Beijing is buried in burgers. From Sanlitun to Gulou, you're never far from sweet beef relief. Go for lunch in the CBD, however, and it’s a different story. Shuangjing newcomer Burger Break aims to change all that with its flame-grilled burgers. But how do they stack up?

The space is well suited to coffee and the abuse of free wi-fi. Burger Break is small, with the owner presiding over all the tables on the floor. Burgers come in standard varieties: classic, bacon and cheese, cheese and fried egg, cheese and avocado, fish and a double. Toppings are artfully arranged with an eye for perfection that you don't often see outside of a fast food commercial.The owners obviously care about their product, which they say is made from 100-percent-certified US beef, ground daily into handcrafted patties.

But the burgers owe most of their size to a puffy bun, large enough to cushion a second-storey fall. The bread is Chinese bakery-sweet an dairy, too–the bottom half was soon soaked through with burger juice. Bacon is arranged in a racing stripe down the middle of the burger. Bites left and right of centre just aren't as good. Possibly to accommodate local tastes, the beef felt overcooked.

As for the sides, Cajun fries ought to be shaken with the seasoning, but here the powder's been haphazardly dumped on top. Redistribution of the spice became our job. The onion rings are crunchy on the outside, but their molten innards unfortunately never pose any threat of sliding out–like a good onion ring should.

So the search for the CBD’s first good-value, quality burger continues. Despite the obvious flaws, this place isn’t terrible if you’re in the area. But we won't be breaking old habits and going out of our way for these burgers anytime soon.

Address: 10-3 Fulicheng, Xingguang Lu, Section D, Chaoyang District 朝阳区富力城D区商铺10-3, 星光大道

Source: timeoutbeijing.com