More Burger Bar!

I love Burger Bar, and I'm planning to eat there as often as I can.

The Beer
Unibroue, Blanche de Chambly, Canada
This was a refreshing wheat beer that had a nice citrus finish. Ay.

Salmon Burger
This was delicious! It was cooked perfectly medium -- still a bit raw inside, just how I like it. This was like eating the freshest cut of a pan-seared salmon. Hubert Keller really knows how to cook his salmon! To keep with the healthiness of the protein, I ordered a wheat bun and aioli sauce. The aioli was nice and garlicky. I also added a side of Zucchini Fries. It's been consistently tasty.

Cheese Cake Burger
The taste and lightness of the cheesecake is delicious. The donut is a bit bigger than in Las Vegas. Overall I still prefer Las Vegas's version. What made this particularly dish stand out was the decorative whipped cream - the shape of a mouse! It's just like the mouse that Chef prepared in the Top Chef Masters episode where he made the winning dessert for the Girl Scouts.

Beer Float Paddle
We were the first ones in the San Francisco establishment to order this! Chef Hubert helped assemble the floats and the paddle. Our table watched the whole process. This is an order that you have to share. It's so delicious, but so heavy, especially after a hearty burger.

At the end of the meal, we had another chance to talk and take pictures with Chef. Throughout the meal, I noticed that he was very busy between the milkshake bar and the kitchen. However, whenever customers approached him, he warmly talked to them with a big smile. What a stand up guy!

Burger Bar San Francisco is Open!

October 16, 2009 marked the Grand Opening for Burger Bar San Francisco.  On the first two days, the restaurant hosted 2,000+ customers!  What a success!
Thanks to my parents, I was privileged to attend the Grand Opening Party.  Following the party, we dined in the restaurant.  It was exciting to see everyone eager for the Burger Bar experience.  Adding to the excitement, Chef Hubert Keller, and his right-hand man Chef Laurent Pillard were greeting customers and giving samples of Mini Chocolate Burgers and Mini Milkshakes.  How fun!

Guam Foodie and I with Chef Hubert at the Grand Opening Party!

Sliders!
Plates of sliders were being served throughout the night.  Angus, chicken, and salmon.

Mini Milkshakes
Personally served by Chef Hubert!  I couldn’t say no, and I’m glad I didn’t.  So tasty!  Creamy and full of taste!  This particular milkshake was Caramel and Coffee.

Where the Magic Happens
Our party was given a tour of the busy kitchen and the meat kitchen.

The Entrance
The entrance is to the right.  Behind the glass doors is the private dining room, where larger parties and private events will be hosted.

The Bar

The Bar Tables

The Milkshake Bar

Booths
Each booth has their own television.  You can request to have the channels changed.

The Tables

The View from Our Table

The Beer Pairing
The menu holds 24 beers on tap and 80+ bottles to choose from.  Not only that, there’s also an extensive wine list, cocktails, and virgin and adult milkshakes.
This is the Avery Kaiser Imperial Oktoberfest.  Delicious!  A deep, malty flavor with tasty hops.

Peppercorn Burger
Country Natural beef topped with Dijon Mustard and whole peppercorns.  Served on a toasted white bread, with skinny fries.  Also served with a creamy peppercorn sauce on the side.  If you love peppercorns, you will absolutely love this burger!  It was cooked perfectly medium.  The taste of the beef is delicious on its own.

I can’t wait to go back to try the rest of the menu!

Birthday Celebration

I went back to Las Vegas for my mom's birthday weekend. As soon as we landed, we went straight to Burger Bar for a late dinner. We went straight to the bar back to grab out usual seats. One of the tables behind us was filled with kids eating burgers and milkshakes. I noticed that a few of the televisions were tuned to Dancing with the Stars. I found this odd, but I figured the kids preferred this to the usual ESPN channels. Suddenly the kids were yelling and screaming at the televisions. They were rooting the cast of the Lion King (who perform nightly at the Mandalay Bay Hotel). Not only were they cheering, they were yelling out names of the cast. These were the kids from the cast! How cool!

Asahi, Black Lager
Smooth, stout like brew with a mellow, yet deep taste. Delicious!

Low Carb Burger
Instead of bread buns, the Country Natural beef was between portobello mushrooms and a bed of asparagus.

