293 7th Avenue
Mr. Frankenburger, Protein-Style, the B'Ass Fisherwomen, and myself found ourselves in need of a break from the Javits Center and, more importantly, in need of a burger. Protein-Style, with an eagle eye, spotted Kobeyaki. We had been seeking out a different spot, but I got us good and lost. Protein-Style stepped in like a boss. Kobeyaki was reminiscent of Super Duper Burger in San Francisco. The focus was on organic, healthy, fast food.
Here are some excerpts from their site: "At Kobeyaki we have a fresh approach to Japanese cuisine by providing healthy, creative and delicious Japanese food in a fast casual environment...
...We believe that raising animals humanely and naturally on a vegetarian diet without the use of hormones is important to the sustainability of the planet...
...All of our Kobe Style Wagyu Beef is naturally raised on family farms without the addition of growth hormones or antibiotics. All the Waygu cattle live on a 100% vegetarian diet and are raised humanly with love and care. Kobe style Wagyu beef contains less saturated fat and more omegas 3 and 6 fatty acids than regular beef which means this nutrient dense protein helps you maintain muscle while burning fat and maintain a healthy weight and healthy blood sugar levels...
...The sustainability of our food sources is important to us and we will continue to strive to partner with vendors who can help us achieve these goals..."
We ordered our meals at the counter, paid, were handed pagers, and we settled in for a 5-minute wait. Expectations were reasonably low, but the place was packed, and the kitchen was jammed with cooks. I counted at least 6 cooks and about 6 counter people. My low expectations were ill-founded.
The Burger Breakdown...
The Beef: The Kobe beef patty was interesting in terms of both flavor and texture. The beef was beefy, really beefy, and it led me to wonder if Kobeyaki had added a little MSG or kelp to bump things up. It seemed unlikely, but they certainly used something interesting to get so much flavor out of the Chuck. The Wagyu beef was organic and grass-fed, so I guessed that some of the strong flavors were a result of the cattle's diet. The beef was springy in the way that perfectly tender, fresh meatloaf is springy. If they used a filler to pull that off, I was unable to discern what it was. The bite was loose and juicy. There was a minimal amount of oiliness. The patty was strongly flavored and quite savory.
The Seasoning: I ordered this burger with no modifications, so it came fully sauced and dressed. The seasoning was salty and complicated in the way that good Japanese spice blends tend to be.
The Sear: The sear from the flat top was nominal, and this burger would have benefited from a robust sear to hold it together and round out the texture. The juiciness of the burger and the volume of burgers that were being cooked made the moisture conditions impossible to impart a solid sear.
The Preparation: Kobeyaki was packed, and I didn't want to stall the line by asking a bunch of questions. The burgers were cooked to a delightfully juicy Med Well. The burger buns were sauced on both the top and bottom. I gave up trying to analyze the sauces, and simply let myself enjoy the experience. The sauces contained enough oil and creaminess to make up for the lack of cheese on the burger. The burger was wrapped in a waxy paper satchel in a fashion, which I assumed was commonplace in Japan, but it was not something that I had ever encountered in the context of a burger.
The Cheese: There was no cheese, and it was not missed.
The Bun: The bun at Kobeyaki was a simple brioche. It was nicely toasted. The top was not oily. The bun was pleasantly sweet and yeasty. Most importantly it was moist and fresh. The bun competently contained the copious juices from the sauces, slaw, and burger patty.
The Meat To Bun Ratio: Perfect.
The Toppings: The slaw, which topped the burgers, was fresh and crisp. It balanced the delicate sweetness of sunomono with the earthy snap of carrot slivers. I ordinarily eschew veg on my burgers, but in the case of Asian-themed burgers, I have found it most satisfying to enjoy the dish as a whole. Examples of this include MIRU8691 and Neri's Curbside Cravings--both spectacular LA burgers.
The Fries: Kobeyaki offered one kind of fry and that was tempura-battered sweet potato fries. Sweet lord, these were delicious. These were, hands down, the creamiest sweet potato fries that I had ever tried. The tempura was perfectly crisp, and it remained crisp as the fries cooled. The interiors were smooth and gently sweet. The fries were marvelous.
The Value: I dropped about 15 bucks on a 5-ounce Kobe Beef Burger ($9), a side of fries ($3), and a fountain drink ($2), and I walked away sated and happy with the quality of the meal. The value was completely fair.
