Grabbing a burger within London or anywhere over the world in fact is not difficult with there being so many fast-food restaurants, cafes, and speciality and high-end restaurants which sell burgers. There are a number of different cultured types of burgers which are sold all over the world so when I was invited down by Yen of Yen Burger to taste what an Asian inspired burger is like I could not resist, as I love burgers.
Yen Burger
Yen Burger is founded by Yen Nguyen, in which she has bought burgers to London with her distinctively eastern twist on them.
With her success at some of the UK and Germany’s leading restaurants she wanted to give diners a whole different take on burgers.
“I was always so influenced by my Mother’s Asian cooking, and could never go a day without it. My experiences being raised across Europe mean I am inspired by both types of cuisines and therefore I want to create something truly unique an Asian burger. The opening of Yen burger is my dream coming to fruition”
Yen Nguyen
Upon opening in London back in November 2018 Yen offers premium Asian-influenced burgers.
The classic Yen Burger features a 100% Wagyu beef patty, fresh pickles, smoked turkey bacon, cheese and shiso leaf, it’s the ultimate fusion burger and a great introduction to Yen’s offerings. There are also a variety of other options from cod to chicken burgers. Plus there are meat-free burgers such as the Tofu Burger.
Each burger is freshly made in-house from the highest quality Aberdeen Black Angus or Wagyu beef, 100% sustainable cod or vegetable alternatives.
Yen Burger also sells an extensive Asian-influenced signature cocktail range all which are served at their incredible cherry-blossom bar which can be found on the lower-ground floor.
The Interiors within Yen Burger are custom designed by renowned studio ID design (winners of the 2017 Ilva Design Award). The muted gold tones and paired back Asian design perfectly complement this unique twist on Asian cuisine. The space can hold up to 70 guests seated across two floors, with the additional bar area where guests can enjoy a signature cocktail and watch the chefs creating their favourite dishes.
What is a burger?
Burgers are named in a number of ways from a hamburger, beefburger or just simply as a burger. It is a sandwich which consist of one or more cooked patties of ground meat, usually beef, placed inside a sliced bread roll or bun. The patty might be pan fried, grilled, or even flame broiled. Hamburgers are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chillies, condiments such as ketchup, mayonnaise, mustard, relish, or special sauce.
Hamburgers are sold throughout the world at fast-food restaurants, cafes, and speciality and high-end restaurants.
The main two fast restaurants are McDonald’s and Burger King who sell burgers by the trillions all over the world. However McDonald’s and Burger King even though they are the most famous and recognisable of burger joints within the world there has been a number of new contenders popping up from Five Guys and more unique burger joints such as Yen Burger.
Munching on Asian Burgers
Yen Burger is just a short walk away from London Borough Market however it is quite tucked away from Borough Market so not that easy to see.
Once me and Laura found it and entered into Yen Burger it felt very much like a fast food joint however when we ventured down the stairs to the basement it was a whole other story. It felt as if we had stepped into an Asian restaurant in Asia.
Firstly we saw a beautiful bar with cherry blossom flowers above it.
The actual restaurant area consisted of rectangular shaped tables and stools. The walls are all decorated differently from a lady with her hair blowing in the wind with her hair being inter tangled with pretty faux blossoms, drawings of cheeky monkeys and an area papered with bamboo style wallpaper. There is even an pretty pink neon sign. The whole decor quite possibly makes this the prettiest fast food burger joint in London.
Upon sitting down and looking through the menu it was hard to decide what to have but in the end I decided to choose a classic Yen Burger (100% Wagu beef batty, lettuce, shiso, pickles, red onion, smoked turkey bacon & yen sauce) along with some edamame and sweet potato chips.
Once it arrived I was highly impressed by how the food was presented with the burger being in a bamboo steamer basket lined with striped paper. Even though this was still obviously a fast food joint it felt slightly more with the way it was presented and the downstairs décor and bar.
Starting off with my tasty salted edamame, which are traditional Japanese bar snacks, after popping the beans out of their pods it was time for me to tuck into my burger and chips.
The burger was massive and jam packed with vegetables plus oozing with sauce. Upon the bun was a Japanese Yen currency symbol stamped on it.
The actual Wagu beef was cooked to perfection as all their burgers are cooked medium, unless otherwise specified by yourself. The meat was very flavoursome however I feel that there was far too much sauce upon it and over powered the meat slightly and the sauce made it extremely messy and hard to eat. Afterwards my hands were covered in sauce.
My friend opted for the Finest Chick (coconut panko chicken breast, slaw, shiso, tomato, red onion, and mango sauce) which she said was tasty but again she felt the same as me that there was far too much sauce.
If you are not one for meat though there are great vegetarian and vegan offers, such as the Tofu Burger (tofu, aubergine, lettuce and coriander). Also all the burgers can be made Californian style with lettuce rather than a bun.
The burgers are priced around £10 which is not cheap for a fast food joint but the size of the burger and quality of meat used within their burgers makes these burgers worth it.
Onto the sweet potato chips. We shared these between us but we both decided they were not that great. Reason is that they were cold and floppy, not crunchy. However the taste of the sweet potato was still very nice.
For dessert we opted to share some Mochi which are balls of ice-cream wrapped in rice cake dough. There is a number of different ice-cream flavours to opt from. We chose the mango and vanilla. They tasted nice but not the best. The mango could have been sharper however the vanilla one was very creamy.
We also tried out their special dessert of the day which was a Macha cheesecake. Even though this was a very creamy cheesecake and had a nice biscuit base we were not keen on the flavour.
For our drinks throughout the meal I opted for Fresh Kumquat and Laura had the Passion Sprizz which are both non-alcoholic drinks. They not only looked nice but they tasted great, fruity, sweet and were very refreshing.
Verdict
The atmosphere in Yen Burger basement was a relaxing and very modern one and the way the food is served makes this fast food joint feel that extra special.
I loved the Wagu patty as this was highly flavoursome and even though there was too much sauce, the sauce did taste lovely. However with there being so many burger joints out in London especially in the London Bridge area I am not sure Yen Burger would be my first choice but if I was looking to impress a friend then yes I would take them along to Yen Burger as the décor and the way they serve their food is impressive. Also Yen Burger is a great place for anyone who loves taking photos for their Instagram page. It also is an ideal burger joint for anyone who might be a vegan.
So if you are looking for a fast food burger joint with that little extra class then grab a few friends, find a table downstairs and grab yourself a burger and a few signature cocktails at Yen Burger.
Head on down to Yen Burger
Yen Burger
1B Southwark Street
London
SE1 1RQ
Book click here to book.
Thank you to Yen of Yen Burgers for the Asian burgers. I was given this experience on a complimentary basis but all views are my own honest opinion.
Click below to read Laura’s and other community members blogs who went other times. All their views are of their own honest opinions.
“I love going out discovering new and existing restaurants, theatres, immersive experiences and so much more but I also love staying in and discovering new gadgets, gaming and cooking.
