Umami Burger

During a visit to the Nike Montalban Theater, my sister and I decided to have lunch at nearby Umami Burger. It's a trendy little place that some friends of mine think rivals Father's Office. It's a pretty bold statement. So, I had to give it a try.

I give them bonus points right off the bat for having mexican Coca-Cola. If you don't know, you better ask somebody. Mexican Coca-Cola always comes in the distinctive glass bottle. It is cola made exclusively (you guessed it) in Mexico. What makes their formula unique is that they make the soda with real cane sugar. Believe me... it makes a difference.

To be honest, I can't remember the name of my sister's sandwich. I wanna say they called it an Earth burger or something to that effect, but don't quote me on that. I call it a sandwich because it is some veggie patty concoction. Can't be a burger if there's no animal flesh. That's enough about that "sandwich".

I went with their signature Umami Burger.

When it arrived, my first impression was "fancy schmancy". It has tomatoes, mushrooms, onions, and a cheese crisp (parmesan I think). I'll give them credit for the beef patty. It is cooked medium and is very juicy. The bun is lightly toasted and isn't too filling. As a matter a fact, the entire burger is on the small side. So, the whole thing isn't very filling. The Umami is a great gourmet burger, but there is one particular reason why I give my nod to Father's Office. Umami puts some sort of sweet barbecue like sauce in this burger. The sauce is a little too sweet for my taste. I personally don't like my burgers tasting like there's candy in them. But, that's just me.

Our side order was the Tempura Onion Rings. The concept sounds tasty. They were actually pretty boring. I guess I should have went with something like sweet potato fries.

So, my first impression wasn't the greatest. But, they do have a "Triple Pork Burger" on the Santa Monica location's menu. I can always dig on some swine. But for now, Father's Office remains the #1 seed on my rankings chart.

Umami Burger

Space 15 Twenty

Hollywood, CA 90028

(323) 469-3100

www.umamiburger.com

I'm from LA Trick