I walked into Kobeyaki with low expectations, and I anticipated a gimmicky, low-quality, fast food burger. What I had was a high-quality, flavorful, and well-executed burger. My sole regret was that Kobeyaki did not have the soft-shelled crab sandwich on the menu on the day that I visited.
Burger Review : Win
Rating...5 Bites (rounded up from 4.5)
btw 26th & 27th Street
New York NY 10001
212-242-5500
212-242-5500
Here are some excerpts from their site: "At Kobeyaki we have a fresh approach to Japanese cuisine by providing healthy, creative and delicious Japanese food in a fast casual environment...
...All of our Kobe Style Wagyu Beef is naturally raised on family farms without the addition of growth hormones or antibiotics. All the Waygu cattle live on a 100% vegetarian diet and are raised humanly with love and care. Kobe style Wagyu beef contains less saturated fat and more omegas 3 and 6 fatty acids than regular beef which means this nutrient dense protein helps you maintain muscle while burning fat and maintain a healthy weight and healthy blood sugar levels...
...The sustainability of our food sources is important to us and we will continue to strive to partner with vendors who can help us achieve these goals..."We ordered our meals at the counter, paid, were handed pagers, and we settled in for a 5-minute wait. Expectations were reasonably low, but the place was packed, and the kitchen was jammed with cooks. I counted at least 6 cooks and about 6 counter people. My low expectations were ill-founded.
The Burger Breakdown...
The Beef: The Kobe beef patty was interesting in terms of both flavor and texture. The beef was beefy, really beefy, and it led me to wonder if Kobeyaki had added a little MSG or kelp to bump things up. It seemed unlikely, but they certainly used something interesting to get so much flavor out of the Chuck. The Wagyu beef was organic and grass-fed, so I guessed that some of the strong flavors were a result of the cattle's diet. The beef was springy in the way that perfectly tender, fresh meatloaf is springy. If they used a filler to pull that off, I was unable to discern what it was. The bite was loose and juicy. There was a minimal amount of oiliness. The patty was strongly flavored and quite savory.
The Seasoning: I ordered this burger with no modifications, so it came fully sauced and dressed. The seasoning was salty and complicated in the way that good Japanese spice blends tend to be.
The Sear: The sear from the flat top was nominal, and this burger would have benefited from a robust sear to hold it together and round out the texture. The juiciness of the burger and the volume of burgers that were being cooked made the moisture conditions impossible to impart a solid sear.
The Preparation: Kobeyaki was packed, and I didn't want to stall the line by asking a bunch of questions. The burgers were cooked to a delightfully juicy Med Well. The burger buns were sauced on both the top and bottom. I gave up trying to analyze the sauces, and simply let myself enjoy the experience. The sauces contained enough oil and creaminess to make up for the lack of cheese on the burger. The burger was wrapped in a waxy paper satchel in a fashion, which I assumed was commonplace in Japan, but it was not something that I had ever encountered in the context of a burger.The Cheese: There was no cheese, and it was not missed.
The Bun: The bun at Kobeyaki was a simple brioche. It was nicely toasted. The top was not oily. The bun was pleasantly sweet and yeasty. Most importantly it was moist and fresh. The bun competently contained the copious juices from the sauces, slaw, and burger patty.
The Meat To Bun Ratio: Perfect.The Toppings: The slaw, which topped the burgers, was fresh and crisp. It balanced the delicate sweetness of sunomono with the earthy snap of carrot slivers. I ordinarily eschew veg on my burgers, but in the case of Asian-themed burgers, I have found it most satisfying to enjoy the dish as a whole. Examples of this include MIRU8691 and Neri's Curbside Cravings--both spectacular LA burgers.
The Fries: Kobeyaki offered one kind of fry and that was tempura-battered sweet potato fries. Sweet lord, these were delicious. These were, hands down, the creamiest sweet potato fries that I had ever tried. The tempura was perfectly crisp, and it remained crisp as the fries cooled. The interiors were smooth and gently sweet. The fries were marvelous.
The Value: I dropped about 15 bucks on a 5-ounce Kobe Beef Burger ($9), a side of fries ($3), and a fountain drink ($2), and I walked away sated and happy with the quality of the meal. The value was completely fair.
I walked into Kobeyaki with low expectations, and I anticipated a gimmicky, low-quality, fast food burger. What I had was a high-quality, flavorful, and well-executed burger. My sole regret was that Kobeyaki did not have the soft-shelled crab sandwich on the menu on the day that I visited.Burger Review : Win
Rating...5 Bites (rounded up from 4.5)
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