Features
Monday, 30 November 2009 08:11
Written by Ned Kelly

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Burgers, beers and cheers at the inaugural that's Shanghai, Gourmet Cafe and Villa Lifestyles burger-off

If you were looking for an advert for the cosmopolitan credentials of this city then this competition had all the desired ingredients: an Englishman making a Chinese burger, a Japanese lady making a Greek burger and an Australian fella making an English burger. Add to that a super-sized side portion of international beautiful people (that would be your good selves, dear readers) to judge our Peoples’ Choice Award and we had a lip-smacking recipe for success on our hands (view all the submitted recipes here).

Our panel of esteemed judges: star of From Market to Table in our October issue and inspiration for the event, the luscious Liza Levy; Shanghai’s biggest burger fan and most opinionated man, DJ Sexy Paul; and budding restauranteur Nat Alexander. They rated the three entrants over five categories taste, presentation, originality, toppings and overall. And the heat was on on the Villa Lifestyles grills we had especially brought in to facilitate the flame-grilled face-off; at stake was not only the title of that’s Shanghai Burger of the Year 2009, but the honor of the winning burger going on the specials board in Gourmet Café for the month of December, along with ten percent of the takings on said menu item going to its creator.To find out who they crowned king of the kitchen, have a look at the contender profiles on the facing page.

It wasn’t just the judges who our culinary challengers were out to impress either, as an army of regular readers had turned out to gorge themselves on mini burgers, with a cheer-off for their favorite to tie-up a memorable evening. Their rapturous roars being rated by yours truly, and lacking a clapometer, we are either stone-deaf or soft-hearted as we couldn’t work out whose hurrays were the heartiest, deciding the only decent thing to do was to offer swanky hotel stays all round. Our congratulations to the three of them. As for the rest of you – get readying those recipes for next year!

The contenders

Name: Luke Benbow
From: Sydney, Australia
Credentials: Butler extraordinaire who served Aussie PMs Paul Keating and John Howard, he has cooked for the likes of the King of Thailand, George Bush Snr., Bill Clinton, the Queen of England, the Pope and even the devil himself – Rupert Murdoch.
Made: An Ode To London
Recipe: A ground sirloin beef patty containing the butler’s secret herb blend (he could tell you, but then Australian secret services would have to kill you…) topped with creamy mash and port gravy and served with a side of mushy peas.
Judges verdict: 94 out of 150. Bronze Medal. A good taste and loved the peas, but the structure was impractical as it oozed out of the bun too much. And it could have done with some mustard or horseradish to give it some oomph.

Name: Eiko Takahashi
From: Fukuoka, Japan
Credentials: Fresh in town from Bangkok, she is a Thai chef fully certified by the Wandee Culinary School. Her entry for this competition was inspired by her German husband’s love of Greek cuisine. Could you get any more international, Eiko-san?
Made: My Big Fat Greek Burger
Recipe: Toasted bun base spread generously with a mix of kalamata olive paste and greek olive oil on which a patty of ground lamb, flame-grilled, is topped with dodoni feta cheese, roasted cherry tomatoes, freshly sliced red onions, oregano and a hint of garlic and finished with tzatziki and lettuce.
Judges verdict: 106 out of 150. Silver Medal. Nice flavor complexity, juicy lamb patty, yet suffered slighty from the ooze factor.

Name: Godric Walker
From: London, England
Credentials: An amateur enthusiast who simply loves to cook, Mr. Walker didn’t let his lack of professional experience hold him back.
Made: The Beijinger
Recipe: A ground duck patty seasoned with salt, pepper, mashed garlic, ginger and finely chopped spring onion, topped with sauted shiitake mushrooms and onions in a hoisin sauce containing honey, balsamic, chili bean paste, garlic, ginger, soy, corriander, fresh chili, sesame oil, spring onion, crème fraiche and honey mustard, and garnished with lettuce and finely chopped spring onion and cucumber.
Judges verdict: 113 out of 150. Gold Medal. A gourmet burger classic. A great combination of flavors, juicy duck patty and an excellent topping of mushrooms.

For full measurements and cooking directions, as well as recipes that didn’t make the final cut, head right here

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