Umami Burger

Taking risks pays off. I decided the first contender for the best sandwich-type place would be Umami Burger. Sure it's not a "sandwich" sandwich but burgers have bread and meat so I decided they're sandwich enough. It's located in Santa Monica near the 3rd Street Promenade which is a fun place by itself but even better on Wednesday mornings during the Farmers Market.  There's nothing better than fresh produce, samples, and weird people. Combine those three together in one place and that makes for a great morning.  After paying an unreasonable price for a peach, I ate it knowing it didn't contain any pesticides they say are going to kill me and it tasted far better than anything I could buy in the store - so I guess that made it worth it. Within walking distance was Umami Burger, and I'm going to be honest, I passed a Subway on the walk over and almost gave into the temptation. But I remained strong, reminded myself of the goal, and decided I'd give this burger place a chance.

When I first heard of umami I thought it was either a natural disaster or a disease, both of which are wrong. As much as I understand what umami is, I'm still not sure I can adequately describe it.  It's something you need to experience - but I'll try to do it justice. Umami is the fifth taste. There is salty, sweet, sour and bitter - and then there is umami. Never heard of it? Neither had I, but I was intrigued and wanted to find out.

Before I even ordered I knew I had to ask Jeff, the nice guy who seated us, what makes Umami Burger unique. With all of the other burger places I could go to, why would I, or anyone, want to go to one with a name that sounds like a strange combination of something foreign and yet oddly hipster? His answer impressed me, intrigued me, and went way over my head. It was the "synergetic effect of the recipe" that made the burgers distinct, he said. They have an "unconventional way of making something conventional great." At least I knew they hired smart people, and after the help of Webster, I have to agree with Jeff's answer.

First of all, they have awesome water cups. Sounds insignificant, but there's an imprint for your thumb to give you a better grip - no spills at our table, thank you Umami.  I decided to get the Earth Burger with a mushroom and edamame patty, white soy aioli, truffled ricotta cheese, cipollini onions, butter lettuce and slow roasted tomatoes.

Earth Burger

Jeff confidently told me this would be the best veggie burger I've ever had and if not, a dessert would be on him. As much I wanted that dessert, he was right - no dessert for me. Along with that I tasted the Ahi Tuna Burger with ahi tuna, crushed avocado, gingered pickles and wasabi flakes.  Lastly, I tried the SoCal Burger with butter lettuce, slow roasted tomatoes, house spread, house-made american cheese and caramelized onions. The sweet potato fries were cooked in brown sugar and were served with a mildly sweet ketchup. As inadequate as this will be, let me try to explain what I experienced...

Ahi Tuna Burger

Taste: Savory - the best word I can think of to describe the flavors. The bun was slightly sweet which worked perfectly with the rich yet not overwhelming patties. All three of the burgers were extremely tender and juicy but they held together well. I hate fish but even liked the Ahi Tuna and the SoCal Burger was not greasy or too heavy. The combination of toppings on the Earth Burger made it the best burger I've ever had - seriously. I left feeling totally satisfied, full but not gross or overly stuffed. And they stamp the top of their buns with a "U" - a nice touch.

Atmosphere: The location is great, near the 3rd Street Promenade and the beach. It was packed but the wait wasn't long. Not a greasy place but clean feeling. The crowd ranged from surfers, to hipsters, to people I’m sure had to be important - and hopefully you if you do yourself a favor and try it out.

Price: Around $10 a burger - not your everyday burger price, but so worth it.

Umami Burger. The best burger place I've ever gone to. But a problem remains. I am still a creature of habit and when I like something, I really like it - I really like Umami Burger and want to go back again...and then probably again. But I'll stay strong and take another risk.  The bar has been set high and I’m left wondering, can the next place live up to it?...

All photos courtesy of Kristin Arnesen.