Slow Boat's Champ Fryburger a Top Contender in 2017 Burger Cup
Burger Brief takes a look at some of the attendees of the Beijinger's 2017 Burger Cup. After finishing second in 2014, Slow Boat Brewery won our Burger Cup in both 2015 and 2016 with their Fryburger. With the grill warming up ahead of the 2017 Burger Cup’s voting starting on May 22, the day after our May 20-21 Burger Fest, we spoke with Slow Boat co-founder Chandler Jurinka about his burger.
Name: Chandler Jurinka
Nationality: USA
Number of years in Beijing: 10-plus
Venue: Slow Boat Brewpub (Sanlitun) and Taproom (Dongsi Batiao)
Name of Signature Burger: Fryburger
Congratulations on winning the Beijinger Burger Cup two years in a row. Could you tell us a little about your champion burger, the Fryburger?
We are very proud of the award. It all starts out with a sesame seed hamburger bun made fresh and delivered daily. The buns are light, not overly sweet, and lightly grilled. The “Ayi-ioli” sauce is a nutty and fragrant East-meets-West family recipe and the kungfu behind the Fryburger’s spicy kick. At the heart of the burger is an all-beef patty with a Jenga of beer-battered fries stacked on top and blanketed with cheese. There’s not another burger like it in Beijing.
Where does the inspiration come from?
Simple, no veggies, and something we would be proud to recommend. Honestly it was no more complex than piling a bunch of the things we love onto one burger. We wanted it simple with bold flavors.
What drink from your menu goes best with the burger?
We have a huge variety of beers to choose from both the taproom and at our brewpub but for me the Monkey’s Fist IPA pairs perfectly with the Fryburger. The Captain’s pale is also one of my go-to beers. If you’re looking for something a bit different, try our new “Luchador on a Boat” – a Mexican saison made with avocado honey, cumin, lime zest, coriander, and tequila-soaked chilies.
Tell us a little more about the other burgers on the menu.
This time last year we had four burgers on our menu: the classic, a no-nonsense cheeseburger; the Anxiety burger, with real blue cheese and red onion; the Dongsi Doufu Burger, a slab of tofu topped with coleslaw and spicy honey aioli sauce; and, of course, our Fryburger, with beer battered French fries. Since then, we’ve opened our second location in Sanlitun and introduced the Double Trouble, a two patty meat monster with smoked bacon jam; the Sloppy Zhou, topped with eggplant, pickled onions and roasted veggies; and the Lao Thai Thai burger with chunky peanut butter, sliced pineapple, Thai basil, and spicy sriracha sauce.
The Beijinger 2017 Burger Cup is sponsored by Bon App, Job-in, and Left Hand App.
Photos: Slow Boat, Joey Guo
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