What’s TSK doing reviewing a restaurant in Las Vegas?! I was recently in Las Vegas for 3 days in January, and instead of spending my hours at any casino, I planned and spent most of the 9 meals very carefully. So much food, so little time (and stomach space).
One of the restaurants on my must-try list was Gordon Ramsay’s (GR) Burgr. Being a massive fan since the first season of Hells Kitchen and subsequently followed GR’s media career from his stints on Channel 4 to his American remakes. Gordon Ramsay inspired a whole new generation of home cooks globally, and made it cool for young chaps to pick up the knife and work the kitchen, myself included.
Anyway, the wife and I popped by Burgr sans reservation at 6:30pm, and to our delight, we were seated immediately, despite several diners waiting in line (they were a bigger group).
The restaurant had this massive flaming display for a sign, which was bloody impressive. Inside, the decor was modern, but the mood was very laid back and casual. No need to feel all prim and proper here.
The menu had an interesting shape, and was designed to doubled up as napkin holder-ornament. I was delighted to find out later that diners could bring home the menus with them! Awesome!
For a celebrity chef restaurant, the prices were actually very affordable. I went for the signature hells kitchen burger, while the missus had the earth burger, with a side of truffled fries (couldn’t resist). The beverage menu was presented on an iPad, which seemed to be the trend amongst restaurants in Vegas.
After 15mins of sipping on my apple cider, our burgers arrived. They were presented as a solo item on the plate, like a hero that didn’t need a sidekick, and very neatly stacked. They didn’t go crazy with the height either, it was actually very perfectly sized and easy to bite into.
The first bite on the hells kitchen burger: lovely soft buns with a thin crispy crust on the inside. I immediately tasted the richness of the avocado and then the burst of caramelised beef crust entered the palate, followed by the rich beefy moist meat, combined with a mild flavoured cheese. Suddenly, a fiery heat kicked in from the roasted jalapeños, but the sweetness of the roasted tomatoes managed to calm it down a notch. The arugula added a slightly bitter accent that made sure none of the other strong flavours got out of hand.
If you thought that was the longest description of a single burger bite ever, it was indeed. Very pleasantly, profoundly so. All the components of the burger had been thought out and paired carefully, which resulted in a perfectly balanced and complex mix of flavours. Magnificent.
The meat patty was done medium as ordered, lovely pink flesh with a thin smoky crust. Absolutely tender and divine. This was the new champion in my burgers ranking. There is no fight in terms of flavours complexity and presentation.
I did not try the missus’s portabello burger, but she assured me that it was very good too.
The truffled fries were unfortunately dwarfed by the burgers. I had a few, and while they were decent with strong truffle flavours and topped with parmesan, they were a little thick and flavour-wise, no match for the burgers.
This meal at Burgr by Gordon Ramsay totally lived up to my expectations. $14 for one of, if not the best gourmet burger in my books? Hell yeah.
PS: On our way out, the line was insane. Don’t expect to be as lucky as us to get seated immediately, make reservations.