So this weekend we ventured to Seorae, the French village, in search of Seoul’s best burger. Now I am a huge burger fan and always on the look out for an amazing burger that makes all my meat filled bun dreams come true. I have only ever heard good things about this place so I figured it was about time that I left Itaewon and actually went somewhere different for a change. After negotiating the little streets we finally found our way to Brooklyn Burger. And like any hip and trendy restaurant worth its salt in Korea, it had a nice big line outside. I guess it could have been worse right, a few people even took to buying burgers and sitting outside to eat them, this just fueled my hunger ten fold. We popped our name on the list and sat across the street to wait, there is a cute little coffee shop just next door though. We were fairly lucky being a twosome and only had to wait about 20 minutes before we were called forward into the inner sanctum.
The place is exactly what you would imagine, a cool hip place, with seating for about 20. There is even a whole wall dedicated to condiments, just my style. I’m actually considering adding this divine decorating feature to my own home. The menu consists of burgers, a few sides and shakes. Standard burger fare with no kimchi or Koreanized dishes to be seen.
We had a look down the menu, all the burgers are reasonably similar, just with slightly different combinations of ingredients. The one that stood out right away was The Brooklyn Works (9,500). We split this one in half and both had a bite. At first bite I did go Mmmm. The measure in which I always quantify burger deliciousness. But only the first bite warranted one. After that I was like, it’s nice but not amazing. I still think the first time I had Burger B I was more delighted. To make your buger a set, you can get a half order of fries and a soda for an extra 5,000.
We also tried the C.R.E.A.M – Cheddar Rules Everything Around Meat (9,500) This one was quite similar except it had more of the horseradish cream sauce and no salad. It was again a nice burger but not quite as good as the works. The Cheese Skirt burger seemed to be quite popular too.
We opted not do do the set as I was hankering after the Chili cheese fries (10,500) This plate was huge, and smothered is fake cheese and chili. The chili was good but a little bit spicy for my taste, although The Fat Boyfriend deemed it perfect. I personally would have rather had real cheese instead of the fake stuff. So for me the fries didn’t quite hit the mark. I’d probably just go for the regular ones next time.
Other than the burgers, the reason to visit is the shakes. I couldn’t resist the Nutella with burnt marshmallows milkshake (6,500) This milkshake was epic. It was just as advertised and amazingly tasty. For me dipping a finger into the Nutella jar constitutes a good time, so a delicious creamy Nutella thick shake is holy grail of good times. The marshmallows were toasted to perfection and not burnt at all. If you have a sweet tooth then you must go try one. It is by far and away the best milkshake in Seoul and puts those sad little drinks at Once Upon a Milkshake completely to shame.
So overall I didn’t really think that Brooklyn the Burger joint was the best burger in Seoul. So I guess I’m still searching. Although taste is so much a matter of preference that I don’t know if the perfect burger is even out there. It’s a nice place and I would go again, if only for the milkshake. Plus going on a weekend you are always guaranteed to partake in Korea’s favorite past time of queuing to get in restaurants, surely that alone is a fun filled Saturday. And if the queuing and the milkshake didn’t convince you, Seorae is also a great little neighborhood so it’s worth going just for a wonder and to take a trip to the huge Paris Croissant and buy some bread and a pot of 17,000 won butter. No I didn’t get it, The Fat Boyfriend wouldn’t let me 🙁 Although we did get the tiny 5,500 one instead 🙂
Brooklyn The Burger Joint is located at 551-32 1F Banpo-Dong, Seocho-gu, Seoul. Opening hours 11.30 – 21.30 (closed on Mondays) Call them on 02-533-7180 for more information.
