The CBM team was having a discussion about the merits of Wagyu beef a few weeks ago. Is it the higher levels of marbling or the softer muscle texture that make it so tender? Is it worth the cost? Suddenly an ad for Wagyu Burger popped up, the newest venture from Chef Dean Bank’s of Haar in St. Andrews. So it seemed fate (and the Google/Facebook advertising complex) had stepped in to address our questions. Read on to find out how the Wagyu from Wagyu was…
The Bun: 19/20
An absolutely incredible bun. Hard to believe that bread can get that soft and still hold its form, especially after a 400+ mile journey from Fife. The bun is a light brioche, not as yellow as most, but with a lovely subtle fragrance. The kit came with no instructions so we buttered and fried. I thought perhaps we had made them too soft but they held up nicely in the final product. Covered in sesame seeds which made a bit of a mess, and uncut…otherwise pretty perfect.
The Toppings: 9/10
A bit odd to get 3 slices of bacon for four burgers, but they were super long. We cut into thirds so ended up with 9 pieces and as head cook that meant I got 3 on my burger. It was very lean, with a good flavour despite not being smoky at all. A little lost in the final product as the saltiness of the bacon kind of got lost in with the beef and the burger sauce. The kit also comes with a few leaves of baby gem lettuce which were a little dirty, but tasted fine after a rinse. The star topping though was the crispy onion. Chef Banks should package them up and sell as a snack on their own. Perfectly cooked with no greasiness and an incredibly rich taste. They added a nice crunch and lovely flavour to the burger.
The Condiments: 4/10
The lone condiment is their wagyu burger mayo. It looks a little like a traditional burger sauce but has little red flakes in there so we expected a little spicy punch but there was none. Just an overly salty sauce that was described by the tasters as “fishy”, “marrow?” and “too much dill?”. On its own none of us really liked it but we trusted the chef and put it on and perhaps it worked as the final burger tasted great, even if the sauce just came through as salty on top of salty bacon and beef. I suspect the sauce added an umami component to open your taste buds a little. We did prepare a spare burger with ketchup and mustard and the sweetness of the ketchup brought more balance and we thought made for a better overall burger.
The Cheese: 14/20
One moderately thick slice of a dryish, medium cheddar for each burger. Melted well, and was fine but a little lost in the end product. Not nearly as memorable as the bun or the beef.
The Patty: 19/20
185g (6.5 oz) is a nice size patty and the wagyu was incredible. We seared each side with a press even though the patties were pre-formed, and then cooked at medium high heat for a few minutes on the first side and just a couple on the second. Seemed a good guess given the lack of instructions as we ended up with a medium well but still juicy burger which is the way we like it. The flavour is strong in the best possible way. Not the gaminess you get with some grass fed beef, but just a stronger than normal buttery beef flavour that cut through everything else very well.
The Taste: 17/20
This was a fantastic cheeseburger. The onions, beef and bun are absolute stars and balanced each other nicely, although the bacon and sauce were just a little too salty in combination to be a higher score. With a dash of ketchup it was improved though in our minds. Could have used a little more cheese, or perhaps something a little more flavourful…with a couple of slices of a good American cheese there would have been a little more creaminess too. Waygu meat is becoming more popular but how did this fair on our hit list?
Our Verdict: 82/100
This is absolutely worth ordering, especially if you want to impress your dinner guests, as the beef and bun are likely to be among the very best you will ever have. If you like crispy onions I suspect these would be hard to beat as well. Just a few tweaks away from being top on our list, but some of that is down to personal tastes of course. In conclusion, the answer to the question “is wagyu worth it?” is a definite yes. Also…be sure to add in a few of their Chocolate Ganache with Salted Caramel desserts. Very rich chocolate but the texture is silky smooth and the combo of the salted caramel, biscuit base, and dark chocolate is the perfect complement to the cheeseburger that goes before it. To check out more of this little delight you should head over to the Haar website here
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The Bun
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The Toppings
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The Condiments
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The Cheese
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The Patty
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The Taste
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Our Verdict
