reheated. The result was that the starch in the noodles was converted into a resistant starch. What? That's right! The glycemic index was lower than fresh noodles, because the starch behaved more like a fiber than a sugar.

The Meat To Bun Ratio: This was perfect. The vermiform bun paired nicely with the beef patty to deliver a consistent bite throughout the meal.

The Fries: There were none. The Kahou Teriyaki Fire Roof Ramen Burgers came with a little bag of Doritos. In other words, "all that and a bag of chips." Honestly, who needed fries after consuming 1/2 pound of noodles?

The Toppings: I wouldn't know. I was there for the ramen, beef, and cheese. Toppings seemed superfluous. There was a bit of greenery on my cheeseburger, but it went unnoticed.

The Value: $8 for a pound of delicious noodles and ground beef. I was not disappointed. The burger value at Kahou Teriyaki Fire Roof was strong. Normally food trucks jack up the prices (sort of like the airport). This food truck was a welcomed exception to that trend.

Ramen-bun cheeseburgers are a novelty rather than a mainstay, and I am glad to have that out of my system. I am even more glad that I tried my first at this food truck, because it was excellent in pairing, execution, and value.

Burger Review : A novel and tasty combination of ramen and burger were absolutely enjoyed at the Kahou Teriyaki Fire Roof food truck. If you see this truck anywhere, stop by and enjoy a cheeseburger...you will be happy that you did.

Rating...4 Bites

Bachi Burger--West Los Angeles

2030 Sawtelle Boulevard 
Los Angeles, CA 90025
424-832-3018
website

Several years ago, I visited the original Bachi Burger location in Las Vegas. The burgers, on that visit, were disappointing in the face of the hyped up praise the location had garnered from the local audience and press. In spite of this negative experience, Happy Meal and I decided to give Bachi Burger a second chance and sample the cheeseburger fare at the recently opened Little Osaka (West Los Angeles) outpost. There was a bounty of metered street parking available. We arrived at about 5 PM on a weekday, and we discovered that the service was slow and disorganized. A staff of 7 struggled to serve about the same number of patrons, and after an unduly long wait to order, our burgers took an additional 20 minutes to arrive. While we were waiting, we sampled the Boba Tea. We tried this, so you will never have to. The boba was clumpy and soggy. This beverage should be avoided at Bachi Burger...Boba Time on National Blvd is the current champ.


The Burger Breakdown...

The Beef: Yawn. The Angus beef was sourced from Sysco Foods. It was comprised of Brisket, Short Rib, and Chuck. The fat content was about 20%. This blend is generally a winning burger combination, but in the case of Bachi Burger it came up in the range of Average.  The 7-ounce burger patty was meek in terms of beefy and satisfying steak flavors. The burger had only the faintest hint of complexity from the Short Rib. The flat patty was moderately juicy. The texture of the ground beef was firm yet yielding. 

The Seasoning: The mild burgers were lacking in the seasoning department. The only spice that I could discern was something mildly sweet on the exterior of the burger patty. There was no trace of salt or pepper.  Salt and pepper were very much needed to butch up this tame and passive burger patty.

The Sear: What sear? After waiting 20 minutes for a burger, I had hoped to see a sear proportional  to the buildup. Nope. The sear on the Custom Made BBQ Burger at Bachi Burger was nothing more than thin grill marks. This, coupled with the mild flavor of the beef and the lack of seasoning, left us with a perfectly average burger patty. For $9, we had hoped for something better than average.

The Preparation: The uniformity of the burger patties suggested that Bachi Burger took delivery of preformed burgers from their supplier, Sysco Foods. The burgers were cooked to a competent Med Rare, and the patties were only turned once during the cooking process. Once is enough, and it tends to produce a better sear by allowing the surface of the beef to reach a higher temperature. 

The Bun: The bun at Bachi Burger was a bespoke bun delivered by a local Taiwanese bakery. The faintly toasted bun was sweet and spongy. The sweetness of the bun paired with the lack of beefy and savory notes led to a cheeseburger, which was overly mild in flavor. The bun would have worked with a well-seasoned and high-quality burger patty. In this case, it served to send the bland burger even farther into the shadows.

The Meat To Bun Ratio:  This was spot on.

The Cheese: The cheese was available at an upcharge. $1.50 for Cheddar or Swiss, and $2.50 for Gruyere or Bleu. We opted for the Cheddar. The Cheddar did contribute a bit of savory flavor to the burger but not enough to save the dish.

The Fries: Yuck! The $4.00 fries were nicely presented and properly seasoned.  However, the skinny, peel-off fries had a watery and slightly bitter flavor reminiscent of Ore-Ida frozen Tater Tots. The fries also had a lank texture, which suggested that they had been sitting out for longer than was appropriate.

The Toppings: The Romaine lettuce was fresh and crisp. The tomato slice was juicy, ripe, and flavorful. 

The Value: $10.50 for a 7-ounce cheeseburger would have been a fine value had the burger been flavorful, properly seasoned, and properly seared. $4.00 for plain fries was not OK, and it was even less acceptable considering the low quality of the fries. The value at Bachi Burger was weak. 

The West Los Angeles Bachi Burger location delivered the same lackluster burger as the Las Vegas, NV location. Ironically, we had to walk past Plan Check to get to Bachi Burger. Plan Check has consistently served up one of the best cheeseburgers in Los Angeles.

Burger Review : Don't believe the hype. The cheeseburgers were under-whelming and over-priced. 

Rating: 3 Bites (rounded up from 2.5)