Sliders
Buffalo with Caramelized Onions, Angus with Bacon, and Country Natural with Cheddar.


The next day, we went to the Venetian Hotel to eat at Enoteca San Marco, Mario Batali's restaurant.

The Inside

Friulano Bastianich, Friuli, 2007
A refreshing white to pair with the meal. This wine is produced by the Bastianich family (as in Lydia Bastianich, chef and business partner of Batali).

Acetaia, "Vinegar Maker's Salad"
Covered with Prosciutto. The prosciutto was delicate and delicious.

Bucatini all'Amatriciana
With tomato, cured pork, and onions. The pastas here are cooked perfectly al dente, and the sauce nicely coats it.

Linguine con Le Cozze
With mussels, saffrom, and marjoram (an herb). Another tasty and light pasta!


For the big dinner, my family and I ate at Hubert Keller's Fleur de Lys in the Mandalay Bay Hotel. I've eaten at his San Francisco restaurant several times. This was my first time in his Las Vegas establishment. The night did not disappoint. Everything was beautiful and delicious!
Please note: I'm still awaiting the release of my new camera. For now I'm still using my older camera which doesn't take the best low lighting shots., and in nicer restaurants, I tend not to use flash.
The Tapas Menu
$80 for 12 items - such a great deal!

The Inside

Homemade Pickled Olives
I enjoyed this because it was not overly pickled and it tasted so fresh.

Onion Soup with Truffle Oil
A delicately blended soup. The truffle oil was a delicious touch. A great start.

Salad
Lightly coated vinagrette. It was salad, nothing really that special.

Hearts of Palm
Another refreshing salad. Delicate and creamy.

Spoons of Tuna Tartare
Fresh tuna with a light dressing. A refreshing spoonful.

Charcuterie
A selection of cold cuts, such as spicy soppressata, soppressata, and prosciutto.

Croque Monsieur
One of the best croque monsieurs I've had! The crust was nice and crispy, and the cheese was oozing over. Mmm!

Potato Ravioli
The pasta was so light and fresh. The sauce was nice and deep, with a short rib taste. So good!

Fleur Sliders with Shoe String Potatoes
Kobe beef stuffed with blue cheese on a bed of Asian pears, with potato buns. This slider was far better than the ones in Burger Bar. So delicious!

Skirt Steak
With chimichurri sauce. Moist, tender, and well cooked meat with a delicate sauce.

Cheese Plate
Roquefort, Goat Cheese, and Sheep's Milk Cheese, with homemade honey.

The Breads for the Cheese
White chocolate bread and cranberry bread.


After we finished the Tapas Menu, we ordered a few more entrees. The tapas menu is generous, but we were a table of four so our stomachs were not quite full yet.
Citrus Glazed Halibut
Nicely cooked, and still rare inside.

Gently Heated Alaskan King Salmon
The plate of the night. The salmon was delicately cooked. Super delicious!

Stout Braised Beef Shortribs
A tasty cut of shortribs. The potato and carrot puree was so smooth and creamy.

Madeleines with a Chocolate Dipping Sauce
The madeleines are so light and airy, and crispy on the edges. It's the best madeleines I've had. The chocolate makes it even more delicious.

The Birthday Cake!
Srawberry mousse. It wasn't amazing, but it was good. A nice gesture for my mom's birthday.

Still the Best Burgers

My family and I are constantly trying out different burgers at "well-rated" restaurants. Hubert Keller's Burger Bar is still the best.

Dogfish 90 Minute IPA
Rated the best IPA because this is the best IPA I've had. Smooth, deep, and hoppy. This is becoming my new favorite beer.

Angus Burger with Caramelized Onions and Blue Cheese on a Ciabatta bun with Fried Zucchini
It's the best - what more can I say? Other than..the meat is perfectly medium and juicy with such a taste that makes you want to keep eating. The blue cheese provided complexity, and the onions gave a sweet smoothness. The ciabatta bun held up the juicy burger. The zucchini fries were perfectly fried and not over done. It's really all the best.

Creamy Cheese Cake Burger
With pineapple and strawberry on a donut. One of the best desserts I've had! The cheesecake is soo light and creamy!

Nutella Milkshake
Mmm! A nice deep taste of nutella with a great milkshake texture.